A multiple intelligences approach to spelling instruction

by Jones, Michaela T.

Dr. Cindy Hendricks, Advisor Spelling is a critical component of the language arts curriculum in early childhood classrooms. Most teachers address spelling in the classroom and use a variety of strategies in which to do so. The typical way these teachers implement spelling into the classroom is through an approach that follows closely with a spelling textbook or series. This approach may also include doing activities such as: memorization tasks, word sorts, writing spelling words in a sentence, writing spelling words numerous times, putting the spelling words in alphabetical order, unscrambling spelling words or solving puzzles, and looking words up in the dictionary. All of these spelling activities typically used in elementary classrooms focus on the linguistic, logical-mathematical, and intrapersonal intelligences in the brain. Although these activities are beneficial for most students, some students may not have strengths in using these three intelligences. Because all children have a unique blend of intellectual strengths, some students may not perform well on the spelling tests at the end of the week by using the typical strategies or activities to study. This research study was designed to incorporate the other human intelligences into spelling activities completed throughout the week to determine whether other intelligences helped second grade students achieve a higher score on their spelling tests at the end of the week. Although there was not a significant difference among the overall test scores in the three classes chosen for this study, the new activities had a positive impact on many of the individual second grade students.