Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion spelling strategies...

Why is it that many gifted kids tend to be hopeless spellers? I started a spelling program at home - capturing words from Miss 7's reading and then testing her spelling of these words on the whiteboard every other morning. I thought all was going well, but I'm not sure it's actually having much traction. She came across "awesome" the other day - a word we drilled a few weeks ago, but it didn't quite come out right in her school spelling test. Her spelling is frequently careless and imaginative (!) Any good spelling strategies out there? I've looked at Spellodrome, but haven't purchased it. Any other recommended programs?

Thanks, jojo

Have you considered approaching from the angle of her learning style? Is she very visual (if not maybe the whiteboard is the wrong format for her to really 'get' the words).
This seems to help ds, although he seems to be a strong speller in general.
I am sure some kids do better with written repetitions, some auditory, some maybe even in other formats.
My ds and I have enjoyed in the past a game where we spell out words on each other's backs - write big slow letters with your finger - it's a bit hard but very fun! This started as a game of letters of the alphabet and sort of evolved.
I think ds8 is both a visual and physical (kinesthetic) learner.

We make up spelling stories, especially for words that are not pronounced phonetically.

awesome=a+we+so+me

So I would have DD come up with a little sentence using those words and the word "awesome" to help her remember it.

DS is kinesthetic. We had him bounce a balloon and each time he hit the balloon he said the next letter. I have no idea how it works, but movement helps him process auditory information.

We also did some Mad Libs where we had to just use words from his spelling test to fill in the blanks. DS would have to write the words in the blanks while we shouted them out. It tood some of the tedium out of needing to write the words several times.

I use SWR with my DS8. It teaches spelling using spelling rules. There are always special ways to mark words. I find this helps him to remember a word more than writing the words several times and memorizing them.

ex: create cre atd (final e should be double underlined)

You leave a space between syllables. The first e is underlined b/c 'e" said e at the end of a syllable (ie open syllable). You draw a bridge from final e to the a and double underlined the e b/c the e made the a said "A" (long sound) ie silent e. I find in learning the rules and going through the markings once, then using the words in a sentence, he usually has that word.

You also underline two letter phonograms
ex: entertain would be en ter tain which helps in thinking of which phonogram that says "A" (could be ai, ay, ACE, eigh) goes there.