DD8 (3rd grade) is MG with strengths in creativity and math. She was diagnosed with SPD and generally is one of those kids who thinks and experiences the world a little differently.
DD’s reading is a couple levels above average for her grade, but her spelling is really bad. For example, among things she’s written in the last week, grerren, ejanj and storrxbreeys are granola, exchange and strawberries, respectively. She has no problem memorizing her spelling list each week and getting 100s on her spelling tests, but she doesn’t seem to connect the spelling words with the words she uses when writing. She also can spell just fine if I sound out each letter or blend, but she can’t identify each sound from the whole word.
She has a similar problem when reading. She looks at the first two or three letters of a longer word, and then substitutes random words that start with those letters. For example, she might read program as process, probe or progress.
When she was in the lower grades, her teachers said it was just a developmental thing and not to worry because her reading level was above average. Now that she’s in third grade, her teacher says that it’s not a problem because she’s reading above level and that the spelling/grammar issues are because she’s working too fast and not trying. Additionally, her teacher feels that her poor spelling is partly because she listens to books at home rather than reading them herself. DD’s reading speed, ability and stamina don’t match the kinds of books she enjoys. She spends hours each day listening to novels (the Golden Compass was a recent favorite, although nothing tops Harry Potter), but will only read Rainbow Fairy-type books or cookbooks on her own.
Any suggestions? I want DD to continue to enjoy books and don’t want her overwhelmed with the increased writing demands next year. Is this a problem that’s likely to disappear as she gets older? Are there specific things we should work on at home? Are there specific tests we should have done privately? Or am I making a big deal out of nothing?
