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The Curious Case of the Initial Teaching Alphabet – And Why Some Adults Still Can’t Spell

Family Education Eric Jones 65 views 0 comments

The Curious Case of the Initial Teaching Alphabet – And Why Some Adults Still Can’t Spell

Mrs. Thompson’s first-grade classroom smelled like pencil shavings and paste. I remember staring at my beginner reader book, fascinated by the strange symbols beneath familiar pictures. The letters looked almost like English – but not quite. There were extra hooks, elongated vowels, and curious combinations that made “cat” appear as “kæt” and “shoe” transform into “shū.” This was ITA, the Initial Teaching Alphabet, and for millions of 1960s-70s kids like me, it became our gateway to literacy – and possibly the root of lifelong spelling confusion.

The Great Reading Experiment
Developed by British linguist Sir James Pitman (grandson of shorthand inventor Isaac Pitman), ITA aimed to solve English’s notorious spelling inconsistencies. Using 44 characters to represent 44 sounds, it created a phonetic bridge for children learning to read. The logic seemed flawless: master reading through consistent symbols first, then transition to traditional spelling later. Schools across English-speaking nations embraced ITA enthusiastically, believing they’d found the key to eradicating illiteracy.

For many of us, it worked beautifully – at first. The thrill of fluidly decoding words like “environment” (rendered as “envīrənmənt”) gave a confidence boost that standard spelling might not have. My classmates and I raced through ITA readers, unaware we’d later stumble over silent letters and irregular verbs.

When the Training Wheels Come Off
The trouble emerged around third grade during “the transition.” Teachers swapped our colorful ITA books for traditional texts, expecting us to intuitively connect symbols like “ȝ” to “g” or remember that “fōnētiḱ” becomes “phonetic.” The cognitive whiplash was real.

Neuroscience now explains why: our brains had formed strong neural pathways linking sounds to ITA’s visual representations. Dr. Ellen Bryant, a literacy researcher at Cambridge University, compares it to learning math with Roman numerals before switching to Arabic numbers. “The initial system becomes so deeply encoded that overriding it requires conscious effort,” she explains.

This explains the persistent errors ITA learners report:
– Phonetic overcorrections (“frend” instead of “friend”)
– Vowel confusion (“sed” vs. “said”)
– Silent letter amnesia (“knee” becoming “nee”)
– Hybrid spellings mixing ITA and standard English

The Hidden Legacy
Now in our 40s-60s, former ITA students share remarkably similar stories. Mark, a graphic designer from Chicago, recounts: “I aced every spelling test until third grade. Then suddenly I was making mistakes my non-ITA peers never did. My teacher thought I wasn’t trying.” Sarah, a Canadian librarian, laughs: “I still want to write ‘biskit’ instead of ‘biscuit’ – those ITA shortcuts die hard.”

Psycholinguists note these aren’t simple errors but evidence of competing memory systems. ITA created what’s known as “interference” – when prior learning inhibits new information retention. For some, this manifests as chronic doubt. “I use spellcheck relentlessly,” admits Tom, a UK journalist. “There’s always this voice asking, ‘But does it look right?’”

Rewiring the Brain
The good news? Our plastic brains can adapt. Strategies helping ITA survivors improve include:
1. Etymology awareness: Understanding word origins (e.g., “ph” in Greek-derived words) explains spelling patterns.
2. Morphological mapping: Breaking words into roots/affixes (un+believe+able) aids memory.
3. Tactile learning: Tracing letters while saying them aloud engages multiple senses.
4. Error journaling: Keeping a log of recurring mistakes reveals personal trouble spots.
5. Controlled exposure: Reading material slightly above one’s level gently reinforces conventions.

Technology offers unexpected aids. Apps like Grammarly provide real-time feedback without shame, while text-to-speech tools let users hear misspelled words’ dissonance. Even autocorrect’s red squiggles serve as mini-teaching moments.

Reframing the Narrative
Rather than viewing ITA as a failure, educators now recognize it as an ambitious – if imperfect – solution to a real problem. Modern literacy programs blend its best aspects (phonemic awareness) with structured language study. As for those of us caught in the transition gap? Our spelling struggles may simply prove how deeply early learning embeds itself.

So next time you hesitate between “their” and “there,” remember: your brain isn’t broken – it’s layered. Those ITA foundations helped you read early, and with mindful practice, traditional spelling can become second nature. After all, language is living and evolving. Maybe our hybrid skills make us uniquely equipped to appreciate its beautiful messiness.

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