Spalding Method
Encyclopedia
The Spalding Method is the methodology and educational philosophy of The Writing Road to Reading program. The Spalding philosophy is child centered, that is the physical and mental well-being of students is a primary concern of Spalding teachers. High expectations for all children are central to the philosophy. These principles of learning and instruction are applied throughout the spelling, writing, and reading curricula.
Spalding instruction is explicit, interactive, diagnostic, and multisensory. Teachers model, coach, and provide support as needed; students articulate, reflect, and explore new concepts. Careful daily observation of student progress enables teachers to differentiate instruction to meet student needs. Students see, hear, say, and write using all channels to the brain to enhance retention. All elements of the language are integrated in spelling
, writing, and reading lessons. The kindergarten through to sixth-grade curricula is structured, sequential, and cumulative. Phonemic awareness
, systematic phonics
, high-frequency vocabulary are taught in spelling. In the writing lesson, the same high-frequency words are used to teach word meanings, usage, word parts, grammar, and composition. In the reading lesson, students learn the attributes of fine literature, the structure of narrative and expository text, fluency, listening and reading comprehension. They learn to monitor their comprehension while reading, to make connections with prior knowledge and the text, to predict word meanings, type of writing, outcomes and so forth. They learn to reorganise (reformat) the information in text and use it to mentally summarise to enhance comprehension.
Spalding instruction is explicit, interactive, diagnostic, and multisensory. Teachers model, coach, and provide support as needed; students articulate, reflect, and explore new concepts. Careful daily observation of student progress enables teachers to differentiate instruction to meet student needs. Students see, hear, say, and write using all channels to the brain to enhance retention. All elements of the language are integrated in spelling
Spelling
Spelling is the writing of one or more words with letters and diacritics. In addition, the term often, but not always, means an accepted standard spelling or the process of naming the letters...
, writing, and reading lessons. The kindergarten through to sixth-grade curricula is structured, sequential, and cumulative. Phonemic awareness
Phonemic awareness
Phonemic awareness is a subset of phonological awareness in which listeners are able to hear, identify and manipulate phonemes, the smallest units of sound that can differentiate meaning...
, systematic phonics
Phonics
Phonics refers to a method for teaching speakers of English to read and write that language. Phonics involves teaching how to connect the sounds of spoken English with letters or groups of letters and teaching them to blend the sounds of letters together to produce approximate pronunciations...
, high-frequency vocabulary are taught in spelling. In the writing lesson, the same high-frequency words are used to teach word meanings, usage, word parts, grammar, and composition. In the reading lesson, students learn the attributes of fine literature, the structure of narrative and expository text, fluency, listening and reading comprehension. They learn to monitor their comprehension while reading, to make connections with prior knowledge and the text, to predict word meanings, type of writing, outcomes and so forth. They learn to reorganise (reformat) the information in text and use it to mentally summarise to enhance comprehension.
See also
- DyslexiaDyslexiaDyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
- List of Phonics Programs
- Orton-GillinghamOrton-GillinghamThe Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction was developed in the early-20th century. It is language-based, multisensory, structured, sequential, cumulative, cognitive, and flexible.Orton-Gillingham techniques have been in use since the 1930s...
- Samuel OrtonSamuel OrtonSamuel Torrey Orton was an American physician who pioneered the study of learning disabilities. He is best known for his work examining the causes and treatment of reading disability, or dyslexia....