Identifying struggling spellers
Spelling tests are often a challenge for all young students. You can count on there being struggling spellers in your group (no matter what age group) who tend to trip up on spelling patterns pretty consistently. As a teacher, most of the time you instinctively know when a student is struggling in an academic area. There are standardized tests that look at reading and math abilities, allowing you to categorize students into groups based on skill level. However, spelling isn’t an area that has formalized testing and leveling.
Spelling is lumped in as an ELA subset and is inherently worked on during writing and reading. When students are engaged in these activities, studies have shown that this combined with repeated spelling practice will build skills. However, seeing repeated spelling mistakes on the same student’s papers and spelling tests with the same low grades week after week are red flags. This shows that a student is really on the spelling struggle bus! They indicate spelling isn’t just something you should just keep testing and teaching in the same old ways.
Some students are going to need more intensive instruction on spelling patterns and a modified way to test their spelling knowledge.
The case for modified spelling tests
Modified spelling tests often cause teachers to pull back in horror when they are mentioned. But, let’s pause for a moment and consider the benefits of and reasons to modify a student’s spelling list.
The English language is a very complicated system full of rules and rule-breakers (as us elementary teachers like to explain)! Imagine if you had to take a spelling test in a different foreign language every week – because that’s often what it feels like for our students, especially ones with reading disabilities like Dyslexia. Having empathy for the student’s perspective and realizing that spelling is an extremely difficult skill coupled with the fact that it’s not usually taught through direct instruction should shed new light on why it’s important to have a modified test option for struggling students.
Let’s think about our use of spelling as adults, in the modern world and workforce the majority of the time we are “writing” we are actually typing on a computer or phone with a built-in spellcheck feature. Yet, our spelling tests are almost always in a hand-written format.
I hear lots of arguments that writing is an important skill and yes, we have no guarantees about what the future will hold for technology. However, if we as teachers were to consider every possible future career option for our students and then teach to that, we would be exhausted (and need way more than 180 days in a school year).
Why not pick the option that is most prevalent and focus on the very real possibility that handwritten letters, notes, and messages are going to be very uncommon for our students when they enter adulthood? The better skill that our students need to be taught is how to spell something close enough to what they are trying to spell and then distinguishing which option from a menu is the correct one – a skill I have to use every day!
My final point is that spelling IS an important skill – but it’s also a functional skill that we will use only as much as we need. Our students who are not natural spellers will likely find themselves in a career where they have access to spell check and will be able to double-check their work before turning it in (even when in their college years). It’s time our assessments began matching the century we are in and using modified spelling tests is one way we can help students struggling with spelling to feel successful while still gaining skills they can take into their future endeavors.
When to decide to modify
When a student is consistently failing, or not passing, your spelling tests (it takes 3 times for it to be a pattern) it might be time to look at modifying your spelling tests. Some students will come to you with an IEP or documentation from previous years that indicates they need a modified spelling test. Otherwise, you’ll have to look for learners with a pattern of testing that says it’s time to help!
Modifying work is a collaborative process, parental involvement and buy-in are key, especially since parents are primarily the ones studying spelling words with their child. A lot of parents with struggling spellers will come to you advocating for a modified list, so having a ready-to-go option will give you credibility with parents!
How to modify a spelling test
As a teacher, your method of modifying spelling tests will be unique to you and the needs of the student you are modifying for; this list may not be the correct way to modify for your individual student! Here are the most common ways I’ve seen used:
Reduced word list
In this modification, the teacher simply selects a subset of the class list to test the student on. This one is probably the easiest since teachers just reduce the overall number of words (instead of 20, the student might only have 12 words) and test students on. I’ve seen teachers use this with a large group of students in their classroom and then when giving the spelling test, they read that subset of words first and students on the reduced list know to stop at their given number.
Modified spelling list
When a teacher uses this modification, he or she will change the list of words entirely. Instead of the student being given the typical list with a complicated spelling pattern, they are given a pattern more appropriate for their learning level. An example of this is if your class list consisted of words with the -igh spelling pattern but you had a student still working on CVC words so their list focused on the short /i/ sound in CVC words.
There are students I’ve worked with who needed a drastically altered spelling list. For example, students were asked to circle letters or letter sounds instead of writing words. The important thing is that you are meeting the student where they are at. If you have a very low student who is not ready to recognize words when you are working on reading, you have to decide if testing them on spelling words each Friday is really an appropriate measure.
Modified test format
This one will take the most work on the part of the teacher but is one that can change a student’s success on spelling tests in a drastic way!
Instead of the traditional spelling test with a pencil and college-ruled paper, there are a few ways you can change things up for your students.
Modified paper
Instead of college-ruled paper, you can use paper more aligned to the student’s needs, this might be paper with raised lines, paper with letter models across the top, or paper with handwriting boxes to make letter formation easier.
Typing format
Maybe you have a student who struggles to write letters with correct formation and typing works much better for them. You can create an online or typed assessment in several ways. Your students can type their words using an iPad into a Google Doc that’s shared with you, or they can type their words into an email and send it directly to you. You could use a Google Form where they type in their spelling words to make grading easier for you. The possibilities here would depend on your district, the technology available to your student, and the software you have available as a teacher.
Fill in the blank format
If your student is working on the contextual use of spelling words, assessment using a fill-in-the-blank type test may be the most appropriate testing method for them. This type of test would use a sentence created by you and then the student would circle the spelling word that fills in the blank correctly. This aligns with Close Reading but maybe instead of different words to select from, you give them a word spelled correctly and the same word misspelled – this gives them the chance to select the word spelled correctly almost exactly as they would when using spell check.
Multiple-choice spelling test
A multiple-choice spelling test is just what it sounds like, a spelling test with multiple words to choose from instead of just writing the word from memory. This type of test would still mean words given to the student orally but they would have a menu of options to choose the correct word from.
The distractor words might be the same spelling word spelled incorrectly, or they could be different distractor words altogether. What type and how many distractor words you use would entirely depend on the student’s needs and the level they are at with instruction.
I’ve created a multiple-choice spelling test in PowerPoint format where you can type the student’s spelling words and the distractors right into the document.
I’ve also created a PDF format as a teacher timesaver where you type the spelling words and distractors into one place and the tests auto-populate for you to print and use with multiple students. I personally use this each and every week with my students and find it saving me a lot of time each time I use it!
You can also purchase a bundle with both items included here!
Spelling instruction
Teaching spelling is a lifelong skill that’s important for learners to carryover into their daily lives as students and adults. As I mentioned before, there’s not a go-to curriculum that school districts will use to teach spelling to students as an isolated skill. It’s more common to teach it within the context of English Language Arts and spelling tests give teachers the insight to see if it’s being retained by students.
A lot of reading curriculum use spelling patterns throughout their reading texts. This is one way students are exposed to spelling. If your curriculum doesn’t have that, or if you want a better way to more explicitly teach spelling to your students, here are some ideas to get you started.
Orton-Gillingham
This program uses a multisensory experience with words allows students (including those with dyslexia) to remember spelling words. They use a rules-based system to teach learners the rules for spelling. If your district hasn’t sent you to a training yet, be sure to ask, but in the meantime, ask another teacher who is certified for some pointers on how to help students practice their spelling words with differing input.
Handwriting Without Tears
This is a program geared toward writing, but works on spelling a lot in their program by the very nature of it. They offer different booklets with worksheets you can copy for students, and instruction manuals you can purchase online. The best part about this program is that most Occupational Therapists in schools are familiar with it and can offer you advice on how to implement it. Plus, you don’t need to be certified in it before you use it!
Games to practice spelling words
These could be app based or paper worksheets to help students pratice their spelling words without really feeling like they are doing work. Sometimes your curriculum will have built in fun activities to get kids practicing, but there are lots of ideas and options online if not. There’s an oral game called “SPARKLE” that teachers play in my district that requires no prep and is a great filler activity. There are game options on Teachers Pay Teachers and other teacher websites. Apps such as Spelling City, IXL, and Reading Rockets have spelling games that focus on specific skills or word sets that you enter.
Seeing spelling words regularly
Passive input to help them remember the spelling of words. Even though students may not be explicitly thinking about it or noticing the words in their environment, it’s still a good idea to have the exposure embedded throughout their day. Maybe a typed word list on their desk, weaving spelling words into your lessons, or having post-it notes up around the classroom and student’s home will give them a leg-up on their next test.
Spelling homework ideas
While I’m not a big proponent of homework, I do think at-home spelling practice is important because it is a skill students need to generalize to all areas of their lives, and practicing at home helps that. The repeated exposure is also important, although not all parents will be on board to support homework, so be prepared to have a backup plan in case that happens with a student. Spelling contracts are the most common homework intervention I’ve seen used successfully. With this, a list of activities are sent home with the student’s spelling list and the student has to complete a certain number of the activities to get credit. Activities I’ve seen are, write all your words 3 times, rainbow write your list, give someone a spelling test, and take a practice test. There are lots of other ideas online, Google and TPT are your best bet at getting a good variety on the board. Make sure you are accommodating homework for those lower level students (maybe they complete fewer activities or they have different options altogether).
Troubleshooting tips
Keep in mind that the modifications you use can be combined – it doesn’t have to be one or the other. The students in my classroom are on a multiple-choice spelling test format for their weekly test, but a handful of those students are on a reduced list as well. I also customize the words for the students but try to use similar lists to make it easier on myself. At the end of the day, it’s what’s best for the students so always keep that in mind!
If a student is on a modified list or test format and it’s still not helping their grades improve, continue to modify things until you find the format and list type that works best for them. You can continue to reduce and change it until you get it right, especially if parents are bought into figuring out a list and testing method that works for their child.
The other thing to consider is the evaluation of a student for an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Your school likely has a referral process where you have to show data and interventions before a student is considered for evaluation. Students needing a drastically changed spelling test are likely also having issues and needing interventions in other Language Arts areas and may qualify for an IEP because of this need. It will be a process and will completely depend on the results of the formal evaluation, but in the meantime, you can continue communicating to parents and the school team all the modifications you are making to the student’s tests and assignments.
Modifying spelling tests may make all the difference for students in your classroom. I hope I’ve convinced you of the merits of making modifications to spelling tests and given you some ideas to try out with your struggling students.
What other ways have you modified spelling for your students? Leave me a comment below and let me know!