Spelling can be difficult and challenging for children with dyslexia.
Many people fund spelling difficult, but there hasn’t been enough research on spelling as there is on reading that will reveal how many people struggle with spelling or think they struggle with spelling.
There is still so little known about the level of spelling competence in the general population.
Statistically, almost all children with dyslexia struggle with spelling and encounter many obstacles while learning to deal with their disability.
Individuals with dyslexia experience what can be referred to as “ conspicuous problems” with writing and spelling.
Whereas, they may be fully capable in other aspects of their learning in classrooms with normal instructions.
Eventually, a good number of people with dyslexia learn to read fairly well, but their inability to spell and handwriting tend to remain well pronounced throughout their lives.
They usually require some level of accommodation, instruction, understanding, and modified tasks from their teachers, caregivers, or people who work with them.
Tips
The following tips are helpful in teaching dyslexic children to spell but are not definitive. There are several other methods that may not be covered in this section.
Early detection
Detecting dyslexia early and implementing the appropriate measures can be quite helpful.
This does not apply to spelling alone, but every other aspect of the individual’s life.
For instance, a person who has difficulty remembering can struggle with passing a driving test.
Phonics and linguistics-based teaching
A child with dyslexia can improve their spelling by using the right teaching strategy that is phonics and linguistics-based.
A very popular approach to teaching a dyslexic child spelling words is explained in “Alpha to Omega: The A-Z of Teaching Reading, Writing and Spelling” by author Beve Hornsby and her colleagues.
The book is published by Heinemann Educational Publishers.
Dr. Hornsby strongly believed that if a dyslexic child follows her should be made to spell only the words that they have been specifically taught.
Learning touch-type
Touch-type Read and Spell (TTRS) strategy has proven to help students who take the course by remembering spellings.
They are able to visualize the keyboard and see where their fingers fall.
Children with dyslexia need to learn even more in order to transfer knowledge from their short-term to their long-term memory.
Having them type a word, phrase, or sentence multiple times helps them to memorize it.
Touch-typing makes it easy to retrieve word and write them down in a fluid manner.
Find a strategy that works
This may not be supported by many teachers, but sometimes you have to improvise, especially when it comes to the rules spelling.
A good example is Touch-type and having the child learn the words until they stick and become automatic.
This way, their fingers develop a memory for each word.
Teach them words that sound the same
Spelling different English words with the same sounds can be difficult, so teaching a dyslexic child to spell such words is important.
This can be achieved by using strategies that fall under the “mnemonic devices.”
These include learning tricks and memory tools that help to memorize rhymes, phrases, and acronyms etc.