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/ Letter Sound Spelling Drill

Letter Sound Spelling Drill

Purpose

Recall of previously learned spelling patterns

Summary

The Letter Sound Spelling Drill is designed to help learners practice recalling various spelling patterns that correspond with different phonemes and morphemes in our language. Fluent recall of various spelling patterns supports more efficent decoding and spelling.

Materials Needed

Letter sound spelling drill (generate one here).

Something to write on (mini-whiteboard, workbook, Spellcaster worksheet)

How to deliver

You will say sounds and the learner will write the spelling pattern/s for that sound. Spelling patterns are the letters used to spell sounds. Sometimes there is more than one way to spell a sound. For example ay, ai and a_e, a can spell the /ā/ (long-a sound) like in day, train, make, table. Learners should be encouraged to write all of the patterns they have learned for a sound.

Suggested script
"I am going to say some sounds, write the letter or letters that spell the sounds I say." [Say each of the sounds from the lesson plan]

Common Issues & Prompts

Issue: Learner writes the incorrect spelling pattern

  • Do this: First, tell the learner a word that they may know with that spelling pattern. If incorrect, tell them the spelling pattern.
  • Example: The sound is /d/, the learner writes ‘t’. Say “the sound is /d/ for dog”, prompt the learner to try again”
  • Then: If correct, move on. If incorrect, say “The letter ‘d’ spells the /d/ sound in dog”, have the learner write it down correctly.

Issue: Learner writes only one spelling pattern when they have learned a number of possible patterns.

  • Do this: Prompt the learner with simple words they know that contain other learned spelling patterns for the focus sound.
  • Example: The sound is the /ē/ (long e sound). The learner has written ‘e’, ‘ee’, ‘e_e’ and ‘y’. Say “What about /ē/ as in ‘clean’?”
  • Then: Continue to do this for other patterns they may have missed as well (eg. ‘ey’ like in ‘monkey’).

Issue: Learner hesitates or doesn't write a sound

  • Do this: Prompt the learner with a word that contains that sound.
  • Example: You say, “/ch/”, the learner hesitates, say “can you spell /ch/, like at the start of chip?”
  • Then: If correct, move on. If incorrect or not known, say “we use the letters ‘c’ and ‘h’ together to spell /ch/ at the start of chip”, have the learner to write it down correctly.

Additional Tips

  • If the learner is struggling to remember a particular spelling pattern for a few days, you may need to go back and re-teach the spelling pattern.

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