Q: Does SpellingWorks work?
Since SpellingWorks was first published in 1996, we've had a lot of positive feedback from teachers, trainers, tutors and parents.

It's been used by a 6-year-old (a very advanced one, we thought!); with primary, secondary, and post-secondary students; in classrooms, with individual students, in a university extension course … you name it.

Q: Who exactly is this book for?
We aimed it at young adults and adults, but we've heard of upper primary school students who really enjoyed it. We assumed that learners who would use it as a self-study tool:

• were from an English speaking background or had a good grasp of English
  
  
• had adequate reading skills to cope with reading each chapter themselves – the book's very visual, to help those who don't enjoy reading
  
  
• had a reasonable grounding in the sound/symbol patterns of English
  
  
• could spell a lot of words correctly and a lot more 'almost correctly' – they might make half a dozen mistakes on a page, or a dozen 'very close' mistakes.

But having said that, we know that teachers have adapted and used bits of the book to work with learners outside those guidelines.

Q: Is it a self-study book?
It was written as a self-contained program designed so that learners can work through it, supported by a reasonable amount of interest and assistance from a teacher, mentor, or tutor. 'Reporting back' to someone is built in to the text. Learners are encouraged to find a learning partner for extra support. SpellingWorks can also be used as a class text.

Q: What's the philosophy behind it?
We encourage learners to develop:

• a commitment to change
  
  
• an understanding that most people have some problems with English spelling, but that good spellers have developed strategies for improvement
  
  
• an interest in the oddities of the English spelling system
  
  
• good visual 'spotting' skills
  
  
• a plan to remember the words they actually need, rather than abstract lists
  
  
• the realisation that learning with a partner and talking about the learning process can be a valuable learning strategy
  
  
• a huge range of spelling and memory strategies which they can apply themselves
  
  
• an understanding (based on experimentation) of their own learning styles, and the best methods and strategies to suit them.

Q: Why all the pictures?
Text can be alienating. We wanted to provide a more fun approach, with bite sized pieces of information (though we admit that some non-spellers are great readers).

Q: How does the book work?
It's published in a visual 'question and answer' format, using two student and two mentor figures. There are 15 chapters, built around the four characters.

Each chapter begins with a spelling situation – a problem, a question, or a solution.

From there, there are several sections about different spelling tips or strategies. The exercises have answers at the back of the book.

Each chapter finishes with a Do it Yourself page. This is a key part of the learning concept. We wanted learners to become involved in language and spelling outside the context of the book.

Q: Do I have to start at the beginning and work through?
It does make sense. Chapter One is all about self image, Chapter Two explains why English spelling is so tricky, then Chapter Three is about working out what's meaningful for you. Right from the start, certain threads run through the book, like the importance of visual memory.

Of course, if you want to draw from this book as part of your own spelling program, it's fine to pull out odd pages – but if the book is the backbone of your course, then it's a good idea to work your way through.

Q: What about phonics?
Most primary school spelling workbooks include a great deal of work on phonics. This book is for people who already have that grounding in sound/symbol correspondence, and may remember a few rules, but keep making spelling mistakes. (We do include some revision to remind people of the range of different spellings for the same sound.)

Saying a word aloud, then writing it, works wonderfully for words like black, met, hot  … but as soon as there are options (meat, meet, mete), other strategies are needed. Even Latinate words, which can be sounded out easily, can be tricky – apparent but observant. Visual memory helps, as do word patterns, rules, mnemonics, and an understanding of word history.

Q: Do I need to have perfect spelling myself?
Not at all! If you've ever struggled with spelling, then you're the best person to teach it. (And you never know, you might pick up some tips yourself.)

English speaking learners are reassured to realise that everyone sits somewhere along the spelling continuum, and that most people have some problem words. (This surprises but similarly reassures people from language backgrounds where the spelling is more uniform.)