Ep. 191: Teaching Spelling is Teaching Reading with Pam Kastner

Pam Kastner discusses the connection between spelling and reading. She emphasizes that teaching spelling is teaching reading, as spelling is a higher linguistic skill that requires complete and accurate recall and memory for words. Spelling helps students understand the internal structure of words and improves their reading abilities. She suggests using instructional routines that integrate phonology, orthography, morphology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics to teach spelling effectively.

Takeaways

Teaching spelling is teaching reading, as spelling is a higher linguistic skill that requires complete and accurate recall and memory for words.
Spelling helps students understand the internal structure of words and improves their reading abilities.
Effective spelling instruction should be explicit, systematic, and teach spelling patterns from least complex to most complex.
Instructional routines should integrate phonology, orthography, morphology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics to teach spelling effectively. Direct and systematic spelling instruction is essential for students' language development.
Spelling inventories are valuable tools for assessing students' understanding of language and identifying areas for targeted instruction.
Spelling can be used as a teaching tool, allowing students to learn from their errors and improve their spelling skills.
Spelling instruction should be aligned with the research and evidence-based practices to ensure its effectiveness.

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