These skills should be utilized in students' continued acquisition of vocabulary and applied in writing for effect as well as for accuracy in spelling. Spelling lessons continue to be important in the upper grades. Spelling instruction complements vocabulary development and should be based on diagnostic information. For those children who continue to struggle with the sound-symbol system, spelling lists organized by sound themes remain critical. In addition, irregular words, homonyms, and high-utility meaningful units of words should be taught.
Research also suggests that immediate self-correction of tests is critical to progress in spelling.