Michael Lawrence and Dr. Fabio D'Agostin | Creating Schools…

Intrinsic Motivation Spelling Lessons

This is one from the Testing 3,2, 1,… book; a very effective way to make spelling lessons not only interesting, but fun and the motivation: intrinsic.

• A sheet of lined paper is passed around the class and students are asked to write their name and suggest a spelling word that they sometimes have to guess when they’re writing. It is OK to misspell the word on the list. Some students use this as an opportunity to write one of the most difficult words they can think of, but this only adds to the fun element of the challenge. This list becomes a primary source for the test and may need to be updated every few weeks.
• Using the students’ completed list, select a dozen words to be tested in one week’s time. I sometimes add a few related to whatever else we might be studying or common errors I have observed in the classwork, but I always try to leave at least half for the student’s words.
• Write the 12 words on the whiteboard along with some activities which could include:

Find the dictionary meaning,

Write the word in a sentence (this can be extended to combining two, three or more words in the one sentence that makes sense and is not just a list itself.)

Deconstructing the words by jumbling the letters (if I do this I write the list a little later as that might be take away the challenge – do as you see fit for the class) so the students have to work out the list words.

Find smaller words within each word: breakdown – break, down, own, do,  (let the dictionary be the judge).

Students construct a crossword puzzle with clues for each word. This can be done by hand (with a ruler!), with photocopied grid paper, or with a crossword generating program.

Teacher constructs a crossword using an online program (there’s several free ones) for students to complete.

Take one of the words and create a 9-letter word puzzle (as seen in many newspapers) by mixing the letters on a Noughts and Crosses type grid. Students find as many words as they can using these letters (in the newspaper version they must include the letter in the centre space, but for younger students don’t bother with this rule). I draw columns for 3, 4, 5 etc letter words on the board and fill in a few myself just to suggest a few possibilities. There is of course the 9 letter word. This is another activity I do before I have revealed the entire list.

• I collected the spelling tests after asking students to swap them with someone for correction. I did record each student’s mark, but there was no section on the report card for spelling and I only mentioned it if there was a positive comment to come from it. The goal is intrinsic motivation and emphasising grades would destroy this. There is the learning of spelling happening too, but hopefully this is almost an unconscious event.

I knew I was having an impact when students who were not strong in spelling actually asked to do the spelling related activities when there was no test coming up as it was the last week of term. Students were having fun with words and it was no longer ‘work’. Spelling has moved from a completely teacher-centred activity to an activity with purpose and meaning for students, and the most difficult words are accepted as challenges from classmates – attempts to trip each other up and part of a fun contest. Students now have some control over the words – the ‘why do have to learn these words?’ is removed.

I was sceptical myself as to whether this technique would work, however even students who were not good at spelling became involved as the emphasis on marks was removed and enjoyment added.