Show Notes
In this episode, I explain why students can often read a word but struggle to spell it.
Reading and spelling are part of the same system, but spelling requires greater precision and recall.
Key Idea
Reading is recognition.
Spelling is recall.
Students may recognize a word when they see it, but that doesn’t mean they can produce it accurately.
What This Looks Like
Students can read a word but can’t spell it
Sounds are dropped or added
Incorrect vowel teams are used
Words are not fully mapped
What’s Happening
Orthographic mapping is the process of connecting sounds to letters and storing words so they become automatic.
If that mapping is not fully established, students may recognize the word, but cannot spell it accurately.
What I Do
Start with reading words in isolation
Move words into sentences
Add spelling in isolation
Use dictated sentences to bring it all together
Why It Matters
If students don’t fully own a word in reading, they won’t own it in spelling.
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