Prior to administering a spelling pre-test to a small group of students, I found myself surprised by their methods of review. They spent the five minutes I permitted for a brief once-over quizzing one another orally.
This was confusing to me, not only because they were not being assessed in such a fashion (something of which they were well aware), but also because it was ineffective. Students were unsuccessful, at best, in their verbal spelling attempts, often reversing letters or even entire syllables. This “spelling bee” study strategy is valuable only to a limited population of learners, as it completely removes the kinesthetic/tactile or visual aspects of internalizing information.
In my experiences as a learning specialist, I have found that students experience more success when their study habits are keyed in on their particular learning style. Incorporating auditory, kinesthetic/tactile and visual methods into independent drills allows for increased comprehension, mastery and recollection. Below are two study approaches that can help students better retain orthographic information. These methods use all three of the aforementioned learning styles.
Trace, Copy & Recall
Study materials for this method include a piece of loose-leaf paper, a black magic marker and a red magic marker. Start by folding the loose-leaf sheet of paper, creating three separate columns. Using your black magic marker, label the left column TRACE; label the middle column COPY; label the right column RECALL. Using only three to five spelling words at one time, write them in the TRACE column, again with your black magic marker. Your sheet of paper should resemble the following:
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TRACE Spelling Word #1 Spelling Word #2 Spelling Word #3 |
COPY |
RECALL |
Begin the exercise by tracing over each word, repeating the letters aloud as you outline. In the second column, labeled COPY, say and write the word in the same fashion as you’ve previously done. Fold the TRACE column and the COPY column over one another. With the sound and rhythm of the previous columns still fresh in your mind, rewrite the word in the RECALL column. For words that are particularly challenging, include them in the TRACE column several times.
Emphasizing with Embellishments
This study strategy calls for blank index cards, a black magic marker, and a red magic marker. Begin by writing each spelling word on the index cards. Your words should be written clearly and boldly with your black magic marker. As you write, emphasize any “tricky” letters or syllables with your red magic marker. Refer to the following example:
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fiery |
Continue this exercise by creating a mental snapshot of your index card and spelling the word aloud. Stress the irregular letter or arduous syllable by saying it with inflection or even in a foreign accent.
The Trace, Copy, & Recall study strategy requires students to read, write, and hear their spelling words multiple times in an echoed and rhythmic fashion. The Emphasizing with Embellishments study strategy encourages students to pinpoint and exercise challenges with color and sound. By utilizing methods like the above, students grow as learners and experience all three methods, eventually ascertaining which style is most applicable to their learning needs.
