Overview
The author points out ways in which recognizing sound and letter patterns makes spelling easier. Also important are recognition of diphthongs, silent letters, compound and abbreviated words, contractions, homophones, homographs, prefixes, suffixes, and base words. "Brain tickler" problems challenge students' imaginations and test their learning progress.
Barron's popular Painless Series of study guides for middle school and high school students offer a lighthearted, often humorous approach to their subjects, transforming details that might once have seemed boring or difficult into a series of interesting and mentally challenging ideas. Most titles in the series feature many fun-to-solve "Brain Tickler" problems with answers at the end of each chapter.
Provides guidelines for spelling American English words; explains visual and sound patterns, letter combinations, syllables, compound words, and hyphenation; and includes practical exercises.
Synopsis
The author points out ways in which recognizing sound and letter patterns makes spelling easier. Also important are recognition of diphthongs, silent letters, compound and abbreviated words, contractions, homophones, homographs, prefixes, suffixes, and base words. "Brain tickler" problems challenge students' imaginations and test their learning progress.
Barron's popular Painless Series of study guides for middle school and high school students offer a lighthearted, often humorous approach to their subjects, transforming details that might once have seemed boring or difficult into a series of interesting and mentally challenging ideas. Most titles in the series feature many fun-to-solve "Brain Tickler" problems with answers at the end of each chapter.
Children's Literature
English, a language characterized by irregularities of spelling and more exceptions than rules, has long been a bane for many students. Teeming with examples of more than one way to spell a word, and containing words from other languages, further complicates spelling in English. For students struggling with correct spelling, this book offers some directions. Part of a series from Barron's Painless titles, this book attempts to demystify English spelling. Keeping in mind her audience, middle and high school students, Podhaizer presents the book accordingly. The book is short-ten easy-to-read chapters, that present and analyze sound patterns, diphthongs, plural endings, compound words, prefixes, suffixes and base words. Clear instruction, details one step at a time, and a humorous touch mark the presentation of each chapter. The chapters also abound in brain-tickler puzzles that are challenging and entertaining. All these features make this book a must in every classroom and a great resource for the home bookshelf.