Many children have difficulty spelling. But did you know that this spelling weakness can affect both the writers they are today as well as the writers they will eventually become?
While spelling correctly is important, it can also be the source of disorganized and poor writing skills: especially in young children.
So what can you do? Not to fear: there are some useful spelling strategies you can employ.
Teach your child not to get hung up on spelling. This sounds like counter intuitive advice, right?
But it makes sense: you want your child to have a robust vocabulary and not shy away from using a great word simply because they cannot spell it.
Instead, teach your child to write freely and circle the words she doesn’t know how to spell.
Then, as part of her proofreading, encourage her to look up the circled words and correct them using a dictionary or visiting dictionary.com. With this technique, you teach her not only to write freely and uninhibited, but also how to be accountable for finding and making her own corrections.
This technique fosters better writing and doesn’t distract from her train of thought during the first draft. In time, you will have a writer who uses both a vast lexicon of words and has the tools to edit properly.
Use the right spelling strategies and you just might be surprised to see your child’s spelling skills improve along the way!