Episode Details

If you’ve ever said that “English is crazy,” this episode is for you. I’m joined by Dr. Peter Bowers, researcher, educator, and founder of Structured Word Inquiry (SWI). His work has shaped how educators understand the English writing system: not as chaotic or exception-ridden, but as a coherent, meaning-driven system.

Dr. Bowers shares the personal moment when English spelling first made sense to him and explains why misconceptions about spelling persist in classrooms today. This episode unpacks what Structured Word Inquiry truly is (and what it is not), why morphology is considered a binding agent, and how spelling, phonology, and meaning are fundamentally interconnected.

Key Takeaways:

1. Why morphology acts as a binding agent in the English writing system
2. What the research actually shows about morphology instruction
3. How the matrix and word sums help reveal spelling logic
4. Why inquiry and explicit instruction are not opposites
5. How recent conversations, including the importance of spelling-meaning correspondences and shifts in how orthographic mapping is understood, are making an impact in the field

If you’ve ever felt like English spelling “just doesn’t make sense,” this episode will change the way you see the written word – and the way you teach them.

Helpful Resources:

1. Book: Teaching How the Written Word Works by Dr. Peter Bowers
2. Real Spelling Toolbox
3. Document on “Guiding Principles, Concepts and Practices of SWI” (Feb 2025)
4. Video on Combinatorial structure of English orthography & link to matrix and word sum
5. TEDx Talk introducing a big picture of English orthography and how SWI explains many spellings currently treated as irregular
6. Spelling-Out-Orthography page with many videos and resources. This includes videos describing the process of spelling-out-orthography and videos of kids engaging in this key practice to support orthographic mapping.
7. About WordWorks page with many links to free resources, including videos and links to most of his published research.