RON MCDERMOTT spoke of SPELLING BY ROUTMAN to DAN TRIPLETT on 10-27-96
RM>DT>When I reread this it didn't make any sense and now I'm not even
RM>DT>sure  what I was thinking.
RM> 
RM>I have those days occasionally....    ;-)
Sometimes I'll go for days (even weeks) and not make much sense.  
Friends call it "Parttimers."  Only out of it part of the time.
RM>DT>I was taking exception with your statement that "high scores on
RM>DT>word  lists translates into an ability to spell."  I do not
RM>DT>believe this is  true.  Students study and do well on these list
RM>DT>but forget the correct  spellings soon after.  They are now
RM>DT>concentrating on a new list.   Don't you find this to be true?
RM>DT>(generally) 
RM>Only if the words are isolated... If the words are actually 
RM>USED, then spelling is retained.  It's like most other 
RM>things; use it or lose it!  
I've had several discussions with other teachers at my school about 
spelling.  Trying to get some other early grade perspectives.  I spoke 
to a second-grade teacher today and although she doesn't have a weekly 
test, she stressed the importance of what you have said here:  The words 
must be used for the spelling knowledge to be reinforced.  You make an 
important point here.  It brings us to the question then that if using 
the words in the context of writing helps to retain the spelling for 
students, is testing every week really necessary?  Couldn't a teacher 
concentrate his/her efforts to teach the spelling of words within the 
context of writing (and other useful methods...writing alone would not 
be enough)?  This is what I believe.  The tests merely show where kids 
are at with the spelling of certain words (based on a list).  Couldn't 
the teacher also monitor student progress and difficulties (regarding 
spelling generally) within the writing of the students?  And if students 
showed certain patterns in misspellings the teacher could zero in on 
those students and assist them in a number of ways.  Words misspelled 
such as "like" and "lick" can be delt with individually or even in a 
whole group mini-lesson (this was an example the second-grade teacher 
gave me of her students mixing up these two words.   She did some mini-
lessons and had some writing assignments that were to include these 
words spelled correctly.)
RM> 
RM>DT>If a new teacher is relying on information posted here only for
RM>DT>guidance  then they are not using well what they were taught in
RM>DT>college. 
RM> 
RM>RM>Agreed, but they're new, inexperienced; they will tend to
RM>RM>accept what appears to be "expert" opinion...
RM> 
RM>DT>Well, they have then come to the right place....
RM> 
RM>It's certain that there are only a few people here unwilling 
RM>to climb out on a limb (and then, often, saw it off)!  ;-)
Yeah....and mines a short limb most of the time.....
Dan
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