Teaching spelling isn’t about phonics so much Teaching spelling frustrates both teachers and students. Spelling troubles many students, because learning rules of phonics and applying them guarantees they will miss most of their spelling words when tested. Phonics is helpful for early reading; it can’t be trusted for spelling because English spelling is based more […]
What Does Dyspraxia Look Like? Dyspraxia comes from “praxis,” a Greek word describing the learned ability to plan and to carry out coordinated movements. Add “dys,” the Greek prefix meaning “bad,” and you get dyspraxia. It literally means bad sequential coordination. Dyspraxia looks like clumsiness, klutziness, and failure to think ahead. Recognizing Dyspraxia in Children […]
First, let me say that I am not connected to Sequential Spelling publisher, AVKO, or to the author, Don McCabe. I’m reviewing the series because I tutor dyslexic students. I’ve used mountains of curriculum over 30 years and pitched most of it. This one I keep. In fact, I keep multiple copies of all seven […]
Kinesthetic Recall Kinesthetic learning relates to physical feelings such as a sense of body position, muscle movement and weight as felt through nerve endings. Many students who have trouble learning to spell are strong kinesthetic learners. They are easy to spot because they are usually accomplished on skateboards, bikes, skis, and anything involving motion such […]
Keyboarding is as Important as Handwriting Keyboarding means typing correctly, using the same finger stroke for the same letter every time. This allows a student to put thoughts onto the computer, and this opens opportunities for endless tools and accommodations. All students benefit from learning keyboarding, but dyslexic students stand to gain the most. Keyboarding […]
SPELLING tool for dyslexic students: Word Imaging Spelling presents a tremendous challenge for many students with dyslexia. One of many tools which can help is word imaging. I find that students absorb the word best if they are allowed to draw their image in color with input from a teacher to be sure they understand […]