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Dysgraphia; which spelling curriculum?


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Dd is 12 (currently 7th grade) and received a formal diagnosis of Dysgraphia last June (although the pediatrician had already pegged her as such almost a year before). She also has mild ADHD, low-ish processing speed and low working memory, but with a high perceptual reasoning score. She is definitely a right brain learner.

 

Her spelling is about on par with a 5th grade level. I had already tried traditional programs long before the testing. We also used sequential spelling which was going well and seemed to be sticking, but she didn't care for it as we got further into the second level. After the diagnosis, I thought we needed something more substantial anyway for remediation. She did not like AAS, and it didn't seem to be translating into real life. She gets impatient and feels that she should be spelling bigger words by now. I think that was part of the issue with AAS. She says that it makes a big procedure out of just spelling (I think she meant a big production :rolleyes: ). Although she didn't seem to mind the tiles too much.

 

Dd did learn phonics in 1st-4th grade. She was very slow with it, and it was a difficult process. She reads fluently and with good comprehension (above grade level according to the testing), but I think they 'run in the background' if that makes sense. I don't know that they are active in her use.


Her misspellings are inconsistent with themselves. For instance, on her science test, she spelled recycle in 2 places but as "recicle" in one place and "resicale" in another. Oxygen was "oxagean." Sometimes her mistakes make sense phonetically, but sometimes not.

 

 

I was wondering about Apples and Pears, but I am open to other suggestions as well. Have you used A&P, what did you think? Have you taught a dysgraphic to spell without 'too much procedure' or is she just going to have to suck it up?

 

 

ETA: Anyone ever use Spelling You See?

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I have a hard time seeing spelling programs translate into my kids writing. I have three kids that are dyslexic and dysgraphic. My oldest dysgraphic son learned almost all spelling by copywork - it also taught him a ton of grammar naturally. I was slow to start my daughter on copywork, but it is really helping her spelling now.

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I would watch through my spelling lessons with her. Then focus on a big picture program that works on spelling within the context of roots.

 

One choice is Marcia Henry's Words.

 

http://www.proedinc.com/customer/productView.aspx?ID=989

 

For example, recycle is from greek roots and greek words have ph as f, ch as k, and an overuse of y as I although there is still some use of I as I in a few words.

 

My friend who has a child with dysgraphia found the ideas in Cynthia Stowe's Spelling Smart helpful.

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My dysgraphic has learned best through typed spelling dictation as well. We started AAS young so the words were more appropriate for his level. If that didn't work though, I would look at using How to Teach Spelling and just doing word lists/sentence dictations. You could even add in the tile component using the Sound Literacy app on iPad and have her manipulate the virtual tiles without any writing component at all.

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Take a look at Spelling U See.  Be sure to take the placement tests.  I've got two kiddos with issues - both hate to write and I've tried the AAS but it was just too many rules and too much pressure.  I switched to Spelling U See last spring when it came out and boy have we've had a wonderful time with the program.  It is easy to do.  Short and sweet.  It doesn't look like much on its face but when all the other programs don't work this one fits the bill.  I have made one minor adjustment for my dysgraphic (and very dyslexic) ds and on dictation day I have him type in the dictation and that has been a great tool.  I find that when he has to erase with a pencil and start over with the forming the letters it just causes too much lag in his brain but when the computer begins to light up red when he begins to misspell, he is quick to use his skills to fix without losing brain power.  His favorite day of the week is no rules day where they can either write sentences related to the topic for the week or their own stories.  I've seen the transfer of skills into their other writing assignments but without the melt downs I was getting with all the rule memorizing, etc.  I appreciate that the words are in context and not just a list of words.

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My dysgraphic has learned best through typed spelling dictation as well. We started AAS young so the words were more appropriate for his level. If that didn't work though, I would look at using How to Teach Spelling and just doing word lists/sentence dictations. You could even add in the tile component using the Sound Literacy app on iPad and have her manipulate the virtual tiles without any writing component at all.

 

FairProspects, how much pre-programmed stuff comes with this app? I was looking at the samples in the iTunes store. I was wondering if the long a sound comparison chart (ea, ay, ei, etc.) shown as a sample is something it comes with or something the user put into the program. I have some charts that do this kind of thing, but I forget about them because I don't hang things up in a dedicated room. They are also too visually cluttered. I love the idea of using this app for something like that, but I am so "out of sight, out of mind," lol. I also usually need to see what other people have done with an app like this in order to come up with idea of how I'd like to use it.

 

OP--You might consider Sequential Spelling with the option to spell out loud, use letter tiles, or type the answers. It's pattern-based, starting with a particular pattern and then adding prefixes and suffixes to the words in that pattern. It deals with homonyms and homophones. Each day has a list of words to write, and the parent provides immediate correction. The next day's list will be the same pattern, but then add prefixes. Then maybe the next day adds suffixes. The last day may add both. Then the pattern switches

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My DD is dysgraphic and has done great with A&P.  It can be a lot of writing, but we go nice and slow and only do 1 page (1 side) a day.  It takes us about a year to make it through 1 book, but her spelling has grown by leaps and bounds.  It has also helped a bit with her writing endurance.  That one page we do takes about 15 minutes.

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  • 3 weeks later...

FairProspects, how much pre-programmed stuff comes with this app? I was looking at the samples in the iTunes store. I was wondering if the long a sound comparison chart (ea, ay, ei, etc.) shown as a sample is something it comes with or something the user put into the program. I have some charts that do this kind of thing, but I forget about them because I don't hang things up in a dedicated room. They are also too visually cluttered. I love the idea of using this app for something like that, but I am so "out of sight, out of mind," lol. I also usually need to see what other people have done with an app like this in order to come up with idea of how I'd like to use it.

 

OP--You might consider Sequential Spelling with the option to spell out loud, use letter tiles, or type the answers. It's pattern-based, starting with a particular pattern and then adding prefixes and suffixes to the words in that pattern. It deals with homonyms and homophones. Each day has a list of words to write, and the parent provides immediate correction. The next day's list will be the same pattern, but then add prefixes. Then maybe the next day adds suffixes. The last day may add both. Then the pattern switches

I have the first Sequential Spelling for my son and it is making more sense to him than anything else.

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