Spellings boost - Y3

[RedSandYellowSand]

Hi,

Just like me, my 7 year old year 3 boy has appalling spelling (and hand writing). School say no dyslexia (which i have diagnosed, and certain my Dad has undiagnosed).
Recent spellings have been tork (talk), sumthing and somefing (something, same page), howse (house), whent (went).
I'm not in the UK, but will be there for the 12 week summer holiday. Any suggestions of stuff to work on? School sent a booklet home over Xmas, which seemed to help temporarily, but was soon forgotten. And that is backed up by end of term spelling tests - random selection of 30 words from the terms spellings - about 7/30. But with a lot of effort we can get near full marks in weekly tests. We break down words into the seperate syllables, and build the word from there, and practice, practice, practice.
I'm currently trying to to get the 200 most frequently used English words correct, figuring that must be a good start. Other suggestions (that don't need me to be able to spell accurately!)

[MrsWhiteWash]

Apple and pears books - very good need both teacher and work books. I didn't buy them all at once but worked through them all steadily. Good for improving spelling in everyday writing rather than just tests.

Spelfabet workbooks which you buy and then print out - though Australian pronunciation is used not that is cause and major problems for us.

[MrsWhiteWash]

Hand writing <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Write-start-Programme-Perceptual-Handwriting/dp/1855032457?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">write from the start or more intense <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Speed-Up-Kinaesthetic-Programme-Handwriting/dp/1855033860/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JD95JY1EKTSQWM385Y4Q&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank"> speed up.

Though I found apple and pears helped there as well as I was stood them correcting if they did letters wrong and making it clear over and over that I needed to be able to read the sentences.

[MrsWhiteWash]

not that it caused any major problems for us. - I need to proof read better.

[Ferguson]

The spellings you quote aren't really that bad, as you can easily see what he means, and they do have 'Phonic relevance'.

A very useful book, that you can BOTH use, and hopefully, enjoy, is the Oxford Phonic Spelling Dictionary. It lists words in Phonic order, NOT Alphabetical order, as a 'normal' dictionary would.

Thus, it starts with the sound 's', but includes words that start with other letters, but have the 's' sound: cinema; circle; cycle.

It is also in the same order as taught in many UK schools, so starts off : s, a, t, p, i, n.

(Search my name and Phonics in the MN book reviews and you should see a review and more details.)

[RedSandYellowSand]

Thanks, MrsWhiteWash. Will take a look.

Already got the dictionary, Ferguson .
Really, not that bad if it's all phonetic? What age would you be expecting kids to be getting words like house and talk correct?

[mrz]

"Really, not that bad if it's all phonetic?" No if it's phonetic it's not that bad because they simply need the correct alternative to be reinforced. I suspect it's never been corrected until it has become a habit. It was believed that correcting spellings would put children off writing so incorrect spelling become fixed. Children can cope with being corrected if done in a supportive way.
Tork explain or is a way to spell the sound /or/ but can they remember any other ways( how it's spelt in talk?) if he can great if not simply tell him in talk the /or/ sound is spelt or. Get him to correct it himself and make sure he sees the correct spelling.

[RedSandYellowSand]

That's what I've been doing Mrz with talk, we also looked at walk and stalk.
House, mouse etc.
Sounds like i just need to keep plugging away, and hope one day it sticks!

[mrz]

Make sure he always sees the correct spelling ...that's what we need to stick not the incorrect version he's got now. Writing it with joined handwriting while saying the sounds can help create a motor memory to help he recall the correct spelling.

The somefing can be down to poor pronunciation. If he says fing (or other people say it) that's what he hears and writes.

[RedSandYellowSand]

Sees everyone i spot that's wrong. Sees and copies the ones i think he should know, and the harder ones if it doesn't seem like it's going to push him over the edge!!! I'm just really worried about these 12 week summer holiday coming up with no school input. But it seems like I'm doing about the right thing, and if i can get him to keep writing over that time, we might not regress too much!!!!