In today’s post, we’ll discuss a Charlotte Mason-inspired method for teaching formal spelling lessons: dictation. It is clear from previous entries in this series that Charlotte incorporated some spelling elements into copy work and transcription. And even in the earliest stages of learning to read, there are a couple of ways that such preliminary efforts have created the groundwork for more formal spelling lessons:
They’ve already started to develop a mental library of word spellings in the student’s head. Dictation for class 6 should only begin once the student has already learned how to spell many words.
As a result of these techniques, you have developed a habit of noticing how words are spelled when you read. Once you’ve established that habit, you’ll be able to keep learning new words for the rest of your life. Every time you read, your brain will scan for unfamiliar spellings and store them for future reference.
By practicing dictation, students are better prepared for formal spelling lessons that incorporate copy work and transcription. For this reason, Charlotte didn’t begin employing dictation until the learner was at least ten years of age. Before this phase, she ensured the kid had a firm foundation and was well-stocked with vocabulary.
What you need
You’ll have to pick a passage to analyze. As long as the course is interesting, it can be from a book, a poem, a verse from the Bible, or a famous quotation. Pre-selected dictation sections like that can be found in a number of our readers. It’s called the Wisdom of Spelling. The series consists of five volumes, each of which should take two years to read. In the show notes, you’ll find a link to them. Once you’ve chosen a passage, here’s how to proceed.
1. Have your pupil read the passage you’ve assigned.
The student should not skim this passage because you don’t want them to miss out on the essential topics.
2. Find words that the student doesn’t know how to spell and have him learn them.
Use his preferred method of learning to help him succeed. If he is a visual learner, have him focus on the details until he has a clear mental image of the scene. Alternatively, if he prefers auditory learning, have him speak the letters aloud as he looks at them so that he can hear them in the correct order.
Transcribing the passage may assist some pupils in retaining the information, while transcription may serve only as a source of boredom for others. As a result, pass on your knowledge to the youngster. Each student should discover and tailor their study methods in this phase of the class.
3. Spot-check your student’s progress
The student should come to you when he is confident that he can correctly spell all of the words in the passage handed to him. However, you should spot-check the student’s readiness after he says he is. Ask him to say aloud the words he was working on, one at a time. He only has to spell words he learned in class or from his research, not the entire passage.
4. Next, have the paragraph or a section of it dictated while keeping an eye on the accuracy of your words and pronunciation.
Before dictation, it is essential to make sure that your pupil correctly spells all of the terms in a paragraph. Dictate one phrase at a time, giving him the next one as he finishes the previous one.
Here are some of the most commonly misspelled words you may have come across in your studies so far: Concentrate on these words and memorize their spellings in whatever way works best for you. You can go back and reread the passage once you’ve checked your spelling.
ConclusionFollowing all the processes, including spot-checking, errors should be few and far between now. You should, however, keep an eye out for inaccuracies as your kid writes. As quickly as possible, cover up any misspellings he makes without disrupting his concentration. Just cover it with some self-adhesive paper or some white tape. Doing so will keep him from developing a false impression of you. The passage can be finished at this point. For each misspelled word, repeat steps 2–4 and have him write it correctly on top of the self-stick paper or white tape that he’s already used to repair it. SpellQuiz can help you with your problems.