Improving Spelling Performance of Grade 8 Learners through Multisensory

Method

Charissa Marie B. Ladera

Arlene A. Miquiabas
Teacher III/ Cooperating Teacher

December 2024
 I. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

Spelling is a crucial aspect of writing, especially for children's writing. It

connects letters and sounds, aiding in the development of reading and writing

skills. Language communication involves ideas, articulated words, and

sentences. English has erratic pronunciation in spelling, but learning spelling

at a young age is crucial for developing reading and writing skills and

increasing language competency. These instances might be reduced to the

spelling performance of the students.

Proficiency in spelling is a foundational skill that forms the basis for

successful communication and academic achievement. However, many

Grade 8 students at Kibatang National High School struggles with spelling,

presenting a significant challenge for educators. This deplores the fact that

Grade 8 students have never learned to spell correctly or are negligent in their

writing. Some students may know a term well enough to spell it correctly and

vocally, but they may misspell it when they write it down. There are also some

who find it difficult to spell words with three or more syllables, especially those

words that are naturally difficult to spell because of their differences in their

pronunciation. The student's spelling failure is blamed on the fact that young

people nowadays need more writing and reading outside of class hours. This

study attempted to discover the spelling errors of high school students as

found in their formal themes and to categorize these errors so that the

students' basic difficulties might be pinpointed; they read barely that they are

unfamiliar with the terms they employ in their written work; therefore they
misspell them. Since spelling is one important phase of language

development, this problem needs immediate attention. Students should be

helped to overcome the difficulties attendant to their study if they are to

develop a sense of confidence in their writing.

In response, this action research becomes a valuable tool to explore

and implement strategies to enhance spelling performance in these students.

The researchers would like to know whether implementing a time-bounded

game that is interactive, collaborative, and multisensory in nature will increase

their performance in spelling knowing that it is not a traditional method of

enhancing spelling skill. Therefore, the researchers wish to conduct this action

research to help struggling Grade 8 learners improve their spelling

performance through conducting an interactive multisensory activity that is not

a traditional pen-and-paper spelling session, particularly a game called "Word

in a Box'' activity.

Spelling is the most important aspect of writing in English. Like reading

and writing, it does not develop spontaneously; it must be actively taught.

Poor English spelling abilities among students are caused by online

education, a lack of sufficient practice in increasing spelling ability, and post-

pandemic impacts. According to Nahari & Alfadda (2021), several activities

were investigated in utilizing this idea, including memorizing and visualizing

spelling testing with feedback on improving adult spelling ability through

breaking words up into parts, morning messages, personal dictionaries, and

dictation activities. These were chosen specifically for this investigation. Along

with the specified activities mentioned above, this strategy provided some
worksheets and instructions to the students. Juhani et al. (2021) proposed

some of the techniques using digital devices like computers, such as

GraphoLearn technology (GL) it is also useful in improving spelling ability but

considering constraints of the learning through the environment, the

researcher found an easy way to basic strategies like classroom activities are

more beneficial.

The most common mistake encountered by Arab English learners is

related to the most common mistake encountered by English learners is

related to the spelling of terms in the papers of Al-Bereiki and Al-Mekhlafi

(2015). Students, as a result of poor learning, and post-pandemic crises,

continue to make the same spelling mistakes even after they have completed

the course in high school or university, or have begun work in their industry,

which might provide challenges for advancement and growth. As a result,

spelling mistakes can be detrimental to students in various ways through this

crisis. However, practicing spelling new words out loud speeds up the learning

process. According to the findings of this study, a solid command of spelling

allows a person to convey his or her views more clearly and openly in writing

in utilizing this strategy because poor spelling not only provides a terrible

impression; it also hinders communication with the reader.

In a national context, according to Sobrepeña (2018), the English

language has adopted and adapted words from other languages with which it

has come in contact. Many of these words are difficult to spell because they

are not spelled as they are pronounced. The same sound may be spelled in

some different ways, and the same letter or combination of letters may stand
for a number of different sounds. It is but natural to suppose that these

difficulties and inconsistencies add greatly to the burden of spelling. It

consequently sought to determine the most frequently misspelled words by

students in each year, the extent to which these difficulties persisted in the

upper years, and the importance of those words in a basic vocabulary as

determined by the frequency of occurrence of each misspelled word in a

running count of a million words of text. It also intended to identify these

spelling problems' sources and causes and offer some corrective strategies.

Spelling is the act of forming words from letters (Ma. Guadalope et al.,

2017). It is how the letters are arranged accurately to form a word so that it is

correctly spelled. It is a transcription skill that helps students to write with

fluency. Learning spelling words is important to a child’s future. Spelling words

help lay the basic foundation a child will need throughout his education and

life. It is an important skill that students must acquire before they can excel in

speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.

However, Mendoz (2019) also stated that the study on “Improving the

Spelling Skills of Grade Four Pupils in Tulay Elementary School through Word

Recognition” states that teachers in Tulay Elementary School agreed that the

key source of spelling difficulty of the pupils is the inability to spell new words

because of limited vocabulary and unfamiliarity.

Moreover, from the study of Ma. Guadalope et al. (2017) on “Letter

Flip: On the Spelling Ability of the Grade III Pupils'' asserts that many pupils

nowadays struggle with writing since they cannot spell words accurately. Poor
spelling is one of the most prevalent academic issues encountered by pupils,

and the problem persists from generation to generation.

In addition, this study will serve as a valuable tool for educators,

offering practical insights and strategies to uplift the spelling performance of

Grade 7 students. By fostering a supportive learning environment and

implementing interactive activities, educators can contribute significantly to the

development of essential language skills and, ultimately, the academic

success of their students.

Review of Related Literature

This section gives an overview of the relevant studies regarding the

spelling performance of students and some important strategies. The topic

"Improving Spelling Performance of Grade 8 Learners through Multisensory

Method" holds significant importance as it addresses a fundamental aspect of

education. Effective spelling skills are essential for literacy and academic

success, especially in the early stages of education.

Improving spelling performance in students continues to be a topic of

interest for researchers and educators. Recent studies have explored various

strategies and interventions that can effectively enhance spelling skills

(Mentik, 2022). This review of related literature aims to present some key

findings and approaches from studies conducted between 2015 and the

present.
Spelling and Its Importance

According to Da Costa & Arias (2021), spelling acquires great

importance in the educational context, it is necessary to awaken in students

the need for written communication, to promote the use of written language in

different situations, and to support a progressive approach to conventional

writing and motivation to approach. Da Costa & Arias (2021) posits that a

teacher who teaches English grammar must be knowledgeable or trained to

teach as a determining factor for students with a spelling base because they

will follow their pattern. Grade 8 is a critical juncture where students are

expected to have a strong foundation in language skills, and poor spelling

proficiency can hinder their overall learning experience.

Qamariah & Wahyuni (2018) stated that the urgency of spelling in

learning other skills required teachers to have good spelling instruction in the

classroom. It should be remembered that English words have different

patterns of spelling that involve phonemes and written systems. The

beginning spelling instruction should always emphasize the phonetic nature of

spelling. The fact is that written English is based on a phonemic alphabet.

Therefore, students should be taught phonemic awareness because it is a

critical thing in spelling development.

Spelling through Multisensory Techniques

Spelling skills are a fundamental aspect of language proficiency, and in

the context of Grade 8 students, they play a pivotal role in building a strong
foundation for effective communication and academic success. To further

enrich the learning experience, the integration of multisensory techniques has

emerged as a promising pedagogical approach (Richland, 2023) These

techniques engage multiple senses, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic

modalities, to reinforce spelling proficiency. By exploring the potential of

multisensory activities, educators can cater to diverse learning styles and help

students not only improve their spelling skills but also enjoy a more interactive

and engaging learning journey.

According to Maheshwari (2016), the process of using these strategies

occurs naturally and it starts even before birth. This introduction sets the stage

for a deeper exploration of the multifaceted benefits of multisensory

techniques in spelling education for Grade 8 students. Numerous studies

have underscored the significant impact of spelling on academic achievement.

Research has shown that strong spelling skills are closely linked to improved

reading comprehension, as accurate spelling facilitates word recognition and

overall literacy.

Spelling through Games

Xuan (2015) found success using a spelling game in administering

spelling lessons and interventions to ten Form 3 (third year/grade eight)

students. These students live in rural areas where English is not their first

language. Xuan stated that the game helped the students memorize the

spelling of the words used in the game. This action research study is crucial

as it aims to identify innovative interactive activities that can enhance spelling

proficiency but also to their broader academic development.

According to Qamariah & Wahyuni (2018), games are believed to

promote learning and become more interesting. Games are believed to be a

good alternative for making the classroom interesting and engaging. Games

also encourage students to pay more attention to learning. Games are also

beneficial in assisting teachers to develop the context in which the language is

used. Games also accompanied students in building good relationships with

other students to participate actively in classroom activities.

Based on the recent study by Mensah, Ansah, & Agbaglo (2022),

games are used as methods to involve students in learning. Well-chosen and

designed games are invaluable as they give students a break and at the same

time allow learners to practice language skills. Games have a great

educational value and they can be used in the classroom to make learners

use the language instead of just thinking about the correct forms. It

encourages learners to interact, cooperate, to be reactive and spontaneous in

using the language in a meaningful way. Learners want to take part in

activities; playing games is generally quite competitive (Mensah, Ansah, &

Agbaglo 2022). It adds relaxation and fun, so the learners retain words more

easily. It involves friendly composition so it keeps learners interested and

motivated. Vocabulary games bring real-world context to the classroom.

Language games can support the experience of using the language in

the classroom instead of just studying the use of it. The use of most language
games in particular can provide the use of many language items that the

simple use of conventional drill exercises. It results in meaning depending on

the time of the practice of the language itself, as well as the quality of the

language game. In addition to quality, language games allow practicing real

communication (Qamariah & Wahyuni, 2018).

Additionally, students with better spelling abilities tend to perform better

in writing tasks, which are integral to various academic disciplines. Moreover,

poor spelling can hinder the clarity and coherence of students' written

assignments, potentially affecting their grades and overall academic

performance. These findings emphasize the importance of spelling as a

fundamental component of academic success. These findings emphasize the

importance of spelling as a fundamental component of academic success.

Spelling is one of the most important and most forgotten aspects of literacy

development. In many classroom settings, it is looked at as an afterthought,

and instruction is limited to rote spelling drills and memorization (Birsh, 2005).

Integrating word in a box game activity into the curriculum can significantly

enhance the spelling skills of Grade 8 students. Students can actively engage

in a tactile learning experience, which helps reinforce the connection between

letters and their correct word order. This approach fosters a deeper

understanding of spelling patterns, phonetics, and word structure, making it

an effective tool for both visual and kinesthetic learners.

Furthermore, word in a box activity promotes interactive and

collaborative learning, as students can work together to form words and

correct each other's spelling. This not only enhances their spelling skills but
also fosters teamwork and communication skills. Overall, integrating word box

activities in the classroom provides an engaging and multisensory approach

to spelling education, benefiting students by improving their spelling

proficiency, retention of word patterns, and collaborative abilities.

Jajack (n.d.) said that there are benefits to spelling word box programs.

After practicing a word once using a spelling box activity, students

were already starting to put that word into their long-term memory. The

biggest benefit to students was when they practiced a word five times when

using the multiple sensory activities. "Ninety-eight percent of my students

correctly spelled the word they had practiced immediately after we finished

the word boxes project and 94% of the students retained that information after

three weeks," said by the same author. This is a very high percentage for the

total percentage of words spelled correctly.

Although it’s impossible to say that word boxes were the factor that

improved spelling abilities, it is reasonable to say that word boxes can only

help enhance learning. We know children gain information from continued

repetition and word boxes allow children to use the same words over many

times. We also know how important it is to both individualize and meet the

learning styles of each child. Word boxes allow each student to have their

own unique collection of words and use those words in a variety of activities.

On the study of Wulandar, Arjulayana, & Sumiyani (2019) about “The

Effect Of Word Box Game On The Eighth Grade Students’ Vocabulary

Mastery”, vocabulary is the first thing to do and one micro skill that must be

raised to help the students master four language skills. If the students have a
lack of vocabulary, they will find some difficulties in expressing ideas in oral or

written. In addition, if the students have less vocabulary, they also cannot

access the information or knowledge. Moreover, without the words the

students cannot really understand facts or ideas that the students have met.

Therefore, the students should have to obtain vocabulary mastery to

communicate effectively or express his ideas in both oral and written form and

also used as a basic foundation to construct a word into a good sequence of

sentences.

II. ACTION RESEARCH QUESTION

The researchers’ action research, "An Action Research Study on

Improving Spelling Performance Among Grade 8 Learners through Word in a

Box Game", aims to reduce the increasing number of learners performing

poorly in spelling in Grade 8 students at the researchers' cooperating school

for the school year 2023-2024 by using interactive spelling exercises.

Primarily, it will seek responses to the following questions:

1. What is the level of spelling performance of grade 7 learners before

and after the intervention of traditional and manipulated group?

2. Is there a significant difference on the spelling post-test scores

between the traditional group and the manipulated group?

III. PROPOSED INNOVATION, INTERVENTION, STRATEGY

Proposed Strategy

The process of learning to spell is not innate. The same level of explicit

instruction is necessary as with reading and writing. Spelling is a complex skill

that serves as one of the most useful lifelong abilities that can be applied

throughout one's life. It can provide students with a basic foundation that is

essential for academic success and daily existence. These abilities help

learners do well in school and advance through the grades (Admin, 2016).

Reading and writing are just two of many fundamental abilities that benefit

greatly from a solid foundation in spelling. Knowing a term well increases a

child's chances of recognizing it in new contexts, spelling it correctly, and

using it appropriately in their own writing and speech.

Hence, an educator's responsibility encompasses facilitating students'

acquisition of this foundational knowledge and broadening their repertoire of

adaptable, efficient strategies for addressing the challenge of spelling new

words.

As a result, in an effort to assist in resolving the issue of students' poor

spelling performance, the researchers decided to implement a strategic,

interactive, multisensory activity, such as “Word in a Box”, given that this is

to enhance the spelling competencies of the grade seven students enrolled at

Kibatang National High School.

According to Richland (2023), a multisensory approach to instruction is

the most effective method for students who encounter challenges in learning

to spell words. The instructor must utilize all learning modalities with this

approach: visual (visual), tactile (feel), auditory (aural), and kinesthetic

(movement). Through incorporating such a method, the process of word

spelling instruction can become an interactive journey for the learners.

Therefore, this study will implement and introduce a multisensory interactive

game, specifically “Word in a Box”, in order to determine whether or not it can

enhance the spelling proficiency of the aforementioned participants.

“Word in a Box” is a kind of interactive, collaborative game that uses a

multi-sensory approach. It is a time-bounded activity in which students are

paired and will be given a box containing letters. They have to spell the word

that will be given by the researchers by choosing and finding the letters which

are located inside the box under a specified time period. Each word, they are

tasked to spell it within 60 seconds. Hence, pairs must have good teamwork

and strategy in order to spell each word within the specified time.

Not only “Word in a Box" assists students who are having difficulty

developing vocabulary or phonemic/phonetic awareness, but they can also be

employed to teach new concepts or domain-specific vocabulary in an

engaging manner. It helps the learners visualize the more abstract spelling

concepts (Richland, 2019). Students are capable of manipulating, touching,

writing them (Hildebrand, 2023).

The procedure for implementing the multisensory activity strategy

known as "Word in a Box" is as follows:

1) The researchers will group the students by pair;

2) The researchers will provide each pair with a box containing

letters, a rectangular chipboard, and a masking tape.

3) The researcher will dictate the word twice and use it in a

sentence for each item;

4) Subsequently, within 60 seconds, each pair will look for the

letters inside the box and then manipulate or organize the letters in

order to compose the accurate spelling of the specified word by pasting

each letter in the chipboard;

5) Students raise their boards to check their spelling;

6) Tally their scores on the printed master list intended for this

activity;

7) Do steps 3-6 again until the researcher has collected a total of

15 items.

The proposed strategy, which will be implemented in the study, will be

utilized to address the issue. The intervention will be conducted once per

week for one (1) hour during regular English classes for the duration of one

month. Following a month of exposing the participants to the aforementioned

spelling assessment. This assessment will comprise of English words that are

widely recognized among students as being particularly difficult to spell, from

which it was administered during the pre-test. The spelling test scores will

serve as a research tool to measure the learner’s spelling performance in an

effort to address the issue of an increasing number of students struggling to

spell words correctly.

The data of the participants will be analyzed utilizing the following

parameters:

● Collect the preliminary spelling test scores of the seventh-grade

learners attending the cooperating school of the researchers. These

scores will function as the initial data for the study and will not reflect

the respondents' prior exposure to the strategy.

● The post-test that will be administered to the students will

comprise fifteen (15) English words that are recognized for their

difficult-to-spell characteristics. The words that will be used will be the

same words that are used during the pre-test.

● A comparative analysis of the pre-test and post-test

assessments will be conducted in order to ascertain whether the

implementation of an interactive activity, specifically the Word in a Box

Game, resulted in an improvement in the students' spelling test

performance.

Establishing teaching and learning methods or strategies is a crucial

tactic through which the instructor can gain considerable flexibility in assisting
students with their spelling in a variety of contexts. With the knowledge gained

from this research, instructors will be in a better position to assist students

who have difficulty with correct spelling. The suggested strategy will offer

teachers with a powerful and adaptable tool to enhance the learning

experience and cater to the diverse learning needs of students. It aligns with

modern pedagogical approaches that emphasize interactive and differentiated

instruction.
 CHAPTER III

IV. ACTION RESEARCH METHODS

In this chapter, the research methodology will cover the research

design, research participants, data gathering procedure, and data analysis

plan. Furthermore, this research work will provide an in-depth description of

the action research work plan and timelines, as well as the estimated costs to

cover the entire intervention period.

Research Design

This action research utilizes classroom-based action research.

According to Clark (n.d.), educational practitioners and professionals

frequently employ action research methodology to critically reflect on and

enhance their pedagogy and practice. In this way, it offers a path toward

improving one's teaching practice through documented and examined

reflection.

The study will also utilize a quantitative approach, with data being

collected via recording the spelling assessment scores of the selected grade 8

students on a spelling test. Descriptive statistics in the form of tables will be

utilized to collect data and provide insight into the research's questions.
 Through this research, the researchers will be able to determine if the

proposed strategy, particularly the use of an interactive activity, like the “Word

in a Box”, during spelling assessments, is an efficient way to improve

students' spelling skills since the study's goal was based on the researcher's

desire to improve the spelling competency of the grade 8 students in Kibatang

National School.

Research Participants

As for the individuals who will take part in this study, the currently

enrolled grade 8 students of Kibatang National High School are the primary

research participants. An estimated total of 77 students from the separate

groups with different approaches and strategies will be observed during the

implementation of the study.

Particularly, the researchers will separate participants into two distinct

groups: the control and manipulated group. The control group will continue

using the traditional way of spelling assessment while the manipulated group

will make use of the interactive, multisensory game, such as Word in a Box, to

test and compare whether or not such interactive multisensory activity may

improve the students’ spelling performance. Each group will be approximately

composed of 42 students.

In addition to that, the researchers will also be active participants in this

study since they will lead the class and provide the necessary evaluations and

interventions to the study's target respondents. The researchers will conduct

an initial spelling assessment on all sections they're assigned to choose which

expected to perform the poorest on the preliminary assessment.

Data Gathering Procedure

Before the researchers gather the tangible data, they will secure a

Certificate of Approval from their undergraduate school's Research Ethics

Committee (REC) to guarantee that this paper meets ethical standards and

that the researchers follow ethical research guidelines. After securing the

Certificate of Approval, the researchers will send letters of permission with the

research proposal to conduct a study to the cooperating school's principal and

the assigned English teacher of Sta. Ana National High School. This step

ensures the school's cooperation and support for the study.

Thus, the researchers will administer an initial 15-item spelling

assessment to all 8th-grade students to identify the participants where the

scores of each section will be totaled. The results of this assessment will help

identify students with the greatest need for improvement in spelling

performance.

Afterward, based on the results of the initial spelling assessment, the

researchers will select two groups: a control section and an intervention

section. The control group will continue with the standard spelling curriculum,

while the intervention group will engage in the interactive spelling game
designed for this study. Both the control and intervention group will answer a

15-item pretest, consisting of English words that have three to four syllables

which are difficult to spell because they are not spelled as they are

pronounced. In the intervention group, the researchers will introduce the

interactive spelling activity. This introduction will clearly explain the activities,

their objectives, and how they will be integrated into the regular curriculum.

The researcher plans to implement the “Word in a Box Game”. The

intervention of this game will be accomplished within 4 days, specifically once

a week on every Friday within the English Class, allocating a duration of one

hour per session (60 minutes). Every day, this will have 15 different words to

test the spelling performances of the Grade-7 Students through this

interactive activity. After implementing this pretest with the students, there will

be a post-test after a month. The words used during the pretest days are still

employed throughout the post-test. The researcher will make sure to

rearrange the sequence for the post-test. This post-test will also be designed

to assess any improvements in spelling performance through the post-test

results, facilitating a comparative analysis to assess discernible differences.

The collected data will be analyzed to determine the effectiveness of

the interactive activities in improving students' spelling performance, utilizing

the DepEd’s MPS (mean percentage score) Level to compare pre-test and

post-test results between the two groups. Statistical analyses, such as t-tests,

may be employed to assess the statistical significance of the observed

changes. The researchers will thoroughly document the data, findings, and

insights gathered during the study, ensuring a comprehensive examination of

the impact of interactive activities on spelling performance. These findings,

report.

By following this data-gathering procedure, we will be well-prepared to

assess the impact of interactive spelling activities on grade 8 students'

spelling performance at Kibatang National High School. This data-gathering

procedure not only ensures the ethical conduct of the study but also provides

a robust methodology for evaluating the efficacy of the interactive spelling

activities. The research aims to contribute valuable insights into improving

students' spelling performance and may have implications for educational

practices in similar settings.

Data Analysis Plan

This quantitative action research will utilize the quasi-experimental

research, particularly the pretest-posttest design. In this research, two

observations were conducted, specifically before the commencement of the

experiment and after its completion.