Spelling is a complex skill. Spelling supports the reading process. Teaching spelling patterns and rules help students manage regular English orthography. When provided with a systematic, cumulative, and sequential reading and spelling program, students significantly increase their reading and spelling abilities. During her presentation, Dr. Henry emphasized the importance of teaching the history of English language and its relationship to word study.
Students often believe that English is irregular and full of exceptions.
Given this notion, they feel defeated before they begin. Hence, at times, it seems irregular. Teaching students the origin of words, regular sound patterns, and word meanings, particularly suffixes and prefixes of English all help to unlock the mysteries of this rich language. For example, the Latin affix form means to shape. When the prefix trans, meaning to move from one place to another, is added to the beginning of form, we get the new word transform.