The English language comes with its difficulties. Why are there silent letters at the end of certain words? Why do we sometimes have to use two consonants in order to write a desired sound?
While these questions may seem very mysterious, each of them can be answered adequately. However, I want to equip you with a strategy that your child will appreciate: illustrated spelling.
What is illustrated spelling?
Illustrated spelling is a visuo-semantic strategy which proposes the writing of a word by representing a letter which causes a problem using a drawing. It is a technique that is appreciated by children.
When colored and clear, word posters arouse children’s interest and make it easier for them to learn and memorize words and spelling.
Difficult words are made easy to learn
Learning words with orthographic particularities is especially difficult for dyslexic or dysorthographic children. Developing children have a lot of words to learn every week, and often they don’t know how to learn them or they don’t understand why a word is written in a certain way.
Children who do not have language disorders can simply learn them by heart, however, for dyslexic or dysorthographic children this is not a solution. In order to facilitate learning, it is essential to use a visual aspect.
Thanks to illustrated spelling, the orthographic particularities of words are highlighted with the help of colorful and humorous drawings which make memorizing words much easier.
Illustrated spelling tool recommendations
If you want to apply this strategy with your child, I suggest you consult The Illustrated Book of Sound and Their Patterns.
Finally, although I recognize the importance of explaining the why of the spelling of a particular word, I find it pleasant to combine the aspect of pleasure with learning to spell words for children. Some of them have a really good visual memory!
Why not invite the child to express his imagination by letting him represent the words himself with a drawing of his choice?
Have fun with words!
Language stimulation
Tutorax offers a specialized language stimulation service for children aged 2 to 12 in child care or at home. We support your child in his language development. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if you would like to have more information!