Scientific Spelling online handout - neuhaus.org

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Scientific Spelling – Online

Lesson 1: Introduction

Successful Spelling Requires…

1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________

Six Kinds of Spellers 4. ______________________
5. ______________________
1. ______________________ 6. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________

The Scientific Speller

1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________

Why is English So Confusing?

English has had a rich and interesting history.

© 2005 by Neuhaus Education Center. All rights reserved. 1

(sh)

Three Categories for Words

1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________

Goals of Scientific Spelling

1. Students will learn the reliable patterns and rules of English for spelling.
2. Students will learn a multisensory procedure for learning irregular spelling words.
3. Students will learn to analyze words for spelling.

Lesson 2: Regular Words

(green section) Words spelled the way they sound

Never Double cheer:

Scavenger Hunt 2

Use your green section to discover common spelling patterns.

1. When is the /ŏ/ sound spelled with a?
a. before the /k/ sound
b. after the /w/ sound
c. it is never spelled with a

2. When is the final /s/ spelled ce?
a. after a long vowel
b. after a short vowel
c. only in one-syllable words

© 2005 by Neuhaus Education Center. All rights reserved.

3. What is the most frequent spelling of the final /ō/ sound?
a. o
b. oe
c. ow

4. When is the /ŭ/ sound spelled a?
a. only in one-syllable words
b. in a syllable that ends in a consonant
c. at the end of a word or at the end of an unaccented syllable

5. When is the medial /s/ sound spelled c?
a. before a, o, or u
b. before e, i, or y
c. after a vowel and before e, i, or y in a multisyllabic word

6. What is the most frequent spelling of the /sh/ sound?
a. sh
b. ch
c. si

7. When is the final /j/ sound spelled dge?
a. after a long vowel
b. after a short vowel in multisyllabic words
c. after a short vowel in one-syllable words

8. What is the frequent spelling of /hw/?
a. hw
b. wh
c. w

9. When is the final /k/ sound spelled c?
a. after a short vowel in a multisyllabic word
b. after a short vowel in a one-syllable word
c. after a long vowel

10. When is the final /ē/ sound spelled ey?
a. at the end of a one-syllable word
b. at the end of a multisyllabic word
c. it is not a frequent spelling

How many states end in /ŭ/ spelled a? _____

© 2005 by Neuhaus Education Center. All rights reserved. 3

Teaching a Pattern (green section)

Steps of Discovery

1. Auditory Discovery
2. Prediction
3. Visual Discovery
4. Verbalization of the Pattern

Lesson 3: Rule Words

(yellow section) Double, drop, or change a letter.
5 rules with wide application

Doubling Rule:

Spelling the rule words works much better—when you double, drop, or change a letter.

Lesson 4: Irregular Words

(red section) The orthographic patterns do not match the pronunciations or the
orthographic patterns are not best bet choices.

Why are words irregular?

1. __________________________

2. __________________________

3. __________________________

4. __________________________

5. __________________________

© 2005 by Neuhaus Education Center. All rights reserved. 4

Strategies for Learning Irregular Words

Spelling Pronunciation:

Trace, Copy, Spell, and Write:
1. ______________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________

Mnemonic Sentence: Put words that have the same irregular spelling into a sentence.

Irregular words are hard to spell. Use a procedure to help you spell well.

Lesson 5: Analyzing

Analyzing Words

1. Students look at the word and read it.
2. Students unblend the word.
3. Students identify the first sound and the corresponding letter that spells that sound.

They determine if that letter is an appropriate choice.
4. Students identify each subsequent sound and orthographic representation in the

word.
5. If they like all of the orthographic representations in the word, the word is regular.
6. If there is any part they do not like, the word is irregular.
7. If a letter has been doubled, dropped, or changed, the word is a rule word.

© 2005 by Neuhaus Education Center. All rights reserved. 5

Cooking Regular Rule Irregular

cup
bread
jam
lunch
spread
cake
hottest
plate

Why is analyzing important?
1. It heightens phonemic awareness.
2. It forces students to look at the orthographic patterns of words.
3. It makes students think.
4. It is fun!

Farm chick – Vacation plastic –
farm – sheep – picnic – napkin –
cow – vacation –
pig – lamb – rain – spring –
pony – rooster –
goat – jam – tuna –
barn –
Ocean knife –
clam – shrimp –
crab – basket –
lobster –
ocean – starfish – Transportation boat –
beach – wave – van – vehicle –
swimming – whale – shipping –
truck – transportation –
navigation –
plane –

train –

ship –

© 2005 by Neuhaus Education Center. All rights reserved. 6

Weekly Lesson Plan Variations

1. Monday – Introduce a new pattern or rule and analyze words
Tuesday – Finish analyzing
Wednesday – Practice irregular words
Thursday – Practice words
Friday – Test

2. Monday – Introduce a new pattern or rule
Tuesday – Analyze words
Wednesday and/or Thursday – Practice irregular words and other words
Friday – Test

3. Monday – Introduce a new pattern or rule and analyze words
Wednesday – Practice irregular words and other words
Friday – Test

Remember

1. Scientific Spelling is different - not harder
2. Slow and steady
3. Don’t worry about having all the answers
4. Use any word list
5. Analyzing is the key
6. Spelling for a lifetime

© 2005 by Neuhaus Education Center. All rights reserved. 7

(v)

The (v) sound in initial or medial position = v (valentine).

The (v) sound in final position = ve (five).

v ve

Exceptions: 8

© 2005 by Neuhaus Education Center. All rights reserved.