Why do some children struggle with reading?
It’s common for children to struggle with spelling, but why is it so difficult for them?
It turns out that there are a few different reasons why some kids have difficulty spelling correctly.
One of the biggest factors is a child’s phonological awareness, which is their ability to recognise, identify, and manipulate sounds in spoken words.
This is because when learning to spell, kids need to be able to decode the sounds in a word and match them to the correct letters and letter combinations.
If they don’t understand how to do this, they won’t be able to spell it correctly.
Another reason why some kids find it difficult to spell is that they lack the memory skills needed to store words in their long-term memory. In order to remember how to spell a word correctly, they need to have access to the correct sequence of letters in their memory.
Finally, some kids just don’t have the kind of motivation or interest in learning how to spell. This makes it difficult for them to practice and retain new words, since they aren’t invested in improving their spelling abilities. Fortunately, there are a few things parents can do to help their child improve their spelling skills such as playing our educational board games.
Tips for helping your child improve their spelling skills
1. Break down the words: Breaking down words into smaller parts can help your child understand them better and make them easier to remember. Have your child look at the root of the word, any prefixes or suffixes, and identify any tricky spelling patterns.
2. Play games: Games are a great way to help your child practice and improve their spelling skills. Try playing our educational board games as a great way of practising.
3. Read more: Reading is a great way to learn how to spell words correctly. Have your child read books, magazines, and newspapers. Encourage them to look up any words they don’t know or that they find difficult to spell.
4. Practice regularly: Regular practice is key when it comes to improving spelling skills. Have your child write out the words they are having trouble with multiple times a day to help them remember how to spell them correctly.
Common mistakes parents make:
Trying to teach your child a ‘trick’. The most common mistake parents make when trying to help their child with spelling is to try and teach them a ‘trick’ – such as writing the word backwards or in capitals – to remember how to spell it. Unfortunately, these tricks are usually ineffective, as they don’t provide any real understanding of the rules that govern spelling in English.
Giving up too soon. If your child is having trouble with spelling, it’s important to be patient and keep encouraging them to practice. Don’t give up on them too soon, or they may become discouraged and start to view spelling as an insurmountable challenge. Focusing on memorisation. Many parents focus on having their children memorise lists of words, but this isn’t an effective way to learn how to spell. Your child needs to understand the rules of spelling in order to truly master the subject.Unless of course you are learning exception words where the spelling rules do not apply!
Ignoring the underlying causes. If your child is struggling with spelling, it could be caused by something other than a lack of knowledge. It’s important to consider any underlying issues such as dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, visual-spatial difficulties, or poor fine motor skills.
With patience and practice, your child can become a confident speller!
