Tired of giving your students boring spelling lists? Try analytical spelling!

What is analytical spelling?

Unlike rote memorization, analytical spelling empowers students by allowing them to segment a spoken word into its sounds, hold those sounds in mind, and label them as letters corresponding to the sound sequence. This method puts the power of spelling in the hands of the students, making them active participants in their learning process.

Crucially, analytical spelling requires students to actively engage with words. When they hear a spoken word and are tasked with recoding it as symbols or alphabetic letters, they must listen, visualize it correctly, break it into its individual sounds, and label each sound with its corresponding phonogram.

Put simply, analytical spelling is the bridge that connects sounds to symbols that students can say or write. When students hear a spoken word, segment its sounds, and label those sounds with letters, they are essentially converting invisible speech sounds into visible symbols. This process is the foundation of alphabetic writing systems. Spelling turns sounds into sight and reading turns sight into sound. Understanding and mastering analytical spelling is the key to becoming a proficient reader. Students who spell well, read well.