IS there 'a condition' where a DC can spell words, 'stand alone' then gets them wrong in writing...

[Erebus]

...every time?

Coz DS2 is like this! An example: This morning he learned a list of 12 words, via the 'look/cover/write/check' method. All 100% correct. Then I got him to spell the 4 or 5 similarly 'complex' word he got wrong in a written piece of h/w yesterday (Y6, his teacher takes no prisoners: spelling mistakes = a complete re-write in break time!) and guess what? He made exactly the same mistakes as he'd originally made. Despite having apparently 'learned' them when I corrected his writing and he'd rewritten it out correctly!

However, I bet if I asked him to re-spell the list of words a few hours later, he'd get most if not all right. It's as if he can spell words if they are read to him, 'stand-alone' but can't if they're in the body of some text.

We have a similar problem with capitals at the start of sentences. Yes, he knows the rule. No, he rarely applies it. But yes, mum, I know!

Why?

My ds is like this, and he is dyslexic. For a long time he hated spelling tests too, as his working memory was one of the problems. We did have a year when the teacher was using a special scheme for the spelling tests which was all about patterns, and I think that was actually quite useful (as opposed to the sometimes rather strange lists he had in the past, often of words he was highly unlikely to use on a regular basis). This year his teacher is also doing spelling tests (he is 12, so we thought he'd grown out of them) but with some different scheme, that she assures us really does make a difference. It will be interesting to see. ds's spelling (and writing) are shall we say interesting...

The look/cover/write/check method of learning spelling isn't nearly thorough enough IMVHO. I make DD do spelling tests orally (on the way to school) as well as giving her several tests throughout the week. And she is a natural-born speller IMO, as I am.

Oh, and DD gets her spelling test in the form of dictation ie the words are woven into a text. She does get them right, but she needs much more than look/cover/write/check to get there.

Actually cat sounding out would be the first step to writing there, their and they're the next step would be identifying the different ways of representing the /air/ sound and choosing based on knowledge of the meaning.

Have you investigated whether it might be linked to working memory difficulties (this would be covered in a dyslexia assessment).

DS now uses a computer for all his work as he had similar struggles. We discovered (with much outside help) that when he handwrites a word it never looks the same as his handwriting is not his forte.

When he types it always looks the same, the uniformity of print really helps him.

We also now let him use spell check so that he is helped to see his own mistakes.

Personally I think far too much effort is put into spelling but that's another topic!

mrzSun 25-Sep-11 19:41:31
I'm trying to adjust my maths planning now I know my class don't understand numbers

What, none of them? Will be easy to plan the lessons then, with no need to differentiate

Gosh this is exactly DD's problem too. I have just spoken to the SENCO at school about the possibility that she could be dyslexic but because all her other academics are good they are reluctant to do much - she did say she would do a test to see if she is at risk of being dyslexic though.
Other parents I have spoken to have all said they have had to pay for a private assesment as the schools won't do them. I guess I will wait to hear what the SENCO does first then consider private testing to put my mind at rest.

Hmmm my DD is 8 and im starting to wonder if she needs some sort of extra help with her reading and writing, she also cant spell on paper but can can spell perfectly saying the word!

I dont think i was overly worried until yesterday whenher 6yo brother wrote 'a story' that not only made sense but was spelt/spelled correctly.

Its so frustrating for her and me :(

choccyp1g I have ONE child where they should be in maths and English out of a class of 30 so I've got one hell of a headache

Mrz, sounds like the previous class teacher(s) have badly messed up.

I recall from a previous thread, you said that last year's teacher had over-assessed many of them in reading, and now you are finding the same pattern in numeracy.

Do you think you can bring them up to speed in a year? It strikes me that this might be an interesting test for the theory that if we left some of the reading etc., until later they might pick it up more quickly, especially with a good teacher like yourself. (sincerely, I have followed your threads and you sound fab)
I hope last year's teacher will be retrained, or sacked something. It is just not fair on the next class of children (or you) otherwise.

That one child that is OK, do you think that's because of the parents help, or was (s)he already at that stage at the start of the year?

Back to the original question. Could it be that some DCs take phonics a bit too literally? So when they are in the midst of writing, if they aren't the type that just "see" the correct spelling, rather than thinking back to when they learnt the spelling, they go for the first phonic rule, instead of running through the various ways of producing the same sounds?

The child is bright and gets lots of parental support but so do a number of other children. I don't think it can all be blamed on one teacher to be fair but that still leaves me with a problem that we addressing as a school with intensive support

Actually, I am fairly sure DS2 has some dyslexic tendencies- the word has been muttered frequently by teachers over the years but there's no way on god's sweet earth that the school will test as they will have to pay towards any additional help he needs, end of; I wrote specifically asking for him to be tested last year and was basically fobbed off.

And I can't justify the £400 it'll cost!

The truth is most of us have some dyslexic tendencies because as a label dyslexia is pretty useless ... a catch all umbrella term.

Even with a diagnosis there is no guarantee of additional support

Following this thread with interest, as I also have Year 3 child who is exactly the same as this. Last year (Year 2), he was moved to Year 3 for phonics, and only made one mistake all year. Although he is in the top group for literacy, his spelling in his written work is very hit and miss. In fact, it was his weakest section in his report last year, which he found really hard to take as he had done so well at "spellings".

I can't spell for toffee, and actually have to secretly learn his spellings too each week, but I can proof read an spot a mistake, even if it takes me several goes to make it "look" right.

This morning, I sat him down with this weekend's literacy homework and asked him to "proof read" it, and he did spot a lot of spelling mistakes, which he has corrected.

I have no idea whether this is the best way to approach it. This is a child who can look at a story, answer a question on the text perfectly correctly, but can't even copy down the words correctly from the text he has next to him...yet get 100% in his spellings, week after week.