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Strategies for
Learning to Spell Unpredictable Words
Following are some suggestions for helping students remember the
spellings of unpredictable words (those that have at least one part that
doesn’t follow the rules of English spelling):
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Determine which part or parts of the word are unpredictable, or
unruly. Trace over these letters in dark or colored pen so that it
stands out visually.
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Invoke a spelling pronunciation. For example, say “sep-ay-rate” to
help remember the “a” in “separate.”
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Outline the word to emphasize word shape. For example, boxing in the
word “why” would make obvious the tall letter in the middle and the low
letter at the end.
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When spelling the word aloud, raise or lower voice to emphasize the
word shape. For example, when spelling “why” aloud, a higher or louder
voice can be used for the “h” and a lower or quieter voice for the “y.”
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Use mnemonic associations or find words within words and create word
pictures to help students remember ambiguous spellings. For example, “we
eat meat,” or “the principal is your pal.” When spelling “earth,”
students may picture someone with his ear to the ground and pronounce
the word “ear-th” to help with recall.
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If possible, it is best for students who have difficulty in this
area to learn homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled
differently) separately, not at the same time.
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Stabilizing the meaning and spelling of one of the words first, prior to
adding in a second meaning and spelling, will allow for greater success.
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Try this strategy to help students visualize the spelling of words
that can’t be spelled by sound-to-letter matching alone:
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Write word neatly on student’s whiteboard or paper, with letters
large enough to clearly visualize but small enough to be seen in one
visual field. |
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With student, determine which letters are unruly or could “trick”
them, and darken them so that they “jump off” the page. |
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Say the word, then trace and say letter names 3x. |
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Say the word, then write (copy) and say letter names 3x with
original word in view. |
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Have students students “take a picture” of the word in their minds,
then visualize it with eyes closed. Ask them questions during
visualization, such as “what came after “a,” what was the third letter
you wrote, point to the letters and say them backwards. |
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Finally, have students open their eyes and write the word from
memory, without model in view. |
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