Research evidence from linguistic studies of American English orthography and from neurophysiological and psychological research in ways that children learn indicates that the content and instructional practices of current spelling instruction programs should be drastically revised. Initial spelling instruction should encourage children to analyze the written code in relation to previously established phonemic habits by listening for the placement of phonemes in words (to the ways in which they are enunciated, and to the basic regularity with which they are represented by graphemes in writing). Through these multisensory experiences with the sounds, sights, and feelings of words, an effective spelling program would encourage children to discover inductively the basic visual structures or strategies underlying words, and would then require them to reinforce these insights in their writing. (JB)