Jodi Carreon began to feel anxious about her older child’s spelling abilities a few years back when the child was in second grade. In the southern California school district where Carreon resides, students returned to in-person classes after pandemic limitations, each equipped with a laptop, a leftover from virtual learning that Carreon thought would soon be discontinued. However, that was not the situation. Her child was required to utilize Google Docs prior to mastering typing and had access to spell check. Although handwriting was encouraged, there were no spelling lists or assessments. Carreon pondered how they were acquiring spelling skills.
“Over the next couple of years, I came to understand they aren’t teaching spelling explicitly as I remember it,” stated Carreon, a stay-at-home parent and co-leader of Distraction-Free Schools CA. By the time elementary school concluded, Carreon resolved that her child required spelling tutoring. She recognized that depending on technologies such as autocorrect, spellcheck, and AI would merely mask the issue. Consequently, she downloaded online spelling lists and reviewed words weekly, improvising as she was not a qualified educator.
Parents are left to navigate spelling independently. Many teachers lack the knowledge to effectively teach spelling and do not possess quality curriculums, as stated by literacy specialists. This may astonish parents who became adept spellers through structured education in the 1980s and 1990s. The literacy crisis is widely acknowledged, but the reduction in formal teaching is less understood, contributing to challenges in reading, comprehension, and writing. There isn’t a national spelling assessment, making it difficult to measure the extent of the problem. Tools like spellcheck and Grammarly give an impression that spelling is no longer necessary, yet experts assert that spelling is essential for reading, writing, and comprehension. Without a nationwide effort to standardize spelling instruction, parents must fend for themselves.
Struggling with spelling? What should you do next? Experts do not hold teachers responsible for the lack of spelling instruction but point to a movement away from research-based literacy towards a discredited philosophy known as “whole language,” which posited that formal spelling instruction was unnecessary. This shift resulted in educators halting their learning of how to teach spelling in a formal manner. Dr. Brennan Chandler from Georgia State University indicates that spelling has not improved despite the dismissal of “whole language” and the embrace of research-based literacy standards.
Carreon had to develop spelling resources at home for her child and engaged with the school about the role of technology in classrooms, expressing concern about access to spellcheck. She advises parents to inquire about the spelling curriculum and its significance as a skill.
Spelling resources to explore. Chandler acknowledges that there isn’t a clear answer for parents. Khan Academy does not provide a spelling curriculum, and students require more than just memorization exercises. Chandler recommends that parents familiarize themselves with English spelling rules and suggests the book “Uncovering the Logic of English.” Dr. J. Richard Gentry, co-author of “Brain Words,” asserts that children need to engage with spelling words systematically, linking them to phonics, comprehension, writing, and vocabulary. His “Spelling Connections” series teaches this approach. Gentry encourages parents to monitor spelling from the conclusion of first grade through elementary school.
Chandler remarks that the absence of spelling instruction puts children with learning disabilities at a disadvantage. Error-correcting tools can obscure disabilities such as dyslexia. Deanna Fogarty from Wilson Language Training urges parents to discuss spelling with teachers, especially if they suspect a learning disability. Fogarty advises searching for patterns in word lists to assist children in grasping English spelling rules. She recommends the website TextProject for a compilation of common word families.
Carreon hopes for accessible spelling resources and support for parents. In addition to studying at home, she has financed tutors and writing courses for her child. “We are fortunate enough to be able to do this,” she remarked. “But not all families have that option, and that’s my major concern.”