| It is more difficult to teach spelling to children who are dyslexic than it is to teach children who have no difficulties learning. You cannot just hand them a list of new spelling words each Monday and expect them to ace a test come Friday. Dyslexia prevents them from picking up on the nuances of spelling on their own so they need more guidance and attention from a dedicated, understanding teacher or parent.
If you are working with dyslexic children and want to make it easier for them to learn, consider the following tips that will make your job a little easier:
#1: Meet kids at their present level.
You can't assume that a child with dyslexia will know everything that their classmates know. They may be in second or third grade, but their reading, writing, and spelling abilities can easily coordinate better with a kindergarten or first grade level.
Your first task as a teacher or parent is to assess each child's starting level so you can design lessons that meet them where they are, rather than where they should be.
Remember however that these children tend to be very bright and will need stimulating material appropriate to their age group.
#2: If they aren't getting it, move on.
One of the biggest mistakes parents and teachers make with dyslexic children is to spend long lengths of time on a lesson that the child just doesn't seem to be grasping. The goal is not to frustrate or confuse the child, but that is exactly what happens when a parent or teacher continues to press a lesson that the child doesn't understand. As frustrating as it can be for you as the teacher or parent, it is even more frustrating for the child.
That frustration will lead to stress and anxiety along with other emotions that make it impossible for them to focus on what you are trying to teach them. The rest of the lesson will be ruined if it gets to that point, so pay attention to how the child is reacting to the lesson and stop if you feel they are becoming frustrated or seriously confused.
In many cases it is not the child but the way you are trying to teach that point that is creating the problem.
#3: Get to know individual learning styles and personalities.
When teaching children in general, it is important to recognize that what works for one child is not going to work for others. You have to get to know the personality and natural learning style of each child and tailor their lessons so they are more likely to understand them. If you can do this, your children will learn at a faster rate and will feel less stress during lessons.
#4: Make them want to learn more.
Kids just want to have fun! If you come up with ways to incorporate board games, computer software, and other resources into your lesson plans you will stimulate the children so they actually want to learn. The idea is to take something that is incredibly difficult and stressful for these children and make it enjoyable. They will soak up more from the entire lesson when you do this.
#5: Find ways for words to be related in understandable ways.
Finally, try to make spelling more understandable by relating words to one another in understandable ways. For instance, you may group words according to their suffixes or prefixes or you could group them in categories such as initial blends or phonemes.
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