Product-Specific FAQs
SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing
SPELL-Links Lesson Planner | SPELL-Links Word List Maker
I began testing my students with the first edition of SPELL. Can I use SPELL - 2 to complete
testing with these students?
What is the validity of SPELL – 2?
Why does it take so long to complete the SPELL assessment?
How does SPELL – 2 meet HIPAA compliancy regulations?
What are the age or grade equivalents of the SPELL – 2 testing levels?
How many times can I administer the SPELL – 2 program?
Should I administer SPELL – 2 as part of a diagnostic battery?
Can I use the Selector Module to determine if the student is within normal limits and whether
the student requires administration of the full assessment?
Is the student's spelling performance affected by keyboard response?
How was familiarity of vocabulary controlled for in selection of the test items?
Does SPELL – 2 exhaustively test every spelling pattern of English?
Is normative data available for SPELL – 2?
Does SPELL – 2 analyze a student's spelling of homonyms, contractions, possessives, and abbreviations?
How often should I re-administer SPELL – 2?
How might dialect affect spelling performance?
How might speech production errors affect spelling performance?
I am interested in the SPELL – 2 software for home use. Do you offer a
package for parents?
Does SPELL – 2 include an instructional component?
What is the research basis for SPELL – 2?
Is there any way to get a preliminary report with partial information before the student completes the full assessment?
Can I administer SPELL – 2 to Kindergarten or first grade students?
SPELL-Links to Reading &
Writing
What support is there for the use of reverse spelling activities to promote spelling ability?
What studies have been conducted to document that students who receive instruction with SPELL-Links to Reading
& Writing achieve statistically significant gains in spelling, reading and writing skills?
What studies have been conducted to document that the instructional methods of SPELL-Links to Reading
& Writing are more effective than traditional spelling instruction?
SPELL-Links Lesson Planner
Why is the SPELL-Links Lesson Planner limited to use with Kindergarten and first grade students?
It seems that the SPELL-Links Lesson Planner gives the same lesson plan for all first grade students regardless
of scores. Is this correct?
Is there a reason that the SPELL-Links Lesson Planner does not request entry of Letter Naming Fluency scores?
SPELL-Links Word List Maker
What are the computer operating system requirements for SPELL-Links Word List Maker?
Are updates available for my version of SPELL-Links Word List Maker?
How is word frequency determined?
How are the grade levels for word lists determined?
Are all words listed for a specific grade level appropriate for word-study instruction at that grade level?
Why may search results for derived words display words in which the selected letter(s) do not function as a prefix, suffix, or root?
Can I select and/or exclude multiple spelling patterns?
Can I include multiple letters when refining a search within a spelling pattern?
If I have selected letter(s), sound, and position in word in an open search, does the list of words displayed reflect the position of the letter(s) selected, the sound selected, or both?
Does the "position in word" selection display results according to the position of the selected spelling pattern as well as any letter(s) entered to further refine the search within that spelling pattern?
Can I search by letters and/or sounds?
Why might there be a lag time before displaying a word list after conducting an open search?
What size are the word cards?
SPELL – 2
I began testing my students with the first edition of SPELL. Can I complete testing of these
students with the SPELL – 2 program?
Student data collected with SPELL v1.x can not be transferred to SPELL – 2. If you are upgrading to SPELL – 2 , finish testing any
students who have already begun the SPELL assessment, and print hard copies of all student reports you wish to save
before returning the SPELL v1.x CD to us. You will not be able to access those student data files and reports once you return the
SPELL v1.x CD.
What is the validity of SPELL – 2?
To establish criterion validity, the extent to which SPELL: Spelling Performance Evaluation for Language and Literacy (First Edition)
performance scores correlate with scores on the Test of Written Spelling-4 (Larsen, Hammill, & Moats, 1999) and on two subtests of the
Woodcock Diagnostic Reading Battery (Woodcock, 1997) was measured for 135 students in Grades 1-6. Results from Pearson-r correlations
and a simultaneous multiple regression analysis indicate that SPELL validly measures students' spelling abilities, decoding skills,
and identification of sight words and that SPELL can be used to identify word study goals in a variety of grades and settings
(Mooney & Masterson, 2006). A validity study is currently underway to establish criterion validity for SPELL - 2.
Why does it take so long to complete the SPELL – 2 assessment?
With any assessment, it is necessary to obtain adequate data to a conduct a
valid and reliable assessment of a student's abilities. The domain of spelling
is very large and the SPELL – 2 assessment requires a representative sample of an individual student's
spelling in order for the assessment to be valid and reliable. This requires, on
average, 30 minutes for elementary grade students and 60 minutes for students in the
middle grades and up. We recommend that the SPELL – 2 assessment be administered
over several sessions, each lasting no more than 5-10 minutes. The investment of time to complete the assessment will
ultimately save valuable
time because once SPELL – 2 has identified specific deficits, educators can zero-in and
teach only what each student needs to learn.
How does SPELL – 2 meet HIPAA compliancy regulations?
The SPELL – 2 software program implements safeguards to maximize confidentiality and
security of Private Health Information (PHI).
SPELL – 2 features password protection; a user-defined password is required to
access all data stored by the SPELL – 2 program on your computer's hard drive. To
further safeguard and protect PHI, the student name is stored in one data file,
and the performance data is stored in a separate data file without the student's
name.
What are the age or grade equivalents of the SPELL – 2 testing levels?
The levels represent which spelling patterns were tested for an individual
student, based on their performance on the SPELL – 2 Selector Items. The levels do
not have corresponding age equivalents, percentiles, or grade equivalents. Instead, the levels represent
the student's spelling performance along a continuum of linguistic complexity.
The purpose of SPELL – 2 is to identify specific deficits and appropriate
intervention for a student who has spelling problems. To determine a specific
grade level of performance, we recommend the administration of a standardized
spelling test (e.g., the TEST of Written Spelling - 4 by Larsen, Hammill and
Moats, published by Pro-Ed).
How many times can I administer the SPELL – 2 program?
You may use SPELL – 2 with an unlimited number of students. There are no additional forms or materials to purchase.
Should I administer SPELL – 2 as part of a diagnostic battery?
It is recommended that the examiner
administer a standardized spelling test (e.g., Test of Written Spelling-4) as part of the diagnostic battery to
qualify a student for services. Once the student is enrolled in an instructional
program, SPELL – 2 can be administered to pinpoint specific instructional objectives for
the individual student. Depending on the amount of time available for testing, the examiner may elect to include SPELL – 2
as part of a diagnostic battery.
Can I use the Selector Module to determine if the student is within normal limits and whether the student requires administration of the full assessment?
SPELL – 2 does not provide a normative measure of a student's spelling skills and cannot be used to determine if a student's
spelling ability is within normal limits. The domain of English spelling is massive, which makes it impractical to sample every
potential orthographic pattern. The Selector Module probes the student's spelling of various spelling patterns to determine the most
appropriate patterns (i.e., the most appropriate level of SPELL – 2) to use to fully assess in an individual student. Because spelling
development is an ongoing process, all individuals with some amount of misspellings could benefit from a full SPELL – 2 assessment. It is
left to the examiner's discretion to determine whether to invest the time required for completion of a full SPELL – 2 assessment.
Is the student's spelling performance affected by keyboard response?
There is evidence that a student's spelling performance is not affected by using keyboard input for spelling response
(Beggs, Schofield, Masterson, & Apel, 2001). The accuracy of children's spellings entered via a keyboard versus pencil and
paper was compared in students in Grades 2-6. Although the pencil-and-paper spellings were slightly better for the children in Grade 2,
there were no differences in the other grades, with the exception of the fourth graders, who actually performed better when using a
keyboard. Of particular interest was the finding that the children's spelling accuracy in the two modes was not influenced by
keyboarding proficiency (measured as words per minute). For students with handwriting disability, spelling via computer keyboard
allows students to devote more mental energy to spelling rather than having to attend simultaneously to the motor demands of
spelling (Berninger et al., 1998). For these students, keyboard response may allow a more valid
measure of true spelling ability.
How was familiarity of vocabulary controlled for in selection of the test items?
Content validity measures were implemented to select test items that were within the vocabulary level for individuals who would most
likely receive a particular level of assessment.
Does SPELL – 2 exhaustively test every spelling pattern of English?
The construction of any test must balance the desire to assess the target skill or skills in every possible context with the
practical constraints of creating a test that can be completed within a reasonable amount of time. SPELL – 2 assesses
60 of the
most common spelling patterns. The decision about which spelling patterns to include was based on several published resources as well
as clinical judgment by the authors about what patterns were most important to include.
Is normative data available for SPELL – 2?
SPELL – 2 is a prescriptive assessment tool; that is, SPELL – 2 identifies error patterns and makes specific
recommendations for spelling intervention. Normative data are not required for a prescriptive assessment tool. Standardized
tests quantify a student's performance relative to a population of peers. Professionals should keep in mind that standardized tools
do not allow a clinician to determine goals, whereas this prescriptive tool does.
Does SPELL – 2 analyze a student's spelling of homonyms, contractions, possessives, and abbreviations?
No. Misspelling of these types of words is an easily recognizable error pattern. Not including these types of spelling patterns in
SPELL – 2 helped keep the number of test items and the length of the assessment within a reasonable range. If the student exhibits a
pattern of homonym confusion or misspelling of contractions, possessives, and abbreviations, the professional can target this error
pattern through development of phonological awareness, semantic knowledge and mental orthographic images, as appropriate. See
SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing Lessons 69-73 for specific instructional activites.
How often should I re-administer SPELL – 2?
Each level of SPELL – 2 assesses different spelling patterns, with the spelling patterns assessed across Levels 1-4 and organized
according to the general developmental sequence of spelling ability. After an initial administration of SPELL – 2, and once the
student's
spelling of targeted patterns has stabilized, it is recommended that SPELL – 2 be re-administered to document progress and to assess the
next set of spelling patterns in the developmental sequence.
How might dialect affect spelling performance?
The effects of dialect on spelling performance are not currently known. There are some anecdotal data to suggest that some individuals
who speak a nonstandard form of English may demonstrate differences in spelling that reflect their dialect. Until more is known, it
would be wise to consider the characteristics of the individual's dialect to determine whether SPELL – 2 results reflect the influences of
the student's dialect. If this appears to be true, the professional should consider the target spelling patterns to represent
differences in spelling rather than a delay or impairment in spelling. A difference in spelling does not, however, preclude
facilitating a student's spelling development and correct spelling of targeted patterns using the learning objectives recommended by
SPELL – 2.
How might speech production errors affect spelling performance?
The limited data available that address this issue suggest that articulation errors errors (i.e., non-phonologically based speech errors)
do not carry over into spelling. For the children who have been studied, it does not appear that their speech production is represented
in their internal representation of the word. It is possible, however, that the spellings of students who are spelling phonetically may
be affected by their misarticulation of sounds. In contrast, children who have phonologically based speech errors (i.e., speech errors
in the absence of any other significant physical, sensory, or cognitive impairment) demonstrate poor performance on spelling tasks
(Carroll & Snowling, 2004) due to poorly specific phonological representations of words stored in long term memory and/or difficulty
accessing the internal phonological representations (Sutherland & Gillon, 2005).
I am interested in the SPELL – 2 software for home use. Do you offer a
package for parents?
The Pay-Per-Student version of SPELL – 2 offers an affordable, in-home testing option for parents.
The cost is $150 for the first student, and $75 per additional student.
Does SPELL – 2 include an instructional component?
No. The SPELL program is a prescriptive assessment program that makes specific
recommendations for instruction. The recommendations made by SPELL – 2 link to specific lessons and activities in the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing curriculum (sold separately). Alternatively, you may implement the SPELL – 2 recommendations using
your own instructional materials.
What is the research basis for SPELL – 2?
SPELL is based on a model of
assessment developed by Dr. Kenn Apel and Dr. Julie
Masterson and originally published in Masterson, J.J.
& Apel, K., (2000). Spelling assessment: Charting a
path to optimal intervention. Topics in Language
Disorders, 20(3), 50-65. The SPELL method of assessment was refined during the development of the first edition of the SPELL assessment
software and subsequently published in Apel, K., Masterson, J. J., & Niessen, N.L. (2004). Spelling assessment frameworks. In A. Stone,
E.R. Silliman, B. Ehren, & K. Apel, (Eds.), Handbook of Language and Literacy: Development and Disorders . (pp. 644-660). New York:
Guilford Press. SPELL - 2 is also based on a wide body of research about spelling
development and instruction. We invite you to attend a conference in your
area to learn more about the research basis for SPELL - 2.
Is there any way to get a preliminary report with partial information before the student completes the full assessment?
A valid analysis and interpretation of the data requires the student to complete the full assessment. It is not possible to the access
results with only partial data, i.e., before the full assessment is completed. However, the examiner may access a list of all
responses made by the student by using the ResponseViewer utility program located inside the SPELL-2 folder on the hard drive.
Can I administer SPELL – 2 to Kindergarten or first grade students?
Administering SPELL to student in Kindergarten or Grade 1 is not recommended. For these students, we recommend the SPELL-Links Lesson
Planner (sold separately). The SPELL-Links Lesson Planner software program converts K-1 students' Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early
Literacy Skills (DIBELS, University of Oregon) assessment scores into
individualized lesson plans.
SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing
What support is there for the use of reverse spelling activities to promote spelling ability?
Asking a student to spell a word backwards is supported theoretically because
this activity creates the need for the student to hold orthographic information
as an image in order to perform the task, and requires the student to consider
every orthographic element of the word. The reverse spelling activity works
against the use of a partial-cues reading strategy; the detrimental effects of
such a strategy on reading and spelling are well documented in the literature.
What studies have been conducted to document that students who receive instruction
with SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing achieve statistically significant gains in spelling, reading and writing skills?
Apel, K., Masterson, J.J., & Hart, P. (2004). Integration of language components
in spelling: Instruction that maximizes students' learning. In Silliman, E.R. &
Wilkinson, L.C. (Eds.), Language and Literacy Learning in Schools. (pp.
292-315). New York: Guilford Press. This classroom study using the SPELL-Links
to Reading & Writing instructional methods found that third-grade students who
received the SPELL-Links instructional approach in the classroom demonstrated
large, statistically significant gains in their spelling skills in comparison to
children who received traditional classroom spelling instruction. Read Outcomes
Report.
Kelman, M. & Apel, K. (2004). The effects of a multiple linguistic, prescriptive
approach to spelling instruction: A case study. Communication Disorders
Quarterly, 25, 2, 56-66. This case study conducted with the SPELL assessment and
the instructional methods of the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing word study
curriculum documented significant gains in both spelling and decoding skills of
a fourth grade student. Read Outcomes Report.
What studies have been conducted to document that the instructional methods of SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing are more effective than traditional spelling
instruction?
Apel, K., Masterson, J.J., & Hart, P. (2004). Integration of language components
in spelling: Instruction that maximizes students' learning. In Silliman, E.R. &
Wilkinson, L.C. (Eds.), Language and Literacy Learning in Schools. (pp.
292-315). New York: Guilford Press. This classroom study using the SPELL-Links
to Reading & Writing instructional methods found that third-grade students who
received the SPELL-Links instructional approach in the classroom demonstrated
large, statistically significant gains in their spelling skills in comparison to
children who received traditional classroom spelling instruction. Read Outcomes
Report.
SPELL-Links Lesson Planner
Why is the SPELL-Links Lesson Planner limited to use with Kindergarten and first
grade students?
The SPELL-Links Lesson Planner converts DIBELS assessment scores for K-1 students into individualized instruction plans.
For students in Grade 2 and above, a more in-depth assessment is needed to make appropriate recommendations for instruction.
We recommend the SPELL software assessment for students in Grade 2 and above.
It seems that the SPELL-Links Lesson Planner gives the same lesson plan for
all first grade students regardless of scores. Is this correct?
For each grade level (K-1), the SPELL-Links Lesson Planner will create four different lesson plans based on an individual student's
scores. If all of your first grade students received the same recommendations for instruction, that is because they have similar
deficits at this point in time. These students could be grouped together for the same instructional program. Future DIBELS scores
may produce different lesson plans for this same set of students, as individual learning needs can change over time.
Is there a reason that the SPELL-Links Lesson Planner does not request entry of
Letter Naming Fluency scores?
The SPELL-Links Lesson Planner does not request the input of Letter Naming Fluency scores because while Letter Naming Fluency is a
strong diagnostic indicator of reading problems, there is no research to support the teaching of letter naming as an effective
approach to improving reading ability. Therefore, the LNF score itself does not point to specific lessons or activities that would
benefit the student. A poor LNF score is indicative of a retrieval deficit, and the activities of the SPELL-Links curriculum address
this issue by working on the underlying cause(s) of this deficit.
SPELL-Links Word List Maker
What are the computer operating system requirements for SPELL-Links Word List Maker?
To use SPELL-Links Word List Maker, you should be running Microsoft Windows® XP or MAC OSX. SPELL-Links Word List Maker may also work on
Microsoft Windows Vista® but it has not been tested.
Are updates available for my version of SPELL-Links Word List Maker?
To be alerted to updates for all versions of SPELL-Links Word List Maker, please make sure you have filled out and sent in the software registration card.
How is word frequency determined?
Word Frequency is determined based on the frequency with which words appear in printed materials (not spoken language use). If no word frequency data is available for one or more words appearing in the search results, these words are added to the bottom of the list in alphabetical order when words are sorted by word frequency.
How are the grade levels for word lists determined?
The grade levels for word lists are based on the frequency with which those words appear in printed materials (not spoken language use) targeted to those grade levels. If no grade-level data is available for one or more words appearing in the search results, these words will be listed in the 7+ grade-level category and will appear only if the grade level selected for the search is "All" or "7+".
Are all words listed for a specific grade level appropriate for word-study instruction at that grade level?
Remember, grade-level word lists are based on the frequency with which those words appear in printed materials. Because many words that appear in grade-level reading materials are not linguistically appropriate to teach at that grade level, keep in mind that teaching every word on a specific grade-level list may not necessarily be recommended. Moreover, the focus of instruction should always be on teaching patterns and strategies that apply to all words rather than individual words. Best practice for word study instruction limits word lists to 8-10 words that are familiar in meaning to the student.
Why may search results for derived words display words in which the selected letter(s) do not function as a prefix, suffix, or root?
We are aware that this may happen. For example, the word "abode" appears in the search results for the prefix "ab-". We chose to allow these words to appear in the search results because they have pedagogical value. Because students must develop an awareness that letters don't always function as affixes, activities that require students to sort words according to whether or not the letter(s) function as an affix are highly effective for developing morphological awareness and knowledge.
Can I select and/or exclude multiple spelling patterns?
You must begin by selecting a single spelling pattern but once you have done so you may choose to exclude multiple spelling patterns
from that list to better isolate your targeted spelling pattern.
Can I include multiple letters when refining a search within a spelling pattern?
Yes, for example, you may refine a search to display only words with the letter combination 'ea' or you may refine a search to display
only words with the letters 'e' OR 'a' by typing a space or a comma between those two letters.
If I have selected letter(s), sound, and position in word in an open search, does the list of words displayed reflect the position of the letter(s) selected, the sound selected, or both?
When selecting letter(s), sound, and position in word in an open search, the list of words displayed reflects both the position of the letter(s) and the sound selected.
Does the "position in word" selection display results according to the position of the selected spelling pattern as well as any letter(s) entered to further refine the search within that spelling pattern?
No, the "position in word” selection only displays results according to the position of the selected spelling pattern. For example, if you select the spelling pattern "consonants p, b, t, d, v, k, j, z", then select “end” for position in word and refine your search to the letter "j", words such as "jab, jeep, jerk" will be displayed in the results list because the selected spelling pattern (consonants p, b, t, d, k, j, z) appears at the end of each of these words.
Can I search by letters and/or sounds?
Yes, you may search letters and/or sounds by choosing Open Search and typing in a letter or letters and/or selecting a sound
from the drop-down list (e.g., Short Vowel a Sound). Otherwise, you must begin by selecting a single spelling pattern.
Once you have done so, however, you may choose to exclude multiple spelling patterns from that list to better isolate your
targeted spelling pattern.
Why might there be a lag time before displaying a word list after conducting an open search?
Please remember that our database contains nearly 50,000 words so a broad search might take a few seconds to complete.
What size are the word cards?
The word cards have been formatted for automatic printing on standard business cards (2" x 3 1/2" Avery® #5371 card stock).
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