Spelling
The act of forming words from letters
Webster’s dictionary defines it and makes it sound simple. But for some, that is simply not the case. Spelling is in fact a very complex skill. It involves:
- Phonological Processing (with reading and writing skills, everything always comes back to this!)
- Phonics Skills (the ability to apply symbols to sounds)
- Strategic thinking regarding rules and morphology
- Visual Memory
Spelling Tips
Don't tell them - Ask them!
Of course you can't ask questions for every little thing. Parents: it would drive your child crazy! Teacher: you would never get everything done! But...they need to learn how to think, not just memorize.
Practice these pieces over a period of days. Think of it like creating a path in your backyard - you have to go over the same ground day after day in order for it to become permanent.
Of course you can't ask questions for every little thing. Parents: it would drive your child crazy! Teacher: you would never get everything done! But...they need to learn how to think, not just memorize.
- Phonological processing:
"How many syllables are there?" (2 - /chap/, /ter/)
"What are the sounds you hear in the first syllable?" (/ch/, /a/, /p/)
"What are the sounds you hear in the second syllable?" (/t/, /er/) - Apply phonics:
"What is the most common way to spell the /ch/ sound?" - Rules:
"What kind of syllable does a short vowel have to be in?" (closed)
"What are the best options for spelling /er/ at the end of a two syllable word?" (er, ar, or) - Visual Memory:
Practice. Have them write the word a few times. Come back to a difficult one a few minutes later and try again.
Practice these pieces over a period of days. Think of it like creating a path in your backyard - you have to go over the same ground day after day in order for it to become permanent.