Spelling Tips

HOMESCHOOL TEACHER

Homeschool Mentor

 When it comes to spelling two different processes need to be addressed separately.

 

            1. Spelling -Does your child know the words and how to spell them?

            2. Recall and use -Can your child spell them again a week or two later?

 

Spelling Tips ON SPELLING


Techniques that we use that seem to work the best, are techniques that focus on the visual aspects of spelling. If you ask someone who is a good/great speller how they spell, most of the time they will say something like, I see the word or visualize it in some way.

So, for someone to become a good speller it seems to be important that they see the word in their mind.  Spelling correctly is about putting letters in a relative position to other letters.

Also, it is important that when they speak/hear the word that they hear it correctly and if it is not phonetic they need to isolate those areas. Then when trying to spell the word they need to be aware of that potential problem area.

Spelling Tips Method 1:

1.  One effective way is to ask them to spell the word orally several times but not necessarily all in one period of time.  See next tip to take out the boring repetition.

2. Go through each word on the spelling list, identify areas where your child might have problems, and point out the correct way to spell the word, then quiz him/her orally once or twice...then an hour or so later, ask him/her to spell it out loud again, then a couple hours later again, lengthening the time frame until there is no doubt your child can spell the word. This forces your child to recall the spelling and it doesn't have to be traumatic.

It took me several years to find a great spelling method..

The simplified method which we now use successfully and where I have seen the most improvement is...

Spelling Tips Method 2 Optional Starting Point:

a. This step is optional but it is something we have started doing recently and to explain it in depth would take awhile-so while I mention it I don't necessarily think you need to do it..

Photoread a dictionary or part of dictionary with focus on spelling patterns and vocabulary improvement to help in spelling and writing. Photoreading is a process similar to speed reading but with a different twist. 

 

Spelling Tips Method 2 Start here:

b. Do one word at a time....ask your child to write down the word...like a spelling test without the studying. If he spells it correctly, go on. If he has to think about it a lot or gets it wrong proceed with the next steps.

 

c. Let him See the word, by itself, written correctly.  It is important that you isolate the word on a paper or blackboard whatever. (Because I do all three kids at once, if one gets it wrong they all do the process...but I spell the word correctly to them, they check and write it down as I spell it out loud.

 

d. Identify potential spelling problem areas, for example,

"sense"  an area to focus on would be "s" or "c" for the second "S" sound

 

e. Then rewrite the word, isolated-meaning by itself with no other words around it-emphasizing the problem area in bold or color   "senSe"

Color is more fun and helps to visualize it better.

 

f. Tell your child to look at the newly written word-notice the area in bold/color....then have your child close his/her eyes, look up and to the right and try to see the word in his/her mind....this takes practice.

If this is a problem, try it with a word your child knows, and practice.

Now, while seeing the word in his/her mind, have your child spell the word forward and then backwards- this will help put the letters in the right spaces...this gets easier the more you do it.

Then have your child look at the word again and self check.. Did he/she spell it right.....regardless....repeat the look at the word, look up to right, eyes closed, spell the word forward and backward and check.  Repeat this 5 times. Then have your child write the word down.

 

g. Retest....either orally or on a subsequent test. I do ten words per day and at the end have them turn the paper over and retest problem words and words from previous days-especially focusing on words they have had trouble with...

 

The Spelling Tips Method 2 Simplified


1. Write down the word
2. Identify problem areas
3. Rewrite the word
4. Close eyes, look up to the right
5. Spell word forward and backwards
6. Self check
7. REPEAT 5 times
8. Retest

Spelling Tips ON RECALL AND USE

This area is especially troublesome for some teachers because one week your child spells the word, passes the test and you go on assuming they have it down only to find that very same word misspelled a week later in a written essay. Can we say, "Frustrating?"

My advice is, RELAX, this is normal. I think it is important to not STRESS about this...around 13-14 for boys and a little earlier for girls, something clicks and this is one of those things that improves.

However, if you, the teacher make a big deal out of this when they are 9-10 or earlier while they are learning to write and make it a chore to write because they are going to stress about spelling, it will be more of a problem. I know this from experience. Check out my Homeschool Journal and see how often my oldest is struggling with getting words onto the paper.

A bigger problem is that your child may eventually not enjoy writing and consciously or subconsciously dread it. Remember the bigger picture about spelling is that spelling is a tool of writing and while important can be checked in other ways if necessary.

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