Orton-Gillingham focuses on helping students understand how syllables are structured as a beginning sound, vowel sound and ending sound. This understanding supports more accurate reading, but also leads to improved spelling as well.
One way to really show students how this works is to use a letter grid when sounding out spelling words. The grid has a section that shows beginning sounds, a section for vowel sounds, and a section for ending sounds. As a student sounds out each part of the word, they place a marker on the corresponding square with the letter(s) that make that sound.
Letter grid reinforces beginning, middle and ending sounds when spelling.
I’ve found this helpful for students who are struggling with spelling basics, as well as those who may have difficulty holding onto the letters in the correct order between sounding them out and writing the letters down. I have also used this with students who struggle with letter formation, where I want to focus on their spelling skills independent of their handwriting.
There are two versions of the grid, both with short vowel sounds only. The first is for beginning spellers who do not have yet have blended sounds. The second version adds squares with beginning and ending blends. Both of these are available for download here: basic spelling grid and spelling grid with blends.