How to teach spelling at primary school: some tendencies

Abstract

In this text, we intend to present some guidelines concerning the teaching of spelling in primary school, placing it within a greater domain: teaching to compose texts. We chose to focus in this educational context, because it is at this level that the formal approach of writing begins. The sooner the pupil develops competences in spelling, the easier it will be for him/her to master it. This will free the pupil from concerns related with spelling and allow him/her to focus on deeper issues demanding the use of competences related with composition. In order to avoid the tendency to over/undervalue the spelling in written texts, it is important to be conscious of the didactic principles underlying the teaching and learning of writing and to reflect on strategies and activities leading to an effective development of competences by the pupils. These are the issues we discuss in this text: strategies and activities designed to teach spelling and to deal with misspelling.