Help wanted .. How can I teach my 12 year old to spell.

[tuftyclub]

My DD is 12 and like I said in my title, I would like to teach her to spell. She is a an able pupil in most respects (top stream at a Grammar)but, her spelling is so atrocious I could almost weep! She adds at least three extra letters to every word (even the simplest) she writes.
I have in the past tried bribing her to read (ie her chores for home are to read a decent length book a fortnight) She is not overly fond of reading. I play scrabble and crosswords with her like a demented person, there is nothing wrong with her imagination, but the spelling has never come, profoundly she has always got top marks for spelling test, but her written spelling work is so poor. I am getting to the point of wondering whether she might be dyslexic. What can I do to help her, without giving her a complex.
TIA s

Just a thought,have you had her assessed for dyslexia?

No to the testing, to be honest it was only when we she was reading a piece of home work she had written to me the other day, that I realised she doesn't always read the word correctly. Her dad was profoundly dyslexic, bit is a lot better now

I do not know how you go about it but on a positive note one of the brightest people I know is a person I work with who is dyslexic. Can you discuss it with her teachers and get her assessed?

She may well have some form of dyslexia. She's obviously bright if she is able to memorise the spellings for her tests. Do you think that's why it's not been picked up on before now? Children will often find a way of overcoming any diffiulty they have.

I forgot to add that I would get her assessed or put pressure on the school to do so!

in the mean time, wordshark is a good pc game...see if i can find a link

here

does she acknowledge that she has a problem with spelling, until she does you may get nowhere.

having said that she obviousy understands what she has read otherwise would not be in her class at the grammar school.

how about getting her to write the hard words out using a strange sort of handwriting so it gets memorised using a different pathway

it is hard for the good spellers in the world to realise how difficult it is for the rest

My DS 11 (yr 6) is the same. At school they have used "Stareway to Spelling" by Keda. It has really helped and there has been a noticeable improvement since he finished.
You can by the scheme on Amazon as well but it is quite intensive and needs to be done most days.

www.kedalearning.co.uk/stareway/stareway.htm

is her hearing oK
and has it always been ok, i have heardthat can affect your spelling ability.
she passes her tests? may be she just can't be bothered

www.amazon.co.uk/Superphonics-Spelling-Ruth-Miskin/dp/0340851953/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/026-1487041-7730801?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180512183&sr=8-3

This book isn't to babyish. Maybe your daughter has never been taught how to spell systematically.

Another book which might be a little too slow for your daughter is Apples and Pears

www.promethean.fsnet.co.uk/aandp_frame.htm

You can look at the contents online and decide.

Thank you so much for your help, I'll go and buy the books and get her started on the games. I had always thought that she got so into her story when writing that her spelling went out of the window, in fact in yr 1 the teacher she had at the time said, that she just let her get on with DD's own spelling because the stories were so good. Every parents evening we have ever had the only thing I have ever been truly interested is her spelling. Trouble is, she is bright and I don't want this to affect her future. When she goes back after half term I will ask her teacher for help and tests. Thanxs again. S