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Daniel Gabarró
VISUAL MEMORY:
THE SECRET TO
GOOD SPELLING
The Method
(Explained for Teachers and Parents)
Index
Origin
4
How this proposal will
help you
6
How can we master
spelling?
The mental process of good
spelling
9
Why students with
poor spelling skills make
mistakes
11
The Different Stages of
Learning How to Spell
14
How to Teach Your
Students to “Picture”
Words
16
Step 1:
Make Sure Your
Students are Ready to
Learn Visual Spelling
18
Step 2:
Explain the “Secret” of
Good Spelling
20
Step 3:
Perform an Objective
Initial Assessment
An Observation about
Expected Spelling Skills
Step 4:
Explain the Meaning of
Visual Memory
2
7
Step 5:
Reinforce your Students’
Visual Memory
26
Step 6:
Link Visual Memory with
Spelling
28
Step 7:
Master Basic
Spelling Words While
Strengthening
Visual Memory
Effective Strategies for
Studying Spelling Words
Study Methods to Improve
Spelling
Software
www.visualspeller.com
21
23
25
The Envelope Technique
Step 8:
Consolidate the Visual
Spelling Method and
Use it with All Types of
Activities
31
33
34
34
36
39
Step 9:
Conduct a Final Objective
Evaluation
40
Continue Regular Spelling
Activities
41
Innovative, Affordable and
Ready-to-Use Material
42
3
Farewell
44
Contact
45
If you want to purchase large
quantities of this material
for your school(s), district,
region, state or province
45
If you want to purchase the
copyrights of this material for
entire school districts, cities,
states, provinces or countries
45
If you would like the author
to speak at your school,
district, university
or educational organization
45
Would you like to work with
Boira Publishers in your own
country?
46
The author
47
Notes
48
Comments
50
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Origin
I decided to create a step-by-step system with specific activities.
The results were astounding: my students
improved their spelling between 50 and 80%
Would you like to help your students reduce their spelling mistakes by up to 80 %?
If so, keep reading. This e-book will explain a simple way to improve spelling,
whether in class or at home.
The following is an entirely new proposal. It is the result of my personal experience
in classes after applying techniques from Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP, a
branch of applied psychology. Not long after I began studying NLP, I realized the
enormous potential it had for teaching. However, the information available on this
was far too general. As a teacher, I felt the need to make it easier to understand
and accessible to everyone. I wanted to devise a method that would make it
practical, with steps to follow and exercises that could be completed. I decided to
apply this method to spelling, as I had noticed many problems in this area. After
devoting myself diligently, I was able to put the method into practice and the
results turned out to be extraordinary. On average, my students had improved
their spelling between 50 and 80 percent!
Such success has led me to offer numerous courses for teachers. As a result, and
due to the demand by so many educators, I published my first book, together
with Conxita Puigarnau, on how to teach spelling1. At that time it was still too
theoretical. Teachers needed something much more tangible: they needed the
student’s book I used in class.
Due to a sudden illness, Conxita and I stopped teaching together for a few years.
Yet I continued to receive a great deal of messages from teachers. They loved our
book, but they still needed material they could use in the classroom.
A few years later, I was granted a year’s leave with salary to write what so many
tea chers had requested: a revised edition of the theoretical spelling book for
4
teachers that (finally!) included material to be photocopied for the classroom.
The book was a best seller and more than 16,000 books were sold in a period of
six months via downloads from my website. Thousands of copies of the student’s
book were downloaded. This was exactly the material many teachers had needed!
Around this time I was hired as a professor of Education in a private college, in
addition to publishing three different books2. I started to give speeches and teach
courses once more. Before I realized it, it was happening all over again. There I
was, travelling all over the place, giving speeches and teaching courses on spelling
theory and methods for improving it.
I met teachers who had read my books and used the methods in class. They told
me how pleased they were with the results, but also about specific difficulties
they had encountered. Thanks to these meetings, I was able to see the strong
points of my work as well as the areas that needed improvement. Consequently,
I have continued to publish revised editions up until the current ones available
today, which have been tested by hundreds of people.
The online software has significantly improved
the simplicity and effectiveness of this method
Countless teachers have written to thank me. With these new resources, they tell
me that they are able to help their students significantly improve their spelling in
just months. Many of them use the student’s book I wrote, while others simply
follow the directions I will explain a little later. One thing they all say is how
pleased they are with the difference this method has made in their teaching.
One day I was contacted by Francesc Guillén, a computer technician. He had
always had difficulty spelling, but he never understood why. My book helped him
understand why he had trouble and he considerably improved his spelling. He was
so grateful that he offered to create a software program based on my method
that would make it available to many more people. This software has proved to be
a very useful complement to the method. I certainly am glad that Mr. Guillén took
the initiative and came to see me with his proposal. His complementary software
has been a significant improvement.
With so many success stories, I thought it was the right time to present this
innovative spelling program in English. I am convinced that after you read the text
you will want to try this method with your students. If you do, you will surely see
the results for yourself: your students will be much better spellers.
5
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
How this proposal
will help you
This book can be copied and shared at no charge,
as long as it is not used for profit
After 25 years of teaching experience, I believe that in order for students to
succeed they need simple, practical resources. They are a key element in providing
the support students need. This book aims to be one of them.
When I first started teaching, I wish I had had a book like this one. The language
is direct and the book is plain and simple. But the results speak for themselves,
regardless of the hundreds of pages I could write. What is important is that after
reading this book, your class should improve their spelling. Once you start to
see the results in your students, please feel free to write and tell me about your
experience. I always appreciate feedback from teachers.
This book is straightforward and therefore it may also be useful for many families
who want to help their children. Knowledge is no secret. The more we share it, the
happier and more prosperous our society will be. So please forward this e-book to
whomever you choose. Share it. And you don’t have to worry about violating any
copyrights because the PDF format of this e-book is copyleft3. Therefore, it may
be freely distributed, as long as it is used for non-commercial purposes.
6
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
How can we
master spelling?
When you discover the mental process that allows you to spell
correctly, you understand the gift you must share with your students
First of all, I want you to reflect on your own personal experience. How do you
think spelling can be mastered?
Most educators cannot describe how they became good spellers because they
simply have never thought about it, nor was it explained to them during their
years of study.
In general, teachers use activities they develop themselves to teach spelling such
as dictations, word lists, puzzles or games.
Often, the situation in your class is something like this: one group of students
learns how to spell in a rather continuous and gradual way, while another
group seems to get stuck somewhere along the way and stops making notable
improvements. Most likely, the group that is having difficulty learning how to
spell will continue to have trouble with it for the next few years. Just like most
experienced teachers, I know that when students have serious problems with
spelling during their first years of school, they are highly likely to having trouble
with it throughout their entire education. I’m willing to bet that this happens at
your school too. And you’re probably concerned about it. I’m sure you can think
of a few students having these problems, can’t you?
This is the case in almost every classroom in every school I have ever seen.
You need to understand how spelling is mastered in order to teach your students
7
more effectively. This is especially the case for those who have trouble spelling
and, even though they try hard and practice, still have difficulty improving. For
me, this is the key issue.
How do people become good spellers?
So, think about it for a minute: How do people become good spellers? In other
words, how can you be utterly certain that a word is spelled correctly?
I’d like to invite you to take a few moments to consider the following examples:
Look at the word friend. Is it spelled correctly? What about the word disappear?
What makes you absolutely certain that these words are spelled correctly?
Try to think about why the words friend or disappear are spelled the way they are.
Can you think of a rule that explains how they are spelled? And, if there is a rule,
did you use it or did you simply know the word?
Many people believe that in order to know how to spell a word you must either
analyze it phonetically and write it down or use a spelling rule. The truth is that
even though a rule can be used to explain the spelling of a word, effective spellers
almost never use rules. Sometimes they may use a rule when they are not sure
about a word, although this is not the first thing they do when writing. As you
will see for yourself later, good spellers do not write down sounds. Good spellers
use quite a different strategy, and this strategy must be well mastered in order
to write properly.
Most teachers are surprised when they reflect upon this. They simply know how
to spell a word automatically without using any rule, but they are not aware of the
mental processes they use to know how to spell it.
Teachers should be aware of the strategy all good spellers use so they
can purposely share it with their students
And this brings us to the purpose of this book. I would like to help you discover
the mental process you used without even knowing it to be certain that the words
friend and disappear were spelled correctly.
This mental process is identical in all people with good spelling skills. I have
witnessed it over and over again in hundreds of people who attend the courses
I teach.
8
Let me say it again: all good spellers use the same method. So, if this is true and
all these people are using the same process, then the process must be the key
and all teachers should know about it in order to teach it.
The mental process of good spelling
Okay, now I want you to see if the following description matches the mental
process you perform when you spell a word correctly. First, think of a word you
are sure you know how to spell. Next, read the following steps and check to see
if you follow the same process.
1) When good spellers hear a word or think of a word they want to write down,
they picture the word in their mind. I mean they actually “see” the letters.
So, when they write the word, in fact they are “copying” the image which
was stored in their mind.
This is the first step all good spellers perform. When they need to write
something, they “display” the letters in their mind. Is this true in your case?
Think of a word you know how to spell, for instance, the capital city of
France or the brand name of a computer. Can you picture it in your mind?
Don’t be surprised; this is the process all people with good spelling skills
do before writing. It’s just that the process is very quick and people do it
unconsciously.
Good spellers picture words in their mind before writing them
2) If the image of the word is clear enough, good spellers have no doubt that
they know how to spell the word correctly. In this case, they automatically
move on to the next step.
Sometimes when you cannot remember a word clearly you get the feeling
that something is wrong. In this situation, good spellers write the word in
various ways until they “find the one that looks right.” Either that, or they
may prefer to use a dictionary, ask someone else, remember a rule or use
some other strategy to figure out the correct spelling.
Obviously, this is only possible because we feel that we do not know the
word. If we didn’t have that feeling when writing, we would never know when
to check the dictionary.
9
Think about your own experience. Do you ever know for certain that you do
not know how to spell a word? When this happens, do you feel compelled to
look it up? This is the second step all good spellers perform.
3) Finally, they write the word.
As you can imagine, when you write you are unaware of this process. You do
it unconsciously and at a very high speed. This is why you do not observe the
process, unless someone teaches you to do so.
In fact, the entire previous explanation may be summarized as a mathematical
formula, as follows:
Saying the
word to
yourself
+
Visual
memory of
the word
+
The feeling
of correctness
=
Good
spelling
In order to see if this is the process you actually use, I invite you to think of the
names of some well known cities, kitchen products or animals and you will see for
yourself that you actually follow this mental strategy.
Go ahead, give it a try. Think of an animal or the name of a well known place
or any other word you know well. How do you know how to spell it? It’s simple:
because you are “picturing” the word in your mind. Amazing, isn’t it? This is the
strategy good spellers use.
Your students will only be certain a word is spelled correctly when they
can visualize the letters in their mind
The following statement contains significant learning and educational implications:
Our students will only be confident spellers when they can “SEE” the letters of
the words in their minds. Until they are able to dominate this mental strategy of
linking visual memory to spelling, they will not know for sure if they are spelling
words correctly or not.
10
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Why students with poor
spelling skills make mistakes
It is not true that poor spellers are careless or lazy:
they simply do not use the proper mental strategy
Now that you know the explanation you understand how some students succeed
in improving their spelling: they apply visual memory to spelling and therefore
their “mental dictionary” gets bigger and bigger.
Furthermore, once they master this mental process they benefit more from their
spelling classes. Every new exercise is a chance to store more words in their
“mental dictionary.” This is how they start a virtuous cycle: by performing the
right mental process, they learn, and they learn because they perform the right
mental process.
So if we want to understand why some students make so many spelling mistakes,
we should first ask ourselves: What other mental strategies do students with bad
spelling skills follow? Why do some students consistently make mistakes?
Some people believe that it is because they do not pay enough attention or
because they don’t care. But I don’t think these are the reasons. Consider the
following observations:
a) Students always give the best answer they can at any given time. Generally
speaking, people always try to do their best. The truth is that it is just as
easy to write a word correctly as it is to write it incorrectly. Consider the
effort needed to write “passanger” and “passenger” or “peice” and “piece” or
“adress” and “address.” Students don’t misspell words because they are lazy
or unwilling to do it correctly; they simply believe that they have done it the
right way. It is safe to say that almost no students make spelling mistakes
to bother their teachers. Rather, they are unaware of their mistakes. In fact,
they would be happy to spell correctly if they could.
b) When a school’s methods for teaching students how to spell do not obtain
the expected results, repeating these methods over and over again will
11
not make them more effective. In fact, when something doesn’t work, it is
best to ask why and try something else instead. Rightly so, Neuro-Linguistic
Programming (NLP) states that when you apply the usual methods, you get
the usual results.
If you take these observations into account, you will see that what your students
really need is a different approach. If you give them the necessary tools, they will
understand why they make mistakes and how to correct them. And you will see
that students don’t have trouble spelling just because “they don’t pay attention.”
Students have trouble spelling because they don’t use the right mental process:
they do not “picture” words in their minds before writing them.
What mental strategy do poor spellers use?
As a general rule, most people who have trouble spelling use one of the following
methods:
– The Auditory Method: This is when a person analyzes the sound of a word to
write the letters that they believe should make that sound. Unfortunately,
the auditory method is a real disaster for spelling! Many sounds in English can
be represented by more than one letter or group of letters. If your students
listen to the sounds of a word in order to spell it instead of “seeing” the word
in their minds, they will be much more likely to make mistakes. Unfortunately,
even if these students work very hard they will not be able to improve unless
they change their mental strategy. English spelling is primarily based on visual
spelling.
– The Creative Visual Method: Another incorrect method some students use
for spelling is visualizing or picturing the thing that the word represents. For
instance, if they think about the word “xylophone,” they may visualize the
musical instrument (and perhaps even how it sounds) and then think about
whether it is spelled “zylophone” or “xylofone” or “xylophone.” In this case
I would like to stress that the use of visual memory alone is not enough; to
improve spelling, visual memory must be used to remember the LETTERS in a
word. Visualizing the object a word represents will not improve the ability to
spell the word.
– The Kinesthetic Method: Finally, some students use their body or movement to
remember the spelling of words. One example might be the word “swimming”.
These students might imitate the action, using both arms. Swimming with
two arms reminds them that the word is spelled with two “M’s.” Swimming
with only one arm is (practically) impossible, just like writing “swiming.” This
strategy might be excellent for Physical Education or Drama, but it is a disaster
for spelling.
Most of the students in your class who have trouble spelling use one of the three
12
previously stated methods. And you already know the results they obtain by
using them. So unless your students change their approach, they will have
almost no chance of being good spellers.
The teacher’s goal must be to teach students
to“picture” words in their mind
As an educator you have the important task of helping students who use these
non-effective spelling methods. By teaching them to use their visual memory, we
will see how their spelling skills will improve.
This concise book explains how you can do this in your class.
13
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
The Different Stages
of Learning How to Spell
Personalizing target vocabulary for each student
will notably improve results
If what you have read so far matches your personal experience, you will understand
the following stages for teaching spelling, confirmed by numerous theoretical
studies.
1) Pre-Spelling: Most children use phonics to decode words when they are learning
how to read and write. At this point we should refrain from introducing
specific spelling exercises until children gain fluency in reading and writing.
2) Learning the Visual Spelling Method: As I have just said, we should wait until
students can read and write fluently, without using phonics to decode words,
before we begin this stage. In general, nearly all students are prepared for
this by the age of 8. At this stage, the most important part is learning to see
the words. If they are taught the mental exercise good spellers use, they will
assimilate it unconsciously. Students can only go on to the next step once
they are able to automatically “picture” words in their mind.
3) Learning to Spell Common Words and Basic Spelling Rules: Until they are
approximately 12 years old, children’s main focus should be on learning how
to spell the most common vocabulary words.
We should give priority to commonly misspelled words. For best results, and
whenever possible, we should personalize spelling exercises to include words
our students have difficulty with.
In order for this part of the process to be useful we must reinforce the
mental exercise of “picturing” new words as students learn and study them.
At this point we should systematically address the most important and
general spelling rules. By this I mean easily understood rules that do not
require linguistic analysis or intellectual abstraction, such as the general rule
14
for using capital letters.
4) In-Depth, Systematic Efforts for Achieving Good Spelling: From the time
students are approximately 12 years old we can set out to do more in-depth
work on spelling with them. This is the appropriate time to study spelling rules
that require intellectual abstraction. Unfortunately, in some schools these
spelling rules are taught to younger students. This goes against all logic since
teaching these rules before students have developed the cognitive skills to
understand them is not effective.
Before moving on to other spelling activities, you should be certain
that all your students can recall the mental image of words
Many schools make the mistake of skipping the second point: Specifically and
systematically linking visual memory with spelling.
In general, almost no school takes the time to teach students the mental process
used to “picture” words in their minds. This is unfortunate because the long term
costs of not doing so may be very high for many students. In order to be a good
speller you need a solid foundation.
Students who do not have the skill of visualizing words will not show adequate
progress. They will tend to use ineffective spelling methods such as auditory or
kinesthetic processes. And even though they might be motivated, they will not
show satisfactory improvement.
Therefore, to improve how you teach spelling you must make sure that all your
students automatically and unconsciously create a mental “picture” of words.
This step is absolutely necessary and must be carried out before studying other
spelling rules. If you do this, you will be able to help the vast majority of your
students succeed.
15
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
How to Teach
Your Students
to “Picture” Words
Once a person has gone through these nine steps, they will have
learned the skill for life
As I have said before, students must acquire an applied visual strategy for spelling,
i.e., they have to learn how to automatically and unconsciously “picture” words
before writing them down.
Next, I will explain each of the nine steps you need to follow to teach visual
spelling. This following summary will help your students master the visual learning
method applied to spelling. They are the same steps I have used with my own
students.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Make sure your students are ready to learn visual spelling.
Explain the “secret” of good spelling.
Perform an objective initial assessment.
Explain the meaning of “visual memory.”
Reinforce students’ visual memory.
Link visual memory to spelling.
Master the spelling of the most common basic vocabulary thereby
reinforcing the visual spelling technique.
8. Consolidate the visual spelling method and use it with all types of activities.
9. Conduct a final objective evaluation.
You only need to follow these nine steps once with each class. After your students
acquire this skill, the process becomes automatic for them. They will be prepared
to improve their spelling gradually and effortlessly.
After you have carried out these nine steps, you can do your regular spelling
activities. You will realize that the vast majority of your students are progressively
improving. They will no longer be divided into two groups, the “good spellers” and
the “ones with difficulties.” Most of them will improve their spelling steadily and
16
be able to acquire new words naturally.
Even if you have to use nearly a quarter of your class time allotted to spelling to
perform these nine steps, the investment pays off. All future spelling activities,
such as dictations, word lists or rules, will be optimized.
In my opinion, this process is most effective for children between the ages of 8
and 10. By that age they have mastered reading and writing and can focus on
spelling. Students of every age, whether they are 12, 15, or 50 years old, should
benefit from this method. Until this skill is mastered, all spelling exercises will be
more complicated.
Spending a few months on these nine steps is
the best investment you can make in spelling
Next, we will take a detailed look at each of the nine steps involved in teaching
visual spelling. I have used the structure that appears in the student’s book to
explain them. This book was written after years of experience with students.
The information provided here allows you to teach these steps and create your
own material. Alternately, you have the option of purchasing the ready-touse student’s book and online software. The student’s book is not only more
convenient; it has also been previously tested out by a great number of teachers
before you. You not only get high-quality, color, pre-prepared material. You also
get peace of mind, knowing that numerous students have successfully improved
their spelling with it before. Some pages from the student’s book are used to
illustrate the following explanations.
17
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Step 1. Make Sure
Your Students are Ready
to Learn Visual Spelling
In order for students to be able to learn the
mental exercise of “picturing” words in their
mind, they must first meet the following
requirements.
1. Students should be fluent in the
language being taught. If they are not,
their priority is learning the language,
not spelling.
2. Students should not have hearing
impairments so severe that they
cannot clearly differentiate words. It is
fine if they using a hearing aid as long
as it allows them to distinguish words
clearly.
3. Students should be capable of reading
an age-appropriate text at a good
speed.
A page from the Student’s Book
illustrating the multiple choice
exercise in step 1.
In my opinion it is nearly impossible for
students to learn the visual spelling
process if they read less than 50
words per minute on average. In fact, an average of more than 85 words
per minute is even better, as this ensures that they are not “spelling out”
words as they read.
4. Students should be able to write easily. If they have to think about how to
spell words before writing them, they are not prepared for visual spelling.
Slow writers should keep practicing before they begin the visual spelling
method.
5. Students should be aware that they have difficulty spelling. Over the years I
have met students who believed they were good spellers, despite the fact
18
that they made a great deal of mistakes. If someone is unaware that they
have trouble spelling, they will not be able to improve.
6. Students have to want to learn. In my experience as a consultant I have
met students who used their poor academic performance as a way to get
attention. As long as students obtain indirect advantages for poor behavior,
bad grades or making spelling mistakes (such as special attention or affection
from teachers, being sent outside the classroom to work on activities, etc.),
motivating them to want to improve their spelling will be a challenge4.
Students must meet these prerequisites in order to learn
to improve their spelling
When a group of students meets the aforementioned requirements, they are
prepared to learn the mental process for effective spelling. Age is a very relative
factor here. Schools teaching older students, such as high schools or adult
education programs, must equally apply these conditions. This spelling method will
help students of all ages improve, as long as they meet the previous conditions.
At this point the student’s book begins with a multiple choice exercise. The score
obtained helps determine if students are prepared to successfully complete the
program. The exercise gets students motivated and paves the way for them to
easily deal with existing difficulties and not feel guilty about them.
19
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Step 2. Explain the
Secret of Good Spelling
By explaining the rationale for doing this, your students will better
understand their difficulties and make an effort to improve
Many teachers find it surprising to discover that it is impossible to be a good
speller if you do not “picture” the word in your mind. This is also true for many
students.
The majority of students who have trouble spelling have been working hard for
years at improving. But try as they might, they can’t seem to correct the problem.
So, you tell them that you have the solution: they have to visualize the word in
their mind to be better spellers. And you can teach them how to do it! Suddenly
there is a click and they seem to understand; you can see it in the look on their
face.
In my opinion, it is important to tell students why you do things. By including
them in the “inner circle” you motivate them and they try harder. Honestly, no
student fails for the sake of failing. If you explain it to them and they see how
easy it is to become a good speller, they will be motivated. And once they start
to see the results for themselves, there is no holding them back.
The student’s book I use in class is straightforward and gives plain and simple
explanations. I have received a lot of positive feedback about it. The general
consensus is that it is an effective tool. It helps students understand that by
“picturing” the words their spelling skills will improve.
20
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Step 3.
Perform an Objective
Initial Assessment
If good spelling is not established as a specific goal,
students will make no effort at improving
How can you verify that your students actually improve their spelling by 50 to
80%? You have to evaluate them at the beginning and at the end of the process.
A valid evaluation should meet at least three requirements:
1) It should measure the thing you want to assess (spelling); meaning that it
must be specific.
2) It should yield similar results for people with similar knowledge; thus it must
be coherent.
3) It should produce similar or identical results when corrected by different
people; therefore, it must be objective.
As I see it, spelling assessment often does not meet these three requirements.
Try comparing two different spelling activities by any given student. You may
find very different results. Also, some teachers might consider that a particular
activity is not appropriate for evaluating the spelling of a specific age group.
Furthermore, certain grading systems are very subjective. Depending on the
system a teacher uses to correct a spelling activity, the grade might be very
different. This is why it is important to use a specific, coherent and objective
system for spelling assessment.
Allow me to recommend a two part evaluation I firmly believe in.
The first part of an objective spelling assessment should test specific target
vocabulary. Ask students to spell the words they commonly have trouble with. If
you want your students’ spelling skills to improve, you have to help them where
they need it most.
21
The second thing you should do to objectively evaluate students’ spelling is
calculate the percentage of correctly spelled words in any given writing assignment.
This may be new to you. You might even believe it sounds questionable. But if
think about it, you will see that it is much more effective for evaluating spelling
than traditional methods.
Now you may be wondering how to figure out the percentage of correctly spelled
words. It is very simple. First, take any original writing that a student has done.
You can use essays, quizzes or any other writing activities. Now, count the
number of correctly spelled words. (Alternately, you can subtract the number of
misspelled words from the total number of words to find the number of correctly
spelled words.) Next, multiply this number by one hundred. Finally, divide it by
the total number of words from the writing sample. The result you get is the
student’s percentage of correctly spelled words.
You should inform each student of their percentage
of correctly spelled words and set a specific goal for improvement
There is no need to prepare a specific writing assignment to evaluate spelling. Any
original writing will do, providing it is long enough to be statistically significant5.
Both students and teachers alike will benefit from the objectivity of this evaluation
method. Plus, it will help each student set a personal goal: to increase their
percentage of correctly spelled words.
If the proposed evaluation method is new to you, I strongly encourage you to try
it. You may already count the number of correctly spelled words. Or perhaps you
count the errors. The only real difference is that you work out the percentage.
I think you will find this a valuable tool for motivating students to be better
spellers.
The student’s book includes a two part objective assessment. The first part
measures the percentage of successful spelling in commonly misspelled words.
The second part explains how to find the percentage of correctly spelled words
in essays and other writing activities. This formula is clearly illustrated, allowing
students to evaluate their own spelling at any time.
I believe that as teachers we should help students set their goals. Tell your
students their percentage of correctly spelled words. Reach an agreement with
them about how much they can improve. Encourage them to aim for a certain
percentage. This way they will understand that they need to actively participate
in the learning process. Likewise, they will see that their improvements can be
objectively measured.
22
Illustration from the Student’s Book
An Observation about Expected Spelling Skills
Throughout the years I have worked as a teacher, teacher trainer and international
educational consultant. In my experience, I have noticed that in many schools
spelling is no longer valued. This is not to say that they do not test spelling.
It simply means that they do not take an active approach to helping students
improve spelling. A student would never be asked to repeat a grade level for not
knowing how to spell.
Logically, this attitude has consequences. In the case of some students, they no
longer value spelling. They know they will be encouraged to study it and “pay
attention” to it. They also know that this is where the concern ends. If they fail a
spelling test, it’s not a big deal. So instead of trying harder, they focus on more
worthwhile areas.
Students will not take spelling seriously until we clearly establish our expectations.
What happens if a student fails spelling? Should this be a factor in asking them to
repeat a grade level? We as educators must help students understand the benefits
of being good spellers. We should also make sure they see the consequences and
limitations of not knowing how to spell correctly.
Schools should be clear about their criteria for passing or failing spelling. This
requires an evaluation system with objective limits. A good starting point for
setting up these limits could be the average number of correctly spelled words.
23
Of course some flexibility is necessary. Not all schools should have the same
expectations. We do not need to establish an across-the-board passing grade for
spelling. But every school should be clear with both students and parents about
their expectations. This shows a commitment to excellence in spelling.
A grading system for spelling based on percentages guarantees common criteria
for assessment. It is also transparent and objective. I believe it is a step in the
right direction.
The book I use with my students starts with this basic idea. It includes both
an initial and a final assessment. Therefore, students understand that they are
expected to improve upon completing the book. This helps them feel motivated.
24
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Step 4. Explain
the Meaning
of Visual Memory
The basis of my proposal is to strengthen visual memory
and apply it to spelling
The key to my proposal, the visual spelling method, is visual memory (applied to
spelling.) So first of all, you have to make sure that your students understand
what visual memory is.
For students who mostly use auditory or kinesthetic memory, this concept may
initially be confusing.
However, students generally understand certain examples quite easily. Thanks to
visual memory they know the color of Superman’s suit or Mickey Mouse’s shorts.
You can illustrate this simply by asking them a series of questions, such as, “How
many windows does your house have?” or “Which of your friends has the longest
hair?” or “What color is your favorite t-shirt?” Explain that in order to answer
these questions they recall images they have seen before. This is called visual
memory. From this point on they will understand it. They will know that visual
memory is the ability to remember images they have previously seen6.
So, when your students apply this to spelling, it means they see the words in their
minds. They can picture words the same way they can picture Superman, their
favorite t-shirt or their friend’s faces. Now you and your students are ready to
move on to the next step.
25
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Step 5. Reinforce your
Students’ Visual Memory
The next step is to make sure your students have
a strong visual memory. You will find that some of
them have more difficulty recalling images than
others. These students have simply developed
their auditory or kinesthetic memory more. Have
no fear; they will be able to improve their visual
memory by doing some simple exercises.
Make sure you devote time to strengthening each
and every student’s visual memory. It is an
investment which will pay off in the future.
A page from the Student’s
Book, showing images used for
step 5.
There are different ways to improve visual
memory. I usually assign an activity using cards
with different colored geometric shapes. In pairs,
students ask each other questions about the
images on the cards. You will find these color
cards already prepared in the student’s book. The
images I use have been tested and revised to find
the ones that give the best results.
Your students can do this pair activity for 15 minutes a day. Once they have the
necessary visual memory, you will be ready for the next step.
Instructions for the activity:
1) Use the cards with the geometric shapes found in the student’s book, or
make your own. You should use good quality, color images, preferably the
same ones for all students.
2) Put students into pairs.
3) Ask student A to show student B two cards chosen at random. They should
give their partner time to memorize the images on the cards. Tell student B
26
to “take a mental picture” of what they see. Then tell student A to take the
cards out of student B’s sight. Student A should still be able to see them.
4) Next, student A asks three questions. Student B has to recall the images and
the order in which they were arranged. The student’s book explains how this
method works. It gives students the type of questions they should ask to
test visual memory. For instance: What is the first shape starting from the
left? What shape is between the circle and the triangle? Is the rectangle red
or blue?
5) Now the roles are reversed. Student B shows the cards to student A. Then
student A answers the questions. 6) At the end of the activity, take note of
how your students are doing. You can do this by saying, “Raise your hand if
you are playing with two cards at a time”; then “Raise your hand if you are
playing with three cards at a time” and so on, until all students have raised
their hand.
Fifteen minutes a day are enough
to adequately strengthen students’ visual memory
Do this activity for several days, until the whole class is able to remember a
minimum of four images. Some students may recall more. You can challenge them
to set a personal goal. Are they capable of remembering six, eight, ten, eleven or
even twelve images?
The student’s book warns about saying the names of the shapes out loud. It
explains why they should “take mental pictures” of what they see. This activity is
intended to improve visual memory. By saying the words out loud, they would be
using their auditory-verbal memory.
Extra activities and games are included in the student’s book. They are intended
to help students consciously practice and improve their visual memory.
Some students might have trouble recalling four or more images. If this is the
case, ask them to practice at home for a few days. They can use the cards from
the student’s book to practice for homework.
The image activity is a great way to reinforce your students’ visual memory. Once
the majority successfully completes it, you are ready to move on to the next step.
27
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Step 6. Link Visual
Memory with Spelling
Your students should learn to use their visual memory to recall words
The objective of this step is for students to be
able to automatically and unconsciously “picture”
words when they write. In order to do this, they
need to link visual memory with spelling.
The activity I propose here is very similar to the
previous one. The difference is that you use cards
with words on them instead of geometric shapes.
Every card has one word, and every letter of the
word is a different color. The book I use in class
includes these colored word cards. The first words
are more basic and gradually get more difficult.
Notice that each letter of the word is a different
color.
Students can use the word cards from the book for
this activity. Alternately, you can prepare colored
word cards for your students. They should include
words of different lengths: two, three, four, five
and finally six letter words. As I have said before,
each letter must be a different color and should
be clearly printed.
A page from the Student’s
Book containing word cards for
step 6
Once again, students work in pairs. Complete instructions can be found in the
student’s book. Following you will find a summary of these instructions:
1. Student A shows student B a word card.
2. Give student B time to memorize the word by “taking a mental picture” of it.
This picture should include the letters and the color of each letter.
28
3. Student A takes the card out of student B’s sight. Student A should still be
able to see the card.
4. Student A asks for five answers, always following the same pattern: the first
two requests must be respected rigorously; the last three are open questions.
The student’s book explains it like this:
FIRST: Ask your partner to spell the word backwards. For instance, if the word
is “TWO” your partner should say: O - W - T. Important note: The reason for
this is simple. You begin by spelling backwards because that way you have to
use visual memory. If you use auditory memory it won’t work. This is why you
must always ask for the backwards spelling first when doing this activity.
SECOND: Ask your partner to spell the word from the beginning. If the word is
“TWO”, your partner should say: T - W - O.
Afterwards, students ask their partners three questions of their choice. They can
ask about the color of the letters (What color is the second letter? What color
is the letter T?); the order of the letters (What is the third letter? What letter
comes before the O? What is the last letter?); or common spelling peculiarities
(Does the word have any double letters? Does the word have any silent letters?).
They can also ask their partner to write the word.
Students may ask tricky questions to keep each other alert. For instance they
can ask about letters that are not in the word. (What color is the letter F? [if the
word is “LAUGH”].)
You should start with two letter words and build up from there. As students
master the skill, they will be able to recall longer and longer words. All of your
students should be capable of remembering words with at least four letters.
Encourage them to remember even longer words. You will find a great variety of
appropriate words in the student’s book.
Remember to ask your students to switch roles during the activity. Every student
should both ask and answer the questions.
You might need to repeat this activity for several days. Your class will be ready to
move on once they can remember words with a minimum of four letters. If your
students are capable of recalling longer words, that is even better.
It is important to take your time with this step:
you are investing in the future
You should give this step the time it needs; be careful not to rush. If your class
needs twenty minutes a day for three weeks, so be it. Remember that you are
29
making an investment for the future. You are building the foundations for good
spellers who use their visual memory. If you hurry through any of the steps,
you may jeopardize the process. So, take your time, and enjoy watching your
students as they learn to become visual spellers.
30
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Step 7. Master Basic Spelling
Words While Strengthening
Visual Memory
First group: commonly misspelled words
Once you have done the previous step,
it is time to start working with basic
spelling vocabulary. The purpose of
this is twofold. On the one hand, your
students learn common vocabulary
words. On the other hand, they practice
using the visual memory technique they
have just learned.
Studies show that vocabulary can be
organized into three main groups. It is
important to work on each of the three
types of vocabulary one after the other.
First of all, you should make sure that
your students learn the most commonly
misspelled words.
A page from the Student’s Book
for this step.
It is true that this vocabulary may vary
depending on the age, geographical
area or social class of your students.
However, there is a certain consensus
about commonly misspelled words.
After mastering the spelling of this first group, you usually see a significant
improvement in your students’ writing. They will be able to correctly spell the
majority of the words they use most often. This is why you begin by focusing
your efforts on these words. As a result, you will have corrected a great number
of spelling errors once and for all.
If your students have truly mastered their basic vocabulary, then you are ready
31
to move on. The second group is made up of those vocabulary words that each
individual student has difficulty with. At this point you should concentrate on
helping students meet their personal vocabulary challenge. They need to work
diligently to internalize the correct spelling of their common errors.
Second group: personalized vocabulary for each student
Consequently, this second stage in the process requires a custom-made study
plan. Regardless of being in the same class, your students may have extremely
different spelling needs. This is why personalizing target vocabulary is the key for
success at this point.
Most likely your students will require between five and six weeks of studying
personalized vocabulary.
Third group: subject specific vocabulary
The third type of vocabulary that you will work on is subject specific vocabulary.
These are words that are related to the subjects your students are studying in
school.
For instance, your students may need to learn how to spell difficult vocabulary
words for their Social Studies or Science class. Find target vocabulary for each
subject your students have. Understandably, only words meeting the following
two criteria should be studied: 1) they are an essential part of the subject area,
and 2) they are likely to be misspelled.
Obviously, every school must also “personalize” their specific spelling lists based
on the subjects taught at each level. Studying specific vocabulary is most effective
when it has a useful context.
This is a way of integrating good spelling habits in every subject. It sends a clear
message to students: “Good spelling is important to all teachers at our school.”
By using this approach, your students will significantly improve their spelling.
The figures speak for themselves; the percentage of correctly spelled words will
increase notably.
By working on vocabulary in this order, the percentage
of correctly spelled words will improve noticeably
Do you want your students to learn the correct way to spell the words they have
the most trouble with? The key to success in mastering this vocabulary is to be
systematic and to focus on individual needs.
32
Effective Strategies for Studying Spelling Words
Your students need effective visual strategies
to study spelling vocabulary
There are numerous strategies for studying spelling words that can help your
students effectively enrich their vocabulary and improve their spelling. Just telling
your students to study certain words is not enough. They need help finding the
study method that is most suitable for them. It is a good idea to show them
different ways to study spelling words. The following strategies are explained in
detail in the student’s book.
1) Look at a word without reading the letters to yourself. Close your eyes and
try to see it in your mind.
When students look at words without reading the letters, they force their
brain to retain only visual information. This information is what they need to
be effective spellers. If they can see the image of a word when they close
their eyes, it is working.
2) Now, let’s try it again. But this time, when you close your eyes, imagine the
word in your favorite color.
By imagining the word in their favorite color, students are obligating their
visual memory to work. This will help stop their auditory memory from trying
to take over. Make sure the color that students use to imagine words is
clearly distinguishable from the background they imagine. For instance,
yellow words stand out much better on a black background than they do on
an orange background.
3) Look at a word and then try to imagine it written in the air. Imagine you can
see it on an invisible screen or board.
4) Imagine a word written in the air and trace the letters with your index finger.
This is an especially good technique for kinesthetic students7, because it
reinforces visual memory with a physical sensation.
5) Write a word in the air with your finger, just like you would on a touch screen
or on fogged up glass. You should visualize the word while you write it.
This strategy is effective for kinesthetic learners, just like the previous one.
6) If a word is especially difficult or long, divide it into parts. Then, use any of
the former strategies to practice the parts.
33
For instance, you can separate the word address into: add ress. If you have
trouble with the first part of this word, concentrate on that part.
7) You can also imagine the difficult part of a word highlighted in a different
color.
8) Imagine that you are participating in a spelling bee on TV. You feel really great
because you are spelling all the words correctly, even the difficult ones. The
audience is cheering wildly and shouting your name. You’re so happy you
can’t stop smiling.
This technique reinforces visual learning by linking it with a positive sensation.
It is also effective for kinesthetic learners.
9) Say the difficult letter or letters out loud when you picture a word in your
mind. You can do this using any of the previous strategies. This technique is
very effective for auditory learners.
10) Memorize especially problematic words with similar words you know how
to spell correctly. Imagine that both words are related and learn them as a
single unit. For instance: out
about
The student’s book contains an activity for improving the quality of mental images.
It is useful for students who show little progress, despite having completed the
previous exercises. This activity is based on submodalities, an aspect of NeuroLinguistic Programming. It is clearly explained in the student’s book so that anyone
can understand it. Likewise, it can be supervised by any adult, even though they
are not familiar with NLP.
Study Methods to Improve Spelling
As you can see, there are numerous strategies for studying spelling words. In my
opinion, there are two particularly successful methods that help improve spelling:
one is the online spelling software www.visualspeller.com, and the other is the
envelope technique. They both create an effective working system and make
studying easier.
Let’s have a closer look at these two methods:
Software www.visualspeller.com
This online software helps your students master basic, personalized and subjectspecific spelling words. Registered users can access the program from any
computer, tablet or smart phone. This is how it works:
34
First of all, go to www.visualspeller.com and sign up for a user account. The
software requires users to log on because the exercises build upon one another
from one session to the next. Otherwise, your students’ results would be deleted
after every session and the software would not be an effective learning tool.
Every time you log on you will see the program presentation explaining how the
system works, as well as these four options: “Practice Spelling”, “Add Words”,
“See Your Words” and “Upgrade.”
The tab “Practice Spelling” tests the spelling of basic vocabulary words that are
most commonly misspelled in English.
The software begins by asking these words at random. As your students complete
the activity, the program learns which words are most problematic for them. It will
then ask these words more frequently.
The software is intelligent and focuses on the words
that students have the most trouble with
When a word is spelled correctly, the program moves on to the next word. When
students make mistakes, the software first shows them the correct spelling. This
allows your students to picture the word in their mind. Next, the program asks
them to spell the word aloud starting from the last letter. The software will also
spell the word backwards. By doing so, your students can make sure they are
doing it correctly. The exercise is repeated for all misspelled words.
Let me take a moment to stress how important it is to make sure that your
students spell words backwards. They won’t be able to do it quickly unless they
actually see the image of the word in their mind. You can be certain that they are
using visual memory to spell if they are capable of doing this. I’ve said it before
and I’ll say it again: using visual memory for spelling is the secret to success.
The software allows you to add your own personal vocabulary lists
In general, the program organizes words into groups of 25. When your students
have mastered one group of words, the software asks them if they want to
move on to the next group. By doing so, your students learn how to spell the
most common words in English. The program comes standard with many of these
word groups which will grow and improve over time. This is possible thanks to an
internal value system. It analyses and perfects the word groups based on correct
and incorrect answers given globally.
Once your students have mastered most of the first 100 words, they may start
adding their own personal spelling vocabulary. All they have to do is click on
35
the “Add Words” tab. A new window will open that allows them to easily enter
personalized spelling words. Once a word has been added, it will automatically be
combined with the standard word groups. The software will now ask students to
spell their own words in addition to basic spelling vocabulary.
Learning to spell ef ficiently, easily and with your own target
vocabulary are the building blocks of www.visualspeller.com
Being able to personalize the words your students practice is a real advantage. It
provides for very effective study. It also means that the software can be adapted
to include local vocabulary and spelling variations. In addition, the “Add Words”
function allows your students to study subject specific words. It allows them
to practice spelling words from any of their classes, such as Science, History
or Geography. As a result, spelling becomes an important component of all
subjects and is integrated in the curriculum. With the premium edition of the
online software, the word lists you add will automatically be uploaded to each
student’s user account. It also gives you unlimited access for adding new words.
Another advantage to the premium edition is that it includes considerably more
basic spelling word groups than the free version.
The “See Your Words” tab lets you view the words that come standard with
the software. It also tells you how many times a certain word has been spelled
correctly or incorrectly. Additionally, you have the option of deleting words with
a simple click.
Finally, the “Upgrade” tab will give you access to the premium version of the
software. The free version has a limited number of standard word groups. You
can add some personalized or subject specific words to it. If you upgrade to
the premium edition, there are no limits. You can load all existing word groups
(that are constantly growing and being improved.) You may also add as many
personalized and subject specific words as you like.
To get the most out of this software, students should use it approximately 20
minutes a day. It is most effective to do two 10-minute sessions. The program
may be accessed online from any computer, tablet or smart phone. This software
can truly travel with students wherever they go.
The online software at www.visualspeller.com aims to be an efficient and easy
tool to help study spelling. It is simple and straightforward; that’s why it works.
36
The Envelope Technique
There are other efficient methods to help students practice spelling without using
a computer program. However, they are bound by certain limitations. They are
not automated, they require a teacher or family member’s direct supervision, and
they do not give immediate, automatic feedback and corrections.
For me, the simplest and most efficient paper based method to study spelling
is the envelope technique. It is explained here and in the student’s book. The
book contains cut out cards with basic spelling words that can be used for this
technique.
This is how it works:
1. First of all, give each student four envelopes. Ask them to number them 1,
2, 3 and 4.
2. Next, ask them to cut out small cards. Students will write a basic spelling
word on each card. (The student’s book contains ready-made cards with
basic spelling words and a template you can photocopy to make personalized
cards.) Ideally, you should work on 25-30 words at a time. If this is too
ambitious, try starting out with 10-15 words. When the cards are prepared,
ask students to put them in envelope #1. The other envelopes should remain
empty for the time being.
3. You are ready to begin the activity. Put students into pairs. Ask them to look
at the word cards in envelope #1. They should do this for a few minutes,
until they can visualize them in their mind when they close their eyes. Remind
them that by doing this they are using their visual memory. (If you prefer,
you can use one of the other effective strategies for studying vocabulary
described in the student’s book.)
4. Once they have taken their mental pictures, they should put the cards back
into envelope #1 and give it to their partner. Each student should ask their
partner to spell the words from the envelope backwards, one by one. Remind
them that this is of uttermost importance! It guarantees that they are using
their visual memory.
5. Now each student should ask their partner to spell the words again. This time
they should spell them the “normal” way, from left to right.
37
6. All the words that a student spells correctly should be put into envelope #2.
7. The words that a student misspells should be put back into envelope #1.
8. Students should practice their spelling words at least once a day for 15
minutes. You can do this in class as pair work, or you can assign it for
homework. Students can even practice on their own without a partner. They
just need to record their own voice saying the words. Most mp3 players,
phones and similar devices have a digital recorder they can use to record
themselves.
9. When a word is spelled correctly, it moves from one envelope to the next.
Correctly spelled words from envelope #1 go to #2. The correctly spelled
words from #2 are put in #3. And correctly spelled words from envelope #3
move up to #4.
10. Each word is asked only once in each study session. Correctly spelled words
can only move up one envelope each time students practice. Any words
they misspell from any envelope should be put back into #18.
11. Therefore, envelope #4 will hold the words a student has spelled correctly
three days in a row. These words should only be asked once in a while. This
way you will make sure they are not forgotten.
12. When envelope #1 is nearly empty, it is time to add another batch of 25
basic spelling words. Your students will repeat the same process with these
words.
13. Once your class has mastered the basic spelling vocabulary (in the student
book there are 100 basic words), you should move on to their personal
words, the ones that each student has the most trouble spelling.
14. If you want to know the most commonly misspelled words in your class, you
can find them at this point. Just look at the word cards from your students’
#4 envelopes. The words that appear in more than one envelope are the
most commonly misspelled words in your class. This information may be
very useful for creating other spelling activities. You can add these words
to the online software www.visualspeller.com. It will automatically be loaded
into every student’s user account (if you are using the premium version9).
The envelope technique is efficient and inexpensive, though not
as convenient as the online software
Once your students master this system it will become an effective learning tool.
They should study the words in the first three envelopes every day. Encourage
them to be consistent and follow these simple guidelines: 1) visualize the word
in your mind, 2) spell the word backwards, 3) spell the word from left to right10.
38
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Step 8. Consolidate the Visual
Spelling Method and Use it
with All Types of Activities
You can turn ordinary exercises into spelling activities
in order to reinforce the recently acquired visual strategy
At this point, your students should be using the visual spelling method
automatically and effortlessly.
In order to reinforce the method and guarantee that students practice, you may
include it in non-spelling activities. In the student’s book there are resources that
can help you combine any activity that involves copying or reading with a review
of spelling.
39
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Step 9.
Conduct a Final
Objective Evaluation
Use an objective evaluation to confirm improvement
After you have completed all the previous steps, it is important to conduct a final
evaluation. Seeing progress will help you and your students stay motivated. As I
explained before, I believe an objective evaluation is of utmost importance. The
system I recommend calculates the percentage of correctly spelled words for
each student.
At this point, most students who had difficulty spelling will have improved
significantly. They will generally improve their overall spelling by 50 to 80%.
Students who already had good spelling skills in the first place will see a more
gradual improvement. Using visual memory to improve spelling helps create
a fairly analogous group of students. Therefore, everyone has the chance to
succeed in spelling.
I’m sure that you, just like most teachers, will be thrilled to see this change in
your students. The final evaluation suggested in the student’s book is essentially
identical to the initial one. Students are evaluated on 100 of the most commonly
misspelled words and the percentage of correctly spelled words from any given
writing assignment. You can use the 100 words from the student’s book to do
the first part. It also gives a detailed explanation of how to calculate the results.
This allows students to assess their own spelling and feel responsible for their
own improvement.
40
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Continue Regular
Spelling Activities
Learning this visual strategy optimizes the results
of future spelling activities
Once you have completed the process, most of your students will use visual
memory for spelling. You may now carry on as usual with spelling activities. You
will notice that traditional books, games, dictations, worksheets and the rest of
your regular spelling activities will be easier for your students. They will gradually
and consistently be able to assimilate the material.
Learning to be a “visual speller” optimizes the results of all future spelling
activities.
The present proposal only needs to be performed once in a student’s lifetime. You
can do it as part of your class activities over a few months. It does not replace
other spelling activities; it simply optimizes and stimulates learning. It can give
your students the tools they need to succeed in spelling.
As explained in the student’s book, this proposal is compatible with other spelling
activities you use in class. It is merely a foundation that, when acquired, can help
your students improve their skills.
41
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Innovative, Affordable
and Ready-to-Use Material
On the website you will find a sample Student’s Book,
a 30 minute video presentation, material for teachers and discounts
Associating your students’ visual memory with spelling is an extremely effective
way to help them improve. With the information I have shared with you here, you
have what you need to prepare materials for your classes.
In fact, for years the theoretical text was the only thing I offered. It allowed
teachers like you to prepare their own class materials.
But now you have the opportunity to purchase this material; pre-prepared and
ready-to-use. Most schools will likely consider this a very reasonable option. The
material is high quality, it is clearly explained and well organized, and it can be
used both in school and at home.
Schools with limited resources may apply
for special rates and even free material
For ordering information and free sample downloads, please visit www.visualspeller.
com. Here you will find:
- a sample student’s book (PDF format, not photocopiable)
- information on purchasing hardcopies of the student’s book (with special prices
for schools)
– information on purchasing a photocopiable, electronic version of the student’s
book in PDF format
– access to the online software Visual Speller
42
– information on upgrading to the premium version of the online software Visual
Speller (with special prices for schools)
Schools with limited resources may be eligible for additional discounts or even free
material. If this is your case, please send us a detailed explanation of the situation.
We will study requests on a case by case basis. If your request is accepted, your
school would be given permission to use the photocopiable, electronic version of
the student’s book in PDF format and have access to the premium version of the
online software.
43
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Farewell
Share this book with others: knowledge is not a secret
I truly and sincerely hope that you find the information in this book useful. As I
said earlier, I wish that I could have had this when I started teaching.
After 25 years of being a teacher, I think I know the satisfaction and pleasure you
will feel helping your students learn something new.
Please share this book with others. Knowledge is not a secret! By sharing it, we
show people we care about them and about improving education. I wish you the
best in your professional and personal life.
Regards,
Daniel Gabarró author of
Visual Memory: The Secret to Good Spelling
44
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Contact
Boira Publishers seeks social welfare and equality in education in
addition to economic viability
If you want to purchase large quantities of this
material for your school(s), district, region, state or
province
Please contact Boira Publishers for information on discounts for bulk purchases at
[email protected].
If you want to purchase the copyrights of this material
for entire school districts, cities, states, provinces or
countries
Please contact us at [email protected]. While Boira Publishers does work for
a profit, it is also committed to social welfare. If your district, city, etc. has limited
economic resources, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@boiraeditorial.
com.
If you would like the author to speak at your school,
district, university or educational organization
Please contact the publishers at [email protected] or send an email to the
author at [email protected].
45
Would you like to work with Boira Publishers in your
own country?
We are currently spreading the word about our spelling material all over the
Englishspeaking and Spanish-speaking world. However, our sales network,
representatives and distribution still do not exist in many countries. That is why
we are interested in finding local people or companies to work with us.
If you are interested in distribution, sales or promotion, or if you want to represent
Boira Publishers in your country or area, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We need people and companies capable of getting the word out about this new
methodology. We offer commission for distribution to bookstores, telephone
sales and sales representatives. We are also open to discussing other agreements.
Please contact us at [email protected].
46
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
The author
Daniel Gabarró Berbegal (Barcelona, 1964) is a
teacher and expert in educational psychology and
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). He has an
undergraduate degree in Humanities and a degree in
Business Administration.
He has been a teacher for more than 25 years at
all educational levels, from grammar school to high
school and college. He currently divides his time
between research and teaching.
He has published books and articles on many educational topics, such as study
techniques, research techniques, language or spelling. Many of these publications
can be ordered at bookstores or downloaded for free from the Boira Publishers
website. He is also a regular on some well known radio and TV programs in his
country, such as L’ofici de viure, on Catalunya Ràdio, and Bricolatge emocional,
on TV3.
He frequently works as a public speaker and organizes courses. For more
information, you can visit his webpage at: www.danielgabarro.cat .
47
VISUAL MEMORY: THE SECRET TO GOOD SPELLING
Notes
1. It was in 1996 when the book “New Strategies for Teaching Spelling with
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)” from Aljibe Publishers, was published.
2. Here I’m talking about three other books: one of them deals with poor academic
performance, another one deals with male identity, and the last book talks
about inner balance and spiritual awakening. None of these three books is, as
of 2011, available in English.
3. In copyleft, unlike copyright, the author does not charge for use as long as it
is not used for profit.
4. As I have explained in one of my books and in the numerous courses I teach, I
have come to the evident conclusion there are three key factors in explaining
poor academic performance. They are: a) pertaining to a low socio-economic
class; b) identifying with the traditional male role (in certain cultures); and c)
seeing failure in school as a personal failure. This is a reflection of the situation
in Spain. It is the result of an analysis I carried out of the academic results of the
Spanish population between 1974 and 2004. These results were segregated
by social class and gender. In my book “Poor Academic Performance: The
Unexpected Solution Based on Gender and Co-Education,” published by Boira
Publishers, I talk about the second point in more detail.
5. In this author’s experience, for a result to be significant we should use writing
samples of four hundred words (approximately). For younger learners whose
texts are shorter, use more than one text. Do this until the total word count
reaches four hundred.
6. Here I feel it is important to distinguish between visual memory and creating a
mental image. Things you have seen before form part of your visual memory.
You can imagine things you have not seen, but that is a mental image that you
create. For instance, try to visualize your bedroom. When you see the place
you sleep in your mind you are using visual memory. Now try to imagine me
dressed in a red tuxedo, sitting on an iceberg. Your mind can create a mental
image of how you think this might look. But since you have never seen it, you
cannot recall the image. (By the way, I have never sat on an iceberg, dressed
48
in a red tuxedo, in case you were wondering.) Creating a mental image is
essential in art class. But for spelling, we use visual memory.
7. In general, “kinesthetic learners” are students who use physical or corporal
memory as the primary learning method. They tend to be very active students
with excellent grades in physical education. However, they have difficulty
remaining seated at their desk.
8. Please notice that the software includes an algorithm that asks the misspelled
words most often. Therefore, efforts are concentrated on the words that need
to be practiced the most.
9. The annual subscription fee for schools is symbolic. It maintains the upkeep of
the software and generates a small profit.
10. In the student’s book there are other study strategies proposed, although
this one is the most relevant.
49
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51
Copyright © Daniel Gabarró Berbegal, 2011
Copyright © Boira Editorial
All rights reserved.
www.boiraeditorial.com
ISBN: 978-84-15218-54-8
D. L.: L. 1393-2012
,
NEW TIVE
A
!
OV
INN THOD
ME
This book gives you, the teacher, the explanations you need to
effectively teach spelling and improve your students’ spelling
skills up to 80%.
Inside you will discover the source of your students’ most
common spelling mistakes and the specific ways to correct
them.
Practical, detailed and useful tips for everyday use in the
classroom are also included.
Hundreds of educators have found the information in this book
to be very helpful in their classes. In fact, it is changing the
way spelling is taught in every language it has been translated
into.
Without a doubt, this is the spelling method all teachers have
been waiting for.