Spelling difficulties...help please

[Strawberry Queen]

Okay, I decided to check my younger dd's spelling now that she's finished grade one. She can't spell. She can read like there's no tomorrow but she can't spell-words like going, what, did.

 

If I write the individual letter down, or blend, she can say the sound and make the word. She just can't take what she hears and put it into letters. She has done copywork daily and we did OPG.

 

Any ideas on how I can teach her to do this? Any spelling programs that would address this difficulty? I have SWO and Spelling Power. FWIW she does have some speech issues with clarity and typical sound substitutions like w for r etc.

 

TIA

[ReneeK]

Have you looked at All About Spelling? The program is multisensory, approaching spelling through sight, sound, and touch. Its also very easy to use and its not that expensive. I think it works well with putting what they hear into letters. My daughter had that problem and is doing good with this program. Here is an overview of how the program works.

 

The program is easy-to-use-:) They have a teacher manual which is actually very easy to follow. They use magnetic tile with the letters, a set of flashcards(phonograms cards, sound cards, key cards and word cards.) A CD with the sounds of the sounds. It works on mastery of the spelling rules and only takes 15 to 20 minutes.

 

It teaches phonemes also, spelling, and reading simultaneously. It uses the Orton Gillingham principles(Also used by Romala Spalding). If you are not familiar with it basically, it teaches all the phonograms together for example the letter a says-/a/-/ay/-/aw/ most programs teach just the first sound of the letter- "A" teaching the short vowel sound and later on adding the long sound.

 

Decoding words is so much easier when all the sounds are mastered. It incorperates segmenting words by identifying sounds within the word and being able to identfy what letter it is. If your daughter knows her sounds already this can be skipped. My daughter knew all of her sounds she just needed help in a few blends.

 

Here is the link to check out this spelling program

All About Spelling

Hope that helps.

[MerryAtHope]

I agree with the AAS recommendation, this has really helped my kids. For the speech issues, you might have her look at your mouth and then look at her own in a mirror as you try to help her hear and say the correct sound. She may need some help in this area--might be worth asking in the special needs board. Auditory processing problems can really affect spelling, not just speech. We have some here, and have been able to work through them with AAS.

 

Merry :-)

[Colleen in NS]

Okay, I decided to check my younger dd's spelling now that she's finished grade one. She can't spell. She can read like there's no tomorrow but she can't spell-words like going, what, did.

 

If I write the individual letter down, or blend, she can say the sound and make the word. She just can't take what she hears and put it into letters. She has done copywork daily and we did OPG.

 

Any ideas on how I can teach her to do this? Any spelling programs that would address this difficulty? I have SWO and Spelling Power. FWIW she does have some speech issues with clarity and typical sound substitutions like w for r etc.

 

TIA

 

Hi SQ,

 

You're probably going to get lots of good advice here, so I just wanted to pop in and say that my dd had spelling problems all through grades 1 and 2, and is just now (end of grade 2) starting to get confident with it and starting to spell more words correctly on her own. It has just taken lots of patient practice with doing spelling words each day (we use WRTR - similar to AAS, I think, related to the Orton Gillingham already mentioned), and going over and over the phonogram sounds. And we've had to work on pronouncing sounds correctly - WRTR shows how to do this, too. This child will be working on spelling a lot longer than my other child did, and that's OK.

 

About this comment: "She just can't take what she hears and put it into letters."

 

I have found this with my dd, too. I work on this through the spelling lessons. When I give her a word to write in her spelling notebook, I have her tell me the sounds in the word (and I help her along with this if she needs it). Then I ask her which phonogram to use for a particular sound, and if she doesn't know, I just tell her and have her say it out loud as she writes it down in the word (well, I have her say every sound aloud for each word she writes in the spelling notebook). I'm thinking this is where she will just have to memorize which phonograms make which sounds in which words. I'm hoping that as she goes along in reading, writing, spelling lessons, dictation-with-my-help, etc., that she will remember, for example, which long e sound is in "eat". (It could be e, ee, ea, ey, ei, ie) She is starting to catch on and remember.

[Strawberry Queen]

I have been wondering about the wisdom of doing the phonogram cards. She's not a kid who memorizes things easily so I wonder if the time put into memorizing these will be worth it in the end. Would it be better to spend the time memorizing the word or the cards? When you have 5 or 6 ways to spell the long e it makes it seem that you'll have to just memorize the word anyway.

 

Any thoughts?

[Colleen in NS]

I have been wondering about the wisdom of doing the phonogram cards. She's not a kid who memorizes things easily so I wonder if the time put into memorizing these will be worth it in the end. Would it be better to spend the time memorizing the word or the cards? When you have 5 or 6 ways to spell the long e it makes it seem that you'll have to just memorize the word anyway.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Here, we memorize the phonograms. It gives us a common language to use in spelling the words - it's simpler than saying the individual letter names (IMO) to spell a word, and I think it helps my dd to see each phonogram as a unit that makes a particular sound or set of sounds. I haven't thought it all the way through, but I think that memorizing 45 phonograms for 70 common sounds of English is much easier than memorizing individual letters and which order they are written in for hundreds of words. I just think it's easier to have the language of the phonograms to use to tell her how to spell something. I'm tired right now and just can't THINK of how to explain WHY I think that - sorry!:lol: But somewhere deep in my brain it makes sense to me...

 

OK, maybe it's that if you memorize that the word "eat" uses the "ea" phonogram, it's less mental work than to memorize that it has the individual letters "e" and "a" in it. Also, if "ea" is memorized as a unit in that order, then the individual "e" and "a" wouldn't get mixed up when the child writes it down, if she knows it as the unit "ea."

 

I'm so sorry, I feel like I'm devolving here...my brain is so foggy!

[Ellie]

I wouldn't necessarily expect a 6yo to spell well yet.

 

Spalding is my recommendation. It's a comprehensive reading/spelling/lots-of-other-stuff program.

[Ellie]

I have been wondering about the wisdom of doing the phonogram cards. She's not a kid who memorizes things easily so I wonder if the time put into memorizing these will be worth it in the end. Would it be better to spend the time memorizing the word or the cards? When you have 5 or 6 ways to spell the long e it makes it seem that you'll have to just memorize the word anyway.

 

Any thoughts?

Memorizing the phonogram cards alone will not produce a good speller.

 

The Spalding Method and others like it give the children the rules that dictate why a word is spelled *this* way instead of *that* way, and teaches the dc to analyze words so they'll know which phonogram to use. The children don't memorize a word; they write it and analyze it and mark it and use it.

[tarana]

This sounds just like my duaghter! She just finished 1st grade & simply cannot spell but can read very well.

 

I started AAS 2 weeks ago & she loves it. Whenever she mispells a word, I ask her to sound it out & write the word. There she has the correct spelling!

[cillakat]

I'll toss in with all of the other recommendations for All About Spelling. It is one of the many Orton-Gillingham programs.....the nice thing about this one is that it's laid out for you. Open and go - or nearly so.

 

:)

K

[mamaof2andtwins]

I do not get hung up on spelling well in or even around 1st grade. We used Phonics Pathways for phonics and it also was our spelling for the first 2-3 grades. By the time they finish the phonics program we move to a spelling program. I have used several, but All About Spelling was the best for my struggling speller. It is also working fine with her twin sister who is a more natural speller.

 

Jennie

[kanagnostos]

I also use AAS with my ds. When we started the program, I questioned whether to have him memorize the phonogram sounds. He did it, and I'm so glad. It really was an excellent foundation for him to build on, although he probably didn't enjoy the actual process of memorizing them. It didn't take him long, and now when he has difficulty spelling a word I ask him what letter(s) make(s) the sound he is struggling with. This cuts down the possibilities and is also easy for him because the program teaches both from letters to sounds with the phonogram cards and also from sounds to letters with the sound cards. Also, I believe they have a phonics-based reader that goes with Level 1 now that may help. It was not available when I did level 1 with my son, so I can't comment on its value. Perhaps another forum member can pitch in on that.

[Strawberry Queen]

I think I'll have to evaluate if AAS will work well. The only thing that is making me hesitate is that it will cost $25 in shipping.:eek: I mean that really hurts. I looked at getting the first two levels and it would cost me approx. $125 US. It's just a lot to pay for spelling. yup. just checked. that's $141 Can. on one subject. Hmm I'll have to think long and hard on this one.

 

Thanks for your input BTW. I still need to do a bit of thinking on this. I might go to doing more word activities so we can look at the structure of the words etc. My dd need to have fresh things to do in a subject to keep her interest. I didn't put much effort into spelling cause I was content to let it wait a bit. But she is really struggling so I think I should do something now.:D

[MerryAtHope]

I think I'll have to evaluate if AAS will work well. The only thing that is making me hesitate is that it will cost $25 in shipping.:eek: I mean that really hurts. I looked at getting the first two levels and it would cost me approx. $125 US. It's just a lot to pay for spelling. yup. just checked. that's $141 Can. on one subject. Hmm I'll have to think long and hard on this one.

 

 

Not a huge difference, but I get $110.60 for Levels 1, 2, a starter kit, and shipping. If you are confident on your pronunciation, you could get it down to $100.30 if you order the tiles and magnets instead of the Starter Kit, (that would mean you wouldn't get the CD-Rom.) I know it's not an easy decision, but I hope you find what will work for you!

 

Merry :-)

[8filltheheart]

I think I'll have to evaluate if AAS will work well. The only thing that is making me hesitate is that it will cost $25 in shipping.:eek: I mean that really hurts. I looked at getting the first two levels and it would cost me approx. $125 US. It's just a lot to pay for spelling. yup. just checked. that's $141 Can. on one subject. Hmm I'll have to think long and hard on this one.

 

 

 

There is NO WAY I would spend that amt on 2 levels of spelling!

 

First, I wouldn't worry about a first grader not being able to spell well. :D

 

But, if you want to go for a OG based program, you could simply order or make the phonogram cards (you can order just the cards from the Spalding Foundation......they have the phonogram on the front and the rule on the back). You can order How To Teach Spelling with word lists for K-12 organized by rule and with phrase/sentence dictation for $30.

ETA: I did a quick google:

http://www.adoremusbooks.com/spaldingphonogramcards-setof70.aspx

http://www.epsbooks.com/dynamic/catalog/book.asp?subject=71S&subjectdesc=Spelling+%26+Grammar&series=1847M&seriesdesc=How+to+Teach+Spelling&seriesParent=1847M&seriesparentdescription=&altIsbn=1847&altIsbndesc=How+to+Teach+Spelling

 

The only learning hurdle for HTTS is that the lists are simply that.......long comprehensive lists. You simply need to select about 15-20 words per list that are appropriate for your child's level.

 

HTH

Edited June 16, 2009 by 8FillTheHeart

[emmsmama]

I think I'll have to evaluate if AAS will work well. The only thing that is making me hesitate is that it will cost $25 in shipping.:eek: I mean that really hurts. I looked at getting the first two levels and it would cost me approx. $125 US. It's just a lot to pay for spelling. yup. just checked. that's $141 Can. on one subject. Hmm I'll have to think long and hard on this one.

 

 

I'm in the same boat, interested in the program, but the shipping cost to Canada is making me hesitate.

[Peek a Boo]

My 2d ds is going into 7th grade and is still an atrocious speller. His spelling and handwriting are slowly getting better tho. He didn't start REALLY reading well till a couple years ago. It's been a hair-pulling experience for me since me and my oldest are natural spellers/readers, lol.

 

I also recommend something similar to Spalding --SWR: Spell to Write and Read. $100 for the entire course and it will serve you well through high school. cheaper if you can find it used.

 

but most of all? keep plugging along and be patient :)

[ElizabethB]

Pollard really explains the sounds well for someone with speech difficulties. You need to read the manual and then work from the spellers. The series is linked from my Spelling for Success page. (Free online from Google books, download first to use and print out.) It's also a fun program for a young child, with songs and cute pictures.

 

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

 

The sounds of the letters in words are not the sounds of the letters when said in isolation, they are approximations when said in isolation, except for the vowels and a few consonants like m and n. You cannot physically say the sound of b without at least a bit of a vowel sound following it. You can minimize the vowel sound, but it is still there. Moreover, for many letters, their sound at the beginning and end of words is slightly different. The sounds of syllables are the same as in words. There are pictures of this on my dyslexia page, a little more than halfway down:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/dyslexia.html

 

Because of this, people with speech difficulties may be especially helped by the use of Webster's Speller, which relies heavily on syllables.

 

There is a movie showing how to use the Speller on my Webster page. Also, I have recently developed a guide to Blend Phonics which adds in syllables and spelling to Blend Phonics, making it a nice, gentle, easy to follow intro to Webster's Speller.

 

It's on my how to tutor page

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/howtotutor.html

 

linked from this paragraph:

 

Your number one task is to get them to stop guessing and start sounding out each and every word from left to right. Nonsense words are key, they help prevent guessing. Here is a free website that generates nonsense words. Syllables are also helpful, I would use the Blend Phonics Reader (it helps show how guessing is a bad strategy by showing words with similar configuration together) followed by Webster’s Speller. Here is a step by step guide to using Blend Phonics that also adds in syllables, spelling and phonics rules, syllable division rules, and syllable division exercises. There are also readings from Hebrews 12 that can be added to show progress through the program.

 

This step by step guide is written for a group of students, but can be easily adapted to one.

 

Many of my remedial students with speech difficulties have also found my UPP helpful. It's a print marked to show pronunciation. It shows things like the difference between u as yoo and oo, and voiced and unvoiced th. My phonics lessons up to lesson 20 (so far, I'm working on the rest...but it'll be a while, we're moving soon) have the UPP added to them. Here's some documents in the UPP and a key:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/upp.html

 

I also really like Read, Write, and Type, but it's a bit expensive. You can try the demo to see how it's going to work for you and if you think it's work the cost. I haven't done the follow on, Wordy Querty, but it's supposed to be good, too. Read, Write, and Type was helpful for my daughter's spelling and she loved "playing" it.

 

http://www.talkingfingers.com/

[Colleen in NS]

There is NO WAY I would spend that amt on 2 levels of spelling!

 

you could simply....make the phonogram cards

 

:iagree:

 

Just get the WRTR book from the library or borrow SWR from someone (are you using SWR, Strawberry Queen? I can't remember - it seems to ring a bell) to see the phonograms and rules, and make your own cards. It's easy and cheap.