New Spelling Plan Returns To Basics

Thu., Aug. 11, 1994

Carla K. Johnson Staff writer

Spokane School District will try a new spelling program in eight elementary schools this fall in an effort to improve the district’s wretched spelling scores.

The program emphasizes phonics, spelling rules and weekly word lists.

“This program is similar to the programs you and I experienced when we went through school,” curriculum director Nancy Stowell told the school board Wednesday.

Last year, the district’s fourth-graders scored in the 36th percentile in spelling on a statewide test. That means the average Spokane fourthgrader scored worse than 64 percent of students in a national comparison group.

The eight schools that will teach the new program are Finch, Hamblen, Jefferson, Lidgerwood, Linwood, Ridgeview, Westview and Wilson.

The program is Daily Oral Language Plus, published in 1993 by McDougal, Littell. It will cost $3,500.

This year, most elementary schools will continue to use a textbook called Heath’s Working with Words, which concentrates on teaching frequently used words.

Teachers complain the Heath spelling words are too easy. District administrators suspect teachers are not using the program regularly, letting other subjects squeeze it out of the school day.

Board member Carol Wendle said she was alarmed to hear that teachers might not be teaching spelling every day.

“As a former teacher, especially at the primary level, I think it’s vital,” Wendle said. “I would be really disturbed if that weren’t happening.”

The district already had been using Daily Oral Language, a short daily lesson that asks students to correct grammar and punctuation errors.

The district will decide next spring whether to extend the program to other schools or begin a wider search for another one.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.