Question on writing with a special needs child

[water2wine]

Wondering what you all think. My dd is able to read but spelling is a huge issue. I am wondering for a kid that can't spell is writing practice counter productive? And on the spelling I am talking total ebonics, really way off stuff. I am just wondering if actually having her write things out is actually reinforcing bad spelling habits and if maybe we should focus on oral narration and spelling words the way HOD says to do with the cards for now. Any thoughts?

I guess I should add that we would be doing writing still in terms of dictating spelling words in sentences and i do have her doing beginning dictation. But I am just wondering if the written narration type writing where she is creating ideas herself is just maybe reinforcing poor spelling in her mind. I do correct it but still she sees it when she writes it wrong the first time and she makes the same mistakes over and over.

[Tansy]

Why not have her orally narrate it to you. While you write it for her say on a big white board. Then have her copy her words into her notebook. That should fulfill the nature of the exercise without reinforcing the wrong spelling. Or is copying from the board causing wrong spelling?

[water2wine]

Tansy you are so right! That is exactly what I need to be doing. Thank you!

[Carrie]

water2wine,

I fully agree with Tansy's suggestion. It is what we recommend for all kiddos until they learn to spell well. You are so right that writing a word and seeing it incorrectly multiple fixes the "wrong" spelling in your daughte'rs mind, until the wrong way starts to look right! So, whenever you do something where your daughter will write, copy a portion of it on the markerboard for her to copy on paper correctly. Also, never have her copy so much that it wears her out, or her copying will quickly go downhill, as I'm sure you know.

Or, if it is difficult for your daughter to copy from markerboard to paper correctly, then write on paper instead, leaving a space below each line for her to copy directly under your text letter by letter.

Hope that helps!

Blessings,
Carrie

[water2wine]

Thanks Carrie that helps. I think somewhere down the road we just took a slight wrong turn. It was having her try to do the exercises in Preparing I just lost track of modifying things. I am glad we caught ti quick. I think what I need to do is make myself a list of all the things I need to modify for her rather than trying to walk around with it in my head. I did that fer her but somehow I did not think to do it for myself beyond in a schedule type thing. I am going to make sure that gets done this weekend. Thanks for the tips! Really appreciate it from you both!