AMDG+

Dear Parent;

You are wise to address your son’s spelling difficulties at this early stage.  Spotting problems early makes it so much easier to correct them with minimal frustration!

Generally, difficulties with spelling at this stage are rooted in lack of adequate practice with phonics, so let’s examine some ways that your son can get that practice.

First, it would be good to lay aside his current speller to give him a chance to ‘unwind’ and catch up.  Shifting to a slightly different approach will help eliminate any feeling of frustration that he might have, while still teaching him the skills that he lacks.

Second, CHC’s Little Stories for Little Folks is useful not only for teaching reading but for phonics/spelling practice as well.  Since the words that your son is having difficulty spelling seem to be those covered beginning in Level 3 of Little Stories for Little Folks, it would be best to begin with that level.  [You may wish to look over the Parents’ Guide, starting on page 12, to double check that he has all the sounds from Level 2 mastered as well.] 

From that point, read one story a day [if he is comfortable with that speed and having no difficulty with the reading], and do all the suggested practice work from the Parents’ Guide.  When you see that he is no longer breezing through the reading or spelling, slow down.  Carefully note any sounds he has difficulty with, and give extra practice to words with those sounds.

Give special attention and practice to words in the Name Game, as well as the new words and sounds listed on the front of the little ‘booklets,’ for these introduce the phonics that are the base of spelling.

The quickest and most long-lasting method of addressing learning difficulties is by using as many of the senses as possible.  Breaking words into syllables and spelling, syllable by syllable while sounding the words out, uses visual, auditory, and tactile senses. 

Use letter tiles from Scrabble or make small letter tiles with index cards.  [Be sure to make the letter almost as large as the tile, so there isn’t a lot of space between letters when they are put together to form words.]  Spell out—for example-- ‘burden’ with the tiles.  Separate the word into syllables—‘bur-den.’  Say ‘bur-den,’ clapping once for each syllable.  This will help your son hear the sounds contained in the word.  Then together spell the word. 

When your son has completed this activity, mix up all the tiles and have him recreate his spelling/practice words with the tiles.  For variety in practice, he may wish to reproduce his new words in finger-paint, with pipe cleaners, or letter stamps.

Finally, remember that all learning is a process of, well, learning.  Education is gained by exposure, trial and error, more exposure, and eventual mastery.  Most children will miss a few problems in math and a few words on their spelling tests.  If more than a few are missed on each paper, it’s time to backtrack, pick up where the level of mastery disappears, and practice some more.  This approach will eventually bring back confidence, and mastery.

Again, congratulations for spotting the ‘gaps’ in your son’s learning and seeking to fill them before they grow.

The Lord be with you,

Nancy Nicholson