How to support niece with spellings and reading

[Auntiedear]

Does anyone have any ideas or tips about how to help my 8 year old niece with her reading and spellings?

Her school seem to advocate a repetition type approach i.e. copy the word a number of times and then test yourself but this doesn't seem to be working for her.

She also has problems sounding words out and seems to really read from memory (remembering the spellings rather than working them out) although she can do it when you help break the words down.

She is brought up in a bilingual household - mum speaks polish and dad English so I'm not sure if that has something to do with it.

I just feel as though a different approach is needed but not sure what that would be! Any thoughts very welcome.

have her parents asked you to get involved?

Yes

She regularly stays with me and has to do homework etc

I would focus on reading first. Find out what type of books she's into and take her to the library. Get her to read out loud to you. Alternatively, look on eBay for book bundles of books of the right level.

Is she dyslexic? I have 4 bilingual kids and the problem isn't 2 languages particularly as Polish and English are pretty dissimilar.

I have 2 with dyslexia. Spellings are a nightmare. They saw a language specialist 2 x week for a good decade.

Is get readings she's normal? Within range? Her book band?

Does she understood phonics?

My dd didn't get repetition either. I had to break the word into root words instead.

Eg "auto"

Etc. Then add on prefix and suffix.
Having a white board with different coloured pens helped again for the root in one colour and the pre /suffix in another.

Helped her to understand how words are built and make sense then we grouped words like the should, could would and called them our "oh u lucky duck" words.

When it became more complicated we used mecmonics for because and beautiful.

Phonics did not work at all for us.
Mine responded better when she understood it this way.
Re reading make sure she is secure on the high frequency words. Get her to listen to storys audio, lion witch wardrobe and books with more sophisticated language. You try and read to her and get her to say the odd word