Peaceful Isle Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I am really at a loss here! I am usually quieter on these boards, but I know there are so many ladies on here with great experience and I am reaching out for help!! My dd8 can read very well outloud and silently (about a 4th/5th grade level), but her spelling is awful! She went through BJU phonics in first grade and then I had her do the BJU reviews phonics book in 2nd grade. (the one made for 2-4 grade) I have used BJU spelling for her in first grade, but switched to Steck Vaughn this year, due to it being a little easier for her. Okay, here is the issue. When she takes her spelling tests, many times she will get all the letters in the word correctly, but just in the wrong order. I ask her to read it back to me, and she reads it fine. Then I point out her mistake, make her sound it out, and finally she gets it. :confused: This happens all the time, and in other subjects that require writing as well. The letters of the words are all there,..just all mixed up! Like I said before, she reads wonderfully! My other two kids do not have this problem, so I don't know what to do to help her. What curriculum would you suggest to help my 3rd grade daughter out with her issue? Do I need a new spelling program? More phonics review? I was thinking maybe Horizons phonics 3? Ugh... I don't know :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 When you give her the spelling test, have her repeat the word - break apart the sounds aloud - and then write. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 (edited) . Edited 21 hours ago by SilverMoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TippyCanoe Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 Remembering the letters but mixing the order is often a sign that your child is a visual rather than a phonetic speller, and needs to work on visual memory techniques. You might take a look at the spelling chapter in Jeffrey Freed's book Right-Brained Learners in a Left-Brained World (check your library -- lots of libraries have the book). He has an exploratory activity that will clue you in to whether your child is a visual speller or not, and then explains some very simple exercises and techniques that require only a few minutes a day to put into effect. They utterly transformed my dd's spelling; the improvements were apparent in a couple of weeks and just snowballed from there. I will take a look at it! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 It sounds like she's memorizing rather than understanding. I know nothing about the spelling book you mentioned. Does it explicitly teach the phonics rules? Spelling ought to pick up right where phonics left off, but without the rules actually being used and applied to the spelling words, it can't do that. Just grouping the words by the same phonetic rule doesn't teach them why the letters are arranged the way they are. Rather than backing up to phonics, I'd get her in a phonics based spelling book that teaches the rules. My personal favorite is Rod and Staff's Spelling by Sound and Structure. You can see samples at www.rodandstaffbooks.com (a distributor). She ought to start with the 3 book. It wouldn't hurt to try! The thing is, she knows all her phonics rules, etc. It really confuses me :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 When you give her the spelling test, have her repeat the word - break apart the sounds aloud - and then write. You know, I actually sound it out for her sometimes, so maybe having her sound it out might help. Thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Take a look at resources for dysgraphia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Spalding. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelmama1209 Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Remembering the letters but mixing the order is often a sign that your child is a visual rather than a phonetic speller, and needs to work on visual memory techniques. You might take a look at the spelling chapter in Jeffrey Freed's book Right-Brained Learners in a Left-Brained World (check your library -- lots of libraries have the book). He has an exploratory activity that will clue you in to whether your child is a visual speller or not, and then explains some very simple exercises and techniques that require only a few minutes a day to put into effect. They utterly transformed my dd's spelling; the improvements were apparent in a couple of weeks and just snowballed from there. ok, I just looked this book up on my library website and it's for an add child? my suspected right brained learner is not add. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Are there any other areas in which she struggles? How's her math? I ask because what you are describing can sometimes be a result of dyslexia. Dyslexia can present in different ways. For my husband, for example, he does not "hear" all of the phonemes of spoken words. Spelling is hard for him, and his spelling is often not even close (would instead of with, for example). For other dyslexics, like I suspect with my DD, they actually "hear" the sounds just fine, but they cannot process the word in correct sequence. Usually, a dyslexic will have struggles in other areas. DD has HUGE struggles with math, because she cannot remember the sequence of numbers. I would say, if there's other areas where she struggles, it may be something to look into further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 Are there any other areas in which she struggles? How's her math? I ask because what you are describing can sometimes be a result of dyslexia. Dyslexia can present in different ways. For my husband, for example, he does not "hear" all of the phonemes of spoken words. Spelling is hard for him, and his spelling is often not even close (would instead of with, for example). For other dyslexics, like I suspect with my DD, they actually "hear" the sounds just fine, but they cannot process the word in correct sequence. Usually, a dyslexic will have struggles in other areas. DD has HUGE struggles with math, because she cannot remember the sequence of numbers. I would say, if there's other areas where she struggles, it may be something to look into further. Math, she is pretty good at. Not wonderful, but very average. She has always been my child who has a hard time with following specific directions and finding objects right in front of her face. I have to get her full attention, look her in the face, explain, and then she happily gets "it" and follows directions. She is such a good girl in so many areas, so I have tried not to make issues of her ways. Her spirit is wonderful too. Could all this be connected, or no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 *Could* be an auditory processing issue...but I'd lean towards that more, if she wasn't getting all of the correct sounds when spelling. But she is getting the correct sounds and just not putting them in the correct order. Could still be auditory-related...I'd think about seeking out more info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 And you're sure she's not ADD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 And you're sure she's not ADD? I really don't know :confused: Never really thought about it, because she had always done well in school, with the exception of spelling, and is pretty obedient. She is always constantly moving, and can hardly sit still though. I'll have to do some research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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