Re: Terry, you're right -- my faux pas

On 12/04/10, Terry/CT wrote:
> It sounds like you're agreeing with Tom, not Mark. Mark is the
> one who says that the research doesn't support multiple
> modalities.
>
> On 12/04/10, Grace/IL wrote:
>> I tend to agree with Mark on the issue of using multiple
>> modalities (multi-sensory is the term I use), especially
>> VAKT. While there may not appear to be a lot of research,
>> this is the process that has been long advocated by the
>> International Dyslexia Association. My master's project
>> was using multi-sensory instruction in spelling to improve
>> first graders' spelling and reading skills. I found the
>> results to be very strong in favor of using visual,
>> auditory, kinesthetic/tactile methods in combination.
>> These results can be found in the Research Base section on
>> my website (After you've looked at the link below, click
>> on "Home", then on "Research Base."
>>
>> To further address teach's original question, one needs to
>> determine where this child is on the continuum of learning
>> spelling skills. This continuum was fairly well laid out
>> by Edmund Henderson and his students at the University of
>> Virginia in the 70s and 80s. My own very brief imperfect
>> summary of that continuum is included in the link below.
>>
>> Spelling develops first as an auditory skill, learning
>> which oral sounds are directly represented by certain
>> letters (basic short vowel words). A logical next step is
>> dealing with long vowel patterns (i.e., the 8 different
>> spellings for long a, etc.) While teaching and learning
>> these, meaning comes into play -- which spelling to choose
>> for a particular meaning (made, maid). At the same time,
>> the child may be learning about syllable juncture (hopped,
>> hoped) and howaffixing single-syllable words (i.e., the
>> presence of 2 consonants after a vowel) generally changes
>> the sound represented.
>>
>> The next step appears to be vowel digraphs. Again, the
>> child is faced with many choices and we need to know just
>> where the breakdowns occur. We also need to work with
>> students on those irregular or outlaw words that occur all
>> throughout English spellings. Here I highty recommend
>> Richard Venezky's book, "The American Way of Spelling."
>>
>> Some children may never become excellent spellers. What we
>> really need to ask ourselves, after we'd done everything in
>> our power to teach them, is "What is the real purpose in
>> teaching spelling?" Frankly, it helps them become better
>> READERS and better SPELLERS.
>>
>> Combining the use of the spelling continuum and VAKT
>> instruction does seem to work well. Certainly I don't
>> consider my views the be all, end all, authority but I
>> offer them here for what they're worth.
>>
>> Grace