Well, where to begin...ds10 is in 5th grade. Last year we got the formal diagnosis of dysgraphia/mild dyslexia. His reading is really great. His writing is where it is rearing it's ugly head and spelling is just pure painful. We use a charter school with k12. Part of the reason is that he gets a 504 and any materials he needs that differ from k12 curriculum (as long as it is secular)...they will try to get for us. He did Click n Spell last year and was doing really well as he does not have to write with pen and paper for it. We put him back in 3rd grade spelling (last year he was a 4th grader) for k12 last year. This combination worked out well. He barely passed 4th grade b/c of state testing and you can imagine he does not test well. He did do much better after summer school and passed the entire state test on grade level!!!! Woo Hoo!!! He had started off last year scoring a year behind in math and language arts. The only course we chose to drop him down was in spelling. Here is my dilemma. When they sent him 5th grade materials after they got his passing summer school scores, they sent 5th grade spelling. We have only completed 1 week and he bombed the 1st test after lots of practice. He got 12 out of 25 right. He can spell the words orally and he would say the spelling out loud and write it completely reversed. I can tell it is his dyslexia rearing it's head. Since he has a 504, I can adapt. I could ask for 4th grade spelling but it includes a state study which would tack on more work for him. He already does HWOT, Brain Integration Therapy by Dianne Craft, and keyboarding as well as Jump Math (for concepts he has difficulty with in math) on top of his k12 materials. Spelling is not supposed to count against him in any subject...yet, spelling is required through 5th grade. I do want his spelling to improve. What I did this week was to have him after the test spell the words by syllable on his whiteboard and correct from his index card if necessary then transfer to his spelling notebook. We moved the words he got right from the spelling box and kept the ones he got wrong. I am thinking that since spelling is so hard for him that this method will keep him moving forward while still reviewing the words he has difficulty spelling. I am also toying with the idea of giving his spelling test orally since he has the combo of dyslexia and dysgraphia. Next year when K12 no longer offers spelling, we will completely focus on click n spell (it goes through 5th grade level words) and then switch to sequential spelling. Does this sound like a good plan to get through the 5th grade k12 spelling without causing either of us too much stress and frustration?
Since he has both dyslexia which affects his spelling and dysgraphia which affects his handwriting, it should be allowed that he do his spelling any way he can! His 504 plan should be written that way to allow it! So if orally gets it done.... I would record his test scores for his oral spelling, and continue whatever kind of practice is meaningful for him.
His 504 is written this way. I guess I am just wondering if anyone with experience has tried spelling all orally with a dyslexic/dysgraphic student and their spelling improved over time. I know this will always be a struggle for him, but I would like to help him feel better about everything. He is starting to notice that his younger brother is almost surpassing him in spelling skills. I just want to keep his self esteem high and keep him improving. If oral achieves that, then that is what we will do from here on out. I just hate to see him so down on himself over something like this. He excels at science and math. He is a very quick study for concepts and we praise him all the time on his achievements. I just want him to feel good about everything and not down on spelling.
Just assure him that different people have different talents, and his include math and science, where little brother's may include spelling. Let him know that lots of very smart people can't write or spell well because of dyslexia/dysgraphia. Here's one list: http://www.famouspeoplearehuman.com/famous-people-dyslexia.htm Here's another: http://www.dyslexia.com/famous.htm So, have him practice whatever way is most beneficial (writing, typing, printing with a finger in a sand/salt tray, using chalk on a chalkboard - it's more tactile than pencils or markers on a whiteboard -- using letter tiles like Scrabble or one-inch letter tiles printed on cardstock, whatever else you can think of) paired with oral practice. Then let him test orally if that works better for him.
Have you tried Spelling Power? It is all the levels and the kids works at their level. My dysgraphic son uses it with success. (Though he is not dyslexic) We use sandpaper instead of a tray of sand. (You can use just the finger on the sandpaper or a crayon or chalk) You keep "testing" a word until you get it right. But you get to move on with words you get correct. Maybe if is practices on sandpaper or with sand, he could test on sand or on the sandpaper? My son is in 6th grade and I was told he needs to start learning how to work with his disability. This means that spell check and editing is more important than knowing spelling itself. You are right at this level with your son.
Yes, Martablack, we are right at that level. I am trying to help him to persevere and adapt so that he progresses and continues moving forward in school. I am making him write more this year. He does keyboarding and hopefully will be fluent enough in his keyboarding skills soon to use the word processing program more. He seems to do ok until things last a long time and then he just seems so tired from the process. I am thinking of splitting his list of 25 words in half each week and seeing how it goes. He got 12 out of 25 right. I guess I could do it 1/2 orally and 1/2 written with the 25 words too. He used to be in Montessori day school long ago and they used sandpaper letters. Do you just have sandpaper and write out the letters on it to practice? Spelling is part of his core this year still with k12 so I have to do their spelling to some degree. I can supplement but I don't want to overwhelm him with too many things tacked onto his school day.
My dd has moderate/severe dyslexia and is dysgraphic. I knew it in my heart when she was in 1st grade. However, it was not diagnosed until we started homeschooling her in 5th grade and we had her tested privately. We use the Barton Reading and Spelling system. I tutor her at home, but it is VERY expensive! There are private tutors and you could check in your area to see if there is a tutor. It is the best method for tutoring dyslexics. Go to http://www.dys-add.com/. This is Susan Barton's web site called Bright Solutions. Lots of useful information and there is a tutor locator. Susan Barton will also answer emails personally if you have questions. That is my first recommendation. If you can't find a tutor or afford to purchase the system yourself, look into Saxon's Phonics Intervention program. If is somewhat similar and affordable. You need to use a method that is Orton Gillingham based. I do not recommend Diane Craft's Brain Integration. Dyslexia is a processing issue and there is no evidence to show that it works. Also, if nothing else, work on sight words. You can google "dolch sight words" for a list. These are common words that follow no spelling rules and have to be memorized. Start with 10 words, have him spell them. If he gets them all right, move on to the next 10. When he comes to a misspelled word, write in on an index card with the part he misspelled in a different color. Have him practice spelling it on the table with his finger then on paper. Just practice each word several times a week until he spells in correctly 3 times. Retire that card and add a new word. Review the retired cards from time to time. Above all DO NOT WAIT! Start now with something and he will have much better success in the future!
You can use HIS Spelling list and Power Spelling's way. This way he is working through the list YET you aren't overwhelming him. You start by giving a Test everyday. Testing lasts 5 minutes OR until the end of the list. (Remind him that this test is only to see which words he needs to study.) The 1st test is for ALL the word that can be done in 5 minutes. The next test is for the misspelled words AND any words left on the list he didn't get to the 1 day. (Tests are only 5 minutes) You Dictate the word, then the student repeats the word (so you can correct pronunciation), the student writes the word (you encourage for him to double check it) , then you check it right away. and correct any mistakes spelling the word letter by letter. after 5 minutes he studies: He writes the word, he says word, he looks at the word, spell the word aloud, you close your eyes and spell the word, you check your spelling, and you trace and say on sandpaper, a sand tray, ect.... We use sandpaper with my son. He writes on the sandpaper with a large crayon. You keep repeating the words you miss on the test (once it took my son 3 weeks to learn "neighbor") and you move on to new words. Once a word is spelled correctly on a daily test it is considered correct and you are done with it.
One thing you might try is to lay a regular sheet of paper over a sheet of coarse sandpaper and write with a crayon. This leaves little bumps on the paper, which he can then trace over with his finger. Instead of sandpaper, you might try a piece of window screen. This leaves bigger bumps of crayon to trace with his finger.
