A New Approach to Spelling Instruction

(Grades K-6) / Flex Course

PDI Course Number: 97T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC41492

Course Description

Are you bored with teaching the same spelling lessons each week? This course is designed for educators interested in learning a variety of ways to teach essential spelling skills to their students. Spelling is an essential and complex skill and an important component of the overall language arts curriculum. Instead of looking at spelling as a memorization process, spelling should be thought of as a building block of literacy development. In this course, teachers will learn a variety of proven ways to increase students’ spelling skills using interactive, developmental, and fun activities. The course begins by explaining the connection between spelling and literacy, as well as discussing spelling standards and spelling principles to know and teach. Then, specific information about the developmental stages of spelling are shared. Teachers will also understand how invented spelling fits in to a complete spelling and writing program. Strategies such as word families, mnemonics, and self-correction model will all be shared. Ideas for simple spelling games are provided as a fun way to change up spelling instruction. Teachers will also gain technology resources that can be used to promote spelling and vocabulary development. By the end of this course, teachers will have gained new and innovative ways to approach and teach spelling to their students. This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from University of California San Diego (UCSD) Division of Extended Studies. For detailed information on university credit, click here.

"This is an excellent course! The readings and resources were informative and changed the way I will be teaching spelling in my classroom. I can honestly say that this has been the most effective and informative graduate level course I have ever taken." - Thelma Leister