A Comparison of Two Spelling Strategies with respect to Acquisition, Generalization, Maintenance, and Student Preference

Correct spelling is a learned performance, but effective and preferred procedures to develop accurate spelling in young children have not been adequately described. We evaluated the effectiveness of two strategies for teaching spelling to 10 elementary students of typical development. In the traditional rehearse and test method commonly used in elementary classrooms, we gave students a list of ten words on Monday, they practiced spelling the words throughout the week, and then were tested on Friday. We also taught students to use the cover-copy-compare (CCC) method to practice their spelling words within a similar time frame. During CCC, we also taught students to say each phoneme of a word (“sound out”) as they practiced each word. Interobserver agreement was collected for 33% of sessions; agreement was 100% for all measures. A reversal design showed that CCC was clearly more effective for promoting acquisition of spelling words for six students, and for promoting generalization and maintenance for two students. No difference between conditions was observed with the remaining students. Nine of the ten students preferred CCC to rehearse and test. Implications for the design of an effective spelling curriculum are discussed.