The Impact of Direct Spelling Instruction on Reading and Writing Skills in a Fourth Grade Classroom

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2014-05

Department

Program

Masters of Education

Citation of Original Publication

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of direct spelling instruction on the reading and writing skills of grade four students. The researcher wished to determine whether students who received an intensive, teacher-directed, structured spelling instruction program would be able to spell more accurately and perform better on reading and writing tasks than students who did not receive this instruction. Assessments included the Words Their Way Elementary Spelling Inventory (2008) and the Fountas and Pinnell Reading and Writing Benchmarks (2011). This study involved the use of a pretest/posttest design to compare pre and post-intervention data over a one-month period. Results indicated no significant difference in the spelling, reading and writing gains of the treatment and control groups. However, the treatment group did exhibit slightly larger gains than the control group in all three areas assessed. This study was an example of the benefits of teachers using informal and formal data to improve their instruction and the progress of their students. Research in the area of direct spelling instruction and its impact on reading and writing skills and the collection and use of data should continue in classrooms to determine the effects of improving spelling skills on students’ achievement in other subjects.