Spelling Strategies

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

My associate and I have been assigned the task of developing a package for adult learners (not necessarily LD) who have problems with spelling. Being university students, we are new to the field, but are learning quickly. We’re wondering if anyone has any suggestions for materials to use, website links or articles that may help us. The aim of our project is create a package that we will distribute to teachers in an adult upgrading. The reason we wish to know more about LD is because a) a lot of the students in our program have an LD, and b) we are noticing that LD strategies are working for students who have developed bad habits that seem to be LDs (but really aren’t).

Also, if anyone has an idea of how to put this together - such as how to go about the research - that would be great too. We’ve only just begun and we’re a little overwhelmed by everything that’s out there. We don’t really know what’s useful and what could be left aside.

Thanks.

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 06/27/2001 - 3:57 PM

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Check out http://www.avko.org

This is a non-profit established by a dyslexic who has developed a sequential spelling system that seems to work for some types of LD. He even has an adult version of the program. There are some examples of the approach on the website.

Rudginsky has a program called “How To Teach Spelling” that is primarily Orton-Gillingham based. You would need the book and the “How To Spell 4” workbook which is geared to grades 7-12. Rainbow Resource carries it at http://www.rainbowresource.com (but no product description online).

“Natural Speller” is a book that could be used with adults. Amazon carries it.

I know of other spelling approaches, but they are geared more towards children.

Mary

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 06/27/2001 - 6:34 PM

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Thanks, Mary! We checked out the avko.com site and what a great site! It was incredibly helpful.

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 06/28/2001 - 6:57 AM

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Sue Jones- who posts here occasionally- has excellent resources at her site- www.resourceroom.net- and many links to other sites. They are not geared for adult learners necessarily but wouldn’t be difficult to adapt.

Robin

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 06/28/2001 - 9:10 PM

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What recent spelling research has shown is that adults progress through the same stages in learning to spell as do children. This simply means that they need to master the basics — short vowels, consonants and consonant clusters, syllable juncture, long vowels, etc., before they can spell multi-syllabic words. An excellent resource on this concept is Edmund Henderson’s 1985 book, Teaching Spelling. I think it’s out of print but you can probably get it through interlibrary loan.

Another resource you might consider is going to my website and click on Site Map. There you will find a series of 10 assessments which will tell you where your adult students are breaking down in the early spelling process.

I also recommend the Rudginsky book and Sue Jones’ website. Just hunt for resourceroom. I can’t remember if you need the www in front of it. Grace

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