ABSTRACT
For many students with learning difficulties, spelling continues to present a problem long after reading skills have improved. In part, this problem arises in English language because it is impossible to spell every word by a simple translation of sound to letter. But children’s difficulties can also result from too little time and attention being devoted to the explicit teaching of spelling skills and strategies. For several decades, instruction in spelling ceased to feature prominently in the primary school curriculum due mainly to the influence of whole-language approach to literacy. However, in recent years, the systematic teaching of spelling has enjoyed something of a renaissance due to a growing awareness that children will not necessarily become adequate spellers if they are left to discover spelling principles for themselves. The current view is that taking a systematic approach to spelling and word study is essential and leads to measurable improvement in students’ spelling ability. Current teaching approaches aim to help students become more independent in their spelling, and be capable of detecting and self-correcting errors (Viel-Ruma et al. 2007).
