Wilde Reading

I have always been a very strong speller. This isn't to say that I did well in English by any means in Elementary. I did well in spelling but always had trouble in writing. This article had great pointers on how to teach spelling in a classroom. The very first part of the article talked about Placeholding spelling. This is exactly what I would do in any situation pertaining to directions or simply writing down a name to look up. I also use this when I'm looking things up on the computer because a lot of times it will ask you if you are looking for something else. For instance, if you type in cactis or something and misspelled it, most likely the computer will say, "Did you mean Cactus?" For the most part, students will pick up the real word and click on that one. I think that Placeholding can be a great way of learning and picking up spelling. Like the article said, it should only be used in certain situations. Another point the article made was to always include different resources in the classroom. It's important to not only include the dictionary but also encyclopedias, and other sources. This way the students have a variety of ways to look up words and their meanings. Once the students have the spelling down, it doesn't always mean they understand the meaning of the word. I hope to return to this article when I'm teaching because it gave such a good description of how spelling should be taught. Another great way the author represents spelling is through using partners or simply grouping kids together to revise papers. This way the students who are stronger spellers can help out the ones who are having troubles. The students who are stronger are also raising their intelligence through helping the younger or less stronger spellers. The author also talks about how important spelling is. I know that as an Elementary student, spelling doesn't seem like the most important thing in writing. I do believe that writing has so much to it and also involves being able to organize your thoughts. Once you can organize your thoughts, spelling is very very important. When finishing an application or simply writing a letter to someone who is important, they are always going to look at the spelling in your writing. If the spelling isnt' correct, the paper looks rushed or not professional by any means. This has to be explained to students to understand the importance of spelling.