Spelling Teaching

Teaching Spelling to Children

Spelling is a difficult subject, and spelling teaching even more so. Spelling is quite hard to grasp and needs to be introduced gradually by using the phonics method so that it is easier for children to learn the basics of spelling.

The phonics method is a system that helps children learn to spell by making them understand how each word sounds while reading. This system makes it easy for the child to grasp the concept of spelling by making them understand the phonetics behind each word as they are pronounced.

Spelling can be treacherous, especially when two or more similar sounding words are spelled differently and also mean different things. The phonics system helps in differentiating between sounds that apparently sound the same but are actually different. The child learns to use the sound of how each letter is pronounced to spell out an entire word.

One crucial factor to keep in mind before spelling teaching is that the child must know how to read before he/she can learn to spell. Children who do not know how to read cannot recognize words, which is why they are unable to learn the basics of spelling. Teaching kindergarten children or even younger kids to spell without teaching them to read first, is a wasted effort and can turn out to be extremely frustrating.

Teaching children to spell is recommended only for those who know how to read. In other words, children who have learned some basics of reading can learn to spell and show results when spelling teaching techniques are applied.

Learning to spell is best done on a one to one basis since each child has a different capacity for learning. Of course, a classroom scenario is unavoidable, but that just means that parents also need to play an active role in teaching their children how to spell.
The basics of spelling can be grasped by practicing core words. A child can also use flash cards to write out core words. Once the core words have been mastered, it becomes much easier to spell out more difficult words using the phonics system.

Proficiency in spelling is very important in life. If your child learns how to spell faster, it helps to make the process of learning fun. Using glitter pens to spell out difficult words or writing with scented markers makes the learning process more enjoyable and thus more memorable. Another fun method is to use glue to spell out a word and then apply glitter all over the glued portion. Tracing out words on tracing paper and writing them out several times is also helpful. Use the tune from popular children’s songs to make up a song on spelling a word.

The process of spelling teaching does not need to be overwhelming. Take things slow and introduce one word at a time to make the process easy. With proper guidance, your child will find it much easier to learn how to spell new words.

Click here to find out how you can easily and effectively teach your child to read today.