Teaching versus Testing
For many years the spelling lesson has been, with many teachers, a means of obtaining a breathing space in the day’s work. It was comparatively easy to say to the children “Take the next twenty words.” The study of these words took some time, and it was easy work to dictate the lesson at the end of fifteen or twenty minutes, have the pupils exchange papers, and correct the words. What was the net result at the end of the year? No one knew. Had they tested the right words for the given grade? No one knew. They had tested the words that were given in the spelling book adopted by the city, town, or state. Most of the books contained from 10,000 to 12,000 words. That the children did not use many of these words in their written work made little or no difference. In some cases at least, the author of a spelling book took the dictionary and started with the a’s and proceeded through the alphabet, deciding that the children ought to know how to spell this word, and that word, and so on through the dictionary, No attempt was made to find out whether the pupil used the words or not, and no attempt was made to place the words according to their use in the proper grade.
Was it possible for a teacher using such a book to test the right words? Probably not. She tested all she could. She assigned ten words a day for about 150 days during the year, or if she dared, or the course of study called for it, twenty, or twenty-five words were given in the upper grades. The teacher was compelled to do so in order to finish the speller. Did she teach the words? How could she teach even the ten words in the short time allowed? In order that spelling words might be taught some teachers suggested that five new words a day would be sufficient to meet the needs of the pupil. The answer of many teachers, following ancient traditions, shows that they think that this would be unwise. Not to teach “which,” “there,” “their,” and such words until the upper grades certainly would be even more unwise.
Teachers have had the mistaken idea that children learn to spell many words because of constant use, and that there is no need of teaching them. Recent studies have shown that this is not true except with respect to occasional children who have already developed what has been called a spelling consciousness. In the vast majority of cases this spelling consciousness needs to be developed. To accomplish this words have to be selected, and carefully and systematically taught, to most children. The selection of words, therefore, is an important work of the author of a spelling book.
Thanks to recent investigations the day has come when two important questions are being asked:
1. What words ought we to teach? 2. How shall these selected words be taught?