English Language Development

Figure 4.8. Stages of Spelling Development (SP- Spelling; DC- Decoding; V- Vocabulary)

Stage* Abbreviated Description Examples

Typical Grade

Span

Related CCSS

for

ELA/Literacy

Prephonetic

(Emergent)

Children make marks to

communicate ideas. Those

marks may include letters of

the alphabet, but the letters

used have little, if any,

relationship to the sounds.

NPXXA O

Transitional

kindergarten

(or earlier)

through

grade 1

Phonetic

(Letter

Name-

Alphabetic)

Children begin to use

letters to represent sounds.

Invented spellings are

common.

brd

I lk skr.

Kindergarten

through

grade 2

SP: L.K.2c, d

DC: RF.K.3a, b;

RF.1.3b

Patterns

Within

Words

(Within

Word)

Children move from using

one-to-one letter-sound

correspondences to using

spelling-sound patterns, such

as digraphs and long vowel

spellings, in single-syllable

words.

she

rain, cake

I can skate.

Grades 1

through 4

SP: L.1–2.2d

DC: RF.1.3a, c;

RF.2.3b

Syllable

Juncture

(Syllables

and Affixes)

Students begin to accurately

spell words containing

more than one syllable.

They apply what they learn

about doubling, dropping, or

changing letters at syllable

junctures and the addition

of inflectional endings and

affixes.

hop →

hopping

love →

loving

easy →

easiest

happy →

happiness

Grades 3

through 8

SP:L.3.2e, f

DC:RF.1.3e, f;

RF.2.3c, d;

RF.4–5.3a

V: L.K–3.4b;

L.1.4c

Meaning

Derivation

(Derivational

Relations)

Students begin to draw

on their knowledge of

morphology to accurately

spell words. They are

consistent in their spelling

of Greek and Latin roots

and they maintain spellings

based on meaning even

when the sounds change.

chronic,

chronicle,

synchronize

photograph,

photographer

please,

pleasant

favor,

favorite

Grades 4 and

up

DC: RF.3.3a–c;

RF.4–5.3a

V: L.4–5.4b;

L.2–3.4c

*The names of stages vary. Here they are drawn from Cramer 1998 and Henderson 2000, and, in parentheses, Bear, and

others 2012.

Grades 2 and 3 Chapter 4 | 305