Teaching Orthography in the Early Years: word webs for young children
The primary function of English spelling is to represent MEANING . Implementing orthography, through scientific inquiry, in the early years. As I continue on my learning journey, and work with young children in a variety of learning settings, it is consistently validated that teaching morphology to the youngest is not only essential but critical to their success as proficient language users. As we know and understand from research, morphology is the building block, the solid foundation, for understanding how the English spelling system works. It provides a meaningful structure for teaching and learning phonology in an effective and authentic way. In this post, I would like to share a wonderful learning story of a group of young children who are currently embarking on a journey of orthographic understanding. This structured word inquiry was explicitly embedded in an authentic literacy learning experience, integrating all forms of language. Throughout the learning experience the