How To Help Children And Youth With Spelling Challenges
Does Not Hear The Sounds Of Words; Does Not Remember Letter Names, Letter Combinations And Letter Sounds; Does Not Transfer Knowing Combinations And Patterns From One Word To Another; Lacks Correct Pronunciation
Without help, spelling challenges can profoundly slow learning and reduce performance in school and adult life. They can be very embarrassing. Spelling challenges can severely reduce confidence, and can create much emotional stress and tension around learning and communicating. Can be caused by and/or complicated by a combination of: perceptual problems; vision and/or hearing difficulties; speech difficulties; memory challenges; low self-confidence; fear of making a mistake; prolonged stress; unresolved physical and emotional issues relating to accidents and injuries to the head and spine: genetic factors; neurological difficulties; traumas and abuses of all kinds; nutritional imbalances; exposure to environmental pollutants.
Does not hear the sounds of words:
Not being able to tell the difference between sounds makes reading and spelling difficult. Standard learning tests do not measure enough sound ranges. Spelling is a complicated process that includes accurate hearing, curiosity, paying attention and remembering what has been heard. It also underlies coordination of eyes, memory and muscle movement. Children & youth can often hear some sounds and not others. Spelling challenges can be caused by a combination of genetic factors; jammed cranial bones due to accidents to the head, ears and face; eye challenges; prolonged stress; trauma and shock; memory challenges; nutritional imbalances; environmental pollutants.
Does not remember letter names, letter combinations and letter sounds; does not transfer knowing combinations and patterns from one word to another; lacks correct pronunciation:
These challenges make good spelling feel extremely difficult–which leads to much frustration and loss of confidence. The tension and stress of trying to spell better often makes performance worse. Not remembering may be caused by hearing and/or eye challenges and a combination of other neurological disorganizations in the brain which can reduce memory efficiency. All of this may be caused by and/or complicated by a combination of: perceptual challenges; genetic factors; accidents or falls or blows to the head, face, neck, ears or eyes; prolonged stress; chaotic environment; infections in eyes, ears, mouth; nutritional imbalances; exposure to environmental pollutants; a lack of interesting intellectual stimulation; a lack of exposure to strategies for perceiving accurately–noticing patterns and remembering. Not being read to nightly can also contribute.
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First, We Would Investigate |
Second, We Would Investigate |
For Long Term Support |
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On Our Own We Would Try: • Bedtime Stories and Chats • Back Rubs and Foot Massages • Long Walks/Hikes • Replace sodas, juices, sugars, fats, fast foods with water, veggies, whole grains, nuts, protein, fruit, slow food • Wholesome Pleasures • Nature • Pets • Less or No TV, Movies, Video/Computer Games |
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For Parents: • Daily rigorous physical exercise will help.• Playing games involving noticing and memory of patterns as well as listening to stories and music can help. • Staying relaxed about poor spelling performance, and yet communicating the need to spell well are also important. • Many poor spellers have very speedy minds which benefit from learning how to slow down. • Spelling difficulties can create shame. Counteract anything that shames your child or youth. Help overcome this by giving your child or youth positive encouragement about their skills and accomplishments. • Performance anxiety needs to be addressed by helping children & youth not fear making mistakes. |
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Check out: www.SchwabbLearning.org; www.acestudy.org. |