2. Teaching English in the Elementary Grades (LANGUAGE ARTS)
DEVELOPING COMPOSING SKILLS
3.2 THE ISSUE ON INVENTED SPELLING
Malupa, Cris Neil Jhon
Bachelor of Elementary Education ( EVENING CLASS )
3. Invented Spelling and Its Role in the Learning Process
When you live in a world filled with LOLs and BRBs, it’s not
surprising to see many words with invented spellings. The
trouble is, no award-winning author actually thought “tho” was
the correct way to spell “though.” So, does invented spelling fit
anywhere into the learning process? The honest answer is yes.
Invented spelling isn't something that can be totally avoided.
In fact, it's a natural part of
developing spelling skills.
Take a look at how to
incorporate this simple fact
of life into your next spelling
lesson.
4. About Invented Spelling
Invented spelling, sometimes referred to as inventive spelling,
is the practice of spelling unfamiliar words with an educated
guess based on phonetic knowledge. Examples of invented
spelling include:
"iz" for "is"
"flawrs" for "flowers"
"is cream" for "ice cream"
"lov" for "love"
"prpul" for "purple"
"culrs" for "colors"
"difrint" for "different"
5. Invented Spelling Research
In 1975, linguist Charles Read conducted a study of preschoolers who
were beginning to relate letter names to the sounds of the alphabet.
He discovered that students commonly "invented" spellings for words
in their daily vocabulary by rearranging letters to fit their perception of
the rules of the English language.
Read concluded, "One sees clearly that different children chose the
same phonetically motivated spellings to a degree that can hardly be
explained as resulting from random choice or the influence of adults."
A key takeaway from this study is that learning how to spell is much
more than just memorizing words. It's a developmental process that
goes far beyond just exploring the relationships between the symbols
used to illustrate speech sounds Thus, the process of invented spelling
can play an important role in leading young learners to develop a
deep, phonetically-based understanding of how to spell many words.
6. Key Considerations for Invented Spelling
Many teachers consider invented spelling to be a developmentally
appropriate step in the early stages of a child’s reading and writing.
Proponents argue that invented spelling does not interfere with a
child's ability to spell correctly in later years.
Invented spelling can be compared with the efforts a child makes
when first learning to speak . A parent wouldn’t criticize a child's first
attempts to reproduce the sounds of the verbal language. Accordingly,
a child's efforts to master written communication skills should also be
encouraged. After all, young learners have to start somewhere.
7. The Advantages of Invented Spelling
It's important to note that, from a technical standpoint, invented spelling is not an
instructional technique. It’s merely a natural process that all children use as
they’re beginning to write. There are advantages to incorporating invented
spelling into the classroom. When monitored closely, it can offer a number of
benefits for blossoming spellers.
• Invented spelling can help build a sense of confidence, pride and control over the learning
process.
• It allows students to express themselves creatively through writing without worrying
about the spelling of unfamiliar words.
• Writing using invented spelling techniques allows for extensive practice of
phonics because students are using letters to represent the sounds they hear.
• Teachers can discover important information about a student's growing knowledge of
phonemes by reading a composition that the student created using invented spelling
techniques.
8. The Disadvantages of Invented Spelling
In a classroom where invented spelling is allowed, a teacher wouldn’t
deduct points from the student's grade for misspelled words in a
composition. The potential disadvantages of allowing invented spelling
are probably what you’d expect.
• It may reduce the incentive for children to learn to spell words correctly.
• It could possibly lead to problems in communication since others may not
always be able to decipher what the student has written.
• Highly logical children may become frustrated when the teacher doesn’t insist
there’s only one correct way to spell a particular word.
9. Using Invented Spelling to Encourage Reading and Writing
Learning to spell, just like learning to speak, is an ongoing process. There are a few
important tips to keep in mind if you are a parent or teacher of a child in a school where
invented spelling is encouraged.
• Provide writing opportunities on a regular basis. At home, parents can encourage children
to help prepare shopping lists, write letters to grandparents or make up a story for a
younger sibling.
• Resist the urge to criticize or point out mistakes with what the child writes. The goal of
invented spelling is to promote creative expression.
• Refer to the child's creative spellings by the title of "invented spelling" to help distinguish
them from the correct conventional spelling.
• Ask children to read their writing aloud. This will help you decipher how they have spelled
words while also giving them reading practice.
• Be sensitive to the struggles children face as they seek to master the written component
of the English language.
10. Beyond Invented Spelling
As young learners start to move beyond invented spelling to mastering
correct spelling, your approach to helping them build skills will need to
change. Get ready to help your little learners build on their earliest
spelling and writing skills. Start by learning how to teach sight words by
grade level. Then, get ready to share fundamental spelling rules for
everyone to know. Use fun spelling activities to help young learners build
strong skills they'll be able to expand upon over time.