My two grandsons had their heads in a noose over spelling and it was about to choke their spelling initiative.

The boys had started school in Kenya where the language of Swahili was a required subject. Swahili was not only difficult, but it also laid a very poor base for learning to spell English words. Consequently they were failing in spelling.

When they came back to the United States I decided to tackle the spelling dilemma. Both boys said they hated spelling, and that there was no way anyone could teach them to spell. They were certain that for them spelling was impossible.

I tried various methods, and those that worked best are methods any parent can try.

I began with the older boy, Ronnie. Since I learn best by seeing things on paper, I began by having him write each word five times so he could see how it was spelled. The following day I tested to see which words he had learned. If he missed words, I increased the number of times he wrote them to ten times. I soon learned that for him, writing was drudgery and a punishment; it was impossible for him to use this rhetorical writing as a learning tool.

The more upset and angry he got, the worse his spelling became. I knew I had to find a new way to teach. I needed an approach that would provide a more relaxed atmosphere.

One day I asked him if he had any ideas about what would help him learn. He suggested that we do it outside. He wanted to sit in the swing and have me pronounce the words to him and let him spell them back to me. I was doubtful. I thought he just wanted to play instead of learn to spell, but I was pleasantly surprised; the swing worked like a charm to relax him. I also discovered that Ronnie learns best through hearing, so he did better with this audio method.

I pronounced and then spelled each word first. Then I had him repeat it after me at least five times--more if he was willing. This worked well, but I soon discovered he needed more than just relaxation and rote practice. He needed phonics.

I had tried pronouncing the word and letting him guess how it should be spelled, but he couldn't come even close to spelling it correctly. His lack of phonics combined with his Swahili training made hearing and spelling impossible. He was trying to spell English words with Swahili rules.

I hit on an idea that clicked. I began picking the words apart. For example, he had struggled with the word "table" until I pointed out that the word "tab" was within it. This allowed him to learn a shorter word that would give him a base for the larger one. However, the "le" on the end confounded him. He wanted to spell it "bull." So I began pronouncing the word "tab-lee." This helped. After he spelled it a few times, it was fixed in his mind and he could spell it right every time, even when I pronounced the word correctly. When the words "vegetable" and "able" came along, he put his knowledge about the word "table" to work and these new words were a cinch.

Finding shorter words within a specific spelling word soon became a game and it wasn't long before he was getting good spelling grades. We talked about how one group of letters could have several different sounds and he became hooked on the small amount of phonics that was filtering through to him.

When it came time to help my younger grandson, Melvin, naturally I first tried the method that had worked so well with Ronnie. I soon found, however, that I needed a new approach with him. As much as he didn't like writing the words, he hated the rote verbal method even more. He needed input to both senses. I asked him to repeat the word after me and then spell it out loud as he wrote it. It was easier for him to remember what he saw, but hearing himself say the word helped fix it in his mind.

Both boys improved in spelling and continue to do well today. By the final six-week period of fifth grade, Ronnie was jubilant. He looked up from doing his schoolwork and a big grin spread across his face.

"Grandma," he exclaimed. "I got an 'A' in spelling. Now I like it."

This was music to my ears. He had learned a skill that would help him the rest of his life. 

 

Phyllis Gruesbeck is a grandmother of three in Eagle, Michigan. In grade school she was thrilled when she won her class spelling bees. Now she enjoys teaching art and piano and tutoring her grandsons.