There is a strong connection between word reading and spelling development. Students’ spelling can provide insights into their word-level reading skills and inform intensive reading interventions delivered within a data-based individualization framework. The purpose of this article is to describe the linguistic knowledge bases that connect word reading and spelling and to provide a step-by-step guide that describes how special educators can use a fine-grained analysis of students’ diagnostic spelling assessment data to make adaptations to intensify reading intervention for elementary students with word-level reading disabilities.
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