By by Katie Schrodt, Erin Fitzpatrick, Sungyoon Lee,Debra McKeown, Alexis McColloch and Kimberly Evert
Original paper: LINK
Why writing matters as much as reading in early literacy
Early writing skills are key to a child’s success in literacy over time. In fact, struggling with writing early on often goes hand in hand with struggling to read. Unfortunately, without focused help, difficulties in writing don’t go away.
What Is ‘informed spelling’?
One way to engage young learners in writing is through informed spelling. This approach lets children spell words based on the sounds they hear. For instance, a child might spell “water” as “wr” or “wodr,” gradually moving closer to the conventional spelling as they learn more from their phonics sessions (and their wider reading). While some might see this as ‘just wrong spellings’, it’s actually a critical developmental step in children connecting spoken and written language. Research has consistently shown that using informed spelling helps children develop key literacy skills like decoding, encoding, spelling, and reading.
How informed spelling builds children’s reading and writing skills?
1. Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
Informed spelling helps children break words down into sounds and connect them to the letters they are learning. Teaching children to recognise sounds and letters boosts their spelling and reading abilities.
2. Alphabet Knowledge and Phonics
When children use informed spellings, they’re practising how letters represent sounds – a cornerstone of reading. Studies show that the youngest of writers who use informed spellings perform better in reading and spelling as they get older.
3. Fluency
Writing with informed spellings can also improve how happily and quickly children write and read a loud.
4. Vocabulary
Informed spellings encourages children to use a wider variety of vocabulary as they are confident that they can write down any word that they can say. This leads to richer vocabulary and more sophisticated writing.
5. Comprehension
Using informed spellings can help children better understand what they’re reading. By connecting writing and reading, children become more effective readers.
Long-term benefits of Informed spelling
The benefits of informed spelling don’t stop in the early years. Research shows that children who use this strategy not only improve their reading and spelling, they also continue to show stronger writing skills when they are older. This approach helps demystify the relationship between sounds and letters, giving children a strategy to decode and encode words with confidence.
Takeaway for teachers
Encouraging informed spelling in your classroom isn’t (as the name suggests) about letting kids ‘guess’ how to spell. It’s a powerful developmental stage that helps build their foundational literacy skills. By modelling and inviting children to use informed spellings when writing, you’re helping them connect speaking, reading, and writing in ways that will pay off for years to come. Anyone that tells you that this is simply encouraging bad habits is talking rubbish.