Spelling is a challenge for many people. Not much research has been done on spelling as much as on reading to give us an idea of how many people can’t spell well.
Little is known about the general public’s ability to spell and little is known about their ability to read. The reason for this is that many states do not test children’s spelling skills.
What can cause spelling problems?
One of the main misconceptions about spelling problems is that it is caused by poor visual memory for the order of letters contained in a word. Research has shown that visual memory plays a very small role in a person’s spelling ability.
Spelling problems, such as reading problems, are the result of weak study skills. Some people have good visual memory for color schemes, pictures, and mechanical drawings, but find spelling challenging.
People who are poor spellers often have difficulty remembering the letters contained in a word. This is because they find it difficult to remember, notice and recall certain features that these letters represent. People who are poor spellers often have underlying language problems such as recognizing and analyzing individual sounds.
Diagnosis of spelling problems
If there is a possibility of dyslexia and the student is in first grade, a simple letter and phoneme awareness test can help identify reading problems.
When a student finds it difficult to remember words, a standardized test should be administered to quantify the severity of the problem. A diagnostic spelling test should also be administered to identify syllable patterns, sounds, and parts of speech that the student does not remember.
With a spelling diagnostic test, the teacher will tell you the vowels, consonants, and word spellings that must be taught to the student. The student must also be tested on his or her knowledge of the English words most commonly used in writing.
How Children Learn to Spell
In preschool and first grade, children quickly understand how words are represented by letters. This process moves forward when the instructions for letters and sounds are clear, systematic, and structured.
When children understand that words are made up of different sounds and that the letters represent those sounds, overall word spelling improves.
As the principal’s knowledge increases, children will begin to observe patterns in the use of letters. They also begin to observe the cyclical sequence of letters that make up word endings, syllables, and suffixes. When children have a proper understanding of the structure of language, memories of these words form quickly and are easily recalled.
Final Thoughts
Many children experience spelling challenges, exacerbated by basic problems. Understanding these issues and addressing them in the right way is the best approach.