What is Spellbound?

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Spellbound is a spelling programme which teaches the New Zealand essential words lists 1-7, plus commonly misspelt words, through a range of multi-sensory and compensatory techniques. Despite being designed for dyslexic and struggling spellers, its explicit format is good for all learners.

 

How does Spellbound work?

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Spellbound is made up of spelling mats that focus on the commonality of a group of list words:

List1/2: 7 mats

List 3/4: 16 mats

List 5/6: 24 mats

List 7/commonly misspelt words: 19 mats

Each spelling activity on the spelling mats has been carefully considered and aims to provide a more multi-sensory approach. This approach has been recommended by the Ministry of Education and has taken into account numerous evidence-based studies and scientific studies of the dyslexic brain. The programme can be started at any entry point so there is no need for kids to learn words they already know. Each mat comes with a teacher script that takes the learners through the activities. Spellbound can be used as an intervention, acceleration or whole-class spelling programme.

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Why teach the essential list words first?

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The New Zealand Council of Educational Research (NZCER) researched words that children use most often while developing their writing. As a result, they came up with 290 words spanning 1-7 lists that makeup approximately three-quarters of most writing. That in itself is a great argument for where to start. Missing these words is a barrier to dyslexic and struggling writers, hence the name essential.

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Why use this when we are doing structured literacy?

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Spellbound sits alongside structured literacy, the difference being that Spellbound focuses purely on the essential list words so that children can get on with their writing while developing a deeper understanding of decoding and encoding through structured literacy. It also acknowledges the neuroscience of dyslexic learners in that compensatory strategies are included. 

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Who is Kim Widdowson? 

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I have been teaching in primary and intermediate schools in Canterbury since 2004. I created Spellbound after years of not finding a spelling programme that taught spelling in a way that made it accessible to all learners. As a dyslexic learner myself, I understand the struggle and the social impact that poor spelling has, something that good spellers are not even aware of. I have pulled apart many neurological studies on dyslexia to come up with a range of techniques to help neurodiverse learners, such as myself, learn spelling words and unlock their ability to spell and therefore communicate more freely and perhaps even start to enjoy the written form.

If you would like me to come out to your school to present Spellbound feel free to get in touch.