Spelling
Spelling is a very difficult area for VSL as they see in pictures rather than in parts. The author suggests that we teach students to create permanent mental images of the words, instead of teaching them the spelling rules.
**Examples:
-use illustrated words
~highlighting difficult parts (larger/color/etc..)
~use different fonts to represent the feelings the word
creates
~use staircases to write words onto
~write spelling words onto large index cards in bright colors and study the words as a whole (kids put the pictures of the words in the mind)
Here is an example of a silly story that helped a student remember how to spell the word: friend
“These FRIes from FRIday’s sure taste good at the day’s end!” “You’re right FRIend!”
It is not unusual for VSL’s to have difficulty with spelling, but consider this as you read the following paragraph. Also consider how technology can really help our students today with that difficult area.
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deson’t mttaer waht oredr ltteers in a wrod apepar, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltter be in the rghit pclae. The oethr ltteers can be a cmolpeet mses and you can sitll raed the wrod!
Apaprnelty, the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter, but raeds the wrod as a wlohe. Ins’t taht amzanig? So mcuh for the ipmorancte of spleling!
As I was typing that paragraph, the computer actually corrected many of the words for me, so I had to continually go back to misspell them. Computers make great companions for our visual-spatial students for that reason.
You can teach your right-brained students to spell using the method that works best for them, called visualization. Using color is the best way to begin, such as breaking the word up into syllables and writing each syllable in a different color. Have the student look at the word for about 20 seconds and tell them to concentrate and get a picture in their mind of the word. After 20 seconds, put the word down and ask them to spell the word forward and backward. Your right-brained students will be able to do this without a problem. Make sure that you don't move on until the child realizes how to concentrate and do this. After the child feels this confidence and realizes his/her ability, you may use games to teach spelling words using this strategy/strength. Guessing games giving clues back and forth such as: "The word has 2 vowels, one is in the second position and one is in the second to last position." or "The word is an 8-letter word that begins with a tall letter. It has a vowel in the second place and a vowel in the second to last place, and it ends with a long letter with a tail on it. What is it?" You can also play guessing games where you take turns asking questions to guess the word that the other is thinking of, such as: "Is there an i in the word?" And you answer "yes" or "no" and if so where is the i or i's. Other exercises you can do include: 1. have the child trace words onto the table and say them as he/she does this; 2.make a spelling tree using a branch anchored in a pot with plaster of paris and hang the words onto it each week; 3. have your child print the word and then draw the boxes around them emphasizing the letters; 4. have your child type out the words on a keyboard; 5. play tic-tac-toe using the spelling words instead of X's and O's.