spelling.htm/20DEC2001

Spelling

When the pupil can hear the sounds in words he knows the letters that represent them and can therefore spell correctly the 90% of words that conform to the basic rules of Phonics.

Using the small letters is a painless way to improve spelling. The pupil can pick out letters for sounds he can hear, and instead of red ink on mistakes, you just have to rearrange letters, or let him re‑arrange them, or take out wrong letters, and leave a space for a missing letter. He then has to listen to the word and hear how the spoken word does not match (Felicity Craig uses the word 'tally') the letters he has chosen, and to hear what letters he needs to provide the missing sounds. This is the best kind of phonological awareness, listening to the separate sounds in words, rather than the bigger units of onset and rime.(See The Myths Item 10)

WE READ WITH OUR EARS. WE SPELL WITH OUR EARS.