Title – Spelling with Memory Cues

By – Betsy Lee

Subject – Language Arts

Grade Level – 3-6

Age group:

This is for any age; however, younger children need help in selecting relevant, non-ambiguous associations, e. g. see the explanation about how to spell the word, color.

Rationale:

Many poor spellers remember how to spell words correctly using memory cues. Use these activities to teach children in K-5 and upper grades to apply techniques used by memory experts. The basic memory principle in this lesson plan is to associate, or link, something you need to remember to something you already know. It might be a silly association or a logical association. It just needs to be a memorable association.

Learning the basic rules of spelling is highly recommended. This lesson plan is not meant to replace other methods of teaching. However, this works as a great alternative when other methods fail. LD children and adults have expressed delight in finding a spelling method that works for them.

We tell children to begin a word at the left. Some children don’t want to admit that they don’t know left from right. They might need the lesson titled, Right and Left Links.

Complications:

Rules are good but they don’t always work. Some people find it hard to remember the exceptions to the rules.

Especially with global travel via the Internet, children discover that standard spelling for some words is different in the USA and the UK.

Regional accents can contribute to spelling difficulties.

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LIST

be and bee

The insects, bees, usually travel in groups. You see two or more bees together. Use two “e’s” in the word for the insect. Use one “e” in the other spelling of be. The letter, “e,” says its own name in both words.

color and colour

Color in America or The States. Colour in the UK. United Kingdom has a “u” in the word, colour. Avoid referring to America as the USA because UK and USA have “u’s” in them.

do and does

Does has the word, do, in it. Spell the word, do, then add es.

gray and grey

The color, gray, has an “a” in America. The color, grey, has an “e” in England.

hear and here

Hear with your ear. OK. You can use both ears. This spelling of hear has ear in it.

here and there

Here meaning a place which is close to me is in the word, there, meaning a place which is not close to me.

meat and meet

Meat has the word, eat, in it. We eat meat. Meet is in the word, meeting. We use our feet to walk to a meeting.

there, their, they’re

There meaning a place which is not close to me has here in it. This spelling of here means a place which is close to me. Their has the word, heir, in it. Heirs inherit things that become their possessions.

They’re is a contraction for the two words, they are. Think about what you are saying. Do you mean, they are? If so, you can use this spelling, they’re.

your and you’re

Your has our in it. Think of your and our books, house, or whatever. You’re is a contraction for the two words, you are.

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More examples are being added to my website. Your suggestions are welcome.

Note, this lesson was used with permission from Little Lemon: Activities for Developing Motivation and Memory Skills. This is a K-3 book by Betsy B. Lee, Learning Abilities Books,

. This lesson plan may be reproduced for classroom use only. All other rights are reserved. (Lesson plan © 1997 Betsy B. Lee. The concept of finding small words in larger words and the concept of learning by association are not new. However, the presentation in this lesson plan is original.)

Because this site originates in the USA, spelling in this lesson plan is based on the way words are spelled here unless there are memory cues for both systems.