Hi!
Just because one uses Spelling Wisdom or tries to use CM methods to help does not mean that you do not teach phonics or phonetic spelling when necessary! For starters, a child taught to read using CM methods will be regularly spelling words as phonics practice during reading sessions.
Do you have the CM six-volume set? It’ll take me a little bit of digging as I’ve misplaced my “cheat sheet” book, Penny Gardner’s, which gives page numbers to read for different topics, but I’ll try to hunt up the exact page numbers.
When we prepare a word during our dictation preparation, we do MANY things. Certainly ONE of those things includes analyzing it phonetically, if applicable. (Some English words are so odd that one needs to manufacture a large number of “rules” just to cover them, and in those cases it’s easier on my old brain to just learn the word. LOL) We also discuss what it means, what language it comes from, other similar words, etc. AND we also use the visualizing method. I find this to be a good “tie it all together” thing at the end. All the other information can kind of “hang” on the visual picture of the word.
I have to admit, that while part of me “likes” the idea of being able to phonetically spell words, that without exception every really good speller I’ve ever known, when I was a student, when I was teaching, and now as a parent, has been able to “visualize” the word. I somehow learned to do this early in childhood. My very bright husband, who is an excellent reader, a successful attorney, very articulate–he has never learned this trick, and he, although he is smarter than I am, he cannot spell. (Good thing for computer spell-check and secretaries!)
Charlotte wasn’t ANTI-phonics. She just viewed it as a tool, not as “reading” itself, or “spelling” itself. Reading is much more than phonics, although phonics skills are necessary, they are not in themselves sufficient. So, too, with spelling. You’ll note that the spellers on TV when the spelling bee is on–they use all these different methods—some phonics, visualizing, comparing to other words, using word origins, etc. Have you ever noticed how many close their eyes or look up at the ceiling? From experience, I can tell you—they are looking to “see” the word so they can spell it. 🙂
Does this help? Let me know if you want me to dig up the relevant Original Series passages.
Michelle D
