The Curious Case of ITA: Why Some Adults Struggle With Spelling After Learning This 1960s Reading System
If you’ve ever found yourself second-guessing basic spellings like “enough” or “friend,” you’re not alone. For a generation of students taught to read using the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA) in the 1960s and ’70s, spelling quirks in adulthood can feel like a lingering side effect of a well-intentioned educational experiment. Let’s unpack what ITA was, why it left some adults grappling with traditional spelling, and how to bridge the gap today.
What Was the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA)?
Developed by British educator Sir James Pitman in the early 1960s, ITA aimed to simplify reading for young children. The system used 44 unique symbols to represent English phonemes (distinct sounds), eliminating inconsistencies in traditional spelling. For example, the word “night” became “niet” in ITA, while “shoe” was written as “shoo.” The idea was logical: if children learned a phonetic alphabet first, they’d grasp reading faster and transition smoothly to standard English later.
Schools across the English-speaking world—particularly in the U.K., U.S., Australia, and New Zealand—adopted ITA enthusiastically. For many kids, it worked. They decoded words effortlessly, gaining confidence as readers. But for others, the transition to traditional spelling proved bumpier than expected.
The Spelling Hurdle: Why ITA Didn’t Stick for Everyone
At its core, ITA was a stepping stone, not a permanent system. Teachers typically phased it out by age 7, assuming kids would naturally adapt to standard spelling. But critics argue this transition often happened too abruptly. Imagine spending years learning that “fish” is spelled “f-i-sh” (using ITA symbols), only to be told one day it’s suddenly “f-i-s-h.” For some students, this shift sowed confusion.
Research from the University of London in the 1970s found that while ITA improved early reading fluency, students who relied heavily on it struggled with irregular spellings later. English is notorious for its exceptions—words like “yacht,” “colonel,” or “Wednesday” defy phonetic rules. ITA didn’t prepare children for these quirks, leaving gaps in their understanding of standard spelling patterns.
“My Brain Still Thinks in ITA”: Real-Life Challenges
Adults who learned ITA often share similar stories. Jane, a 58-year-old librarian from Manchester, recalls: “I could read chapter books by age six, but spelling tests felt impossible. Even now, I write ‘ruff’ instead of ‘rough’ without thinking.” Others describe relying on spell-check or avoiding handwritten notes altogether.
The issue isn’t illiteracy but a mismatch between early learning and adult expectations. ITA emphasized sounding out words, not memorizing their visual forms. This works brilliantly for languages like Spanish or Finnish, where spelling is highly regular. But English demands both phonetic decoding and visual memory. For ITA learners, the latter skill often lagged.
Bridging the Gap: Practical Tips for Adults
If ITA left you with spelling insecurities, don’t panic—your brain is adaptable. Here’s how to retrain it:
1. Embrace Phonics (Again, but Differently):
Use apps like Phonics Hero or Nessy to revisit sound-letter relationships in standard English. Focus on irregular words and exceptions.
2. Visual Learning Techniques:
Write troublesome words repeatedly by hand. The physical act helps cement their shapes in your memory. Tools like Anki flashcards can automate this process.
3. Morphology Matters:
Learn word roots (e.g., “bio” for life, “tele” for distance). Understanding a word’s structure makes spelling less arbitrary.
4. Laugh at the Chaos:
English spelling is a historical mess—blame Vikings, French invaders, and lazy scribes. YouTube channels like History of English make these irregularities feel less personal.
The Legacy of ITA: A Mixed Blessing
While ITA fell out of favor by the 1980s (replaced by whole-language and balanced literacy approaches), its legacy persists. It highlighted the importance of phonemic awareness—a skill now recognized as critical for early reading. Modern systems like Jolly Phonics borrow ITA’s phonetic emphasis but integrate standard spelling from the start.
For those who learned ITA, the takeaway isn’t frustration but perspective. You mastered a complex artificial alphabet as a child—a testament to your adaptability. With targeted practice, standard spelling can become second nature. After all, if you conquered 44 unique symbols at age five, you’ve already proven you can learn anything.
So next time you pause over “necessary” or “accommodate,” remember: the problem isn’t you. It’s the wild, wonderful inconsistency of English—and a teaching method that forgot to warn you about it.
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