How to Improve a Child's Spelling Skills

Your child might have you believe that spelling hardly matters anymore, and a cursory glance at much of today's written correspondence might well bolster that argument. It's obvious that spelling and correct grammar usage takes a regular beating in this age of rapid text message communication. What your child probably doesn't realize, however, is that while sloppy misspellings and abbreviated slang may pass muster with friends reading their hastily sent instant messages and emails, a potential employer browsing resumes from job applicants will probably not be as accommodating.

Things You'll Need

  • Healthy supply of books
  • Newspaper subscription
  • Dictionary

Instructions

    • 1

      Encourage your child to read at every opportunity, and lead by example. Let them see that reading is a pleasurable activity, and make sure that there are always plenty of books around for them. Good spelling isn't just learned from the sound of language, but also from its appearance on a page. The more a child sees words, the more he recognizes the way they're supposed to look.

    • 2

      Have your child write more. Explain that using text message a friend with a quick "How R U doing?" is not really writing, and have him write letters to friends and relatives. You may not hold sway over his friends, but you can at least ask that relatives respond with a personal reply.

    • 3

      Subscribe to a daily newspaper, and discuss the daily headlines and features together. Even if you have to start him off with the comics page, get him into the habit of reading the paper every day. If something strikes your child as particularly interesting, have him write a letter to the editor to express his opinion.

    • 4

      Do crossword puzzles with your child. It's a great way to spend quality time together. Confer with him about the clues, and try to guide him toward the answer by giving him hints and clues of your own. Praise him when he solves each clue, and make sure that he is the one filling in the answers, so he gets even more practice writing words.

    • 5

      Play word games Scrabble. It will help your spelling as well as your child's. Playing it as a family is a great excuse to turn off the TV and concentrate on the written word.

    • 6

      Use the dictionary. If your child spells a word incorrectly on his homework, have him look up the correct spelling in the dictionary. Continue to test him on its spelling until he gets it right. It's also a good idea to have your child pick out complex words from the dictionary to test you on. If you get any wrong, give him the opportunity to continue to test you until you get it right.

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