{"id":18475,"date":"2020-10-05T09:00:02","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T14:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/?p=18475"},"modified":"2020-12-10T15:47:07","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T21:47:07","slug":"after-all-about-spelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/after-all-about-spelling\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens After All About Spelling?"},"content":{"rendered":"\"What

Whether your child has finished formal spelling instruction or you are just looking forward to that glorious day, this post will give you plenty of ideas of \u201cwhat to do next.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The first thing to do is to send me a note<\/a>. Seriously! I love to hear from students who have completed the All About Spelling<\/cite><\/a> series (like our friend Josiah here).<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Then after the high-fives and celebrating are over, you\u2019re bound to ask the question,<\/p>\r\n

Is that it? Does my child need to learn how to
spell any more words? Or are we completely done<\/span>?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Pretend that the graphic below represents all the words in the English language. \u201cKnown Words,\u201d represented by the inner circle, are those that your child can spell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"circle\r\n\r\n

\u201cFamiliar Words\u201d are those that are in his vocabulary, either his speaking vocabulary or his reading vocabulary. He knows what the words mean, but he\u2019s never spelled them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"circle\r\n\r\n

And then there are \u201cCompletely Unknown Words\u201d\u2014words that your child has never heard before or has never encountered in his reading.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"circle\r\n\r\n

After completing the spelling program<\/a>, your student will be able to spell at the high school level. But, obviously, there are many more words in the world! So I recommend that your child continue a self-directed, informal study of \u201cFamiliar Words.\u201d These are the words that are found in the middle zone of the graphic. They are words that your child is more likely to see in print or to use in his own writing\u2014which means that the words will be easier to learn and your child will be more motivated to learn them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

How to Find New Words to Learn<\/h2>\r\n \r\n

For years I kept a stash of index cards wherever I was likely to run across new words\u2014next to a favorite reading chair, next to the computer, on the nightstand, or in a backpack\u2014and I encourage students to do the same. When they come across a word that would be helpful to know how to spell, they can jot it down on an index card. If there isn\u2019t a written example of the word, they should just spell the word as best they\u00a0can and then verify the spelling later.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

\r\n

Here are some places your student can look for those new-yet-familiar words to learn:<\/p>\r\n