How to Correct Spelling Mistakes

There are different approaches you can take when your child misspells a word. Some would simply show the child how the word should be spelled, but that would not provide explanation for the correction to enable the child to learn from the mistake. Instead, I would recommend that you follow the steps taught by the folks at All About Learning Press to help your learn.

If your child misspells a word during a spelling lesson, follow these steps:
    1. Ask your child to slowly read exactly what he has written. Often the student will see his own error and be able to fix it.
    2. Take a look at the cause of the spelling mistake -
          Did you and the student pronounce the word correctly?
          Is he unclear on a particular spelling concept or rule?
          Did he segment the word correctly?
          Do you need to re-teach something?
If you need to review a phonogram or spelling rule, do it now.
    3. Have the student spell the word again, preferably with letter tiles or magnets first, and then on paper.

When your child misspells a word outside of the spelling lesson, such as during dictation exercises or other written assignments, only hold his responsible for writing the word correctly if it includes concepts you have already taught. If that particular word, or words with a similar spelling pattern, have been taught, ask the student to segment the word and write the letter or letters for each sound. If he has misspelled a word for which you have not taught the pattern or rule, simply show him the correct spelling and have him write it himself, so that he imprints that spelling into his brain. When you cover that pattern in a future spelling lesson, he will likely remember what he has already practiced.

Why not encourage inventive spelling? First of all, it can imprint an incorrect form on the child's brain, which will require more "unlearning" later. Secondly, this approach can be counterproductive to teaching students the right way - they may use the first option that comes to mind (figuring that's what the teacher would allow) and not make an effort to spell correctly. My brother was taught this way in his early elementary years and had to work very hard in later years to overcome the incorrect imprinting and bad habits this approach established.

It is also not recommended to direct younger students to "look it up" in the dictionary. This can be a very frustrating process if the student does not know what basic phonograms are used, since the dictionary is organized by the proper spelling. If the student has not yet been taught a spelling pattern or rule for the word in question, simply tell (or show) the student what the correct spelling is.

The manner in which you correct mistakes can significantly impact your student's progress.

Kelly