‘Ganz FRESCH’ – everything FRESCH?

On the origin, concept, reception and dissemination of the Freiburger Rechtschreibschule

Abstract

The so-called FRESCH strategies are omnipresent in teaching materials and teaching practice. Drawing on various sources, including an interview with one of the originators of the concept, this article traces the origins of the Freiburger Rechtschreibschule, identifies the core of the original concept — initially developed to support dyslexic pupils — and reports on its predominantly critical reception in L1 language teaching literature. An analysis of current teaching materials shows that important elements of the original FRESCH concept, such as the combination of speech, movement and rhythm to provide cognitive load reduction, are frequently omitted when the concept is adopted or adapted for mainstream teaching. Consequently, FRESCH is often reduced to a one-dimensional approach involving specific spelling strategies. Against this background, and in light of existing gaps in empirical research, the article argues for a clear distinction to be made between the original FRESCH concept and its implementation in teaching materials and teaching practice.