Students

Stareway To Spelling is primarily designed for children who have severe difficulties with spelling (and - sometimes - reading) high frequency words. In our experience, by the age of 7, children have developed the ability to associate sounds with symbols (phonological awareness). Stareway To Spelling therefore is suitable for children aged 7 and upwards. (NB: some younger children will have developed this ability at an earlier age. If this is the case, Stareway To Spelling can also be used with these children.) Other students with less severe or obvious literacy problems will also benefit from the book. Commonly, these students struggle with phonetically similar pairs of words (e.g. where / were…etc) and they are also likely to have blind spots with some of the Most Used Words that we are targeting. The dictation sentences will prove useful in highlighting these.
Other people will also benefit from the manual. For example, those children and adults who are reasonably confident and accurate when dealing with the Most Used Words but who may struggle with phonetically inconsistent, low frequency words. Students who need to learn particular words for an exam or wish to become more confident in spelling words relating to a particular subject will find the spelling procedure outlined in this book very useful. Dealing with particular words systematically, whilst following this spelling procedure, guarantees results.

Tutors

Teachers, support assistants and parents can all be tutors using Stareway To Spelling. Mentoring schemes such as 'buddy systems' will find the manual particularly useful. Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) can also play a vital role either as tutors or through monitoring the progress of a number of students / tutors who are using the manual. Experience has shown that tutors need two particular qualities:

1. Patience:  Teaching someone with severe literacy problems to read and spell can be a frustrating experience. This is especially the case during the first few lessons if pupils struggle to match particular symbols (i.e. letters) with the sounds they represent. At this stage, the short-term memory can easily become overloaded. It is important to remember that pupils are usually trying hard and are not deliberately making spelling errors. A patient and systematic approach from the tutor is the key to success in the long term.
   
2. Flexibility:  Stareway To Spelling is based upon many years of experience plus practical application and development in the classroom. Time and again this method has transformed the spelling ability of pupils with the severest difficulties. Consequently, we recommend that tutors follow the instructions as closely as possible. However, every pupil/teacher relationship is unique and students will have their own particular strengths and weaknesses. Tutors therefore, do need to be flexible. For example, in assessing when to introduce the Paired Words or judging when to drop a particular word from the spelling procedure to allow extra practice.