The 2025 National Scripps Spelling Bee’s winning word, éclaircissement,
correctly spelled by 13-year-old Faizan Zaki.
Dr. Richard J. Gentry, renowned author of 16 books, including Spelling Connections, researcher, and education consultant, didn’t mince words when, in 2017, he wrote: “Many Americans can’t read or think well because they have incomplete representations in memory of…guess what? Spelling words!”
Says Brennan Chandler, dyslexia professor at Georgia State University, “Spelling isn’t only about correctness. It’s about how we can help kids crack the code of written language and build that mental dictionary that makes word-reading automatic… Knowing how to spell well also frees up brain space for children when writing.”
Researchers put it this way: “Learning to read words and learning
to spell words are two sides of the same coin.”
AND YET…
As a recent Shanker Institute analysis revealed, more than 25 states mandated evidence-based reading instruction laws in the last 5 years, “but most don’t explicitly mention spelling—or writing–alongside components of literacy, such as vocabulary or fluency.”
PLUS:
- Both the National Reading Panel–used to craft federal literacy policy in 2001–and the National Early Literacy Panel’s 2010 report regarding instruction that affects literacy skills omitted spelling knowledge (encoding).
- In the early 2000s, the powers that be turned reading into a skill to be tested, replacing reading pleasure with skill and drill—first testing only 4th and 6th graders, then all kids annually through the 8th
- Adults now generally read less, so many parents/caregivers no longer serve as pleasure reading role models.
- Less than 50% of children are read to every day, despite, says Zero to Three’s Rebecca Parlakian, “Studies have shown [reading to youngsters] helps children develop communication and fine motor skills and also promotes oral language skills, a strong predictor of future success in school. Books also open up a world of vocabulary that isn’t used in day-to-day language when parents speak to their children.”
THE RESULT:
SmartBrief Education and Business Services Direction Kanoe Namahoe, writes, “Literacy isn’t just a problem for younger students; more older students are struggling to read competently. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that in 2024, 35% of high-school seniors scored at or above proficiency on the test, while 32% scored below basic. These reading challenges begin early in the academic journey, and if left unchecked, can affect a student’s ability to learn…”
But, as a recent EdWeek Research Center survey of 700 educators found…
- 38% said they hadn’t received any training on how to reach struggling readers.
- 58% said more than 25 of their middle and high school students struggle with basic reading skills.
- Just 33% of the high school teachers were given dedicated time for intervention, and
- Just 33% of the high school teachers said “they were given screening assessments—tools that can help pinpoint specific reading challenges students have.” The numbers were even higher among the elementary and middle school teachers.
The bottom line from Dr. Gentry: “Correct spelling is the brain’s ‘dictionary,’ a terrific asset… If you can spell it, you can read it. How could anything so simple be so misunderstood? It blows my mind that schools don’t teach spelling in spite of the proven fact that spelling is at the very core of the reading brain… “
“There is simply no better gift than a book… The important element of a book is that it enriches the mind. No tie or sweater ever changed the recipient’s life.” ~ Deidra Donahue, USA Today
“You can never read too much.” ~ Avi, author
~ With my thanks, Carol
