Spelling Strategies for Kids with Dyslexia

by | Feb 5, 2025 | A PRIDE Post, Dyslexia, Spelling, Uncategorized

Spelling Strategies

Spelling Strategies for Kids with Dyslexia

Reading and spelling go together, but spelling strategies can be harder for kids with dyslexia. When we read, we know the words we see.

But when we spell, we must make the words ourselves, and that can be tricky for our brains. Even though spelling might be tough for kids with dyslexia, there are ways to help them!

We will look at some proven spelling tips that can help kids with dyslexia become better spellers and feel good about their spelling.

 1. The Orton-Gillingham Approach

Research shows that the Orton-Gillingham (OG) method works well for kids with dyslexia. This method teaches all the spelling rules in English in a clear, step-by-step way.

Lessons start with simple ideas and get more complex, building on what the child already knows. Orton-Gillingham lessons have clear goals and teachers check on the child’s progress along the way.

Here’s what the Orton-Gillingham lessons cover:

  • Consonant and short vowel sounds
  • Digraphs and blends
  • Long vowels and other vowel patters
  • Syllable patterns
  • Affixes

Using this method will give your child the important reading and writing skills they need to become good spellers.

 2. Multisensory Learning

The Orton-Gillingham way of teaching helps kids learn better by using their eyes, ears, and hands. When kids see, hear, and touch words, they remember them more easily.

This multisensory method works for all kids, so you don’t have to worry about finding a special way to teach your child. Here are some fun ways to learn spelling using  multisensory spelling strategies:

  • Build words with magnetic letters or tiles.
  • Write words in shaving cream, salt, or sand.
  • Pretend to write words in the air while saying the letters out loud.
  • Jump rope or bounce a ball while spelling words.
  • Sing spelling words to familiar tunes.
  • Use a golf tee to write words in playdough.
  • Trace over spelling words with a highlighter.

 3. Dictation

Dictation is a key component of the Orton-Gillingham approach. It involves the teacher saying words and sentences aloud for students to write down. This practice helps students actively apply the spelling rules they are learning.

To ensure a comprehensive review, it’s important to include dictation exercises that incorporate words and sentences featuring all the spelling patterns covered in previous lessons. This reinforces the students’ understanding and helps them apply their knowledge effectively.

 4. Multisyllabic Words

To learn to spell, kids need to understand syllables. It’s best to start with easy one-syllable words and then move on to longer words. When they find a big word they don’t know, they can break it into smaller parts, called syllables.

These parts follow patterns that show how to divide words. Kids are taught these patterns in the order they are most often used in English. By learning these patterns, kids can figure out how to say and spell each part of the word.  There are 6 Syllables to teach:

1. Closed Syllable
In a closed syllable, a single vowel is followed by a consonant in the same syllable. This makes the vowel sound short. Closed syllables are common in English, and short vowel sounds are usually the first ones taught.

For example, the words “hat,” “log,” and “cub” have closed syllables because the vowel is “closed in” by the consonant, making the vowel sound short.

2. Open Syllable
An open syllable is when a single vowel stands alone and is found at the end of a syllable. In English, every vowel says its name in an open syllable, like in words such as so, he, my.   
3. Silent E Syllable
Silent E is a special silent “e” that gives power to the vowel before it, making it say its name. In words like bike, pole, cake,  the Silent E jumps over a consonant, and the word or syllable is pronounced with a long vowel sound.
4. Vowel Team Syllable
A vowel team is when two to four letters come together to represent one vowel sound. For example, ‘ea‘ can sound like the long e  in the word meat or the short e in the word bread.

Teachers can help students learn to spell by starting with the most common vowel teams, like ea, ee, ai, ay, oa, and oe, which make long vowel sounds. Once students get the hang of these, teachers can introduce more vowel teams.

5. R Controlled Syllable
When a word has an “r” after a vowel sound, like in the word hurt or car, the “r” tries to change how the vowel sounds.

This creates a new sound that spellers need to learn. Teachers need to explain the sound of the “r” by itself and then show how it affects the vowel sound in words.

6. Consonant -le Syllable
The final syllable type, consonant-le, appears at the end of English words. A few examples of -le words are, candle, turtle, puzzle. When spelling a word with a consonant-le ending, spellers can mark or circle that syllable.

 5. Use Decodable Text

Children with dyslexia often struggle with decoding, which is the ability to sound out words. This can make reading and spelling difficult.

Decodable books can be a valuable tool for these children because they are specifically designed to help them develop their decoding skills. These decodable books use a controlled vocabulary and gradually introduce new sounds and spelling patterns.

This allows children to practice reading and spelling words with the phonics patterns they are learning, which can help them build confidence and fluency. As they master these patterns, they can apply them to new words, improving their overall reading and spelling abilities. 

Decodable Books

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Please don’t leave without checking out the PRIDE Reading Program. This Orton-Gillingham, structured literacy curriculum is used by teachers, tutors, and parents worldwide with great success.

 

Spelling Strategies
Karina Richland, M.A., is the author of the PRIDE Reading Program, a multisensory Orton-Gillingham reading, writing, and comprehension curriculum that is available worldwide for parents, tutors, teachers, and homeschoolers of struggling readers. Karina has an extensive background in working with students of all ages and various learning modalities. She has spent many years researching learning differences and differentiated teaching practices. You can reach her by email at info@pridereadingprogram.com or visit the website at www.pridereadingprogram.com