I have noticed that many schools/school systems no longer assign weekly spelling lists or place much emphasis on spelling instruction. It seems more emphasis is on basic reading skills (a good thing), reading comprehension, and writing skills. While reading comprehension is important, I find that many of my students are being pushed beyond their abilities in advanced comprehension and writing skills when what they really need is a solid foundation in spelling first. You can't be expected to write a good paragraph or report if you can't spell basic words. As an Orton-Gillingham tutor, I am always teaching spelling alongside reading, including spelling rules as well as irregularly spelled words. I use fun mnemonics to teach irregularly spelled sight words, usually with very good results!
