Special education teachers were asked to differentiate between practices for spelling instruction which do and do not have adequate empirical support. They were also asked to report on the extent to which they employed various instructional practices in teaching spelling. Outcomes suggest that special educators may have several misconceptions concerning appropriate and inappropriate methods of instruction. Further, it appears that teachers use a variety of methods on a regular basis which lack empirical support in teaching spelling. Several suggestions for improving training and practice are presented.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllredD. (1977). Spelling: The application of research findings.Washington, DC: National Education Association.
2.
BerlinerD. C., & RosenshineB. (1976). The acquisition of knowledge in the classroom. Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study. Technical Report Series. San Francisco: Far West Laboratory.
3.
BryantD. N.FayneH. R., & GettingerM. (1980). Designing spelling instruction for learning disabled youngsters: An emphasis on unit size, distributed practice, and training for transfer. Technical Report No. 3. New York: Columbia University, Teachers College.
4.
CarpenterD., & MillerL. J. (1982). Spelling ability of reading disabled LD students and able readers. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 5, 65–70.
5.
FitzsimmonsR., & LoomerB. (1977). Spelling research and practice.Iowa State Department of Public Instruction and University of Iowa.
6.
GrahamS., & MillerL. (1979). Spelling research and practice: A unified approach. Focus on Exceptional Children, October, 1–15.
7.
HornE. (1967). Teaching spelling: What research says to the teacher. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association of the National Education Association, Washington, DC.
8.
KeoghB. K.BeckerL. D.KubicM., & KubicS. (1973). Programs of EH and EMR pupils: Review and recommendations (Part I). Academic Therapy, 9, 187–198.
9.
KirkS., & ElkinsJ. (1975). Characteristics of children enrolled in Child Service Demonstration Centers. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 8, 31–38.
10.
LeinhardtG.ZigmondN., & CooleyW. (1981). Reading instruction and its effects. American Educational Research Journal, 18(3), 343–361.
11.
ReynoldsM. C., & BirchJ. W. (1982). Teaching exceptional children in all America's schools.Reston VA: The Council for Exceptional Children.
12.
ZigmondN.VallecorsaA. L., & SilvermanR. (1983). Assessment for instructional planning in special education.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
