Spelling and Handwriting Instruction Key to Literacy According to New White Paper from Saperstein Associates

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Statistics show four in ten U.S. 8-year-olds cannot read independently. Direct and explicit spelling and handwriting instruction is key to increasing literacy, according to a new white paper by J. Richard Gentry, Ph.D. and Steve Graham, Ed.D., two educational consultants with decades of experience in helping children learn to read and write.

"Creating Better Readers and Writers: The Importance of Direct, Systematic Spelling and Handwriting Instruction in Improving Academic Performance" explores extensive research showing that standalone spelling and handwriting instruction is required if all students are to master the mechanics of reading and writing," said Martin Saperstein, Ph.D., president of research firm Saperstein Associates, which published the paper.

"This is not only a requirement of federal and state legislation, but also a critical goal for a nation whose economy has transitioned from a manufacturing to a knowledge base," he said. "It's also a critical concern for parents who want their children to score well in high-stakes testing."

Gentry is an expert on childhood literacy, reading and spelling development. "In too many cases, schools have dropped important parts of the language arts curriculum such as spelling, handwriting and phonics instruction that are foundations of literacy," he said. "There is this idea that students will 'catch' foundational literacy skills like spelling as they learn to read and write. However, research shows spelling must be taught – not caught. Another bad idea is tucking spelling in with the reading lesson; that practice waters down the kind of spelling curriculum readers and writers need for success."

He noted that 10 to 15 minutes a day of direct spelling instruction using developmentally appropriate word lists helps students acquire the "dictionary in the brain" that is critical to developing literacy and higher-order thinking and communication skills. "Parents who want to ensure that their children are receiving effective teaching should make sure a spelling textbook is included among the books they bring home."

Graham is a Currey Ingram Professor of Special Education and Literacy at Vanderbilt University. "Some schools and teachers say, 'Thanks to word processing, I don't need to teach handwriting,'" he said. "Unfortunately, this is simply not true. About 80 percent of writing in school – as well as essay portions of high-stakes proficiency and college entrance tests – takes place by hand.

"Handwriting plays a critical role in how we learn and express ourselves," he continued. "Children who experience difficulty mastering the skill of handwriting may avoid writing and decide that they cannot write, leading to arrested writing development and hindering their performance across the entire academic curriculum."

The authors review decades of research demonstrating the essential roles spelling and handwriting play in literacy and academic success in the paper, which is available at www.sapersteinassociates.com/default.asp?contentID=626.  PWA-SA-092810.

SOURCE Saperstein Associates