SP Course: Introduction to Structured Word Inquiry
If learning rules with tons of exceptions and rote memorization of words isn't working, it's time to try a new approach. This class will transform learners' understanding of words and how spelling works while also improving vocabulary.
Andrea Dalland, M.Ed, MLS
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What's included
8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentHomework
1 hour per week. There will be a homework assignment following each class, which will give learners the opportunity to practice what has been learned in the lesson. Homework should take about 10-20 minutes after each lesson. All assignments will be posted on a Canva slide deck that each learner will be able to access and edit. More instructions are given in the introductory video.Class Experience
If you are like most speakers of English, you’ve been taught to spell a word by “sounding it out.” But you probably also know that this strategy only works a small handful of times. Between silent letters, letters that can make more than one sound, and words that sound exactly the same but are spelled differently…..the number of obstacles in the way of “sounding out” words makes this strategy inefficient at best and frustrating at worst. If rote memorization of lists of spelling words, copying sentences, and applying spelling “rules” that have dozens of exceptions just isn't working for your learner, it may be time for a different approach. Most spelling programs leave students with serious misunderstandings about how spelling really works. This course will reveal that English spelling is actually highly ordered and logical, once you have unlocked some of its secrets. Students will learn to break words apart into bases, prefixes, and suffixes, and use those parts to make informed decisions about how to spell and understand what words mean. Students will learn to think like “word scientists,” making a hypothesis about spelling patterns, testing their theories, and discovering rules of spelling that actually work. This class will boost not only their spelling skills, but expand their vocabulary as well. It’s an exploration of etymology and morphology that will transform the way they think about words and the way English spelling functions. *This is a Self-Paced Class, there are no live classes.* The video lessons will be no longer than 30 minutes long, and there will be about 5-15 minutes of homework to complete after each lesson. Students are encouraged to ask questions about their learning and about words they notice and want to learn more about. I offer a live version of this class! If you would prefer live lessons, you can find that class here: https://outschool.com/classes/unlocking-the-mysteries-of-english-spelling-a-live-8-week-class-dyCAN9V7?usid=nD85Y1ms&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link. I also offer a weekly, ongoing version of this class which builds on the knowledge from this course and further explores elements of spelling including when to use <ck> or <k> at the ends of words, rules for making words plural, the spelling of numbers, recognizing words that come from Greek, and many, many more topics! The link for that class can be found here: https://outschool.com/classes/unlocking-the-mysteries-of-english-spelling-an-ongoing-spelling-class-DnUQSr9s?usid=nD85Y1ms&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
Learning Goals
At the end of this class, students will be able to:
-break words apart into prefixes, bases, and suffixes
-understand how to identify the graphemes, morphemes, and phonemes that create a word
-understand that words that are connected in meaning will also be connected in spelling
-understand how adding a suffix can change the spelling of a base word, for example by dropping a silent -e or doubling a final consonant
-use provided flow charts and matrices to make decisions about spelling when adding a suffix to a base word
-understand that the way a word is spelled is often influenced by its history and origin
-understand that every word is spelled the way it is for a reason and that every letter has a job (and it's job might not be to make a sound in that word.)
-approach spelling problems by "thinking like a scientist," making a hypothesis about a word, testing their hypothesis, and seeing the results
Syllabus
8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
The History of English
This introductory lesson will teach learners about the fascinating history of the English language and how we have gotten to where we are today. We'll also discuss why having a consistent spelling system across the English-speaking world is so important, and we'll examine the idea that English spelling is more interested in communicating meaning than sounds. Lesson 2:
Phonemes, Graphemes and Morphemes
Students will learn the definitions of phonemes, graphemes, and morphemes and how they work together to spell words. We will work on doing some phoneme-grapheme mapping and also work on starting to break words apart to look for their parts. Lesson 3:
Word Families
Students will learn about Word Families, and see that words that are connected in meaning will also share connections in how they are spelled. We will also learn how to use a matrix to build words from a common word family. Lesson 4:
Suffixing Conventions Part 1
We’ll begin to start thinking like “word scientists” and will start to look at some of the rules of adding suffixes to bases, including when to drop the single, silent e at the end of a base word. Other Details
Learning Needs
The Structured Word Inquiry approach to spelling is excellent for learners with dyslexia as it reduces the amount of cognitive load required to learn how to spell words (reducing emphasis on memorization of "rules")
Parental Guidance
When your learner enrolls I will post a link in the class page that will take them to their very own slide deck on the Canva platform. The slide deck will contain all their homework assignments for the class, and students may complete the work directly on the slide deck if they choose. More instructions, including an orientation of the features of Canva, will be posted with the slide deck. You do not need a Canva account, the link I post will provide you with access.
Pre-Requisites
It's helpful if your child has a good basic understanding of letter-sound correspondence.
Joined July, 2022
5.0
142reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from University of Missouri at Columbia
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Calvin College
I have had extensive professional development in the ideas presented in this class, including working directly with Peter Bowers and WordWorksKingston to learn the principles of Structured Word Inquiry, and I have seven years of experience teaching this content in a classroom setting. I have also been involved in the creation of resources for colleagues to use in their teaching as they implemented SWI in their own classrooms. Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$12
weekly or $96 for all content8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
Completed by 97 learners
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Ages: 9-12
