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Spelling

Spelling CurriculumSpelling Resources

The ability to communicate is essential for human life. We know how to communicate as soon as we're born—crying because we're hungry, crying because we're tired, smiling when our needs are met. It's primitive communication, to be sure, but effective. As we get older, we learn to speak, listen, read, and write, all skills requiring an understanding of the rules that govern them.

Without rules, the elements of communication become meaningless. Rules are the guidelines that help us know when we say something to another person, they'll understand what we're saying. Even then, interpretation is almost always necessary, and no matter how careful we are in our speech and writing there's always someone who will misunderstand our message.

As a result, paying attention to the rules is something we neglect at the risk of being unable to communicate. In an age when spell-checkers underline our mistakes, however, we often have the (usually subconscious) attitude that spelling rules can be ignored. This partly stems from laziness, but more importantly it stems from a lack of knowledge: sure, spelling mastery takes some work initially, but the work it saves once accomplished is far greater.

Many of us weren't taught the fundamentals of English spelling when we were in school. Either we got straight phonics, or we learned to read using the "look-say" method of sight recognition. Neither of these methods take into account the magnificent and often frustrating complexity and adaptability of our language, and therefore neither taught us how to decode words, instead teaching us a formula that would work only most of the time.

Language changes, but it changes slowly, and never so quickly that we can't keep up with new forms and uses. The rules of grammar and spelling don't shift unless there's a need or a cataclysmic event (like the Tower of Babel or the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066), and even then the change isn't usually immediate. We can keep up with the rules, and we should because knowing them helps us communicate easier and more clearly.

But why spelling in particular? Why not just rely on spell-check? Anyone with experience in word processing will know the answer to the second question immediately: spell-check doesn't catch every mistake. Even if it did, we wouldn't find all the red underlines, and our emails, resumes, and papers would still be full of mistakes.

There's an even more fundamental reason, though. Learning to do something right the first time is crucial for just about any discipline. Take home construction, for instance; a builder doesn't slap together a few walls and a roof as quickly as possible just to get it done, then look for mistakes and problems later. A builder studies the plans, chooses the best materials, and puts the house together right the first time.

The same is true of musicians: an orchestra or band doesn't wait till they're on stage to go over their material, and fix mistakes after they've been made (if at all). Instead, they rehearse their songs as often and as thoroughly as possible before the performance so the audience will be able to enjoy good music properly performed.

Why do we make an exception for spelling? Not everything is written on a computer (even in this Technological Age), and even those items that are deserve to be written carefully and clearly the first time. Misspelling words (at the least) makes reading difficult and (at the worst) obscures or even changes meaning completely. If we know the rules well enough to spell words correctly the first time, we'll save ourselves and our readers a lot of headache and a lot of time.

It's important that kids learn these skills early on as their school careers will require plenty of writing, even if they stop after high school. Learning to spell also teaches them discipline, giving them the ability to write effectively rather than just quickly (though they'll be surprised how much faster they can write when they know how to spell the words!), and to pay attention to their work.

We carry many spelling curriculum lines, as well as plenty of resources and supplemental guides and worktexts. Spelling really requires nothing so much as practice and consistency, and mostly these books are collections of the spelling rules with lists of words to practice spelling. This doesn't necessarily need to be its own subject, but it does need to be learned and mastered, whether your kids want to become professors of literature or auto mechanics.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.

 

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1001 Commonly Misspelled Words
by Robert Magnan & Mary Lou Santovec
from McGraw-Hill
for 10th-Adult
in Spelling Resources (Location: REF-SPE)
$15.00
70 Basic Phonogram Cards
by Wanda Sanseri
5th edition from Back Home Industries
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$18.00 $12.00 (1 in stock)
70 Basic Phonogram Cards
by Wanda Sanseri
5th edition from Becky's Bouquet
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$19.00
70 Basic Phonogram Cards - Large Size
by Wanda Sanseri
5th edition from Becky's Bouquet
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$45.00
ABC's and All Their Tricks
by Margaret M. Bishop
from Mott Media
in Reading Reference (Location: REF-READ)
$22.99
ACSI Spelling Plus 1 - Worktext
3rd edition from ACSI (Purposeful Design)
for 1st grade
in ACSI Purposeful Design Spelling (Location: SPE-ACSI)
$22.99
ACSI Spelling Plus 2 - Worktext
3rd edition from ACSI (Purposeful Design)
for 2nd grade
in ACSI Purposeful Design Spelling (Location: SPE-ACSI)
$22.99
ACSI Spelling Plus 4 - Worktext
3rd edition from Purposeful Design Publications
for 4th grade
in ACSI Purposeful Design Spelling (Location: SPE-ACSI)
$22.99
ACSI Spelling Plus 5 - Worktext
3rd edition from Purposeful Design Publications
for 5th grade
in ACSI Purposeful Design Spelling (Location: SPE-ACSI)
$22.99
ACSI Spelling Plus 6 - Worktext
2nd edition from Purposeful Design Publications
for 6th grade
in ACSI Purposeful Design Spelling (Location: SPE-ACSI)
$22.99
Advanced Spelling & Vocabulary - Complete Course
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 9th-12th grade
in IEW Excellence in Spelling (Location: SPE-IEW)
$39.00
All About Homophones
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-8th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$21.95
All About Spelling - Letter Tile Magnets
for 1st-6th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$3.50
All About Spelling / All About Reading Letter Tiles
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-7th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$25.95
All About Spelling Level 1 - Activity Book
by Marie Rippel
Color Edition from All About Learning Press
for 1st-2nd grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$26.95
All About Spelling Level 1 - Student Materials Packet (old)
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-2nd grade
$18.95
All About Spelling Level 1 - Student Packet
by Marie Rippel
Color Edition from All About Learning Press
for 1st-2nd grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$45.95
All About Spelling Level 1 - Teacher's Manual & Student Materials Packet (old)
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-2nd grade
$32.95 $25.00 (3 in stock)
All About Spelling Level 1 - Teacher's Manual & Student Packet
by Marie Rippel
Color Edition from All About Learning Press
for 1st-2nd grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$64.95
All About Spelling Level 2 - Activity Book
by Marie Rippel
Color Edition from All About Learning Press
for 2nd-3rd grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$26.95
All About Spelling Level 2 - Student Materials Packet (old)
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 2nd-3rd grade
$24.95
All About Spelling Level 2 - Student Packet
by Marie Rippel
Color Edition from All About Learning Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$45.95
All About Spelling Level 2 - Teacher's Manual & Student Materials Packet (old)
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 2nd-4th grade
$39.95
All About Spelling Level 2 - Teacher's Manual & Student Packet
by Marie Rippel
Color Edition from All About Learning Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$69.95
All About Spelling Level 3 - Activity Book
by Marie Rippel
Color Edition from All About Learning Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$26.95
All About Spelling Level 3 - Student Packet
by Marie Rippel
Color Edition from All About Learning Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$49.95
All About Spelling Level 3 - Teacher's Manual & Student Materials Packet
by Marie Rippel
Color Edition from All About Learning Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$69.95
All About Spelling Level 4 - Student Materials Packet
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$27.95
All About Spelling Level 4 - Teacher's Manual & Student Materials Packet
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$49.95
All About Spelling Level 5 - Student Materials Packet
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 4th-6th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$27.95
All About Spelling Level 5 - Teacher's Manual & Student Material Packet
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 4th-6th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$49.95
All About Spelling Level 6 - Student Materials Packet
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 5th-7th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$27.95
All About Spelling Level 6 - Teacher's Manual & Student Material Packet
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 5th-7th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$49.95
All About Spelling Level 7 - Student Materials Packet
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 5th-7th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$27.95
All About Spelling Level 7 - Teacher's Manual & Student Material Packet
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 5th-7th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$49.95
All About Spelling Review Box with Divider Cards
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-6th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$17.95 $12.00 (1 in stock)
All About Spelling Tote Bag
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-7th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$9.95
Alpha List
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$33.00
American Language Series - Phonics & Reading Guide
by Susan Kemmerer
from Mile-Hi Publishers
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in American Language Series (Location: PHO-AMLAN)
$5.00
American Language Series K - Teacher Guide Flash Drive
American Language Series
by Guyla Nelson & Saundra Lamgo
from Mile-Hi Publishers
for Kindergarten
in American Language Series (Location: PHO-AMLAN)
$39.95
At the Farm
American Language Series
by Guyla Nelson & Saundra Lamgo
from Mile-Hi Publishers
for Kindergarten
in American Language Series (Location: PHO-AMLAN)
$15.95 $9.50 (2 in stock)
Birds of a Feather
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-4th grade
in All About Reading (Location: PHO-AAR)
$19.95
Black Learning Log
by Wanda Sanseri
from Becky's Bouquet
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$23.00
Building Spelling Skills Book 1
by Garry Moes
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 1st grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$12.85
Building Spelling Skills Book 2
by Garry Moes
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$12.85
Building Spelling Skills Book 2 - Answer Key
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Building Spelling Skills Book 4
by Garry Moes
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 4th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$12.85
Building Spelling Skills Book 4 - Answer Key
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 4th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Building Spelling Skills Book 5
by Garry Moes
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$12.85
Building Spelling Skills Book 5 - Answer Key
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Building Spelling Skills Book 6
by Garry Moes
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 6th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$12.85
Building Spelling Skills Book 6 - Answer Key
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 6th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45
Building Spelling Skills Book 7
by Garry Moes
from Christian Liberty Press
for 7th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$12.85
Building Spelling Skills Book 7 - Answer Key
from Christian Liberty Press
for 7th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $3.00 (2 in stock)
Building Spelling Skills Book 8
by Garry Moes
from Christian Liberty Press
for 8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$12.85
Building Spelling Skills Book 8 - Answer Key
from Christian Liberty Press
for 8th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $3.50 (2 in stock)
Doodling Dragons
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$15.00 $10.50 (1 in stock)
Doodling Dragons - Phonogram Coloring Book
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$5.00
Doodling Dragons - Phonogram Coloring Book
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$6.99
Dr. Dooriddles A1
by John H. Doolittle
from Critical Thinking Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dr. Funster & Dr. Dooriddles (Location: LOG-DR)
$10.99
Dr. Dooriddles A2
by John H. Doolittle
from Critical Thinking Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dr. Funster & Dr. Dooriddles (Location: LOG-DR)
$10.99
Dr. Dooriddles A3
by John H. Doolittle
from Critical Thinking Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dr. Funster & Dr. Dooriddles (Location: LOG-DR)
$10.99
Dr. Dooriddles B1
by John H. Doolittle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-7th grade
in Dr. Funster & Dr. Dooriddles (Location: LOG-DR)
$10.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Dr. Dooriddles B2
by John H. Doolittle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-7th grade
in Dr. Funster & Dr. Dooriddles (Location: LOG-DR)
$10.99
Engaging Language Kit 1
by Brian McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$8.50
Engaging Language Kit 2
by Brian McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$12.95
Excellence in Spelling - Zoo Cards
from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 4th-8th grade
in IEW Excellence in Spelling (Location: SPE-IEW)
$5.00
Fun in the Sun
American Language Series
by Guyla Nelson & Saundra Lamgo
from Mile-Hi Publishers
for Kindergarten
in American Language Series (Location: PHO-AMLAN)
$13.95
Handy English Encoder Decoder
by Harvey Bluedorn
2nd edition from Trivium Pursuit
for All Ages
in Reading Reference (Location: REF-READ)
$15.00
Hidden Secrets to Language Success - DVD
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for 11th-Adult
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$35.00
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 1 - Dictionary
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 1st grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$15.00
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 1 - Set
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 1st grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$72.00
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 1 - Student Book
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 1st grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$37.50
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 2 - Dictionary
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 2nd grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$15.00
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 2 - Set
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 2nd grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$72.00
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 2 - Student Book
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 2nd grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$37.50
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 3 - Set
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 3rd grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$62.50
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 3 - Student Workbook
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 3rd grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$37.50
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 3 - Teacher's Guide
from Alpha Omega Publications
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$17.95 $12.00 (2 in stock)
How to Spell Workbook 1
by Laura Toby Rudginsky & Elizabeth C. Haskell
from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$14.49 $7.00 (1 in stock)
How to Spell Workbook 2
by Laura Toby Rudginsky & Elizabeth C. Haskell
from Educators Publishing Service
for 2nd-3rd grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$16.49
How to Spell Workbook 3
by Laura Toby Rudginsky & Elizabeth C. Haskell
from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-6th grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$18.59 $9.00 (1 in stock)
How to Spell Workbook 4
by Laura Rudginsky & Elizabeth Haskell
from Educators Publishing Service
for 7th-12th grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$18.59 $9.00 (1 in stock)
How to Teach Spelling
by Laura Toby Rudginsky & Elizabeth C. Haskell
from Educators Publishing Service
for Adult
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$56.79
Knitting Knights
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$15.00
Knitting Knights - Phonogram Coloring Book
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$6.99
LOE - Manuscript Sandpaper Letters (Uppercase)
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$38.00
LOE Advanced Phonogram Flashcards
3rd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$16.99
LOE Basic Phonogram Flashcards
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$19.99
LOE Essentials Grammar Rule Quick Reference
from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$9.99
LOE Essentials Reader
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$24.99 $12.50 (5 in stock)
LOE Essentials Reader - Student Activity Book
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$14.99
LOE Essentials Reader - Teacher's Guide
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$19.99
LOE Essentials Volume 1 - Morpheme Flash Cards Set
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$18.99
LOE Essentials Volume 1 - Student Workbook
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$8.99
LOE Essentials Volume 1 - Teacher's Guide
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$54.99 $30.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Essentials Volume 2 - Morpheme Flash Cards Set
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$18.99
LOE Essentials Volume 2 - Student Workbook
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$9.99 $7.00 (2 in stock)
LOE Essentials Volume 2 - Teacher's Guide
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$54.99
LOE Essentials Volume 3 - Morpheme Flash Cards Set
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$18.99
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