Cristina O’Farrill Perea

ENGL 52220
March 15, 2017
Homework: Write your own problem solution essay (4 to 5 paragraphs; academic format).
It should include both a definition and a process description and be related to a topic in the
field of TESL which you are interested in researching. Follow any one of the structures
discussed in class. You will deconstruct the essay after you write it using the charts
illustrated in the text or in class. This chart must be done on a separate page; nevertheless,
it counts as part of the holistic essay grade.

Invented spelling, also known as inventive spelling, is a practice in which children use

non-standard spelling in their early writing. This means children in early school years, such as

kindergarten, spell words the way that they sound. Although inventive spelling is not an

instructional technique, it is a natural process all children use as they are beginning to write.

Most teachers allow children to use inventive spelling in their writing as a way to express their

thoughts without having to worry about correct spelling patterns. When children do not worry

about spelling words correctly, they write with much more freedom and can focus on the

message and the meaning of what they are writing.

However, the practice of invented spelling has created controversy among educators, and

especially parents because of the vast amount of misspelling that initially occurs in children’s

writing. Much of the parents’ concern is due to the belief that invented spelling is a barrier

which will prevent children from learning to spell correctly. This concern usually happens when

their children continuously bring home work from school with incorrect spelling. However,

most educators consider that invented spelling can aid children in the developmental process of

learning to read and write. Throughout the years, research has shown that invented spelling can

provide children with many benefits in their development of phonemic awareness skills and

orthography skills.
 Through invented spelling, children can practice their phonetic awareness skills which

are critical for learning to read and write. This skill allows children are able to represent the

sound each letter makes in a word, and therefore, form a word by putting all the letters together.

Children can also acquire orthographic skills through the learning of invented spelling

techniques. Researchers indicate that through inventive spelling children learn the English

orthographic rule that all words must contain a vowel.

Although invented spelling has many benefits in early development of writing skills,

children must ultimately learn how to spell words correctly. As children enter new grade levels,

they learn new spelling patterns which they eventually apply in their writing. This is when

children transition from invented spelling to conventional spelling- correctly spelling a word.

Spelling patterns provide children the opportunity to investigate and understand the patterns in

words instead of memorizing them. Understanding spelling patterns is much easier for those

children who already developed their phonemic awareness and orthographic skills through

invented spelling; moreover, invented spelling does not create a barrier which will prevent

children from learning to spell correctly. Conversely, it will benefit children in their future

reading and writing experiences.

Situation However, the practice of invented spelling has created controversy among
teachers, and especially parents.
Problem Many of the parents’ concern is due to the belief that invented spelling is a barrier
which will prevent children from learning to spell correctly. This concern usually
happens when their children continuously bring home work from school with
incorrect spelling
Solution However, most educators consider that invented spelling can aid children in the
developmental process of learning to read and write. Through the years, research
has shown that invented spelling can provide children with many benefits in their
phonemic awareness skills and orthography skills.
evaluation Understanding spelling patterns is much easier for those children who already
developed their phonemic awareness and orthographic skills through invented
spelling. Therefore invented spelling does not create a barrier which will prevent
children from learning to spell correctly, conversely, it will be beneficial to
children in their future reading and writing experiences.