Spelling can be a tricky skill for many young learners. Most kids find that reading words is much easier than spelling them, which is true. When we are reading we don’t have as much to recall because the letters are already on the paper to jog our memory. When we are spelling we start with only the sounds and have to recall what letters to use to spell those sounds.
Another reason spelling can be tricky is the way many of us have been taught, and then teach our own kids, is to just memorize words. I remember I got my spelling list from school each week and wrote them over and over again to practice. What we know now though is that our brains simply cannot store every single word we learn. There are just too many. So, our brains have a more efficient way of storing words in parts so we can automatically read and spell them. We store the words through a mental process called orthographic mapping. Basically, we recall the parts of words (sounds) and store those in our memory along with their letter formations and letter/sound correspondence. It is much easier for us to store letter/sound patterns than whole words. So, we don’t want to memorize spelling words, our brains will eventually run out of room. We need to map words out! This means we hear each sound in the word and then pull those spelling patterns from our memory. We must have phonemic awareness to be able to do this! If you’re unsure what phonemic awareness is, go back in our blog posts and you will find more information!
Here’s what this actually looks like:
Let’s say we’re spelling the word: “sneak”
Step 1 Say it: Child says the word “sneak”
Step 2 Say each sound: “ /s/ /n/ /e/ /k/ “
Step 3 Map it: Draw a line or a box for each sound ___ ___ ___ ___
Step 4 Write the sounds: sn ea k
It is important not to skip the mapping step, especially early in spelling instruction. We store patterns based on the sounds, so be sure to draw a box or line for each sound in the word. Remember, that is NOT the same as drawing a line or box for each letter. For example, In “sneak” the “ea” only makes one sound, the long e sound. So, it only has one line when we map it out and we write both the letters that spell that sound on that line.
I have a spelling tool in my TpT store that works wonders for spelling help! It includes all the steps in a fun way. Check it out here. It has a pop it feature which also makes it so much fun! Kids pop out each sound before they map it.
If you’ve ever sat down with a child to practice reading you know how hard it can be to keep them engaged, especially if they are younger. It can make for lots of frustration for both the adult and child. We also know that kids need to read and in order to read they need to practice. So, what can we do to make it easier and more fun for all parties?…Games!
Regulation
Before we dive into games, I do want to mention regulation. Before kids can learn in any form we need to ensure they are regulated. I could write an entire blog post and more on regulation, but I will keep this simple so we can get to the games. We want to ensure kids are emotionally and sensory regulated. This means they are in the optimal emotional state to learn, and their sensory input is balanced (not too much light, noise, etc.). If a child has just had a big meltdown they are still processing, still feel upset from falling down, are still mad they didn’t get what they wanted for dinner, etc. they are not in a place to learn, games or not. If they are overstimulated by the light, noises, need to get energy out, etc. they need sensory regulation before they can learn. So, if you are trying all the fun games and it’s still not working, consider their regulation. All kids are unique, their regulation will depend on a variety of factors, remember their needs will be different than your own and than other children too.
Games
OK, onto the fun part, games!! My favorite way to play games for reading is to either make something up from scratch that fits the skill and learning environment, ex: write words on post-it notes to read, post them all over the house, and find them/read them, or to use a game the child is already familiar with and find a way to tie in their current learnings. My phonics board games are a great way to play a traditional board game while also getting some reading and spelling practice. You can find them here. Here are some more of my favorite reading games you can play:
Connect 4
Connect 4 is a classic game that my students always love to play. Here are a few ways you can mix it up to make it a reading game too:
Write the letters (just a few at a time) on each chip and practice saying the name and sound when you come across it
Write the phonics patterns you are practicing, for example “ar/or” and write a word with that pattern on that chip
Write words with the phonics pattern you are practicing and read them as you play. (ie if you’re practicing “ar/or” write words like “corn” “born” “star” “car” on the chips.
Write the sight words you are practicing
Memory/Matching
Memory is a great game to practice reading skills! You can use memory cards you already have and just put a post it note on each one or you can cut up your own. Teachers Pay Teachers also have some great memory/matching games already made. Here is a memory/matching game I like to use for rhyming practice. Much like the suggestions for connect 4 above you can use letters (matching upper and lowercase is a great memory game), phonics patterns, and sight words.
Chalk and Water Balloons
This one is always a big hit! It requires a bit more prep/planning than the other games, but is highly engaging if you have a more reluctant reader. Write the letters or words (sight words or words with the phonics patterns you’re practicing) with chalk on the ground outside. Fill up some water balloons and read the words then throw a water balloon at them. Once they’ve read all the words, they can have a good old fashioned water balloon fight.
Hopscotch
Create a hopscotch game with the letters or words you are currently practicing. This is great for when kids need extra practice to really solidify a skill. Go through the game several times until they are fluently reading each word.
Relay Race
Write the letter or words you are practicing on a post-it note or index card. Go outside and create a relay race. Each time they complete a lap they should read the word on the index card. This game is great for kids who really need to move while they’re learning. Remember, learning does not have to take place sitting down! You can mix it up by doing movements other than running to the other end too, have them crawl, skip, crab walk, walk backwards, etc. to keep things interesting.
There are so many more options than this as well. Next time you are playing a game, think of a way you could tie reading into it. Sometimes it’s easier than you think. I am all for simple but engaging ways to learn. Think of what your child or student already loves to play and find a way to tie reading into it!
It can be tricky to know exactly how and when to start teaching the letter sounds. The “when” is not as important as the “how.” You can start teaching the letter names and sounds as young as 2 years old, basically once kids begin speaking. However, it’s not necessary to start that early either. It is a very personal choice for each family. Some kids will be more eager than others, some kids will catch on really quickly, others may need some more time. You know your child best. A good rule of thumb is to aim for kids to know at least half the letters upon entering Kindergarten.
The How
The how of teaching the letter sounds is the most important part here. There are proven ways to teach the letters that we know result in the best retention. We want to start with knowledge of the letter names. We want to teach letter sounds at the same time or after we teach the letter names. For more info on this, check out last week’s blog post. We also want to start with just teaching one sound per letter. There are letters that make multiple sounds and letter sounds may change based on where the letter is in a word or other letters surrounding it. This is too much information when we are first starting letter sounds. So, we begin with one sound per letter and then we build onto that later. The goal is to begin reading CVC (consonant/vowel/consonant) words first so this is all the info we initially need to teach.
*There is one letter that is an exception to this rule, the X. The X is special because it actually makes two sounds on it’s own, /k/ /s/. We want to teach that this letter makes two sounds back to back right away.*
How to introduce the letter sounds
We want to tie the letter sounds back to the letter name. So, we show a child the letter (T, for example). We have them say the name, keyword, and then sound, “T, tiger, /t/.” It’s important to use both the name and sound. Letter names are the only stable part of a letter, the sounds change so the letter name is like an anchor in our brain to be able to learn multiple sound patterns.
Ensuring we are saying the sounds correctly
When first introducing the sounds it’s important to note the mouth formation so we can ensure kids are pronouncing it properly. It is a hard habit to break if students begin pronouncing the sounds incorrectly. You can have them look at your mouth while they say it, and look in a mirror when they say it to be sure it matches. My letter/sound cards have a deck with the mouth formation included!
Another common occurrence when teaching the sounds is adding what we call the schwa onto the sound of a letter. The schwa is basically a lazy vowel sound, /uh/. For example, when we teach the letter B we might say the sound it spells is /buh/ we want to cut off the /uh/ and just say /b/. If we add the /uh/ onto the end students struggle later on to blend and segment words because they are saying an extra sound. So, they might spell ‘bed’ like this, ‘bued’ because they are hearing an extra sound on the end of the b. I used to do this all the time early in my career and even catch myself still doing it occasionally. So, be careful! It is easy to forget.
How often and how to practice
We want to practice letter sounds over and over again until they are mastered! I usually teach about 3 letter sounds at a time, but this is very personal to each child. Some kids may be able to learn 5 letter sounds at a time, and others may do better with 1 sound at a time. Neither of these are better than the other, the important thing is they are learning. Consistency is key here! If you introduce a letter sound you need to keep practicing it daily going forward, just 5-10 minutes per day is enough! The important thing is consistency.
Making it multisensory (using more than one sense while practicing it) will also help with retaining the sounds more quickly. So, writing the letter in sand and then saying the sound, coming up with a motion to match the sound, or playing a game of hopscotch with the letters where you have to say the sound land on are all great ways to make it multi-sensory. Multi-sensory also means more fun!! One of my favorite activities is to say the letter sound and then have the child write it. When they can do this we know they are really making the connection between the letter and the sound! Try to take games or activities you already do regularly and incorporate the sounds into them. Simple is almost always better. It doesn’t have to be a huge burden to plan!
Most kids enter Kindergarten knowing the majority of the letter names and some sounds. Kids are expected to know all the letter names and sounds by the end of kindergarten. This can be a lot of information to teach, especially if you wait until Kindergarten to begin teaching it. There are 26 letters, both capital and lowercase plus their sounds! We also know that students use the letter sounds to actually “sound out” the words. So, many families and schools put a more intensive focus on the sounds. The sounds are very important! Kids must know them to read AND it is still imperative that kids learn the letter names too.
Why are the letter names so important if we don’t use them to sound out words?
We know the 2 biggest predictors of reading success are strong phonemic awareness skills and letter identification. While we do use the sounds to blend together to make words, we also have many different spelling patterns. Just knowing the letter sounds can be enough to start reading in kindergarten, but as more complex spelling patterns arise kids will need the letter names as well. In certain situations a letter may make one sound while in another situation it may make another sound or even be silent. The only stable part of a letter is the name. We learn by attaching new information to things we already know. If we know the letter name we can better manipulate it when it is not making the original sound we learned. So, learning the letter’s names is important. I teach the letter name and sound together most of the time. For some kids, if this feels like too much information I will do letter names first and then letter sounds.
What is the best way to teach letter names?
The BEST way to teach letter names is by using a multi-sensory approach! Multi-sensory means we involve more than one of our senses while learning. It causes more neurons to fire in different pathways of our brains, making it more likely to be retained. This means we should show the letter on paper or a flashcard to kids, but also give them other ways to interact with the letter. You can make the letter with play-dough and trace it, you can write it in a tray of rice, you can write it with chalk, you can paint the letter, you can cut out pieces of paper and glue them together to make the letter. While you do this, use an Orton-Gillingham technique called SOS (Simultaneous Oral Spelling). This means that while the kid is writing the letter they should also be saying the letter name at the same time. If you have all of these senses involved it will be much more likely to retain the information.
What order should I teach the letters in?
It is not necessary for kids to learn in ABC order. They should know ABC order, but it is better to teach the names and sound out of order. We want to teach frequently occurring letters first so kids can start blending together words sooner. Kids should have a solid foundation of phonemic awareness when we start teaching letters. Remember, your primary focus should be phonemic awareness before teaching letter names and sounds. If you are confused-go back to last week’s blog for more information! The first letters I teach are: T, A, P, H, K, E, R, M. These don’t have to be the letters you teach first, they are my preference for being able to sound out basic words, and tend to be sound kids can pronounce fairly easily.
There is a lot of flexibility in the order and pace you teach letter names/sounds. Do what is best for the child in front of you. Some kids struggle with certain letters or sounds. It’s OK to leave it, learn some other ones, and then go back again later. Some kids can learn three letters per week and others can only learn one. The way to teach is the way they learn. Make it fun, make it multi-sensory, focus on letter sounds and names, and go at the kid’s pace!
What resources should I use to teach my child the letters?
I always start with flashcards that have: upper and lowercase letters, a key word picture, and a picture of the mouth formation. If you would like the cards I use you can get them here. I gradually take away pieces as they progress. First, I get rid of the mouth picture, then the keyword picture. If you have a pack of cards at home to use that works too, just make sure the keyword picture actually has the proper letter sound (should be the short sound for vowels), for example, you might see owl for the letter o, but o represents the short /o/ sound, which is not at the start of the world owl.
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes (sounds) auditorily. This means we are only using spoken words and sounds, not writing them on paper. Students must be able to manipulate the language and sounds before
Phonemic awareness ability is one of the two biggest predictors of reading success. We know for kids to be able to read and spell, they must have phonemic awareness skills. We can start building these skills young, but how and where do we start?
Once students have a good handle on phonological awareness (if you aren’t sure what this is or how to build it check out our previous blog post) we can start building phonemic awareness skills. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in spoken language.
It’s important to practice these skills daily for about 5-10 minutes starting when students are in Pre-K or Kindergarten and through at least 2nd grade or until it is mastered.
Phonemic awareness skills from least to most challenging: isolation, blending, segmenting, addition/deletion, substitution.
I find it is best to teach about 2 of these skills at a time, from bottom to top (easiest to hardest). These skills take time to develop, we cannot just teach these one time and move on. Within each of these categories there are varying degrees of challenge depending on the number of syllables and types of sounds in a word. For example, segmenting the sounds in the word “tap” vs the word “suspect” are very different. It is best to start with more simple words and move up the ladder, then go back and do it again with more challenging words.
Let’s break down what each of these skills means:
Phoneme Isolation: is the ability to identify specific phonemes (sounds) in words. For example, the first sound in “bed” is /b/, the middle sound is /e/, and the final sound is /d/.
Blending: is the ability to hear the individual sounds in a word and put them together to make the word. For example, if a child hears the sounds are /b/ /a/ /d/ they can recognize it creates the word “bad.”
Segmenting: is the opposite of blending. It is the ability to hear all the sounds in a word and break them apart. So, we want children to be able to hear the word “bad” and break down the sounds into /b/ /a/ /d/.
Phoneme Addition: is the ability to add a sound to a word or word part to create a new word. For example, if you say “rate” and you add the sound /g/ at the beginning it becomes “great.”
Phoneme Deletion: is the ability to delete a sound from a word or word part. For example, if the word is “land” and you delete the /l/ sound it becomes “and.”
Phoneme Substitution: is the ability to substitute one sound with another to create another word. For example, if you have the word “cake” and you change the /c/ sound to a /b/ sound it becomes the word “bake.”
So, how do we begin to build these skills? One of my student’s favorite tools to build phonemic awareness is with the game i-spy! Here are some example questions you can use for each skill while playing i-spy. Remember to model first and then let the child do their own if they are confident. If you want some pre-made i-spy sheets for building phonemic awareness skills you can click here. You can also just play with a picture you find online or with objects in your house!
Phoneme Isolation: Example: “mop” “I spy something that starts with the sound /m/.” “I spy something that ends with the sound /p/.” “I spy something that has the middle sound /o/.”
Phoneme Blending/Segmenting: Example: “bat” “I spy something with the sounds /b/ /a/ /t/.
Phoneme Addition: Example: “bath” “I spy something with the word part /ath/ and put a /b/ first.”
Phoneme Substitution: Example “cake” “I spy a lake, but change the /l/ to /c/.” For more information on how to build these skills or what to do if your child is struggling with these skills schedule a call with me!
If you know your child or student is struggling in kindergarten/first grade with letter identification and phonemic awareness and possibly even more how can you advocate for them? It can be intimidating to go into meetings and say what you see and what you think a child needs. The dynamics of these meetings are complicated to say the least. As a parent, you may not feel like you’re the expert on education. As a teacher, your hands may be tied due to admin, school procedure, resources, or lack of training yourself. If you are a parent or teacher of color the power structure in the room shifts even more. If you’ve had negative experiences yourself in schools it can be extra challenging to trust schools and staff. So, what do we do with so much at play? There is no perfect formula, but here are a few tips…
Start with the end goal and work backwards. The end goal is to have a happy and healthy child who can read. This should be everyone at the tables goal. Starting with a reminder of this typically diffuses tense situations. We are all here in the best interest of the child, even when sometimes it may not feel that way.
State the child’s strengths first, even if it’s not the first question you are asked. Every child has amazing qualities that should be celebrated. Starting with a positive makes everyone more at ease and often helps with problem solving later on. Playing off of a child’s strengths is a great way to help in areas they may struggle.
State FACTS about the child’s progress. If you are a teacher you need to have data for this, not just observations! If you are a parent, discuss their whole education journey so everyone in the room is up to date. Point to research that says if kids are struggling with ______(letter id, phonemic awareness, have a speech disorder, etc.) they are more likely to have dyslexia. You see these characteristics and need to see immediate support in place because early intervention is key.
Don’t let others in the room brush you off. If you are a teacher, this can be a delicate balance and some of the conversation may need to be had outside of the meeting with parents. If you have the data and screeners showing a child needs intervention keep pushing until they get it. It is a legal right for a child to be educated. If you are a parent and find the educators in the room talk over you, brush you off, or try to say they know better, always ask for further explanation until you are satisfied with their answer. I’ve seen so many parents feel they don’t have a seat at the table because of the educational jargon used or being told they are not the experts. You are the expert on your child and data shows struggling readers are not getting what they need in schools right now. Take a deep breath and keep pushing until you get answers.
State what you want. Be clear about the outcome you think is best. Teachers, even if you know the school isn’t willing or won’t do something you say you should always still state what you know is best, get it on the record! Parents, if you don’t know what you want I would do research beforehand-google, talk to a learning specialist (you can book a free phone call with me), hire an advocate, talk to other parents, look into programs your school uses. If the school is not willing to do what you want, ask what would need to happen to get what you’re asking for.
Know your rights. This one’s for parents and teachers. Teachers, you should know parent’s rights! You should know them to make sure you are following laws, and you should know them to share with parents. It can be intimidating and hard for parents to know their rights. Share rights with parents. I was able to speed up a diagnosis for many kids when I told parents they can ALWAYS ask for an evaluation and it will happen much faster than if teachers are asking for one. Parents, take the time to know what power you have, the school will not always tell you. If school won’t do something because of a policy, ask nicely to see the written policy right then and there so you can better understand. If you are at a private school look into their handbook and see what it says!
Know the types of programs and interventions best for struggling readers. Orton Gillingham or Structured Literacy programs are the gold standard for struggling readers. They need multisensory, systematic, explicit instruction!! If the school is suggesting another type of support, be wary.
Find a balance of collaboration and advocacy. You don’t want the environment and team working with a child to all be at odds. It can be an extremely emotional situation. Educators and parents being on the same team makes a huge difference. Teachers take the time to really get to know the student and their parents too. They will trust you so much more. I can’t stress how important this is for collaboration and learning! Parents, even when you need to keep advocating, remember educators are there because they love kids and want to help. Try to stay calm and collected, use facts, and lots of reminders that we all have the goal, a happy and healthy child that can read.
Ask questions! These meetings can be filled with tons of processes, language (so many acronyms), and services that are not fully explained. I remember my first IEP (individualized education plan) meeting as a general education teacher, I basically just sat there silently until I HAD to speak because I had no idea what was going on and I was too embarrassed to ask. I felt this way with a degree and license in education. Teachers-don’t be afraid to ask, or to clarify for families if you know they might not understand. Parents, ask all the questions!! They are not dumb, I promise. They matter and will impact your child. “Why is that?” is an easy go to question when you need more information.
Find someone to help you. There are a lot of resources out there! You can book a free call with me to see how I can help you. I have played several roles in meetings over the years: general education teacher, learning specialist employed by the school, and learning specialist employed by the family. I’m available in-person in the San Francisco Bay Area and from anywhere virtually. If I’m not your best fit or you’re looking for something different try looking for IEP advocates near you or check out Parents Helping Parents or Understood.org. Facebook groups for parents of struggling students can also be a great place to find resources and people to help!
According to the International Dyslexia Association It is estimated that 1 in 5 of the population has dyslexia. Unfortunately, most kids do not get diagnosed with dyslexia soon enough. Early signs of dyslexia appear during preschool and by kindergarten/first grade it should be very apparent. Yet, many kids will not get a diagnosis until later in their schooling or sometimes even into adulthood. “It is possible to identify potential reading problems in young children even before the problems turn into reading failure. Screenings should be used with all children in a school, beginning in Kindergarten, to locate those who are ‘at risk’ for reading difficulty. Preventative intervention should begin immediately…how the child responds to supplementary instruction will help determine if special education services are justified and necessary,” (The International Dyslexia Association. “Dyslexia in the Classroom, What Every Teacher Needs to Know,” 2013). This means most students will not get the intervention they need leading to even more struggling.
I do want to note that dyslexia is NOT related to intelligence. Dyslexic students have average and oftentimes above average intelligence. It is a language based disorder. Dyslexics are neurodivergent, they think and learn differently than many of us. These early signs of dyslexia will also include many strengths! So, what are the early signs of dyslexia?
*Please note these are not meant to be diagnostic measures, they are merely a place to start if you are concerned*
PRESCHOOL
Many of the early signs of dyslexia begin to appear in preschool, but we are rarely looking for them. Here they are:
Family History of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is often hereditary, approximately 60% of people diagnosed with dyslexia have a close family member who was diagnosed with dyslexia or struggled to learn to read.
Speech Delay
Students who have diagnosed speech delay, particularly a phonological processing disorder, are much more likely to have dyslexia. Even without a formal speech disorder, dyslexic students may mispronounce words. This can be typical in preschool, but if it continues without the child noticing and correcting it then this is a concern.
Difficulty Recalling Sequences
If your child or student struggles to recall sequences (alphabet, days of the week, songs) they are regularly exposed to this is a sign of dyslexia. They may also struggle to name things like colors they know quickly.
Difficulty Rhyming
Dyslexic students often have a hard time learning to rhyme, even quite simple words. This may also show up as being unable to recall the rhyming word in a familiar nursery rhyme.
Difficulty Following Multistep Directions
Many kids struggle with directions-we’ve all been there! Kids with dyslexia are more likely to forget multi-step directions though. So, if you say “Get your shoes, and then come outside.” They will get their shoes, but might forget to come outside. This is related to working memory.
KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE
This is where we really want to be identifying kids if they have dyslexia! If we wait much longer than Kindergarten/First Grade kids are much less likely to be successful readers.
Difficulty Learning Letter Names/Sounds
This may show up in preschool as well, if kids have already been exposed to letter names/sounds. Most kids enter Kindergarten knowing many of the letter names/sounds. If kids are struggling to retain the names of the letters and their sounds they should start receiving extra support ASAP and consider being evaluated for dyslexia. This, and phonemic awareness are usually the two biggest signs of dyslexia or some other reading difficulty.
Struggles with Phonemic Awareness
Since dyslexia is a language based disorder, lack of phonemic awareness is a big sign they may struggle with dyslexia. So, when kids are struggling to blend, segment, and manipulate sounds even after they’ve received instruction in those areas we want to be sure we are looking further into their reading supports. Dyslexics will often lack awareness of the parts of words (sounds) and how they come together to create the whole word.
Spelling Difficulty
While we don’t expect 5 and 6 year olds to be perfect spellers, we do expect they will start using their letter/sound knowledge in spelling. They should be able to spell simple words they are familiar with (cat, bat, sat, etc.) and with more complex words we want to see at least one letter written to represent each sound (for example: bot, for boat if they have not learned the oa pattern yet).They should also be able to spell familiar sight words. When this is a struggle it can be a sign of dyslexia.
STRENGTHS
Dyslexia can be a challenge when it comes to reading and writing. It can also be a huge strength in life! Dyslexics think differently than most people, making them great innovators. Many companies are beginning to seek out people with dyslexia for their creativity, imagination, and outside the box thinking.
Extraordinary Imagination
All kids are imaginative, but dyslexic students are able to do this on a whole other level. They will be able to create amazing stories and ideas from very little inspiration.
Think Outside the Box
Dyslexics are so creative, innovative and imaginative they often have outside the box ideas. Many famous people and millionaires are dyslexic: Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, Robin Williams, Pablo Picasso, Steven Speilberg, and many more.
Great Memory For Stories Read to Them
Kids with dyslexia will often be able to recall many details about the stories read to them. Their comprehension (when read to) surpasses most other kids. This can be wonderful and frustrating, dyslexics enjoy stories and have great comprehension, but reading itself is a strain. There are many signs of dyslexia. Please check out my free Early Signs of Dyslexia Checklist for even more information. Again, this is not a diagnostic tool. If you are concerned about your student or child having dyslexia after reading through these early signs. I highly suggest you have them screened and possibly evaluated for dyslexia. Teachers, education therapists, and learning specialists can screen for dyslexia. Here is my Dyslexia Screener Assessment if you need one (this is mainly geared toward educators, but could be used by parents). Not all schools have quality screeners, use mine or ask to make sure the screener your child’s school uses is based on Structured Literacy! Once they have been screened you can make the choice of whether they should be evaluated by an Educational Psychologist or Dyslexia Therapist to get an official diagnosis.
