spelling question – creative child

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  • November 16, 2015 at 11:20 am
    6boys1girl
    Participant

    I’ve been working with my 13 year old on spelling for  a few years now. He is making negligible progress. We’ve used Spelling Wisdom in the past. This year, we’ve been trying All About Spelling (we’re now most of the way through level 2).  Yet, he is an avid reader and doesn’t have any trouble sounding out words/reading.

    The other day, we read a comment on reading from someone. It said “After the first few words, I don’t see the words. I see the story”. My DS responded with “That’s it. That’s why I have trouble with spelling. I don’t see the words.” When he was about 7, I remember him asking me if everyone saw a movie in their head when they were being read to/reading.

    He is my super creative child. Very visual.

    Has anyone run into this before? Is there something I could/should be doing that would help with his spelling without stomping on his creativity?

    Thanks,
    Rebecca

    November 16, 2015 at 12:42 pm
    Linabean
    Participant

    Hi Rebecca,  thank you for asking this!

    We are having the EXACT SAME scenario over here with my 13 year old!  We have been working with my oldest dd on improving spelling for years.  It is SLOW!  So slow that sometimes I am sure there has actually been NO progress at all!  I have to go over work from a couple years ago to see that it has indeed improved…just at a snail’s pace.

    We have recently (since midway through last school year) started a multi-faceted approach and simply started covering spelling from every possible angle that we can think of!  Word roots, spelling rules, phonograms, whole word (using spelling wisdom), typing with spell check on, spelling out loud, spelling games, correcting spelling in written reports and narrations, etc.  We have tried to incorporate the improvement of spelling all throughout her subjects and schooling.  It is getting better, but it is still as slow as molasses!

    If anyone has a brilliant idea to help make spelling easier for these types of kids, I would LOVE to hear it! If not, then I guess I will just keep going with what we have been doing and take the improvement in small amounts!

    -Miranda

    November 19, 2015 at 12:39 pm
    6boys1girl
    Participant

    Does anyone else have any ideas?

    Miranda,
    Do you have specific programs that you use for teaching word roots and phonograms? What spelling games do you use?
    I started him back in Spelling Wisdom (at least some) this week.
    We’ve been using All About Spelling this year and I don’t like it at all. It seems confusing to me. Plus all the rules they give don’t seem like something you’d actually think about when you are writing something. I don’t know, maybe it would work but…
    I’d love to hear what all you are using as far as specific programs and games though. Your idea of a multi-faceted approach is probably the way to go.

    -Rebecca

    November 19, 2015 at 2:01 pm
    Linabean
    Participant

    Welllll, let’s see.  The list is long!  I’ll try to remember it all!  ?

    For phonograms and spelling rules we use The Logic of English.  Not their printed stuff, though.  No workbooks.  I printed out their free list of spelling rules and had her do a homemade course that I designed based on those rules.  This was over a year ago, now.  Each of my kids are doing this same course around grades 4-5.  After that I have just had her read over and try to remember the rules.  We also downloaded the logic of english phonograms app.  This is somewhat “young” in it’s presentation, which is fine for my younger girl, but I don’t want my 13 dd to feel silly, so I usually get her to “help” a younger sibling with it or test them, etc.

    For word roots we use the computer software Word Roots by Critical Thinking Company.

    For specific spelling programs we use Spelling Wisdom and Using Language Well.

    For general spelling practice and improvement we correct written narrations and other written work.  Have her practice her typing in a document with spell check on.  Making sure to correct all words with red squiggly lines.  Whenever she asks us how a word is spelled, we tell her and then ask her to repeat the spelling back.

    For games we use different apps until she gets tired of them, hang man,  bananagrams,  scrabble,  free online spelling games, must whatever we come across that strikes our fancy!

    That’s all I can think of right now.  If I remember something that I have not included I come back.

    Like I said, though,  it is still going SLOWELY!  But, overall, progress is continuing.

    -Miranda

     

    November 19, 2015 at 6:01 pm
    Karen
    Participant

    Difficulty with spelling is one of the markers for dyslexia…..

    We’re using the Barton Reading and Spelling Program for my 9yo and LOVE it!!! It explains and teaches all the spelling rules.  There are free flashcards to print out and laminate (or not) to use.  Also, a company called spellingsuccess.com makes games that go along with all the Barton levels – they are super-fabulous games!  All my daughters want to play them (not just the 9yo) and they are great for reviewing the spelling rules.

     

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