Special Situations Lesson Idea: Recorded Spelling - An Auditory Approach to Spelling

Taping the spelling of words provides the student with an excellent method for practicing spelling words and receiving auditory input.

Adapted from PULL – Project for Unique Learners in Literacy by LVA–Illinois, 1994 and Help Yourself – How to Take Advantage of your Learning Styles by Gail Murphy Sonbuchner. New Readers Press, 1991.

• A list of words that your student has difficulty spelling.
• A tape recorder and blank cassette tape.

• The idea is to make a tape that your student can use on his own to practice spelling.
• Read the first word into the tape recorder. Count to five silently to leave a blank space after the word so that the student can repeat the word.
• Spell the word into the tape recorder and count to five silently to leave a blank space. The student will repeat the spelling at this point when using the tape.
• Repeat the word and use it in a sentence, then leave a ten-second space. The student to write the word on a piece of paper during this time.
• Spell the word again. This will give the student an opportunity to check the spelling.
• Play the tape for your student and practice the first two or three words together so that your student understands what he or she is to do.
• The student can also make his or her own self-tests by following the procedure as homework practice.
• Example:

Tutor (on tape): “Computer”
Student: repeats the word, “computer”
Tutor (on tape): “c-o-m-p-u-t-e-r”
Student: “c-o-m-p-u-t-e-r”
Tutor (on tape): “Computer - My daughter loves to use the computer.”
Student writes the word computer.
Tutor (on tape): “computer c-o-m-p-u-t-e-r”