Publish Date: 2/9/2009
Source: Loveland Reporter-Herald
Link: http://www.reporterherald.com/features/Feature-Story.asp?section=Homeroom&ID=21463

Solving spelling
Local teacher’s program garners national recognition

By Jennifer Leigh Johnson
Loveland Reporter-Herald

ABC sometimes can be more challenging than 123 — even for elementary school teachers.“I was such a terrible speller that when I sent letters home from college, my mother would edit them in red ink and send them back,” said Ellen Javernick, a second-grade teacher at Garfield Elementary School in Loveland. “When I was writing, the spellcheck on my computer would underline at least 20 errors per page.”

But with her love of teaching, which began in kindergarten, and a strong passion for writing, Javernick was determined to overcome her spelling struggle.

“I was never taught that there were consistent patterns for combining letters to make sounds,” she said.

As Javernick began to discover these patterns, she became eager to do more with them and help teach others.

With both the encouragement to become a writer by one of her college professors and a career in education, Javernick was able to move forward to pass on what she’d learned.

“I began combining a writing career with my teaching career because I like the idea of reaching more children and their parents,” she said.

She contacted Louisa Moats, a national leader in the field of reading and spelling, who had written a spelling program for older children.

“I thought I’d be the perfect person to collaborate with her to write a program for first- and second-graders. I queried Sopris West, the company that had published Louisa’s other books, and they hired me to write up the program to sell to teachers.”

Javernick’s program, “Primary Spelling by Pattern,” is a book filled with games and activities that reinforce the rules and patterns that words follow.

“All words are either pattern words or words that can best be learned by using mnemonic clues,” Javernick explained. “Patterns must be directly taught. You can’t expect children to know that ‘shun’ is spelled ‘tion’ unless they are taught.”

Lori Hvizda-Ward said she has noticed an improvement in son Kellis’ spelling over the past year.

Kellis, 9, was a student in Javernick’s second-grade class last year.

“He is not a natural speller,” said Hvizda-Ward. “But the program really helped him, and now he wants to go for the Thompson School District spelling bee competition.”

Hvizda-Ward said the tricks and devices used in the program really seem to help children learn how to spell.

“It really allows them to make sense of words,” she said.

But the program itself may not be the only factor in the spelling success of Javernick’s students.

“Ellen is absolutely terrific,” said Hvizda-Ward. “She never gives up and believes that every child can learn.”

The program was recently acknowledged by “The American Educator” as the best primary program on the market today.

“Teachers in upper grades can always recognize my students,” said Javernick of her program’s success.