Year 4 DD struggling with writing and spelling

[Lisaquin01]

DD2 is a summer born year 4 and is struggling with her spelling and hand writing
Last year at the end of year 3 we had her screened for dyslexia, this didnt flag anything
Her spelling age has gone from 6yr 10 months back in Oct to 7yr 9months now (she is 9yrs 0 months)
She works so so hard, her maths and reading are age related so its just this she stuggles with.. she has intervention for spelling but hasnt caught up much

We are meeting her year 4 teacher today to discuss what he think would help her over the summer and moving into year 5 but just after similar stories and advice really.... we are wondering about a private screening for dyslexia.... but unsure this is worth it...

any help or advice welcome

Have you tried any writing aids? Writing slant, pen grips, yellow paper etc?

It does sound like dyslexia. I’d say if you suspect anything SEN related, go and get a private assessment asap. Don’t simply rely on the school to lead on it because they won’t. Your Dc is likely trying so hard already, whilst not being adequately supported at school and that over time really destroys a child’s confidence.

Both mine are dyslexic and I noticed in Y1/Y2. The previous school at the time wasn’t supportive and dd’s would often be told they just need to try harder on their Maths and spellings.

I eventually moved them both but Dd1 got her report in Y5, her presentation was ‘milder’—if you can call it that. Dd2 had hers done when she turned 8, she often has a scribe. Both reports flagged working memory issues amongst other things. But it’s meant they’ve both have been given additional time in tests. Written homework can be done on laptops and the teachers in the new school have been far more accommodating overall.

Have you considered dysgraphia? It wasn't something I'd ever heard of but our son is currently getting assessed for it (among other things) as his writing, punctuation and spelling isn't where it should be. He does also have dyspraxia which obviously doesn't help him.

We had similar with dd in y2. We knew something was different with her learning and school agreed and assessed for dyslexia.
It came back as negative and school back tracked and said maybe she's shy.... non idea how shyness would make you write backwards but hey ho....

We did a private dyslexia assessment which showed she had visual processing disorder. In some areas she scored 0.

Definitely do it. Ours had advice on how to support her as parents, how school could support her learning and recommend behavioural optometry.

She's 12 now and just finished Y7 at a
Selective grammar school and is doing brilliantly.

How much reading is she doing per day?
Spelling shed and squeebles spelling help a lot.
A year behind doesnt sound like a lot.
Spelling is just ne skill and seems linked to memory.
But writing the words out by hand helps.
How does she do on spelling tests and how would she do a few weeks later on same words?

Its not something i would immediately think would be affected by being summer born. As you are giving a specific reading age.
But that would depend on if meeting in other areas is just meeting or nearly exceeding etc. Because any average of spelling will include the exceeding readers (and poor ones)

thank you all.. meeting with teacher went well and we have some stratigies in place for the summer and moving into year 5

I’d go for the private assessment for dyslexia, dysgraphia and so on.
The screens run by primary schools are done by well meaning TAs with a few months training and certification that sadly cannot match the expertise or full battery of thorough tests done by a doctor in Educational Psychology.

Tons of children pass the primary school screening, even ones with severe dyslexia. My eldest DC did.

Joining the chorus saying get a full private assessment if you can.
My DS was "low risk" for dyslexia on the school's screener in year R and again (when redone at our request) in year 1. They're a blunt instrument. We had a full assessment done anyway in year 2 and he's dyslexic. He just finished year 4 and he's working at greater depth in both reading and maths, so your DD meeting age related expectations in everything but spelling, doesn't preclude there being something going on under the surface in the "dys-" family, whether dyslexia or one of its friends and relatives. My DS struggles with spelling, rote memorisation, and reading and writing stamina.
A full assessment would give you and your DD insights into how she learns and any areas of specific difficulty that need to be supported.