9yo struggling with spelling

I have one that has always been a horrible speller. He still isn’t great and he’s 14. We have tried all types of spelling programs and what I found is they don’t really work. Regular reading and writing has been about the only thing that has improved his spelling. I know your son has dysgraphia and that regular writing doesn’t go so well, but I would encourage you to start with a bit of copywork then. Not too much, whatever he can handle. You could even make it a short, short piece that he copies, studies and tried from dictation later in the week. The thing is, you can’t make them care. The only time my son has improved his spelling was because he wanted to use the word in his writing and needed it. He cared enough to find out how to spell it. Hopefully that time is coming for your son too – it may be a bit early yet. One thing I’ve found, just because he can’t spell and he’s 9, nowhere near means all is lost. There is so much time yet to catch on to that. I’ve heard people say that it is common for boys in middle school to spell horribly. And since he has recently caught on to reading, it isn’t unusual that his spelling ability hasn’t really started yet. I know people hate to have this advice given(I always did) to just back off and wait until later, but in this case a bit of judicious waiting might be just the ticket. Hang in there.