Triple R Teaching [Listen again] Structured Word Inquiry - with Dr. Pete Bowers
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Aug 25, 2025 Dr. Pete Bowers, an advocate for structured word inquiry and founder of the WordWorks Literacy Center, dives into the fascinating world of morphology in spelling instruction. He clarifies why words labeled as 'irregular' often aren’t, highlighting the hidden logic of English spelling. Personal anecdotes showcase his transformative teaching journey, while he emphasizes the importance of understanding word structures over rote memorization. Bowers introduces interactive methods to grasp complex words and advocates for a meaning-based approach, making spelling more accessible to all learners.
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From Terrible Speller To Morphology Convert
- Pete Bowers describes being a terrible speller until discovering Real Spelling and seeing the base 'real' explains 'really'.
- He instantly stopped memorizing and began understanding spellings through morphology.
Morphology Boosts Vocabulary Broadly
- Bowers' intervention (grade 4–5) showed structured word inquiry improved vocabulary gains beyond taught words.
- Students generalized knowledge to related words not explicitly taught.
Morphology Helps Phonology Too
- Meta-analyses show morphological instruction helps all students and benefits youngest and least able most.
- Surprisingly, the largest gains from morphology are on phonological outcomes.
