How can I help with spelling?

Dyslexic students need to be able to attach an image to words they want to spell. This is why simple words are often misspelled.
Auditory discrimination is not good, so similar looking words may be confused: want/what, there/they.

Ways to anchor spellings

(All solutions are best thought out by the student with tutor help if necessary.)

• Mnemonics are often too long and complicated:
  Never Eat Chips Eat Side Salad And Remain Young (for 'necessary') is long-winded.
  Try instead a picture of 1 Coffee and 2 Sugars (1 'c' and 2 's's)
• Look at the part the student gets wrong; get them to highlight it
• Use colour to break words into syllables: sep ar ate. (Use 'How many times your chin drops' to count syllables. Some students cannot hear syllables.)
• Find words within words and link with an image: bus in ess
• Teach root words then prefix and suffix: re member ing
• Change the look of the word div / ide     d ivi de
• 'Difficult to spell' address words can be given an image and modelled (3D) in clay with the word in clay (lower-case) underneath the model. e.g. one student represented the word 'avenue' by modelling two lines of trees with an arrow in between, pointing to the word 'avenue' modelled in clay in lower-case letters.
• Encourage students to visualise whenever they try to spell a word.
• For kinaesthetic learners get them to trace, write and/or model words many times.
• Say the word wrongly (for old chestnuts like 'Wed nes day').
• do not teach homophone/homonyms together e.g. 'where' and 'were'. Teach in families instead e.g. here, where, there.

Colour and image are the best tools to work with.

How can I help with writing?

Dyslexic students are understandably reluctant writers. They worry predominantly about spelling.

• TELL THEM NOT TO WORRY ABOUT SPELLING.
• Give them stimulating, real-life, relevant things to write about.
• Use discussion, whole class planning, brainstorming on the board.
• Use a variety of planning tools: Mind Maps, flow charts, writing frames.
• No one writes a perfect first draft.
• Be enthusiastic/inspirational. You will initially be the source of their confidence.
• Entry level spelling does not mean the content of the writing will be Entry level.

How can I help with speaking and listening?

Many dyslexic students are good at expressing themselves but not all. Lack of confidence may make them reluctant to speak out. Build a supportive, encouraging class environment where individuals can feel secure.

Dyslexic students may have difficulty remembering what they hear. Tell students to visualise what they hear and pause when reading aloud to them. Dyslexic learners are literal; they may need help understanding figurative language.
(concluded on next page)

Previous page

Next page

Page  1  2  3  4