What is Structured Word Inquiry?

The primary teaching approach I use to teach students to read and spell is called Structured Word Inquiry (SWI). This scientifically sound approach to language provides students with effective tools to read and spell through the process of discovery and enquiry based learning.

Instead of being told English is irregular, students learn how their language system works.  Imagine a students delight when they discover that words they have been told are irregular are just following a different set of rules. 

When students understand how language works the lessons learned become life long.

As many parents, teachers and students know memorization and sounding out words is not a reliable way to read and spell English words.  The reason for this is English is not a language where single letters represent sounds.  Instead English is a highly structured language where morphology, etymology and phonology work together to influence how we read and spell.

”When students understand how language works the lessons learned become life long.”

How does SWI work?

Take for example the word two which is often thought of as irregular because the < w > is not spelling a speech sound. Why is there a < w > in this word? The < w > marks a historical connection to how the word was spelled in Old English < twa >. Over time the < tw > spelling became used to spell words associated with twoness such as twin, twice and twelve.  The < w > in each of these related words is spelling a speech sound. Teaching students to understand how words function in the writing system helps them to read, spell and comprehend any word they encounter. Learning sticks when what is taught makes sense.

Students, especially those who struggle, need to know what letters are doing in words beyond spelling speech sounds. Without this information students will be forced to fall back on guess work and memorization which can leave them feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

SWI succeeds as an approach because it helps students see the sense and logic behind how we spell and read words. Providing students with tools to understand how language works, enables students to read, spell and comprehend any word they encounter across all disciplines.