Words Their Way

There are five different stages of spelling development discussed in the article, Words Their Way, which include:

Stage 1:  This stage is called the emergent stage.  This is when children’s writing efforts include those who are not yet reading conventionally, and have not been exposed to formal reading instruction.  These learners typically range from ages 0-5.  Most toddlers and preschoolers, even kindergarten students and up to first grade are emergent spellers.  In the early emergent stage, students may produce large scribbles, which are basically drawings.  During this early stage there are no designs that look like letters.  When children sit next to older children and adults, they begin to use something that looks like script to “tell” about the picture.  In the middle of the emergent stage, pretend writing is separate from the picture.  Throughout the emergent stage, children begin to learn letters, particularly the letters of their own names, and begin to pay attention to the sounds in words.   Here are a few examples of the emergent stage:

Beginning  Emergent Stage

End Emergent Stage

Stage 2:  This stage is called Letter Name-Alphabetic Spelling.  The children in this stage are formally taught to read, typically during the kindergarten and first-grade years and extending into the middle of second grade.  These ages typically range from 5-8 years old.  In this stage students use the names of letters as cues to the sound they want to represent.  For example the word ‘when’ might be written with a ‘y’ instead of ‘wh’ because of the sound it makes.  This stage is divided into three stages:  early, middle, and late periods.   Throughout this stage, students learn to segment the sounds within words and match the appropriate letters or letter pairs to those sequences. 

• Early letter name-alphabetic spelling- Students spell the first sound and then the last sound of single-syllable words.  For example, when may be spelling ‘yn’.  The middle syllables or vowels are usually left out. 
• Middle to late letter-name alphabetic spelling- During this stage students are learning to segment both sounds in a consonant blend and begin to represent the blends correctly.  By the end of this stage, late letter name-alphabetic spellers are able to consistently represent most regular short-vowel sounds, digraphs, and consonant blends.  Here is an example: 

Stage 3:  This stage is called within word pattern spelling.  This level of orthographic knowledge typically begins as students transition to independent reading toward the end of the first grade, and expands throughout the second and third grades, and even in the fourth grade.  These spellers usually range from ages 7-10 years old, but many adult low-skilled readers remain in this stage.  This stage begins when students can correctly spell most single-syllable, short-vowel words correctly as well as consonant blends, digraphs, and preconsonantal nasals.  These spellers take a closer look at vowel patterns within single-syllable words.  During this stage students first study the common long-vowel patterns.  Here is an example:

Stage 4:  This stage is called Syllables and Affixes Spelling.  This is typically achieved in the upper elementary and middle school grades, when students are expected to spell many words of more than one syllable.  This represents a new point in word study when students consider spelling patterns where syllables meet and meaning units such as affixes.  Toward the end of syllables and affixes stage, students grapple with affixes that change the meaning of the word.  They may misspell affixes.  By studying base words and affixes as meaning units, students can ready themselves for the last and final stage. 

Stage 5:  This stage is referred to as the Derivational Relations Spelling.  Most derivational relations spellers are found in middle school, high school, and college.  This stage continues throughout adulthood, when people continue to read and write according to their interests and specialties.  It is known as derivational relations because this is when students examine how words share common derivations and related base words and words roots.  In the early part of this stage, spellers spell most words correctly.  For example, the girl in the article spells ‘favorite’-'faverite’.  he does not show its relationship to favor, and different is spelled ‘different’ and lacks a connection to ‘differ’.  Students spelling errors often have to do with using but confusing issues of consonant doubling-the convention of changing the last consonant of a prefix to the first consonant of the root word.  Here are a few examples:

Solem–Solemn

Oppisition–Opposition

Critasize–Criticize

Benafit–Benefit

Ammusement–Amusement

Appearence–Appearance

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