Primary Investigator: Brennan Chandler, PhD

Funding: Georgia State Research Foundation

Contact: bchandler12@gsu.edu

Spell Squad is a spelling intervention program for early elementary students who need explicit, systematic support with spelling. Spell Squad is built on a scope and sequence derived from the frequency and consistency of grapheme–phoneme correspondences and high-utility irregular words in children’s texts, with particular attention given to the variability of vowel patterns.  Lessons are delivered through tightly scripted routines that emphasize explicit modeling, guided practice, cumulative review, and interleaved retrieval opportunities. The goal of the program is to increase both encoding skills and word reading efficiency. Current feasibility testing focuses on implementation in real classrooms, examining teacher usability, student engagement, and fidelity.

Research Questions:

  1. To what extent can teachers implement Spell Squad pilot lessons with fidelity and within the intended time frame during Tier 2 small-group instruction?

  2. How do teachers and students perceive the usability, clarity, and engagement of the routines in classroom settings?

  3. What are the short-term effects of Spell Squad on students’ spelling accuracy and word reading efficiency?

If you are an educator interested in piloting lessons from Spell Squad in your classroom or providing feedback on the program, please email me at bchandler12@gsu.edu.