The Spelling Apologist: Why Good Spelling Is Essential and How to

Select the Right Curriculum

By Ellen Barski
When our spelling is perfect, its invisible. But when its flawed, it prompts strong negative
associations.
Marilyn vos Savant
Okay, Ill admit it right off the bat. Im a good speller. Ive always been a good speller. I
wince when I see misspelled words inflicted on the public at large: marquees, programs,
websites, even magazines. Ive witnessed poor spelling in student essays and research
papers, letters to the editor, resumes, and other publications meant for public consumption.
In my corporate world years as an editor, I was by turns amazed, amused, and aghast at
both the general lack of spelling knowledge and the widespread indifference toward correct
spelling.
But so what? As long as people get their point across, is poor spelling really such a big deal?
Are others of my ilk and I fighting a losing battle with cultural change, clinging to outdated
rules that are hard to understand anyway? If I may, Ill hop up onto my soapbox now.
Why Correct Spelling Is a Very Big Deal
In my opinion, good spelling is the most important and useful skill that our society tends to
shrug off. In these days of spell check (over-)confidence, text message abbreviations, flatout ignorance and, frankly, sloppy work, people dont pay much attention to spelling
correctly, and it shows.
Consider this:
Correct spelling leads to well-rounded literacy. Spelling rules, including phonics and
syllables, are critical to reading success. Letters are grouped together to make sounds; a
working knowledge of these sounds and groups aids in both reading and spelling. Children
strengthen their reading skills when they can sound out words successfully. Moreover, their
personal bank of word choices expands, which greatly enhances their composition skills.
Correct spelling promotes clarity and speed in communication. Nowadays people dont have
the time or the inclination to decipher someone elses spelling. If we want our writing to be
clear and effective, we must spell well.
Correct spelling creates good impressions. Poor spelling leaps off the page, reflecting
negatively on the writer. Even more so than punctuation errors, spelling errors make the
writer appear less than fully in command of the native language. To be honest, people
disapprove of poor spelling. Using a comma incorrectly is much more likely to be forgiven
than spelling a word incorrectly.
Think of all the reading and writing your children will do over the course of their lifetimes.
Strong literacy skills, including spelling, are foundational to success in education, volunteer
efforts, workeverywhere!

How to Choose a Spelling Curriculum

As home educators, we have the awesome responsibility to prepare our children fully for
life. This can certainly feel like a daunting task; but selecting the spelling curriculum thats
best for your children doesnt have to be.
A quick Google search for spelling curriculum or spelling curriculum homeschool gleans
enough results to keep you busy researching for days on end. I think thats nifty, but then I
enjoy research. If spending days on such a task is not your cup of tea, another idea is to
follow the lead of your preferred educational philosophy, be it the classical model, Charlotte
Mason, relaxed, etc. Very often, publishers of resources for particular mindsets will offer
curricula suggestions.
Even so, keep in mind that spelling curricula are quite diverse, which makes it difficult to
group them into strict categories. There are workbooks, textbooks, audio programs, word
lists, websites, and other approaches. Youll want to choose the spelling program that suits
your requirements. Below are some tips for making a solid choice.
Like mathematics, spelling is an individualized subject. What works well for one child may
not work well with another. Take each childs personality and learning style into account
when choosing a spelling curriculum.
For example, my children abhorred a popular workbook spelling program. Studying a
spelling rule for several days in a row smacked of busywork to them. We now use a
curriculum in which they study only words they miss on a daily test, with a new test given
every day, including words missed the day before. However, a friends child did not do well
with our preferred curriculum. He objected strongly (and loudly) to taking any kind of test
on words he had not studied previously. Now he happily uses the workbook curriculum my
children disliked!
Perhaps you have a child whos more of a visual learner. Then no doubt youve noticed that
many spelling curricula lean toward auditory approaches. However, there are now several
multisensory spelling programs with features geared toward your childs learning
preferences, such as task card activities, puzzles, motor skills options, and/or picture flash
cards. Look for these features when considering spelling programs.
Some spelling curricula are designed as grade-level workbooks or grade-range books.
Others are designed as multi-year programs. The latter may be the best choice for large
families or families in which the childrens spelling skills differ from their grade level. An
inclusive program allows me to challenge my stronger speller, as well as encourage and
support my struggling speller.
The required level of parental involvement is another important consideration when
selecting the right curriculum for your family. Some programs require a moderate to high
level of parental direction, with pre- and post-tests, studied dictation, and activity
supervision. Others utilize sound recordings and/or computer software for a self-teaching
format.
You may opt for a blended approach and supplement a spelling curriculum with online
reinforcement, such as games. SpellingCity, FunBrain, and KidsSpell are some sites to
explore. Many such sites allow children to create a custom list with their spelling words and
then play different games based on this list.

Of course, cost is always a consideration. Workbooks may be the way to go if youd prefer
to pay a little at a time. Multi-year curricula, while typically more expensive at the outset,
tend to be a better value over the long haul. If the word free makes your heart happy, be
sure to take a look at some free spelling options, such as BigIQkids, Splashes from the
River, Spell By Color, and CK12.orgs Basic Speller. Other websites provide free spelling lists
or worksheets, such as www.TLSbooks.com, www.SoftSchools.com, and
www.HomeSpellingWords.com.
After youve done some research and narrowed the field to a few options, follow these tips
to avoid pitfalls:
Read reviews. Start with more objective reviews, such as Cathy Duffy Reviews
(www.cathyduffyreviews.com) and HomeSchool Reviews (www.homeschoolreviews.com).
You may then find it helpful to read some user reviews. Simply Google the name of the
spelling curriculum with the word review added to your search terms.
Examine sample pages if they are available. I found samples of different curricula on their
own websites and other reseller websites, such as www.christianbook.com.
Look for curricula that offer a money-back guarantee. Some spelling programs are pricey,
and very few of us have money to burn.
Spending a little time now is a wonderful investment in selecting the spelling program that
will meet your familys needs, however that may look: pencil-and-workbook, computer-andheadphones, word tiles, online games, or a blend of activities. A firm foundation in spelling
leads to strong literacy and communications skills, both of which will serve your children
well, not just in school, but in life.
###
Some Historical Tidbits About English Spelling
English is a hodgepodge language. The small island that was to become the hub of the great
British Empire was itself subject to numerous invasions: the Romans, the Angles and
Saxons of Germany, the Jutes of Denmark and, of course, the Normans. The ancient Britons
were either pushed back to the edges of BritainWales, Cornwall, up into Scotlandtaking
their original Celtic languages with them, or they were absorbed into the invading peoples,
as was their language. Norman French actually overshadowed Old English (Anglo-Saxon) for
three hundred years as the favored language of the royal court, the legal system, and the
aristocracy.
The emerging common English was a kaleidoscope with Celtic, Germanic, and French roots,
slowly changing, developing, absorbing. Literacy rates were low. Written materials were
produced by hand. Professional scribes were paid to produce written materials such as legal,
business, and personal documents. Books, many of which were considered works of art,
were typically the work of monks and took years to create. For hundreds of years there
were no regular spelling norms in the English language.
Enter Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press. Books, once within reach of only the
extremely wealthy, could now be produced much more quickly and inexpensively. In fact,
the printing industry initiated a revolution. Ideas and news spread wide in books, tracts,
pamphlets, maps, and newspapers. Literacy rates rose. But early on, people were still
nonchalant about spelling; writers and printers spelled as they pleased, and they were often

pleased to use a variety of spellings for the same word. Even Shakespeare spelled his own
name inconsistently.
By the mid eighteenth century, English printers saw the need for some sort of spelling and
grammatical standardization. Dictionaries had been in existence for some time, but they
were often poorly researched and disorganized and tended to focus on difficult technical
words instead of commonly used words. These word books were nonetheless the beginning
attempts to categorize the English lexicon (lexicon: a fancy word meaning an entire stock of
words). They were the strong foundation to Samuel Johnsons herculean work of 1755.
Samuel Johnson, the famous Dr. Johnson, was an English poet, dramatist, essayist, and
biographer. In 1746, a group of printers came to Johnson, asking him to take on the project
of a new English dictionary, one that would serve as an authority on the language. Nine
years later, A Dictionary of the English Language was published. Containing more than
42,000 words, a section on the history of the English language, and a grammar, it was
enormous and expensive. It was also a grand success. Nothing came close to it until the
publication of the Oxford English Dictionary near the end of the nineteenth century.
Even if reading dictionaries is not your cup of tea, its still fun to take a look at facsimile
pages of Johnsons Dictionary, as it is sometimes called. It is available online (of course!) at
johnsonsdictionaryonline.com. Make sure to click the Page View option to see what it
really looks like. While youre there, pop over to the History of the English Language
chapter to view a sample of the book of Luke in Old English (what Johnson calls Saxon)
compared to Middle English (circa 1380). Yes, its hard to believe, but they are both really
English!
Several years ago, a British friend and I got into an amusing discussion about the spelling of
certain words. When I pointed out that the dictionary concurred with my spelling, he
responded derisively: But thats Webster. The upstart.
Yes, it was Noah Webster, to be precise. A couple of decades after Johnson published his
dictionary, Noah Webster began work on his distinctly American prescriptive (think rules to
follow) A Grammatical Institute of the English Language for schools. It was published in
three volumes, the first of which was the speller in 1783. Commonly called the BlueBacked Speller because of its blue covers, the speller was hugely successful.
For more than a hundred years, the blue-backed speller was the authority in American
classrooms, instructing children how to pronounce and spell in American English. In fact,
over several editions, Webster altered spelling standards, such as dropping the u in words
like colour. Webster went on to publish in 1828 American Dictionary of the English
Language, which took him twenty-seven years to complete. This work of 70,000 words
presented American spelling rules and original American words that had never before
appeared in a dictionary.
So there you have it. In a nutshell, English spelling rules are strange because English itself
is a strange amalgamation of several languages. Then the printing industry explosion and
soaring literacy rates among common folk demanded some sort of language
standardization, both in Britain and in America. The time had come for prescriptive
grammar and spelling rules.

Ellen Barski and family call the Deep South home, where they live amid barely controlled
chaos. Ellen writes about her life, home education, household management, and literary
pursuits at bluestockingbelle.blogspot.com.
Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in
the December 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, the family education
magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and
download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.