Spelling it out... How this teacher is changing learning

New technique is a hit with pupils

LEARNING your ABCs starts with your eyes, says one pioneering teacher.

Louise Finnegan has devised an innovative programme which encourages ways of improving spelling, and her pupils are some of the best spellers in the country, according to the recent test results.

The learning support teacher at Drumoghill NS, Co. Donegal explained that good reading and good spelling do not always go hand in hand and while encouraging children to read at home as well as at school undoubtedly helps, simply reading more will not teach children to spell.

She believes instead that spelling is best taught through a visual approach – learning what words look like – rather than through phonics (the system of ‘sounding out’ words: c-a-t spells cat), which most schools use to some extent in teaching reading.

‘Spelling is a visual exercise. For example, in second class a child will be given a core word like “ear” and they will then see other related words like clear, dear, hear, wear, fear, earn, early, nearly, heard and earth – a pattern, a connection. ‘In fourth class the link word might be “pie” and from that you get pier, happier, piece and pierce.’

Ms Finnegan devised the progamme when she realised there were lapses in pupils’ spelling. She said: ‘I was subbing in a class at the school two years ago when I noticed that, although children were learning big words, they weren’t functional words so I decided to change things round a bit.

‘I taught them a few gimmicks and rules to make spelling easier and, towards the end, I found that even those children who couldn’t be bothered initially were starting to take an interest.’

That was September 2013, and for the following academic year she put together a programme on a series of A4 sheets of paper, devised to help improve spelling. ‘The feedback was really positive from the parents, so I kept at it last year when a school inspector remarked on the high standards of literacy within the school.

‘She was told about the spelling programme and she came back to me before last Christmas and asked me to do a few more. Her parting word to me was that I needed to publish the spelling programme,’ she said.

At that point she made contact with Brian Higgins, ABC School Supplies, and things just took off from there, culminating in the books being published last month. The books are also available online at justrewards.ie

Mr Finnegan said of spelling: ‘Seven-year-olds should be able to spell words such as sun, leaf and desk; nine-year- olds should be taught to distinguish between words in same- sounding groups such as there, their and they’re; 11year- olds should be able to spell business, procession and signature while the last word a primary school pupil is asked to spell is catastrophe!’

‘Spelling is a visual exercise’

QUITE apart from anything else, the prevalence of mobile phones has taken its toll on our ability to spell words correctly. The text message culture means we are far more likely to use abbreviations and other semi-literate shortcuts.

So it is to be greatly welcomed that Donegal-based teacher Louise Finnegan has launched a drive to improve standards among her pupils. It is crucial that students learn all the latest skills, of course, but of even greater importance is that they are taught the educational basics.