Language development: improve your child’s spelling with these 5 tips

With iPads and laptops for every child, spelling seems like an outdated skill. Add in SMS, email, and chat, and you’d imagine the need for accurate spelling has gone the way of the phonograph.

Although spelling is not necessarily the most important skill, those who can spell well can rightly be proud of their talent, which shows a combination of good visual memory, well-developed language skills and the ability to apply rules appropriately.

And while some of the cruelest spellers have proven to be quite successful, there’s nothing quite like a poorly written note to cast doubt on the author’s competence and intelligence.

If your child is struggling with spelling, there are several things you can do at home that can help them improve their spelling skills:

1) Drill, drill and drill some more. For many, flashcards are reminders of endless hours dog-eared at the kitchen table, doomed to do an entire run before bed. The truth is, there are numerous alternatives to flashcards these days. There are numerous spelling software programs that can be played on a computer or an iPod.

You can also use online flashcard makers like Quizlet, Flashcard Machine, and ProProfs.

2) Encourage your child to write gradually. Some children, particularly those with attention or memory problems, make spelling mistakes when asked to complete multiple writing phases at once. Spelling and punctuation should be done separately from the creative stages of writing.

3) A word family approach can help children with visual memory deficits. Memorizing only parts of words is easier for children with weak visual memory. Because they can categorize words by their word family, they actually have less to remember.

4) Play board games like Scrabble and Spill and Spell. Games are a fun way to practice spelling without the hassle of testing. You can even the odds by giving your child more spelling time, letting them look up some of their words in a dictionary, or pairing them up with a partner.

5) Have your child keep a personal dictionary. Your child writes words that they often misspell in a notebook. Once she masters a word (100% spelled correctly), she can cross out that word and add another.

The most important thing to remember when dealing with a bad speller is to keep things in perspective. Make sure your child understands that spelling matters, what you write matters even more.

Thanks to Rachel Speal | #Language #development #improve #childs #spelling #tips