Is English spelling crazy? Maybe not!
Do you know someone who'd have to guess at the spelling of "exc_vate"?
Have you ever noticed spelling shared by "pediatrician" and "psychiatrist"?
Have you ever noticed spelling shared by "pediatrician" and "psychiatrist"?
Have you ever noticed spelling shared by "pediatrician" and "psychiatrist"?
Have you ever noticed spelling shared by "pediatrician" and "psychiatrist"?
Have you ever noticed spelling shared by "pediatrician" and "psychiatrist"?
by Gail Portnuff Venable, 2021
Paperback, 168 pages, with matrix illustrations
List price $24.95
Do you have children or grandchildren who aren’t learning to read and spell easily? Did you have such experiences yourself as a child? Are you new to English and finding its spellings unpredictable? Are you frustrated or fascinated by spelling?
Perhaps you don’t know whether to write innoculate or inoculate or why chrysanthemum starts with ch, while crystal does not. (There is a good reason!) Why is there an rh in rhythm but an rrh in arrhythmia and diarrhea? What vowels belong in the middle of pand _monium or sacr_l_gious? This book will help you understand and share the logic and coherence of the English writing system.
For more than a decade, the author has been guiding students as they learn to unlock the secrets of the spelling system. She’s started them out on a path of asking and answering questions about why words are spelled the way they are, finding the answers through their own research. If you do this work with students, this book can help you share your understanding and discover new questions of your own.
Gail Venable holds a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and is a trained Orton-Gillingham reading tutor. She served on the Board of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (now the Orton-Gillingham Academy) and specialized in working with students with language, reading and spelling difficulties. She has taught graduate courses in the Special Education and Communicative Disorders department at San Francisco State University. She worked for 35 years as a clinician for the Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders. Contact her at gailpvenable@gmail.com
"For every teacher and every university teacher training program, Backpocket Words should be required reading. Right from the first few sentences I was thoroughly captivated. The vivid scenarios in the book pique the reader’s curiosity, demonstrating the power of scientific inquiry."
— Angela Wilkins, former president, The Orton-Gillingham Academy
"Gail Venable is the ultimate storyteller and literacy educator– graciously leading others to deepen their own understandings about the nature of written English. In Backpocket Words she not only shares her wisdom and joy about the surprising words she has encountered, she also invites everyone to learn alongside her – from her medical doctor to the tech support person. Each vignette...uncovers an underlying principle about written English. Each story also provides the opportunity for readers to reflect and deepen their own understanding."
— Kathryn Hastings, Ed.D., literacy educator and researcher
"Joyful and illuminating. Gail’s inviting, accessible style makes the book a treasure for anyone seriously curious about language, and an invaluable resource for educators. Each vignette shines a light on spelling-meaning connections most will not have noticed before. Gail also shows us how to follow the spelling-meaning trail back to a word’s historical origins. Accept the invitation to wander through English spelling with Gail. Not only will you learn about the words in her back pocket, you will learn to blaze your own orthographic trails, for yourself and your conversational partners."
— Peter Bowers, PhD, researcher, author, founder of Word Works Literacy Centre
"Intriguing and inspiring! After reading just a few of the short vignettes found in Backpocket Words, any reading teacher or tutor will be motivated with confidence to go out and dispel the myth that English spelling is crazy."
— Kathy Penn, former teacher, reading tutor