From the Publisher
This book makes a significant contribution not only to teachers, but to students, especially those who experience difficulty in learning how to spell.
From the Back Cover
"Spelling may not be the most critical part of the elementary school curriculum nor even the primary focus of the writing program, but it surely can (and does) cause a lot of frustration for poor spellers, for their parents, and for their teachers," writes author Gladys Rosencrans in the first chapter of "The Spelling Book." Rosencrans acknowledges that spelling must be taught directly but argues that traditional methods of teaching it often fail many students. She advocates the introduction of spelling as a meaningful activity through both structured lessons and the use of "teachable moments" during lessons across all content areas. Teaching spelling as an integrated skill that is part of many everyday tasks promotes active learning and student involvement.
"The Spelling Book" is a spelling manual for teachers of intermediate-level (Grades 3-6) children, elementary and middle school teachers working with students who have learning disabilities, and teachers working with students for whom English is not their first language. It outlines a methodology -- developed and implemented by the author -- that combines whole language and phonetic strategies to teach children to spell as part of the entire language arts program. The lessons and activities presented here are easy for teachers to use because they can be adapted to fit into an existing program. Students will become more independent as they are introduced to strategies that suit their own learning style.
