Lots to think about in this article on spelling:
The only people who benefit from spelling tests are those who do well on them – and the benefit is to their self-esteem rather than their spelling ability. They were already good spellers.
The people who don’t benefit from spelling tests are those who are poor at spelling. They struggled with spelling before the test, and they still struggle after the test. Testing is not teaching.
What do you think?
(And, if you’ve never noticed it, the quote mark in the editing bar will indent your quotes for you!)
I found it interesting to read the article about spelling and how it does not help all students. Since my mom was a teacher I was always pushed into making sure I knew all my words for Friday’s test. I would sit and write and re-write each word until I had committed it to memory. The problem with this is I would forget it as soon as I took the test and today feel that I am a sub-par speller. Also I do not feel that spelling tests should be completely removed, their should be different ways to teach spelling where students use them in sentences and truly understand the meaning of the word.
I really liked this article and connected to it as a learner. In grade school I remember hating taking spelling tests and only memorizing the words for the test, forgetting what I had learned immediately after. As pre-service teachers we need to find a better way to teach spelling to our students. One possible solution might be implementing an Orton-Gillingham approach. This approach helps readers learn through a phonic- based program and may be a great alternative to tradition spelling tests.