Invented Spelling

Question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of invented spelling vs. traditional spelling on reading and writing?

Comment: The researcher has set up an either/or situation. “Findings indicated that, using invented spelling, more children were able to write on their own in the early months. Their productions were significantly longer over all and contained significantly more spelling errors than those by children using traditional spelling.” The researcher concludes that invented spelling negatively affects learning to read.


The purpose of invented spelling is NOT to forget traditional spelling, but to fix the invented spelling when editing. NOT invented spelling OR traditional spelling, but BOTH invented spelling to utilize the child’s extensive oral vocabulary AND editing to restore the traditional spelling. RayS.

Title: “Invented Versus Traditional Spelling in First-Graders’ Writing: Effects on Learning to Spell and Read.” LK Clarke. Research in the Teaching of English (October1988), 281-309.