can't spell

[xylem8]

I have a daughter who is 11 years old.She is in Y7 at a grammar school and is doing Ok (above the middle of the class in all subjects), but she can't spell at all.She will just as often write 'mutch' as 'much' and 'wich' and 'dans' for witch and dance as further examples.At least 50% of her words are spelled incorrectly, although phonetically plausible.
She can read Ok although perhaps slightly slower than average, but not significantly, and she does enjoy reading so it can't be too much of a chore.
The other thing she has a big problem with is copying from the board because as she says she cannot remember many words in her head.This is particularly problematic in French because she needs to get the spelling of each word so has to look every few letters.
The school have told all her teachers to mark the content of her work and not the spelling and have sent her to 'spelling club'.I don't think this is very helpful because she knows the phonics but can't remember which spelling of that sound to use eg 'ir' 'ur' ' or 'er'
I don't know if anything can be done to help her, I don't whether this is a form of dyslexia.The primary school didn't care because she was 5a across the board and sat 6 in writing and they would understandably rather spend their resources on a child who was 'behind'.
French spellings are something she is really struggling with

dyslexia was my first thought, what you say about spelling and having difficulties copying from the board are the same problems my 16 yo DD1 has.

can you ask the school about getting her tested, and asking what dyslexia-friendly strategies they can put in place? eg DD1 used to be given a print out of whatever was going on the board.

your DD must be bright, having got into the GS, mine is supposed to be lower than average but still on track to get a reasonable bunch of GCSEs this term. remember that dyslexic kids have to work really really hard to do what non-dyslexic people do without thinking...
good luck

It really sounds like a working memory/dyslexia problem. Try and get her formally assessed, it will mean extra help and time for exams.

Absolutely get her assesed, DD1 gets extra time in exams for similar issues and it's an absolute godsend.

Having to reread questions, crossout idiotic spellings, copy spellings letter by letter from the question and proof everything does make exams take her longer.

Just because you are bright does not stop you having dyslexia and deserving help. DD1 is in the top CAT score band for GCSE groups. I have the best O level grades in my year and a RG degree, my spelling is shocking and I share many off DDs working memory problems. I can't do times tables, MFL or remember phone numbers. Copying anything is really slow and unbelievably so if it contains unfamiliar long words.

In my day they would have ROFL at the idea the brightest kid in the class was dyslexic not lazy (it would have been lovely not to have got so many sarcastic comments). However, nowdays universities are the most clued up of all.

Thankyou, she is in no way mega bright, but she really should be able to remember simple spellings by now if there were nothing wrong. I don't know how to get her assessed -is that something I can do privately? and if I do will the school take any notice of a private assessment

Where are you? If in/near London, I would recommend the Bloomfield Centre, near London Bridge Station. Either the school can refer her or you can have her assessed privately. If you have a formal assessment, they will need to take notice of it!

Sorry I don't have time to read the thread as I have to run out, but wanted to post first.

Your DD sounds a lot like me. It makes secondary school HARD and I really feel for her.

It definitely sounds like dyslexia to me. I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my mid twenties, a long time after getting 4 A levels, and MA from a v. good University and a v. good job. There were - and still are - days when I struggle to spell the simplest of words. Even 'the' has caused me problems on the odd occasion!

It's not a case of there being 'simple' and 'difficult' spellings. ALL spellings can be tricky sometimes / often.

Sometimes I wish I had been diagnosed when I was at school as I'd have had more help and been given more time in exams. On the other hand, it may have made me feel as though I had a problem and it may have ended up limiting what I thought I was capable of achieving.

I'd chat it over with your daughter as it certainly sounds like dyslexia to me. But please, please don't think she's not concentrating in class or not being careful - just remember that while everyone else is writing things down and concentrating on the content of their work, she's having to concentrate doubly hard on actually doing the writing bit, even before she thinks about the content.

what culturemulcher says about having to work so hard is so true.

we got DD1 assessed via the Dyslexia Institute, cost about £400 about 8 yrs ago. really, her school should do it, but ours was useless so we paid out to get the ammunition.

Sounds like she is dyslexic. My son has similar problems with spellings. You can buy electronic dictionaries, think Collins make some. I got ds one from whsmith & he can take it into class. They are supposed to work out the word from incorrect spellings. Think you can get the in other languages too. Unfortunately he can't use it in exams & will be penalised for incorrect spellings but it does help with home & class work. He has a report though which is why he is allowed to use it in class.

Contact the SENCO at your DD's school, they should be able to help.

They should also be able to tell you the arrangements for assessment that they can offer (and about any waiting lists). Some schools do not accept any private assessments and some our picky on who they will accept. So check with the school before you go down that route.

I'm a lecturer and it is not uncommon for bright children to go undiagnosed, they learn their own coping strategies which can mask how much they are struggling.

Can be difficult to get support for children who are doing well or OK at school. Boschy and Culturemulcher are so right about having to work twice as hard. DC refused to use an electronic spell check thingy! Definitely go for getting extra time for exams, which school seem to be able to administer an assessment for (this is definitely not a dyslexia assessment though). We haven't gone down the formal testing for dyslexia route, mainly because I don't think getting it done will lead to extra support. Worth looking at BDA and Dyslexia action websites.

She sounds like my DS 17, he couldnt remember sums from looking at the board to putting them on the paper and his spelling is dire. He can spell out loud but not so good on paper. He has never had an official diagnosis but gets extra time for his exams.
He had lots of extra 1 to 1 in primary because he was very bright. He was taken off the sen register because he got a level 4 in writing by 1 point but high 5 for everything else.
When he got to secondary he was being pushed in MFL because he was in top set. I went to see SENCO and they put him back on SEN register and for his GCSE and now A2 is getting extra time.

I would go to see SENCO first as others have suggested.