Spelling Inquiry

For the members of the Mapleton Teacher-Research Group, spelling was that pebble in the shoe. Although these Maine elementary teachers had moved toward a holistic philosophy of teaching reading and writing, their spelling instruction lagged behind. Some teachers were still using traditional strategies that didn't seem to transfer to authentic literacy tasks, while others were using an "in context" approach that didn't seem to be explicit enough to produce proficient spellers. Rather than ignoring these tensions, the authors turned to teacher research to develop a program that is genuinely student-centered and inquiry-based.

Written by classroom teachers using a unique collaborative process, the book has a two-fold emphasis on inquiry. The authors discuss how to foster inquiry-based learning about spelling in their classrooms and also provide a detailed look at the workings of their schoolwide teacher research group. The accessible and lively narrative blends the voices of a dozen members, providing a truly K-5 perspective on spelling development.

• conveniently boxed tips on concrete teaching strategies that work for members of the research group;
• specific suggestions on how to start an inquiry group and how to integrate research into your daily practices;
• a detailed description of the process members used to develop a schoolwide survey on spelling for parents, as well as discussion of the ways they changed their practices based on the results;
• a chapter on assessment and evaluation including discussion of how the group developed and adopted a schoolwide rubric to evaluate spelling;
• five brief essays--including the morning message, "have a go" sheets, and spelling workshop--written by individual teacher-researchers that focus on specific strategies for teaching spelling.

Whether you are interested in spelling instruction or teacher research, Spelling Inquiry will help you pose personally compelling questions and develop a workable plan for answering them.