Invented Spelling

 


As children become writers, they begin to invent spelling for the words that they wish to put on paper. Invented spelling is used by children until they learn the conventions and rules that adults use when they spell. Invented spelling is a developmentally appropriate step in the process of learning to read and write. It does not interfere with a child's ability to spell correctly in later years. When children first learn to speak, we welcome the attempts they make to reproduce the sounds that they hear. This is exactly what beginning writers are doing with invented spelling.
 


Benefits of invented spelling include:

*encourages children to make vital connections between letters and sounds

* helps children to become independent writers as they ask for less help spelling words

* gives them the ability to write anything they say, leading to longer and more interesting stories

* allows children to write more words than they know how to read

* encourages children to take responsibility for their own learning as they have more control over what they write

*allows for extensive practice of phonics as they use letters to represent the sounds that they hear
 

 

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