Supporting Children with Dyslexia/Dyslexic-type Difficulties
Many children with dyslexia struggle to connect letters with their corresponding sounds, making spelling a challenging task. English spelling can be particularly difficult because learners must also memorize irregular patterns and sight words like "the," "said," and "was." While spelling may always be a challenge for those with dyslexia, there are numerous strategies that parents and teachers can use to support learning.
Here are some tips and ideas to help your child improve their spelling:
Activities for Spelling Practice:
Syllable Spelling: Teach your child that words are made up of syllables, each containing a vowel sound. Say a word and have them identify the syllables. Help them sound one syllable at a time.
Rainbow Writing: Encourage your child to learn irregular/tricky words by writing them in different colours creating a "rainbow" effect. Alternatively, practice spelling in shaving foam, flour, or sand. Repeating these activities helps with memory retention.
Highlight Tricky Parts: Focus on the difficult parts of words and use colours to highlight these sections.
Prefix and Suffix Exploration: Identify common prefixes and suffixes, such as "-tion" and "-ness," and explore how many words share these elements at the beginning or end.
Use Flashcards: Flashcards are useful for repetitive exposure to words, sounds, or letters. You can also use them for memory games, snap, or even bingo. The more your child sees a word, the better they will remember how to read and spell it.
Tools and Resources: Whiteboard and Markers: Use a small whiteboard with coloured markers, or a chalkboard, to practice writing the alphbet, sounds, words, or sentences. Play games like hangman or word bingo.
Flashcards or Tile Letters (from Scrabble): Use flashcards or tiles to create words. You can also jumble the letters and have your child rearrange them to form words. Organize the tiles alphabetically and ask your child to repeat and find letters in the correct order, which helps with memory. For added fun, remove a letter while your child’s eyes are closed and have them guess the missing letter. It's better to keep digraphs together (2 letters= 1 sound eg 'sh').
Coloured Paper and Markers: Write words or sounds on coloured paper using pens or markers. This adds a visual element that can aid memory.
Plastic Alphabet Letters: Use plastic letters or digraph sounds (e.g., "sh," "ea") to build words. Incorporate movement or rhythm to help your child remember their sounds.
Engaging Learning Games:
Rhyming and I Spy: Play rhyming games with your child using words or picture cards. You can also play "I Spy" using objects that start with a specific letter or contain digraphs like "sh" or "ou."
Charades: Write words on the whiteboard and have your child erase the letters or sounds as you say them. You can also play "What am I?" by giving clues about objects that start with a particular sound.
Sentence Building: Write sentences on individual pieces of paper, mix them up, and have your child reconstruct the sentence. You can also remove a word and ask your child to figure out the missing piece.
Sound and Syllable Games:
Clap out the syllables in a word or use a drum to break down the spelling into parts.
Challenge your child to find words with specific sounds in their reading material, like words that start with "sh" or "g." Alphabetize their words using cards, and think of as many words as possible that start with a particular sound or contain it.
Sensory Activities:
Alphabet Guessing Game: Place plastic letters in a bag and have your child feel and guess which letter it is.
Play Dough Letters: Use play dough to create letters or sounds, adding a tactile element to learning.
Painting and Rice Trays: Have your child paint letters on paper, or hide letters in a tray filled with rice, sugar, or salt. Ask them to find the letters, say what sound they are, and think of a word starting/ending with that sound. They can also write the letters with their fingers in the tray or use shaving cream for a fun twist.
These strategies and tools can make spelling practice more engaging and help reinforce learning for children with dyslexia and dyslexic-type difficulties.
For more tailored activities specific to your child’s needs and information on how to boost your child's learning please get in touch or book an Educational MOT assessment today.
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