Fortunately, educators have come to realize that rote drill and practice isn’t the most efficient way to master a reading or writing skill. Students need the opportunity to think critically and manipulate words and their concepts. That way they can generalize words based on spelling or other commonalities. Grasping spelling, word recognition, and vocabulary goes beyond memorizing a few rules. The best way to become proficient in words and their features is to have plenty of opportunities to examine them in different contexts.