My 4th grader has a number of mild but significant challenges: dyslexia, ADHD, auditory processing disorder, poor coordination, and maybe a couple of other things. I have done a lot of work getting her help, and right now she is in a good spot. My daughter likes school a lot. She has 40 minutes 4x per week of one-on-one special education for reading in her public school. My question is about spelling tests in the mainstream classroom. She has struggled through several years of spelling tests, and it’s been OK to do, it hasn’t caused damage, let’s say. This year the words are much harder, she only has to study the first 15 (out of maybe 25), but it has become very hard for her.

Upon completion of this section, you will:

• Understand semantics, morphology, mental orthographic images, phonics, phonological awareness, and why these areas are important for spelling
• Find specific suggestions for each section discussed

Building blocks for spelling

On the surface, spelling seems like an easy thing to teach.

The Power of Morphology

Morphological awareness is the recognition, understanding, and use of word parts that carry significance, but it is often overlooked in the learning process. Learn activities that help integrate morphological awareness for students learning to read and write.

Forty-five out of fifty states have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), a set of state-led educational standards

The following is a list of some programs that have been developed for struggling writers.

Many people who struggle with writing think that good writers just write well.

Not necessarily so. We need to convey that good writing is a process and everyone has to work at it.