Children generally learn to spell by remembering the sight of a word in print, or by sounding it out phonically. If your child has a strong visual memory, he will visualize words and spell them correctly. However, relying on memorizing the sight of words is difficult when tackling long, complicated words. When spelling phonically, a child breaks a word into syllables and sounds and applies spelling rules to each. Effective spellers can use both methods.
History
For many years psychologists believed children should learn to spell by rote, where a child drills a word into her head by repeatedly reading and writing it. American educators argued that phonics should not be taught. Researchers have now concluded that children learn to spell more effectively through an understanding of the structural conventions and phonics of words. Children are thought to learn to spell by speaking, and learning correct pronunciations of words, rather than sitting in a quiet room studying, so teaching focuses on interaction. There is now a wide range of software available to assist children, such as electronic spelling games.
Phonics
By age five, most children begin to learn to spell by using phonics. They are taught to link the sounds of spoken words with single letters or groups of letters. They blend these sounds together to pronounce words they do not know. Children essentially rely on how words feel in their mouths. According to the National Reading Panel, kindergarten students and first graders given phonics instruction are better spellers than their peers who don't receive such instruction.
Considerations
When learning to spell using phonics, a child must also learn some words by sight. In the English language, there are a number of irregular words, such as "choir," that are very difficult to spell out and must be learned by visual memory and repetition. Homophones, or words that are spelled differently and have different meanings but sound the same, like "maid" and "made," typically require a child to see them in print.
Reading
Reading skills and spelling skills are inextricably linked. Without being a competent reader, it is highly unlikely your child will be able to spell successfully. The more a child reads, the more he will grow interested in words and how they are formed. Reading also helps with memorizing spellings by sight, as a child reads the same or similar words again and again. Instead of reading long lists and learning by rote, young children are encouraged to read books with words that follow a pattern and are educational but also enjoyable.
Dyslexia
The National Institute of Health calls dyslexia a reading disability resulting from the inability to process graphic symbols. Spelling is the most difficult activity for a dyslexic child, who will struggle with rhyming and recognizing written words. She may leave letters out of words or put them in the wrong order. She will probably struggle with visual memory and complex words. The NIH recommends personal tutoring, special classes and extra learning, and possibly psychiatric counseling.
Help Your Child Spell
It is important for children to learn certain rules to help them spell, such as "i before e, except after c" and "when two vowels go together, the second is silent, as in team or wait." But the best tip is to break a word down into syllables and get a child to spell each one, such as "dis-ap-pear-ing." And beware of electronic spell-checking--they have limited value in teaching your child how to spell using these methods.
