Structured word inquiry, often abbreviated SWI, is a pedagogical technique that involves the scientific investigation of the spelling of words, examining word structure through morphology, etymology, related words and phonology. It rests on two core principles: that English spelling primarily represents meaning, and that spelling conventions are orderly enough to be investigated systematically through inquiry-based methods.
Facts
Core ClaimStructured word inquiry holds that English spelling primarily represents meaning rather than sound, and that its conventions are well-ordered and reliable enough to be investigated and understood through scientific inquiry into a word's morphology, etymology and phonology. 1 Sources
1. Structured Word Inquiry (Wikipedia)
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The guiding principles of SWI are (1) "the primary function of English spelling is to represent meaning" and (2) "conventions by which English spelling represents meaning are so well-ordered and reliable that spelling can be investigated and understood through scientific inquiry."
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