[NLA] Truespell & other Phonetic devices

[Gina Cooke]

After checking out the Truespel website, I'm compelled to post the following
questions:

If indeed "Kids learn reading twice as fast with a pronunciation guide
spelling as an initial teaching aid," how long does it take kids -- or other
learners -- to learn to read and spell REAL words? What scientific research
supports this "twice as fast" statistic?

English is 87% predictable, actually, not the irrational mish-mash of Roman
letters many people like to present it as. When "kids" or adults are
directly taught about language structure, including phonemic awareness,
systematic and explicit phonics, the history of the language, morphology,
etc., the language makes very good sense. Such effective approaches are
research-based, not just gimmicky new approaches.

In short, while "kids" with brains that are hard-wired for written language
may get a kick out of learning phonetic transcription tricks, I submit that
synthetic phonetic devices such as Truespel, Shavian, etc., are
devastatingly confusing and counter-productive for dyslexic or other
language-disabled individuals or for second language learners.

For the components that make for truly successful reading instruction for
ALL children, please see Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for
Teaching Children to Read. It's published by the Partnership for Reading,
which is comprised of NIFL, the NICHD and the DOE. The publication is
available for free from ED Pubs at 1-800-228-8813.

Gina Cooke
Literacy Program Consultant
The Discovery Alliance

----- Original Message -----
From: "tom zurinskas" <tzurinskas at yahoo.com>
To: <nla at lists.literacytent.org>
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: [NLA] Music hath charms: New from NCLE


> Music is nice.  Truespel might be more worthwhile for
> using a pronunciation guide spelling without special
> characters.  The English to truespel converter is
> available free at
> http://www.foreignword.com/dictionary/truespel/transpel.htm.
>  Kids learn reading twice as fast with a pronunciation
> guide spelling as an initial teaching  aid (see
> i.t.a.)
>
> tom zurinskas
> truespel.com
>
>
> > NCLE's latest digest, Using Music in the Adult ESL
> > Classroom, by Kristin
> > Lems, offers suggestions for using music and
> > music-based activities to
> > develop and practice reading and writing, listening
> > comprehension,
> > vocabulary, and speaking, and to expand cultural
> > knowledge.
> >
> > It is available on line at
> > http://www.cal.org/ncle/digests/music.htm or
> > from NCLE at the address below.
> >
> > Happy reading (and listening)!
> > Miriam Burt
> > Associate Director, National Center for ESL Literacy
> > Education (NCLE)
> > Center for Applied Linguistics
> > 4646 40th Street NW
> > Washington, DC 20015
> > (202) 362-0700 (phone)
> > (202) 363-7204 (fax)
> > miriam at cal.org
> > *****************************************
> > Visit NCLE's Web site at www.cal.org/ncle
> > *****************************************
> > _______________________________________________
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>
>
> =====
> Read all about truespel at truespel.com.
> Convert text to truespel USA accent by copy/pasting it at:
http://www.foreignword.com/dictionary/truespel/transpel.htm
>
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