Q & A Friday

Topic: Spelling Multisyllabic Words

Dear CR Success Educators,

We are beginning a blog with Q & A, to answer questions from our teachers. As we consider moving to more digital products, we also want to provide specific information that hopefully are applicable to your remote learning.

We hope you will send questions to us that are specific to your students. 

Q: How do I help my student’s spelling of multisyllabic words? I hope to meet online with this student and provide direct guidance to him.

A: One effective way is to analyze the student’s writing and choose several words that would provide relevant and in-depth instruction, not only for these particular words but to review CR Success concepts and to build vocabulary connections. You could also do this as a group exercise; the lesson below is one that is meant to review previous learning and apply new learning.

To begin, give the students a writing assignment and ask them to take a picture of their writing and text or scan it to you.

Here is an example of a second-graders misspelled words in a one-paragraph personal narrative about his weekend. 

Two words were selected for the lesson.

eye – body organ used to see

1. Discuss why it is tricky. Say, “This is a T.R.I.C.K.y word. It sounds just like the pronoun “I” but it is spelled completely different and of course, it has a different meaning.

2. Put it in context. Use it in a sentence.

I have _____ (color) eyes.

3. When applicable, make a visual connection. Print the word eye; illustrate both e’s to look like eyes, with lashes and pupils.

4. Use Trace-Copy- Memory: Have the students trace the word eye, saying each letter name.  Then have students highlight all three letters, as the spelling of eye is completely tricky. Have the students copy the word; then ccover and write from memory.

5. Sing the letter names of the word: Sing, to the tune of Three Blind Mice (this song works for any three-letter sight word).
E – Y – E
E – Y – E
Spell the word eye.
Spell the word eye.

6. Make connections: Have students spell compound words, such as eyelash, eyebrow, eyeglasses, eyeliner.

The second word is trampoline – strong fabric stretched between a frame using springs; people bounce on it.

This lesson is one you could adapt for words that follow phonetic concepts, with one tricky part.

Say, A word you used in your writing is the word trampoline. We can learn a lot as we practice spelling this word.

Put it in context. Let’s use it in a sentence: I like to _____________ on the trampoline.

Use DASH Spelling: Let’s count the syllables. Put your hands under your chin and count the syllables. Yes, there are three.

Draw three dashes. _______   _______   _______

Analyze each syllable: Pinch the sounds in tramp. How many sounds? Yes, five. On the first dash or line, print the letters as you say the sounds. Check the spelling of this Closed Syllable, which has both a Complex Front and Complex End.

• The next syllable is open /O/. What is the Best Spelling for open syllable /O/? Yes, the letter o. Print this letter on the second dash.
• The last syllable is a bit tricky. We say “lene” but we spell “line.” Spell this tricky syllable, saying the letter names for line. 

Highlight tricky part: You just spelled trampoline! What is the tricky part of this word? Yes, the i in the last syllable. Trace this letter with a pink highlighter.

Make Connections: There are a few other important words that end in -ine for /ene/. Look at these words:

routine
vaccine
quarantine
magazine
gasoline

Two words are in the news right now. Let’s talk about these words

vaccine – a treatment that is designed to help your body fight an infection

quarantine – this word originally meant space of 40 days, which was the time a ship had to stay away during an infection.