How to Teach Spelling: Part 3

Note: This is Part 3 in a 3-part series about spelling. Click HERE to start from the beginning!

Once students have practiced spelling words in isolation, it’s time to apply those skills in context. Enter: sentence dictation—a simple but powerful strategy for connecting phonics, encoding, and grammar into one meaningful routine.

WHAT Is Sentence Dictation?

In sentence dictation, students:

• Hear a sentence
• Repeat it aloud
• Write it from memory
• Check for accuracy (capitalization, organization, punctuation and spelling)

It gives students a chance to practice spelling and phonics in real writing, instead of just isolated words.

HOW It Works

Choose sentences with spelling patterns that you've already explicitly and systematically taught, and your students need to review. Your routine might sound something like this...

1. Teacher says:
   “Listen to this sentence and when I point to you, I want you to repeat it... The black truck is in the back. (point to students)”
   ➡️ Students: “The black truck is in the back.”  ⭐ Repeat this step until the sentence is firmly in the student’s memory.
   
   
2. Teacher says:
   Don't say anything! You don't want to ruin their memory of the sentence. Point to the student's paper to prompt them to write the sentence on their own
   ➡️ Students: write the sentence on their paper
   
   
3. Teacher says:
   “Now, check your sentence with the COPS checklist.”
   ➡️ Student: Student checks sentence for each letter of the checklist (one at a time).
   
   
4. Teacher says:
   (Teacher checks over sentence for errors, discusses with student)
   ➡️ Student: finds and fixes mistakes.
   
   
5. Repeat this process as time allows. 
   
   

This might seem like a laborious process, but each step is important, and once you're students understand the procedure, it goes quickly!

Side-note: You may have students who struggle to remember an entire sentence. Try having them memorize one phrase at a time, and then try putting the phrases together. This is a great way to improve working memory!

WHY It Works

• Reinforces phonics in connected text
• Builds grammar awareness
• Strengthens working memory and attention to detail

It’s especially effective when:

• Paired with decodable word and sentence lists
• Used regularly as part of a structured literacy routine
• Followed by reflection or error analysis, but always remember to take care of your students' emotions around making mistakes

Tips for Success

• Keep sentences short, decodable, and relevant to current instruction
• When you get a chance, use your students' names in the sentences - they get a kick out of this!
• Pre-teach any 💗heart words💗 or punctuation as needed
• Celebrate! This is an important step that you don't want to forget. Spelling at the sentence level can take a lot of brain power and that kind of concentration should be celebrated 🥳

Series Wrap-Up: Why Encoding Matters

Encoding isn’t just spelling—it’s the reverse process of reading, and a critical part of structured literacy. We started this series comparing reading and writing to LEGOs. This is a great way to explain both processes to your students too! 

Get a handful of LEGOs out and teach them...

Reading is like taking a LEGO creation apart. You start with the whole and break it down brick by brick. Reading is looking at the whole (word) and breaking it down into parts (sounds).

Spelling is like trying to put all the pieces of a LEGO creation together. You have to find all of the individual bricks (sounds) and then assemble them correctly into whatever creation you're making (word).
 

Just like with decoding, teaching encoding in a systematic, explicit manner can benefit all kids but is particularly critical to those with processing disorders. That's why when we teach a new phonics concept, we move from the sound level, to the word level, then the sentence level and so on. Spelling should be the same! 

1. Sounds = What Says?
2. Words = S.O.S (Simultaneous Oral Spelling)
3. Sentences = Dictation
   
   

By following this routine, you’re giving your students the tools they need to become strong, confident readers and writers.

Time for a Freebie!

Help your students through the encoding process with the same resource that we use! Click HERE, or on the image below. 

Ready-To-Go Resources

If you're looking to make your reading instruction less stressful and more effective, we have two ready-to-go resources that will make your teacher life SO.MUCH.EASIER! ⬇️

Launching Literacy Membership

The Launching Literacy membership for teachers is a one-stop-shop for all your literacy needs! For every concept in our scope & sequence, we've included a lesson plan, decodable word list, encoding page for students, decodable reader, and MUCH more. Just click, print, and teach!

Small Group Literacy Toolkits

These toolkits contain all of the multisensory tools you need to teach foundational reading and spelling skills in your small groups!

• Includes 5 student toolkits
• Comes with a ring of Routine Cards for Teachers
• Features systematic, multisensory instruction for reading and spelling
• What's Included: (5) Student Toolkits, each including: Durable Zipper Pouch, Write-On/Wipe-Off Spelling Mat, Write-On/Wipe-Off Multisyllabic Spelling Mat, Write-On/Wipe-Off Heart Words Mat, Write-On/Wipe-Off C.O.P.S. Editing Checklist, Dry Erase Marker with Eraser, Highlighter, Mini Pointer Stick, Googly-Eyed Reading Buddy, Plastic Container with 10 Double-Sided Sound Chips