Conventions of Spelling: Scaffolding Learning From 0.5
Indicators of Progress
- Students attempt to spell words by writing one or more of the letters in the word, usually having the initial letter, or by matching the most obvious sounds, particularly consonants.
- Students know and can write some letters (upper and lower case), and recall the names of letters, both upper and lower case.
- Students match letters with their common sounds, for example, they can use a model of the alphabet to select the letter for sounds they hear and then write the letter by copying.
- Students write letters for some of the letter–sound links they know and may mix up upper and lower case letters.
- Students recall the most common sounds that are linked with letters.
Teaching Strategies
The learning and teaching approach for writing is illustrated for students responding within the context of Pets.
Organising phase
Developing relationship between letters and sounds in words when spelling
Towards the end of this sequence of activities, the teacher says each word and the students write at least part of it, consulting the set of words under each picture before they begin. The students can practise corresponding skills on a computer keyboard. In this case the students need to select the appropriate letter on the keyboard and press the key so that the letter appears once on the computer screen.
The learning and teaching approach for writing is illustrated for students responding within the context of Pets.
Composing phase
Approximating letters and spelling patterns
They are shown a picture from the Pets book, hear the matching sentence dictated and then write it, approximating to the spelling patterns.