Introduction to research in education

BRAIN AND SPELLING Learning process

Mara Victoria Mrquez

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Introduction to research in education

Index
1. Introduction 3.

- Purpose. - Objectives of study. 2. Theoretical background .. 3. - Brain map 3. Methodology of research .5. 3.1 Subject chosen5. 3.2 The Task..5. 3.3 Data collection..7. 3.4 Timing.8. 3.5 Analyze of results..8. 4. Conclusions ....8. 5. References9.

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BRAIN AND SPELLING: Learning process 1. INTRODUCTION Spelling is a teaching method in writing system. This teaching method is necessary in languages which letters-sounds correspondences are mostly by consonants like happen in English language. The object of this research is to analyze and found which are the best methods to teach spelling to English speaking children from kindergarten to the age of ten years old. The motivation for this study is the poor situation of many schools in spelling system. The method failed because the most common way to teach spelling is by memorising words. Spelling tests only support short term memory and do not tend to lead to permanent learning. General Statement of the Problem: The students of the targeted kindergarten, first grade, and third grade classrooms do not consistently use correct spelling of district writing words and spelling words in their daily work. Evidence for the existence of the problem includes: report cards, writing checklists, student self-assessment, and dictated sentence checklists. Children begin to understand that letters represent sounds in words, but do not
include a letter to represent every sound in the word; often, major sounds are omitted. In order to offer a solution which can be considered, I will set out the following questions;

How previous researches in spelling has influenced on teaching system in the last thirty years?

Is there any relation between highest level schools and the geographical area? Could these results help to change the learning systems at schools and kindergartens?

2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Several neurological studies show correlate between spoken word processing with orthographic demands and the brain regions involved in processing phonological, orthographic and semantic representations. Brain respond sensitivity to the similarity of orthography and phonology between words, however the cortical regions involved in
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orthographic processing are distinct from cortical regions involved in auditory processing and also different from the semantic processing. We realise that brain is more receptive when auditory modality of the stimuli is supported by orthographic visual. In order to understand this research is necessary to know how works our brain in language learning processes. The left side of the brain control the abilities of the language. Neurological studies has revealed evidence for phonological priming effects in left superior temporal gyrus, orthographic priming effects in left fusiform gyrus and semantic involvement of left middle temporal gyrus. This brain-behaviour analyses show that higher accuracy is correlated with stronger activation across lexical conditions in left superior temporal gyrus and higher non-word reading skill is correlated with weaker activation across lexical conditions in left middle temporal gyrus. This suggests that higher skill is associated with increasing elaboration of phonological representations and less involvement of semantic representation as a compensatory mechanism. This means that the left fusiform gyrus is implicated in orthographic processing during visual word processing but has also been shown to be activated when processing spoken words. For a better comprehension it is necessary to say that orthography is activated when a child hears a word, and there is orthographic facilitation if the word follows another word that has similar orthography. This conclusion takes me to the point that the lexical semantic processing has a weaker implication while the brain response in a better way with word pairs with similar spelling that rhymed, for instance gate-hate Brain Maps

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Spelling has been described as offering a window into literacy acquisition. Knowing that connections must be made between letters and sounds it is necessary a phonological strategy for decoding words read and spelled, those words must be familiar for children. Observing these researches results, I would like to analyse which methods are working based in these theories currently at schools. 3. THE METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH The challenge is to detect and value how successful are the spelling teaching systems based in the previous theories at Kindergarten and schools of English-speaking children. The research regarding the teaching and acquisition of spelling skills is based also in how many teachers have developed the strategies to help their students become better spellers. These strategies help them to notice the patterns and help them to make connections; thinking is more important than memory and leads to more permanent learning. 3.1 Subjects Chosen As an object of the study will be chosen kindergartens and schools with an excellent reputation and highest level and those with a medium level in three different geographical areas, these will be United States of America, United Kingdom and Australia. In those will be check the best marks at spelling and in the compilation of writing, reading and spelling skills. 3.2 The task The task will be analyse the methods of spelling teaching at different levels and compare them with the ones which have been selected regarding to the strategies based on previous theories. The descriptions of these are the following; Spelling Patterns The 44 sounds: The strategy is to choose words that help student to understand all of the 44 sounds. (19 vowel sounds including 5 long vowels, 5 short vowels, 3 dipthongs, 2 'oo' sounds, 4 'r' controlled vowel sounds and 25 consonant sounds). Part of
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those 44 sounds includes the 'blends'. Blends are 2 or 3 letters combined to form a distinct spelling sound like: Blue, blow, blind, etc Word walls: provide a great strategy for young learners to see and write the words they need, when they need them throughout the school year, refer them often and make sure the words are relevant to their learning. Wordwalls will benefit students in kindergarten. Students need to be able to spell the words they need to write. Their spelling lists need to be connected to other things that are currently being taught. For instance, if the theme of teaching is transportation, the spelling words should be those that they need to know like: fast, slow, air, ground, fly, train. This pattern connected with the next pattern, word families. Word families: Applying words in authentic situations is much more worthwhile. This strategy has to begin with a key word. It will help children to think of words that rhyme and also create new ones by adding letters, for Instance.

Invented Spelling: The strategy will be turn a spelling lesson in a game. At this way will be easy for student remember what they have learnt. For instance, an idea is given to the students who will create more words related with the one which has been given to them and they will invented how must be written. After that, the teacher have to work with them individually in order to correct their mistakes but making them think by themselves how must be written repeating the pronunciation of the word until they realize which letters are missing or which ones are wrongs. For example; Key word Party, Students will think about the things that they need to make a party. The students have to think hard about the sounds without word and write words inventively.

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RISE program (Reading Initiative for Student Excellence) Writing, spelling, and reading reinforce each other. Spelling helps a child see the patterns in language and understand how words are really put together. By learning spelling, children realize that the English language follows rules, which makes it easier for them to understand those rules when reading or writing. According with this reality The Johnson School in Charlottesville, Virginia, has its own homegrown reading program called RISE. For example, words which follow certain rules for being created are given to the students to place them in the process of change that they have suffered. DOUBLE STOPPED RUNNING E-DROP SHAKING TAKING NOTHING SPEEDING CHANGED

3.3 Data collection The method to follow for data collection will be the document collection, statistics, and information available on websites of universities and schools, articles and other similar researches. Information will be analysed under four different parameters. Level: The highest and the medium levels Time: The information will be compiled by period of five years since 1980 until 2010. Number of Institutions: Due to the enormous differences of populations between the places chosen, will be taken in to account in the case of United States a maximum of fifty institutions, thirty five institutions in Australia and fifteen institutions in United Kingdom. Courses: All data will be classified at the same time by courses, kindergarten ages (4-5) and schools until grade 5.

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3.4 Timing The period established to compile the information will be 6 months, from April 2011 until September 2011. The first three months will be compiled the information of Unites States of America, the next two months will be complied the information of Australia and the last month will be compiled the information of United Kingdom. One month more will be necessary to get the numerical data results. 3.5 Analyse of results The aim of the research is observe and record in order to analyse the results and be able to make hypothesis. By using tools like the software R It is possible to get results in a quantitative and in a qualitative ways. Both of them will be used to analyse this research. 4. CONCLUSIONS The parameter of level will tell us which institutions are using the spelling patterns described at the previous point, being possible to make the first hypothesis. Hp1. The highest levels schools are using the spelling patterns recommended by previous researches Hp2. The lowest level schools are using classical methods to teach spelling by memorising word with strategies that only support short term memory and do not follow a development of spelling skills. The parameter of geographical areas could make possible the next hypothesis. Hp3. Unites States of America is the region more successful for introducing the spelling patterns described previously in the last ten years. With the results of this research it is expected that, students, parents and teachers known that children should practice spelling strategies in meaningful ways, so as to promote automaticity, transfer, and internalization; Students must be constantly monitoring and self-correcting their writing to ensure accurate spelling, these are important goals of the

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good speller; spelling instruction should consider the cognitive aspects of memory functions; students will become effective readers and writers in all content areas. The results of this research can take us to create project for improving students spelling strategies in all English speakers countries. 5. REFERENCES Bibliography William OGrady P.2005 (Professor of linguistics at University of Hawaii). How children learn language, published by the press syndicate of the University of Cambridge. Lynne Cameron P. 2001. Teaching languages to young learners, published by the press syndicate of the University of Cambridge. Lyle Jenkins P. 2002. Edicin espaola como Biolingstica, published by the press syndicate of the University of Cambridge. Brain and Language. Article from Journal Elsevier, Neural Correlates of priming effects in children during spoken word processing with orthographic demands. Editor-in-Chief, S. Small Ph.D., M.D., University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Founding Editor, H.A. Whitaker Ph.D., Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA. Gene Ouellette P. 2010. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. Article from Journal Elsevier, Orthographic learning in learning to spell: The roles of semantics and type of practice. Editor-in-Chief, S. Small Ph.D., M.D., University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Founding Editor, H.A. Whitaker Ph.D., Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA. Constance Kamii, Roberta Long, Maryann Manning and Gary Manning P.1990. Spelling in Kindergarten: A constructivist analysis comparing Spanish-speaking and English-speaking children. Published by Journal of Research in Childhood Education. Constance Kamii, Roberta Long, Maryann Manning P. 2001. Kindergartners development toward Invented spelling and Glottographic Theory. University of
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Alabama in Birmingham, AL, USA. Published by Linguistic and Education Elsevier Science Inc. Susan Jones P.2002. Five guidelines for learning to spell. Angelisi, MA, Teaching Spelling: Which Strategies Work Best (2000). Department of Education, Tasmania, English Learning Area Especially for Teachers About English: Spelling Strategies (2007) (viewed 4 February 2009). National Institute for Literacy, Print Skills (Alphabetics) Phonemics (2007) (viewed 4 February 2009). Cabrillo College, How to Improve Spelling (2005) (viewed 3 January 2009). http://bcove.me/fhuon46p http://bcove.me/eh65ebl0 http://bcove.me/5tqczhax http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibk774Jg4VE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk36PeyCqkI&feature=related http://specialed.about.com/od/literacy/a/Diagraphs.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpoMk-Ncv8o

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