“Why is that word spelled that way? It doesn’t follow the rule we just learned!” is a question every teacher will likely be asked in their career. Many respond with the same reply we received as students, “That’s because it’s an exception to the rule.” We would then be given a trick, be it a mnemonic device, or a slant rhyme, to remember those mysterious words that never seem to fit inside a box. What if these aren't exceptions after all: what if we have been using the wrong rule book?
Understanding phonemes and constructing language for easier learning
English is often taught as a phoneme-based language. We tend to see it as a language based on sound and the written representations of that sound. While this is a core pillar of learning the language, it is also why we run into these “tricky” words. That’s why it’s helpful for spelling lessons to include a key component: etymology, the study of a word's origin.
Structured Word Inquiry can help with reading comprehension
When we study etymology, we shed light on why words are the way they are. Combining etymology with phonemic orthography provides a learner with a comprehensive set of building blocks to understand both spelling and reading comprehension. We call this Structured Word Inquiry, or SWI.
SWI, which is sometimes also referred to as Scientific Word Investigation, sees every word as a puzzle, or a problem to be solved. SWI asks 4 Questions for Understanding a Spelling.
Students are often asked to sound out a word when trying to spell. However, since many letters can represent a broad combination of sounds, prioritizing phonetic representation as the primary tool in our literacy tool belts can lead to quite a bit of confusion.
For example, if a student is going to spell out the word jumped, it is very possible they will be able to write out jump, but when they go to write the rest of the word, they may write jumpt. This common mistake is the result of a teacher leading with phonology. When we teach that we can add an -ed at the end of a word to show it is something someone did in the past, we can make the connection that the word should be spelled jumped regardless of how the word sounds. We can also note that the suffix -ed has multiple phonemic representations like /t/ in jumped, /d/ in played, and /ĕd/ in painted.
SWI comes to the rescue with other words, as well, like does. The instinct may be to spell this word duz, because that is the phonetic representation. But when shown that the base, or the part of the word that holds the meaning, is <do>, we can then ask the question, “What is the suffix?” Since the word is a verb, and we are using the word in a third person, present tense, we know we need to add either an -s or an -es suffix. Seeing as <do> ends in a vowel, we need to add an -es suffix, leading us to write do+es → does. From there, the teacher can review the pronunciation of the word.
SWI can greatly support students across the board, notably those diagnosed with dyslexia and other learning differences. Studies have shown that the morphological instruction prioritized in SWI can have a statistically significant impact on students with literacy-based learning differences compared to phonetic instruction alone. Check out the work of scholars like Bowers, Kirby & Deacon; Goodwin & Ahn; Galushka, Gorgen, Kalmar, Haberstroh, Schmalz & Schulte-Kome; Reed, Carlisle.
For more information on how to incorporate SWI practices into literacy content, check out the WordWorks Literacy Centre for additional resources.
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This article was written by Curriculum Content Developer Carrie Stouffer. Carrie has a passion for helping people from all walks of life achieve their goals. With this passion, Carrie utilizes the principles of design thinking to humanize a person's learning experience through engaging curriculum.
Carrie is "a lifelong learner who is continuously seeking out new ways to grow and connect with the world." In doing so, Carrie is challenging themself to take their skills to the next level by creating educational content on a larger scale.