Pushy mum alert - dd2's spelling is nowhere near in line with her reading - she is a girly swot so how can I help her at home?

[Enid]

Yes yes I know pushy parent - she is only in reception. ORT level 5 (which she finds pretty easy). Her spelling is pretty rubbish and SHE has asked me if she can have spelling tests every week (like dd1 has). Is there a good way/book to help 5 year olds with their spelling?

Jolly Grammar 1 and 2 (which are equivalent to Yrs 1 and 2) have really good grammar exercises and spelling lists based on phonic families - by the Jolly Phonics people. Some posters here have children who do them at school. I did them a bit with DS2 at home, when he found it fun in Reception/early y1.

I taught DS2 to read before school and DS1 goes to an 11+ tutor and they do Kumon, so I am pushy too!

phew

dd2 is hungry for knowledge - very wearing but she would rather do maths whizz on the pc than play outside, and likes nothing better than a written exercise..

she does play a lot as well though [hurriedly]

Dd's writing and spelling were terrible in Reception.

I bought this from gltc - plus the Yr1 and 2 pack. Don't know if it helped but she liked it!

that sounds great (I meant to say)

I dont suppose w h smiths have them? will look for them and online

mercy - dd2 can read all those words - I guess buying them would be a good way to give her a spelling list

get her reading and forget the spelling.

my reading dds both have worse spelling than reading ability, I don't see that it matters. Spelling is boring. Reading books for pleasure however, that's one of the best life skills you can give them.

Mine do like maths games too though. but we don't really bother with spelling.

Ok fennel that is reassuring

I am slightly concerned as she is going up to a mixed year one and year 2 class next year and will NOT enjoy being at the bottom of the pack

Spelling isn't everything. And I say that as an editor and a pedant of the first water! A lot of people never really get on top of spelling and it isn't surprising given how complex English spelling is. You can help with tests if that's what she really wants, but make them fun eg you could make up silly sentences with the test words in. I also think reading a lot will help as she'll gradually absorb spelling rules from all the words she sees. And also give her a dictionary and show her how to check spellings. You don't have to know how to spell everything, but it's good to be aware of your weakness and know to check things.

If she likes written exercises, she'd probably love the Jolly Grammar stuff - DS2 did, particularly the grammar worksheets. If she wants tests, you could give her a weekly spelling list from there just like DD1's. The good thing about the Jolly Grammar is that it teaches phonic rules, so 'how to spell', rather than just lists.

Not everyone thinks spelling is boring . DS2 loves, loves, LOVES spelling. Mind you, he's never really 'learned' spellings - it is just something he is naturally good at and he enjoys spelling long words for fun. But (repeat Mumsnet mantra here) we are all different and he still can't ride a bike and of course I think children should be children and, yes, SATs should be banned.....

My children are all superb cyclists

What about Junior Scrabble and similar word games - boggle, hangman. Mine enjoy that sort of thing.

dd2 cant ride a bike either

is there a link?

Spelling is never like their reading though is it? Not for ages, in fact perhaps forever?

V. different skills.

I guess if she's so keen, you could just make a list, and get her to copy them out, and then she could mark them? [yawn]

Don't think there is a link between being good at spelling and not cycling, but you never know....Just doing my Mumsnet "all kids develop different things at different rates" jive. Some children are really keen to learn to ride bikes, though, and some are really keen to learn to read or to spell 'diplodocus' or whatever.

DS2, who's 6, said, while DS1 was doing homework yesterday, that he would find something constructive to do and unearthed a mind-numbing game called, implausibly, Fun with Fractions. Afterwards he asked to fill in the activity book that came with the game. You never can tell.

Spelling in Reception 'pretty rubbish'??

Sorry, but that is mad. She must be 5 (at most).

At this stage they are supposed to spell phonetically aren't they?

"Is there a good way/book to help 5 year olds with their spelling? "

Not loads about no, because they are only 5.
Sorry Enid, but I really have a thing about pushy parents (to use your own words). You say she is pushing but is it because she senses your pushiness? Rhetorical question btw.

But if she really wants to spell well, why not encourage her? Anyway, Enid's 'pushy' may be your 'supportive', Huw. How can we tell?

No, we can't Singersgirl, was just offering my opinion.

I have a couple of pages on spelling that you might find interesting/useful:

www.aowm73.dsl.pipex.com/dyslexics/spelling.htm

www.aowm73.dsl.pipex.com/dyslexics/resources_and_further_3.htm

Dd loves the Wizard Whimstaff workbooks - there are specific phonics and spelling ones.

It hadn't even entered my mind to be anything but charmed by my four year old's somewhat approximate approach to the written word .

I love the 'emergent spelling' too MI - especially when they do longer words. Some of my favourites from my kids;

jagn - dragon
tmrtosos - tomato sauce
iqitment - equipment
shepudspy - shepherds pie

DD2 wrote us a notice recently that said
DISDORISNTALAWDOPENDACOSITSFOLIG.

'this door isn't allowed opened because it's falling.'

I am rather proud. And told her so.

Fabulous! I LOVE kids writing! The jagn one I put above was part of a story dd was writing in which she wrote 'Miriam and vu jagn' - Miriam and the dragon. I love that they write EXACTLY as they pronounce!