Products: SpellDoctor SL (Spell-Links)
SpellDoctor SL includes all the features of SpellDoctor Basic, with the addition of research-based spelling strategies designed to deepen a student’s knowledge of the linguistic structure of words. Our strategies are correlated with the Spell-Links to Reading and Writing Word Study Curriculum, developed by Jan Wasowicz PhD, Kenn Apel PhD, Julie Masterson PhD, and Anne Whitney, PhD, and published by Learning By Design Inc. For a list of Spell-Links activities that correlate with each strategy, click here (PDF format).
Our spelling strategies are displayed on the Captured and Assigned Words lesson pages.
You may view each of the spelling strategies below. To display the full text of the strategy, click more details.
SPELLING STRATEGIES:
For a list of Spell-Links activities that correlate with each strategy, click here to view the list (PDF format). Click the graphic below to visit the Spell-Links page at the Learning By Design website.
For Schools (Annual Subscription)
| 1-5 Students | $75.00/student |
| 6-10 Students | $40.00/student |
| 11-25 Students | $30.00/student |
| 26-100 Students | $20.00/student |
| 101-500 Students | $14.00/student |
| 501-1500 Students | $10.00/student |
| 1500+ Students | $7.00/student |
For Home Schools (Annual Subscription)
| 1-5 Students | $75./student |
| 6* Students | $75. for the first 5 students, $40. for student 6 and over |
1. Sound it Out!
Words can be broken apart into sounds and you need to write at least one letter for each sound in the word.
Say the word out loud, one sound at a time, and make sure your spelling of the word contains at least one letter for each sound you hear in the word.
2. Check the Order!
The letters of the word must be in the same order as the corresponding sounds in the word.
Say the word out loud, one sound at a time, and make sure the letters in your spelling of the word are in the same order as the corresponding consonant and vowel sounds that come out of your mouth when you say the word.
3. Catch the Beat!
Each syllable has one vowel sound.
Say the word out loud, one syllable/beat at a time, and make sure your spelling of the word has at least one vowel letter in each syllable.
4. Listen Up!
Some vowel sounds are very similar and can be easily confused with other vowel sounds.
Listen carefully as you say the word out loud to correctly identify which vowel sounds you hear.
5. A Little Stress Will Help This Mess!
Vowel sounds keep their true identity in stressed syllables and lose their true identity in unstressed syllables.
Say the word out loud, and identify which syllables are stressed and which syllables are not stressed. Try a sound-it-out strategy to correctly spell the vowel sound in a stressed syllable. Don’t use a sound-it-out strategy to spell a vowel sound in an unstressed syllable.
6. No Fouls!
Each consonant sound and each vowel sound has one or more allowable spellings.
Look carefully at your spelling of the word and make sure you use an allowable spelling for each sound in the word.
7. Play by the Rules!
The English language contains many common letter patterns, and most English words can be spelled correctly if you follow common spelling rules.
Look carefully at the spelling of your word and use your knowledge of letter patterns and spelling rules to correctly spell the word.
8. Use Rime This Time!
Many rhyming words are spelled with the same letter pattern at the end of the word.
Think of a word that rhymes with the word you are trying to spell. Use the spelling of the rhyming word to help you spell this word.9. Spell What You Mean & Mean What You Spell
The spelling of a word determines its meaning. For example, the words “hear” and “here” sound the same but are spelled differently because “h-e-a-r” means “listen” and “h-e-r-e” means “at this place.”
Look carefully at the spelling of your word and think about the meaning of the sentence. Did you use the correct letters for the meaning of the word in this sentence?10. Be Smart About Word Parts!
The correct spelling of prefixes and suffixes is determined by the meaning of the word.
Use the word you are trying to spell in a sentence and think about the meaning of the word. Use the meaning of the word to help you correctly spell the prefix and/or suffix. Write the letters that represent the meaning.11. Build on the Base!
All the letters of a base word remain the same when you add a prefix. All or most of the letters of a base word remain the same when you add a suffix.
Think about the spelling of the base word for the word you are trying to spell. If you are adding a prefix, don’t change the spelling of the base word. If you are adding a suffix, use all or most of the letters of the base word to spell this word you don’t know.
12. Invite the Relatives!
Word relatives are words that are related by meaning and share a common base word or word root. For example, “magic, magician,
magical” and “visible, vision, visual” are word relatives.
Think of one or more words that have a similar meaning to the word you are trying to spell and use those word relatives to correctly spell this word you don’t know.
13. Fix the Funny Stuff!
The spelling of some words does not follow conventional letter patterns and spelling rules and can't be determined by sound or meaning. Luckily, your brain makes spelling decisions based on what “looks right.”
Look carefully at your spelling of the word and try different possible spellings for the part of the word that “looks funny”. Compare different spellings of the word and choose the spelling that “looks right” or looks “less funny” than the other spellings of the word.14. Look It Up!
Almost every word in the English language can be spelled correctly if you use all your other spelling strategies. When you’ve exhausted all your other strategies, and you’re pretty sure you know how to spell the beginning part of the word, you still have one ace in the hole – the dictionary!
Grab a dictionary or go on line and type "dictionary" in your search engine to look up the correct spelling of this word.
