Knowledge and Skills Statement
Provide students with a list of multisyllabic words with multiple sound-spelling patterns. Include a variety of syllable types in the words. Have students work in pairs to take turns reading and spelling the words. The reader will read the word, show the word, and orally spell the word. The speller will hear the word, see the word, and then spell the word either orally or in writing.
Examples of multisyllabic words with multiple sound-spelling patterns:
- Drowsy
- Compound
- Royalty
- Mermaid
- Gurgle
- Charcoal
- Marshmallow
- Enormous
- Sanitize
- Underneath
- Employee
- Ointment
- Dominate
- Remainder
- Consonant
Further Explanation
This assessment requires students to understand how word parts support decoding and spelling of multisyllabic words. As multisyllabic words can be long and difficult to spell, students must learn how to break down words into smaller parts. Knowledge of sound-spelling patterns is acquired through practice and experience with decoding and spelling and is built upon as students become proficient in decoding and spelling single syllable words with simpler sound-spelling patterns.
Research
1. Heggie, L., & Wade-Woolley, L. (2107). Reading Longer Words: Insights Into Multisyllabic Word Reading. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. SIG 1, 2(2). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lindsay_Heggie/publication/318848767_Reading_Longer_Words_Insights_Into_Multisyllabic_Word_Reading/links/5985064da6fdcc75624fc329/Reading-Longer-Words-Insights-Into-Multisyllabic-Word-Reading.pdf
Summary: This study considers the value of and approaches to building readers' multisyllabic word skills through explicit instruction in syllables and morphemes.
2. Powell, D. A., & Aram, R. (2008). Spelling in parts: a strategy for spelling and decoding polysyllabic words. The Reading Teacher, 61(7), 567+. Retrieved from https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A178084044/PROF?u=tea&sid=PROF&xid=2d1bc52e
Summary: This article introduces the "Spelling in Parts" strategy to help students break big words into smaller chunks, giving students the chance to discover new spelling patterns. Children who learn to spell primarily with sound strategies may be successful with words that fit common spelling patterns. For example, children will be successful spelling consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC or closed syllable) words and consonant-vowel-consonant-silent e (CVCe) words, and consonant-vowel (CV or open-syllable) words (e.g., pro in propel), and closed two-syllable CVC-CVC words (e.g., dentist).