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Q
How do I help my 5th grader improve his spelling skills? He is
very smart and a good writer, but he constantly gets marked down in school
because of his poor spelling.
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I Mom |
A
Studies have shown that children that
are read to and who read - have larger vocabularies and better spelling
skills than those who do not. So, please, read together!
Buy a deck of blank index cards and a grade-appropriate
dictionary. Each morning choose a "Word of the Day". Write the
word on a card and post it on the door of the refrigerator. Encourage your
son to practice spelling the word each time he passes by. Establish a goal
and award "points" toward it for each word correctly spelled at
the end of each day.
Teach your son how to utilize the spelling feature on your
computer. Whenever your son uses the computer, reinforce the value of
spell-checking.
On family game night, focus on word-based games like
Scrabble, Hangman and Wheel of Fortune. Work crossword puzzles together.
Hidden word searches help develop recognition of letter patterns that form
words.
Finally, remember that good spelling habits are simply
skills that are learned, like riding a bike or knowing long division. Like
these things, practice and focus. |
