Spelling question for my 4th grader

[kdkjglover]

My son, who is slightly dsylexic, is struggling so much with spelling. For K-3rd grade we did Spelling Workout. He can make a 100% each week, but the words never stick in his brain for long. This year we switched to Sequential Spelling, which he really likes and seems to make a little more sense to him. Yet, he can only retain about 50% and we are moving painfully slow. He is really starting to get frustrated with himself. Any thoughts?

[ElizabethB]

My daughter can memorize a bible verse or spelling words after one or two readings, but math facts...1,000 times, give or take a few, and then she will not retain them long term always. The Flashmaster has been helpful in keeping up with what she knows and doesn't, and is more efficient practice than what we've been using. I wish there was a program like Flashmaster for spelling that could easily keep track of the words and rules that you know.

I would try to get him to understand that it is going to take him a lot longer to learn them than someone else who is naturally good at spelling.

You might want to try something else for a break, I have a list of free and cheap spelling resources that I like:

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Spelling/spellingforsucce.html

[Lori D.]

First, we've found that it just took time for the spelling part of his brain to "click in" -- he was about 12yo before he started to "get" spelling. So, gentle perseverance while patiently waiting for the spelling parts of his brain to mature may be what is most helpful in him retaining words and vowel patterns.

Second, we found that working with the words in a variety of ways was crucial to helping him learn and retain the words. We also found Megawords to be a VERY helpful spelling supplement, along about 5th/6th grade.
(I wouldn't try it below grade 5 or 6 with a student struggling with spelling.) It teaches vowel patterns and syllabication patterns which, a little like Sequential Spelling, help the child break the word into smaller roots with prefixes/endings, or smaller syllable "bites". See the table of contents and a number of sample pages for each of the 8 workbooks at: www.christianbook.com

Below are the techniques that have helped (and continue to help) our son the most. He is now 15yo and 9th grade, still struggles, but is slowly progressing. Simultaneous writing/spelling is still hard for him. BEST of luck as you patiently persevere! Warmest regards, Lori D.



1. Practice spelling the words out loud (4x a week, 3-5 minutes/day)
(idea from Phonetic Zoo spelling, combined with "Toss It" idea from Carol Barnier's book "How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and onto Learning")

First you clearly say the word aloud, then spell it (syllable by syllable if that helps), and toss the child a beanie toy; then the student says the word / spells it correctly back to you, and tosses the beanie back to you. The beanie toss helps keep him focused and mentally prepared. *Immediately* stop and correct any misspelling by spelling it aloud correctly several times and have the student spell it correctly by looking at it and reading it letter by letter at least 5 times (to prevent the child's brain from "locking in" on a misspelling). Hearing the letters in correct sequential order really helps cement correct spelling in the mind.


2. Work with words on the whiteboard (3x a week, 5-10 minutes/day)
(somewhat based on Sequential Spelling ideas of seeing a root word/syllable and adding onto it)

- Reinforce vowel patterns, syllabication patterns, etc. from the lesson.

- Write out root words and practice adding endings, prefixes, etc.
(ex.: "hope" -- since the word ends with a vowel, and some endings begin with a vowel, they "butt heads", so you drop the "-e" at the end of "hope" and then add the endings such as "-er" or "-ing"; adding endings such as "-ful" or "-less", or prefixes such as "-un" are not a problem)

- Work with homophones -- see the different spellings, and draw a picture or tell a little story to help the difference stick.
(ex: "meet" and "meat"; it takes 2 people to "meet" and there are 2 "e"s in "meet"; draw the letter "a" to look like a heart and say "I love to eat "meat" -- and see, the word "eat" is IN the word "meat"; etc.)


3. Dictate sentences with spelling words (1-2x a week; 5-10 min./day)
(idea from Stevenson Blue Spelling Manual which teaches vowel patterns through very visual pictures and reinforces with seeing words in context of reading/writing)

Do this later in the week, after student has had time to get familiar with the spelling words; dictate 5 sentences, (slowly, one at a time) each with 2-3 spelling words in them for student to practice simultaneous thinking / writing / spelling.



Other helpful ways to practice spelling for mildly dyslexic student:

- Cornmeal Writing
In a tray of cornmeal or fine sand, student uses fingertip to form each letter in order, saying each letter as it is written.

- Trace/Erase
Student writes each letter in order on whiteboard, saying each letter as student writes it; then student erases each letter in order (saying each letter) using fingertip as the eraser, so the student is forming each letter a second time as he/she "erases" letter by letter.

- Tabletop Writing
Student uses finger to write each letter VERY BIG on a table top (must involve whole arm), saying each letter as he/she forms it.