Spelling for life : uncovering the simplicity and science of spelling / Lyn Stone.

Includes bibliographical references : (pages 255-256) and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1. Broken rules and word stories -- 2. Word families -- 3. Homophones -- 4. Mnemonics -- 5. Counting syllables -- 6. Affixes -- 7. The Spelling Formula -- 8. The difference between vowels and consonants -- 9. What consonants say -- 10. Illegal Letters -- 11. The single vowels -- 12. The letter'y' -- 13. Final Silent E, Jobs 1--3 -- 14. Final Silent E, Job 4 (a.k.a.'consonant plus -le') -- 15. The Wicked Sisters and other Wacky R's -- 16. The Vowel Generator -- 17. Strong and weak syllables -- 18. Schwa -- 19. To double or not to double? -- 20. Final Silent E and suffixes -- 21. The return of Illegal'i' -- 22. The Suffix Generator -- 23. More fascinating patterns -- 24. Some delightful lists.

'There is a common misconception in educational circles that spelling and mathematics are opposites. A familiar cry of the struggling speller,'I can't spell because I have a maths brain.'Actually spelling is mathematical. Spelling is the manipulation of symbols according to agreed-upon patterns that produce predictable results. Spelling errors also fall into sets of predictable patterns. Success in spelling is not a product of intelligence. Many people struggle to spell due to coping strategies developed in place of explicit instruction. Often students who can read and express themselves competently nevertheless find spelling difficult. False assumptions about spelling, such as believing the English language is complex and/or irregular, damage confidence and lead to reluctance to even attempt to spell correctly. In Spelling For Life, teachers and studentslearn what the common spelling coping strategies aregain insights into undoing poor spelling habitswork together to notice patterns not only in regular spelling, but also in words which on the surface seem to break the spelling rulespractise successful spelling strategies, progressing from simple to complex words rapidly and with confidence. Aided by scripts, progressive assessments, unique tools and extensive practice lists, this highly acclaimed overview of spelling succeeds in developing critical thinking and confidence when reading and spelling. It can be used in conjunction with any established phonics program.'-- Provided by publisher.

'A recent survey of 200 teachers asking the question'spelling is ...?' resulted in the following adjectives:'difficult','complex','confusing','random','confounding'. Spelling for Life offers lucid, accessible tools which help to reveal if explicitly and systematically taught, spelling is scientific, law-abiding and even elegant. It explains that spelling is the manipulation of symbols according to agreed-upon patterns that produce predictable results. Spelling errors also fall into sets of predictable patterns. Success in spelling is not a product of intelligence. Many people struggle to spell due to coping strategies developed in place of explicit instruction. Often students who can read and express themselves competently nevertheless find spelling difficult. False assumptions about spelling, such as believing the English language is complex and/or irregular, damage confidence and lead to reluctance to even attempt to spell correctly. In Spelling For Life, teachers and students: - learn what the common spelling coping strategies are - gain insights into undoing poor spelling habits - work together to notice patterns not only in regular spelling, but also in words which on the surface seem to break the spelling rules - practise successful spelling strategies, progressing from simple to complex words rapidly and with confidence'-- Provided by publisher.