DS Spelling

[WinniePig]

Hello! Anyone got any reassuring stories re bright DC with terrible spelling? My DS10 is super lovely kind boy with the most atrocious spelling. Such creative and imaginative ways of spelling words completely wrong! What does it mean? What should I do? He enjoys reading non fiction books and is in top set for maths. He’s creative and engaging but WOW! spellings are crazy!

I can sympathise. My DS is 13 and sounds so similar. At 10 school tested reading and had 15 year old ability. Highest group in school for maths, generally above average in everything other than the dreaded spellings!!
I did try working on the high frequency words but school kept sending him home with random words that he unlikely to ever use!!
He did use website aaaspell a bit, maybe take a look.
School said because his reading was so good, unlikely he had dyslexia.
I thought at least when in secondary school they wont do spellings. But then came french spellings, disaster 🙄. Anyway I do think further down the line with so much word processed on line it wont be really bad but guess have to keep trying with them.

Yes! The random spellings from Twinkl that he is tested on each week - so bizarre. He can memorise them but then forgets them the following week. Teachers have told us that he has “dyslexic tendencies” but I blame it on the fact he is left handed and sees everything back to front. My DB is a primary school teacher and IT lead and tells me not to worry because everything is word processed as they get older but it is so hard as I assume everyone is distracted by terrible spelling and missing all the originality in his writing ☹️

Is his spelling terrible as in he makes random guesses or is he spelling the words phonetically? You would be surprised at the range of spelling abilities in a class.

Also there was an interesting podcast on Left-handedness and right brainedness on BBC Sounds by Rutherford and Fry you might find interesting.

I glad to hear ur DB say that, that was my hope.
Yeah our school said some dyslexic tendencies too but not actually dyslexic.
DS writing wouldn't be the tidest either.
I have a younger DS, his spelling below average too but not quite as bad. Think it might run in our family a bit.

Look up dysgraphia. I have a very bright DD, but her spelling is atrocious and she was diagnosed by a private OT.

My story is reassuring. DD is 20, currently at university, taking a practical subject, got A at A Level English and couldn't spell a single word of my Year 5/6 spelling list - I am a primary teacher and was curious to see if she had improved and she hadn't. She uses spell check for everything, asks friends to check her spelling etc. If she has to, for a job or something, she tells people she is dyslexic. She was found to have 'mild tendancies' in a private assessment I got her when she was about 13. People are more sympathetic then if she was to say that she just couldn't spell. TBH, I would say it has not affected her one jot. It's her USP and she embraces it. Hope this helps, there is more to life than spelling without aids.

Don't look too hard at my spelling!

School said because his reading was so good, unlikely he had dyslexia.

Lots of people with dyslexia read well

Thank you everyone. In reception, teacher noted he had immature speech. I think poor spelling partly attributable to that. E.g. if he wanted to spell “throne” it might come out as “frone” or more likely “froen”. He has a twin DSis who is brilliant with language and memory. Completely effortless in terms of spellings but not as creative in terms of drawings and ideas. I tend to leave them to it, trust the school and hope it will all come good…I just wonder whether I should be intervening in some way e.g. getting a tutor. We’re in catchment for a ridiculously academic secondary and I’m worried he’ll be overlooked / sidelined…

Seaweasel - thank you! Your post is very reassuring. I want to avoid intervening if at all possible as I think it is important for kids to find their own way through without parents stepping in.

Seaweasel. Thanks from me too, that is encouraging.

My dd struggled so much learning spellings in primary and beginning of secondary. We spent hours learning them. She still can't spell very well but she has a masters degree and is assistant head of maths in a secondary school. I can't spell very well either. Sometime it's something you just can't do.

Don't worry too much on the spelling, but do focus on reading. It's very easy for children who struggle to read to give up but they gain almost as much from having a story read to them, particularly the exposure to new vocabulary (even if they can't spell it). So read to them for as long as they'll let you, Dds 12 and still quite happy to be read to even though she's a strong reader herself.

@WinniePig

Seaweasel - thank you! Your post is very reassuring. I want to avoid intervening if at all possible as I think it is important for kids to find their own way through without parents stepping in.

From your post it sounds as if your son is using phonics to help him spell which is exactly what he should be doing. The problem seems to be that no one has corrected him when he makes the wrong choice of alternative representations for sounds as in your example of froen... he needs to be praise for listening to the sounds he can hear when saying the word but reminded that even though he says "f" we spell the first sound and asked if he can think of another way to spell the sound /oe/. He will probably be able to come up with a few so it's important to show him the correct spelling. The longer poor spelling is left uncorrected the more chance it becomes fixed. When he writes the word I'd encourage him to say the sounds as he writes them as this helps to recall them later.

I disagree with ‘leaving them to it’ all predictions of future outcomes improve with early intervention. Having engaged parents is a strength not a weakness.
My DD is dyslexic and knowing that is protective for her self esteem and allows her understand her learning profile. Get him assessed if you think he’s dyslexic, why wouldn’t you?

WeRTheOnesWeHaveBeenWaitingFor I would agree that having that private dyslexia assessment - I think she was about 11 actually rather than 13 - did make a difference to her self-esteem, although made no difference in practical educational terms. Her school were a bit "so what?" about it but it did help her understand herself and in the long term worth the money.

I agree with formal assessment. I had wrongly assumed my daughter had dyslexia as her written ability was so totally at odds with her verbal and reading skills. It was such a relief for both she and I that she was diagnosed with dysgraphia; we were given incredibly helpful advice as part of the formal report we received from the therapist that helped at home, but mainly at school. E.g. physical placement in the classroom, not being made to write endless amounts of text which is virtually pointless for a child with this disorder.

Have a read up on stealth dyslexia and see what you think.

Thanks everyone. I will look into getting him a dyslexia assessment. There is a dyslexia centre at his primary school so will have a word with the school about the best way of arranging an assessment. I did some research last night about dyslexia indicators and he had some of them. E.g. he didn’t know his alphabet until he was 9! and he will often switch around letters such as b and d.

What do you mean that being left handed makes everything ‘back to front’? That makes no sense. Left handed people aren’t worse at spelling

And yes, not knowing an alphabet until 9 is incredibly unusual - surprised the school didn’t pick up on that, usually it’s 4 or 5

@WinniePig

Thanks everyone. I will look into getting him a dyslexia assessment. There is a dyslexia centre at his primary school so will have a word with the school about the best way of arranging an assessment. I did some research last night about dyslexia indicators and he had some of them. E.g. he didn’t know his alphabet until he was 9! and he will often switch around letters such as b and d.

Sorry but b/d confusion isn't an indicator of dyslexia it's equally common in children with no difficulties (in fact research showed it more common in non dyslexic people) and in the U.K. we don't prioritise learning the alphabet (it doesn't actually help us to read).

I’m a bit like this! I have a really good job and it actually involves a lot of writing (law) but have never nailed down spelling.

My youngest is very similar to what you describe. I've recently trawled some similar threads here for advice and someone recommended a specific book which I've just ordered

The Hornet Literacy Primer https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/0953871428/ref=cmswwrcppapiglttfabcWNVDWEF6ENRWFN2DBT8N??encoding=UTF8&psc=1