Ideas to help my dyslexic daughter with spellings

[Pigwig22]

My DD is in y4 and is dyslexic. She struggles most with spelling. I feel we have tried everything. She told me today that she asks to be excused after spelling tests and goes and cries in the toilet.

These are SATs style spelling tests so not words that have been sent home for her to learn. Just words she’s supposed to somehow know how to spell.

I am desperate to help - although tbh I’d got to the point where I’ve more or less accepted she won’t ever spell well, but I don’t want her to think I’ve given up on her.

I would love any suggestions of things that we haven’t thought of.

We have a dyslexic tutor. In addition we have tried:

• Apple and Pears books consistently for about 9 months before she asked for a break. Not sure how much difference this made.
• Focusing on 10 spellings a week in a traditional way of writing them out, she gets them right that week but doesn’t retain them
• Focused on 5 spellings a week using a range of sensory methods, again doesn’t retain
• Used Nessy consistently for 3 years I can’t see any impact from this
• She reads every day
• Mnemonics works well but I feel there are only so many rhymes / I haven’t worked out a routine to fit learning new ones in
• I also found drawing pictures helps ie focusing on all words where the ir/ur/er sound is spelt with ir and drawing them ie a girl coming first with a bird etc
• For at least two years she has missed spelling lessons every week at school where they introduce the words they are focusing on as she goes to Nessy. She didn’t today and came home buzzing about it as she could remember how to spell one. Thinking of suggesting she doesn’t miss this anymore; not that these are the words in tests though. As mentioned above, the spelling tests aren’t words sent home to learn but the SATs style of 20 random words

I have spoken with her as well about how these tests don’t really matter, that we all struggle with different things and she shouldn’t compare herself to others. But it still breaks my heart thinking of her crying alone in the toilet.

I have also spoken to the teacher about her maybe sitting the spelling papers in a different room with a slower pace and being able to hand her paper directly to the teacher. She says a child will be asked to collect the papers so everyone ends up knowing what people have got and she feels embarrassed. One girl then keeps laughing at her and telling her how easy spelling tests are and that “there’s no such thing as dyslexia”.

what else can we try?

You need a meeting with the school ASAP. The school needs to shut down the bullying.

I would speak to the school about the interventions. They may have been withdrawing DD from the spelling lesson because she isn’t able to access the level of work. But then they should also be differentiating the spelling tests.

Has the school tried precision teaching?

Pre-teaching new vocab can help.

If DD doesn’t use it already I would get her typing (with support from assistive tech) &/or using speech to text software.

Some find WordShark helpful.

What is DD’s working, short and long term memory like with other things? What is her processing like with other things?

How is her phonics awareness when reading?

Has DD had an EP assessment? Does she have an EHCP?

I've had lots of meetings with school. Yes she was removed from the lessons to do Nessy as it was felt this would be more helpful, but after 3 years of Nessy I can't see what difference it has made. The school has also recently not renewed their subscription, hence why she is back in the spelling class.

I have asked the dyslexia teacher to provide homework to do in the periods where she would have done nessy, which school is happy with. But I'm now divided about whether or not to keep her in the spelling lessons as she seemed boosted that she remembered some of the words.

School has offered to set her a different spelling test, but have advised the ultimately she will have to sit the year 6 SATs spelling test so we have decided it is better to get her used to the format and understanding that nobody minds if she gets 0/20. But I have asked the teacher for this to now be done separately to the class, at a slower pace, with a separate piece of paper for her to try the spelling out on first and for her paper to remain confidential i.e. not collected by other children.

I am sorry, I'm not sure what precision teaching is?

Nessy had typing, we haven't quite found a way to work this into our routine regularly yet as she would have to do it on my laptop, which I use for work. I don't get home until she is in the bath most days so that only leaves weekends open for this.

I will take a look at WordShark.

Her short term working memory came out as High Average overall, with a particular strength in verbal working memory, her composite phonological memory came out as mid-average but phonological awareness was identified as an area of difficulty.

Her cognitive processng speed was mixed, with some high average areas but others mid-average for areas that impact reading fluency skills.

Long term memory doesn't seem to be covered by the report, I feel she struggles to retain things learnt at school like spelling, times tables, telling the time. But not noticed this in other areas of life.

No EP assessment, only dyslexia. No EHCP.

Sorry really long post and forgot to say - I am not really sure what to ask of school. They did a plan with millions of things that could be done for dyslexic children, but the only thing mentioned for spelling was Nessy, which hasn't moved the dial at all in three years. I am not sure what else I can ask them to do in this specific area...

I think a comprehensive EP assessment would help. Not only to further understand DD’s needs but also to understand what support she needs.

I would also request an EHCNA yourself. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

If there is a big gap between DD’s verbal ability and what she can record on paper, I would look at scribing more or speech to text software. For a scribe at school, DD is likely to need an EHCP. Otherwise, the school is unlikely to have the staff to provide a scribe for all lessons it is required for.

If DD didn’t get on with learning touch typing via Nessy, you could try KAZ neurodiverse typing tutor. Nessy Fingers doesn’t work for all, so it is worth trying others.

But I'm now divided about whether or not to keep her in the spelling lessons as she seemed boosted that she remembered some of the words.

I suspect this may be a honeymoon period and longer term, DD is likely to find the lessons challenging, academically and self esteem wise. I would push the school to provide more differentiation.

Precision teaching is a method of supporting DD the school could try. It can be helpful where the classroom teaching has moved on, but there are gaps left behind. Often used for things like spellings and times tables. It is something that is best delivered daily in short bursts, but what is delivered and the actually delivery varies because it should be adjusted to the individual child/children. This is a basic explanation with some examples.

I have heard good things (from MN - not tested with DS yet) about Spelling Shed and also the Dyslexia Gold Spelling Tutor.