Four First Graders' Descriptions of How They Spell

Abstract

This study described and categorized the ways in which 4 first graders (2 good and 2 poor spellers) from 2 classrooms used and talked about their spelling knowledge during a formal spelling test and an informal writing activity. Qualitative data included audiotapes of "talk-alouds" and interviews with the students, written spellings that students produced, and field notes documenting informal conversations with the students' teachers and classroom observations. The data revealed 3 categories of spelling knowledge: (1) developmental stage spelling knowledge suggested by the written spellings, (2) verbalized developmental stage spelling knowledge, and (3) verbalized spelling knowledge not suggested by the written spellings. 10 subcategories of spelling knowledge were defined from the data. Patterns that emerged from the data suggest that students' spelling knowledge in a specific sub-category was related to spelling ability and spelling task.