The SIPPS program provides explicit and systematic phonics instruction in blending and segmenting sounds to support spelling development. The SIPPS Mastery Tests intentionally require students to apply their letter sound knowledge to blend words. This allows you to see how the students are decoding, even if they are able to recognize or “read” a word by sight. If a student has trouble decoding a word, they will likely also have trouble spelling it. If a student is able to read a word but is unable to spell it, more explicit phonics instruction is needed.
The Guided Spelling routine is designed to help students learn how to spell high-frequency sight words and how to apply phonological awareness skills and phonics knowledge to spelling and writing. This application of learning helps increase encoding ability and strengthens decoding skills. In Guided Spelling, the students also learn strategies that can be applied to spelling many words phonetically. During this routine, you model spelling strategies and help the students write the words successfully—it is not intended to be a test. You provide different levels of support according to the students’ needs.
These additional elements of the SIPPS program will help you support your students with spelling:
- Two spelling lists (A and B) are provided so that the lesson can be repeated with new words if students need additional practice.
- Based on instructional decision-making, printable trace and write sheets for Guided Spelling may be used as part of Intensive Multisensory Instruction for SIPPS. Learn more by reading the How should the Trace and Write books be used in SIPPS? FAQ.
- Instructional Self-Checks offer valuable reflection questions that support instructional decision-making.