lessons and why we use them

We use lessons in S2C because they provide a meaningful and structured way to engage spellers in learning and communication. Lessons help us dive into a variety of topics, whether academic, current events, or personal interests, so the speller's mind is always being challenged and “fed.” This is important because spellers, just like anyone else, have rich, complex thoughts and ideas, and lessons create a space for them to express these fully.

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Lesson question structure:

spell-only (green)

• Ask the speller to spell a word from the lesson.

• Useful for new spellers or as a warm-up, focusing on motor tasks.

known questions (green)

• Questions with one correct answer, like fill-in-the-blank.

• Used to reduce cognitive demand when teaching new motor skills.

numbers & math (purple)

• Involves dates, quantities, and word problems, asking spellers to make calculations.

semi-open (orange)

• Limited set of possible answers, like asking for synonyms or antonyms.

• As spellers improve, questions become broader.

open-ended (pink)

• Infinite possible answers, asking spellers to share opinions or original thoughts.

• Used with advanced spellers, focusing on independence.

creative writing (pink)

• Open-ended responses to lesson content, encouraging creative thinking.

prior knowledge (blue)

• Questions based on spellers’ general knowledge or experience, not directly from the lesson.

vakt (red)

• Activities that engage multiple senses (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile) to enhance learning.​

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Here is a lesson created by Brittney for you to take a look at for reference: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xQiS7ZsDiAO9JXRVP5LgtAP56miNPwRdqsL5SkvsFsM/edit