Re: vygotsky and contextualism

Ken Goodman (kgoodman who-is-at u.arizona.edu)
Sun, 21 Mar 1999 15:15:05 -0700

Actually the term invented spelling comes out of the research of Charles
Read, a linguist, who was studying the spellings of children as an
indication of how they viewed the phonology of their language. There is
extensive research on invented spelling and ironically, in fact, it
shows the developing control of phonics as children's invention move
toward conventions.

Unlike other language aspects spelling is not rule governed. By
standardizing spelling across dialects we limit the extent to which any
spelling rules can be applied across dialects. There is also extensive
research on how learners acquire control over spelling conventions.
In whole language there is recognition that spelling conventions are
largely acquired through reading as learners learn to read like writers.
The is thus in whole language no abandonment of conventional spelling
but rather an understanding of how it develops and support for teachers
for that process.
Ken Goodman

-- 
Kenneth S. Goodman, Professor, Language, Reading & Culture
504 College of Education, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ     
         fax 520 7456895                      phone 520 6217868


These are mean times- and in the mean time 
We need to Learn to Live Under Water