How to Help Dyslexics Learn to Spell

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Spelling can be a huge and persistent problem for people with dyslexia. Novelist John Irving describes his difficulty: “Once or twice a week I buzz my assistant or my wife because I’m so far off in the spelling of a word that I can’t find it in the dictionary.” A common characteristic of dyslexia is the lack of “phonemic awareness.” A phoneme is the smallest element of language, with 44 in the English language. For example, the word bat has three: /b/, /a/ and /t/. Dyslexics may have trouble separating the sounds. That’s why rhyming, letter substitution and spelling are so difficult. However, there are multi-sensory methods that can be implemented to help a student with dyslexia learn and remember spelling words.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Cookie sheet
Sand
Wax paper
Shaving cream
Bowl
Pipe cleaners
Modeling clay or play dough
American Sign Language alphabet chart

Step 1

Spread a layer of sand on a cookie sheet. Have the student trace the letters of each spelling word in the sand with her finger as she makes the sound. Smooth out and repeat, or go on to the next spelling word.
Step 2

Cover the work surface with wax paper. Let the student write each word in shaving cream while saying it aloud. Scoop the cream into a bowl to make room for the next word. You can also spread out the used shaving cream and have the child trace the letters as with the sand.
Step 3

Instruct the student to form the letters of each spelling word out of pipe cleaners, then point to the letters while making the sound represented.
Step 4

Have the student use modeling clay to create letters and spell out each word while saying it aloud.
Step 5

Use the American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet to spell each word. (Some students with dyslexia study ASL for their second language credit, rather than cope with a new set of phonemes in a foreign language.)

Tips & Warnings

These are not serial steps. Select the methods that are most helpful to your student. Switch occasionally to renew the student’s interest.
Research-based, scientifically proven instruction systems for dyslexia, such as Orton-Gillingham, use multi-sensory methods. The goal is to go beyond symbols on paper to create multiple associations—dimensional, tactile and physical—between the letter sounds and the word.
Stories of celebrities and other famous people who have succeeded in spite of their dyslexia can build your student's morale.

Resources

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