Have you ever witnessed a perfect spelling test by a student and then days later see an assignment with some of those words misspelled? Getting good grades on spelling tests doesn't ensure that children will spell those words correctly in their writing. The importance of spelling is doubted by many students. They think of spelling as word lists and tests instead of a meaningful tool which can enable them to express themselves in writing. Most teachers feel that spelling is not adequately addressed in the elementary curriculum but do not know how to improve it. Some instructors though, through the use of research, have developed new ways to teach and assess spelling that causes students to become more interested and more aware of the importance of spelling.
Kimberly Wright, an educator from Maine, met with others in her school and formed a research group in which they discussed and formulated different approaches for teaching spelling. From their research, she tried a social constructivist approach with her class that involved classroom meetings. In these meetings students" expressed their spelling difficulties. The class then collaborated and shared strategies that they used to correct their spelling errors. The students kept charts in their notebooks with their spelling strategies and used them as a resource for spelling. In the end, Wright assessed the students through a survey. Students" responses were all positive, indicating they felt that they had become more accurate spellers. .
Stephanie Marinelli connected spelling to her social constructivist language arts program. A teacher from Arizona, Marinelli (1996) "wants her students to become more thoughtful and independent writers and thinkers who rely on themselves as resources, appreciate language and its use, and take control of their knowledge of the written word" (p.11). To do this, she has placed words created by the students and herself around her classroom.
