Outschool
Open currency, time zone, and language settings
Log In

Unlocking the Mysteries of English Spelling: A Structured Word Inquiry Approach

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
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(146)
Star Educator
Class
Play

What's included

1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hours per week

Class Experience

US Grade 7 - 10
Intermediate Level
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. 

Every class will be a bit different. Sometimes we'll be working with a particular spelling pattern, a particular sound, or even just taking a close look at the spelling of a few particular words. Though we may sometimes be working with words that seem "easy" and that your learner may already know how to spell correctly, I can promise that each lesson will teach something new about English spelling that they did not know before. Many learners have learned to spell correctly by simply memorizing how the words are spelled, but this class will teach why words are spelled the way they are. 


ALL NEW LESSONS FOR FALL 2024!

Week of Sept. 2: Learning from the spelling of <love>
Week of Sept. 9: The suffixes <ion> <ian> and  <ity>
Week of Sept. 16: Ways to spell long E
Week of Sept. 23: Another look at suffixes
Week of Sept. 30: Apostrophes, Clips, Abbreviations, Acronyms and Portmanteaus - Part 1
Week of Oct. 7: Apostrophes, Clips, Abbreviations, Acronyms and Portmanteaus - Part  2
Week of Oct. 14:  Heteronyms and homographs
Week of Oct. 21: (Monday section only will meet) Word Building with bases
Week of Oct. 28: A visit to the graveyard of forgotten words
Week of Nov. 4: The letters w and x
Week of Nov. 11: The letter n
Week of Nov. 18: A close look at plurals
Week of Nov. 25: Word Building with bases
Week of Dec. 2: 5 questions to help you understand a word
Week of Dec. 9: A close look at past tense 
Week of Dec. 16: The etymology of some Christmas-y words
Week of Dec. 23:   WINTER BREAK
Week of Dec. 30:   WINTER BREAK

**2025!!**

Week of Jan. 6: 5 questions to understand a word
Week of Jan. 13:  Etymological markers
Week of Jan. 20: A close look at homophones
Week of Jan. 27: The <y> and <i> relationship
Week of Feb 3: Using apostrophes
Week of Feb 10: The months of the year
Week of Feb 17: NO CLASS
Week of Feb 24: What is a grapheme? 
Week of March 3: (Monday section will not meet) Word building
Week of March 10: The alphabet
Week of March 17: the <igh> grapheme
Week of March 24: Strategies for spelling the "schwa"
Week of March 31: Another look at etymological markers
Week of April 7: Positional rules for spelling with graphemes
Week of April 14: NO CLASS
Week of April 21: The <wh> grapheme
Week of April 28: Days of the week
Week of May 5: A close look at compound words
Week of May 12: Reasons for Silent e Part 1
Week of May 19: Reasons for Silent e Part 2
Week of May 26: NO CLASS
Week of June 2: A close look at the letter <h>
Week of June 9: Choosing between <er> and <or>
Week of June 16: Graphemes to spell the long /u/ sound
Week of June 23: <le> <el> and <al> endings
Week of June 30: Eponyms and toponyms
Week of July 7: Connecting vowels 
Week of July 14: Assimilated prefixes

This class will run through the week of July 14, 2025. One section may continue through July and August depending on demand. 

Throughout the class, learners are welcomed and encouraged to submit words they find difficult to spell or otherwise mysterious, and I'm happy to build these words into our investigations. Students will come away from the class with a clear understanding that every word is spelled the way it is for a reason, and that it's possible to research, learn and understand the reasons for every spelling!


If you are interested in reading more about the  Structured Word Inquiry approach to teaching spelling, these are good places to start:
https://psyarxiv.com/aktzw/
https://learningaboutspelling.com/about-2/
Learning Goals
Throughout the course of this class, students will learn 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
-approach spelling problems by "thinking like a scientist," making a hypothesis about a word, testing their hypothesis, and seeing the results  
-be able to do research into the etymology of a word to learn more about its meaning, origin, and spelling patterns
-know how to do research into a word's morphology and etymology
learning goal

Other Details

Learning Needs
SWI is an excellent strategy for learners with dyslexia. It removes the need to guess, memorize rules or rely on visual memory. Rather than learning "tips and tricks," students are taught that spelling is a system of logic and order.
Parental Guidance
Parents, be aware that this class could turn your child into a logophile (not sure what this word means? Check a dictionary, think about the parts that make up this word and see if you can think of words that are related in meaning and spelling. Now you're on your way to becoming a logophile yourself!) and will make them notice and ask questions about words and the spellings of words all day. You have been warned!
Pre-Requisites
It is helpful but not necessary if students know the difference between a vowel and a consonant and some basic letter-sound correspondences. It is also helpful if students are familiar with the terms prefix, base and suffix.
Joined July, 2022
5.0
146reviews
Star Educator
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
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

Live Group Class
Share

$16

weekly
1x per week
45 min

Completed by 32 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-17
4-12 learners per class

About
Support
SafetyPrivacyCA PrivacyLearner PrivacyManage Data PreferencesTerms
Financial Assistance
Get The App
Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
© 2024 Outschool