Word Level Reading and Spelling

What is it?​

Students apply their knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondences (phonics) to read and spell individual words. Some words are regular and can be sounded out using one’s knowledge of the most common sound-symbol correspondences (e.g., /c/-/a/-/t/, /sh/-/o/-/p/). Students must also learn that some sounds can be represented by different letter combinations (e.g., the long o sound can be spelled /oa/, /ow/, or o_e) and that some letter combinations represent different sounds in different words (e.g., snow vs. clown).  

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Orthographic knowledge is an awareness and understanding of the spelling patterns and conventions used to represent language. Through explicit instruction and meaningful exposure, children develop knowledge of these patterns, allowing them to recognize words more automatically when reading and apply familiar spelling patterns when writing.   

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Morphological knowledge is an awareness and understanding of morphemes  – the smallest meaningful units of sound. Words contain base words or roots that carry meaning, as well as prefixes and suffixes that can change the meanings of words (e.g., stoppable vs unstoppable).  

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Why is it important?​

Being able to read and spell individual words is an important step towards fluent reading and writing. As students become more accurate and automatic in reading words, they can apply these skills to reading connected text (e.g., poems, stories, decodable books), allowing them to devote more attention to understanding what they read. ​​

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What does the research say? 

For more information check out these resources:  

• ONlit – Orthographic Knowledge for Reading and Spelling  

• ONlit – Morphological Knowledge in Reading and Spelling  ​

What is the developmental progression of phonemic awareness skills?​

 

 

 

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Note: These areas can develop simultaneously and support one another; they do not need to be taught in a fixed order.

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For more details check out: 

• Ontario Language Foundations Continuum for Reading and Writing, Kindergarten–Grade 1 documents ​​​​

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​​​What types of PBL are best suited to supporting PA development? 

What types of play-based learning are best suited to supporting word level reading and spelling development? 

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• Teacher-directed Play – Educators can introduce and reinforce word-reading and spelling skills through structured, playful activities that allow for modelling, repeated practice, and immediate feedback (e.g., word-building games). 

• Guided Play – Educators can support children in applying previously taught reading and spelling skills during play (e.g., making signs to label items in a play centre). 

• Free Play – Independent application: Children may independently practice previously learned word-reading and spelling skills during child-directed play (e.g., reading labels in pretend-play centres). However, free play alone should not be relied upon for systematic instruction in these skills.