How to Teach a Dyslexic Person to Write

 

If the child has trouble with the vowel sound, say the name of the associated picture. For example, if the child is trying to spell the word "pant", but gets stuck on the vowel, you can say, "/ah/, apple."  The child will then remember the apple is 'a'.

 

Start with the small words with short vowels, such as:  cat,  fit, flat, split, etc.  If the child finds this difficult, show him or her how you go from left to right with each sound.  What makes the /m/ sound? a short 'a' sound? a /t/ sound?  There you have "mat". 

 

Since these children are visual, use letter tiles, or plastic refrigerator magnets, white boards with colorful markers, etc. Not only will this make learning more fun, but it aides in the learning process when the child is using more than just a pencil and paper.

 

 

Do exercises such as having them make words (real or made up) using plastic letters or letter tiles.

 

Give a word with a missing sound, vowel or consonant, and have your child fill it in to make real words (see below):

 

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Step 2 - Write Long Vowels Words

Next, spell words with long vowels.  Remember, there are two ways to do this as explained on our Intensive Phonics for Dyslexia page:

 

  v-c-v or c-v-v-c

(where v = vowels and c = consonants)

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1.     c-v-v-c  as in:        pail, green, dream, goal.

 

 Here, when 2 vowels are next to each other, the first one is long and the second vowel is usually silent. 

 

Here we have the common vowel combinations:  

                      

ai (long 'a')

ee & ea (long 'e')

oa (long 'o')   

 

2.     v-c-v    as in:       game, time, tune  

 

Here, when 2 vowels are separated by a consonant, the first vowel (on the left) is usually long.  The second vowel can be any vowel (not just the letter ‘e’).  

 

Example : rhinoceros - here the ‘i’ is made long by the ‘o’. 

 

 

There is no way to know which way a word is spelled (c-v-v-c or v-c-v), you simply must familiarize your child with the words (reading and spelling them repeatedly).

 

Note also that there are 2 ways to get a long ‘e’ (for c-v-v-c):  ‘ee’ and ‘ea’.  Here is where familiarity with the words is very necessary.  

 

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Step 3 Teach the double vowel "rule breakers". 

Teach the words that break the double vowel  (c-v-v-c) rules (see below):   

 

1. 'ea' has the short 'e' sound, such as "head", "measure", "instead", etc.

2. 'ie' has a long 'e' sound, such as "grief", "field", "piece", etc.

3.  ‘cei’ has the long ‘e’ sound, such as “receive” and “conceive”

4.  'ei' has a long 'a' sound, such as "weigh", "vein", "eight", etc.  

 

And remember the old saying:

 

‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ and in words that have ‘a’ like “neighbor” and “weigh”.

 

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 Step 4 - Write Out Those Miscelaneious Words

Familiarize the child with all of the 'wh' words, such as "when", "whale", "why", etc.

 

 Familiarize the child with all of the words that contain silent letters, such a "answer", "numb", "aisle", "know", etc.

 

Go over the words containing 'igh' (long 'i'), such as "night", "high", "sight", etc.

 

 Practice writing the words that contain the sounds listed on our Intensive Phonics for Dyslexia page.  

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Step 5 - Practice Writing Using the Spelling Rules:  

 1.  'k' (usually) cannot be next to a short vowel, you must have a 'c' before the 'k', such as in the words "duck", "track", "pick", etc. 

 

 2.  'ch' (usually) cannot be next to a short vowel, you must have a 't' before the 'ch', such as in the words "patch", "hutch", "stitch", etc.   

 

3.  All one syllable words with a short vowel that end with a 'f', 'l' or 's' must have these letters doubled, such as "cross", "bliss", "fill", "fall", etc.  There are only a few exceptions: bus, gas & yes  

4.  No words in the English language end with a 'v', if the word ends with the /v/ sound, then it must have an 'e' at the end.  Example:  live, give, active, love, gloveNote that the 'e' in these words do not usually turn the short vowel long, even though it is only one consonant away.  

 

 5. To get the /j/ sound at the end of a word you cannot end with 'g' or 'j'; to end a word with a /j/ sound you must use a 'ge'.  

 

In addition, a 'ge' cannot be next to a short vowel (in one syllable words), you must add a 'd' before the 'g': Example:  fudge,  badge * This also applies to some 2 syllable words, but not all:

 

Example: fidget, midget  

 

6.  Practice writing contractions: Example: you are  →    you're it is →     it's they  are →   they're

 

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Step 6  - Write Words that Have the "c" Rule, 'g' Rule and 'k' Rule

 

 Practice writing words where ‘c’ is followed by an ‘e’, ‘i’ or ‘y’, then ‘c’ always takes on the /s/ sound.  

 

Practice writing words where ‘g’ is a /j/ sound.  Rule:  When ‘g’ is followed by an ‘e’, ‘i’ or ‘y’, then ‘g’ sometimes takes on the /j/ sound.  

 

Practice writing words using the /k/ rule:  Always use the letter 'c' for the /k/ sound UNLESS: the /k/ sound is followed by an 'e', 'i' or 'y', in which case the 'c' becomes a /s/. the /k/ sound is at the end of a one syllable word. In these two cases above, use the letter 'k'.

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Step 7 - Write Words that are Homophones

Familiarize the child with all the homophones, words that sound the same, but have different meanings and are spelled differently.

 

Example:  steel and steal, made and maid, etc.  

                

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Step 8 - Words that have the /shun/ and /shal/ Sounds

Write words that end with ‘tion’, ‘sion’, ‘ture’, ‘ous’ and ‘tial.  Have the child read these words and spell them out (spelling tests, dictions, etc.)  

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Step 9 - Doubling the Consonent to Protect the Short Vowel

For one syllable, short vowel words: teach how when adding an ending with a vowel, you must double the last consonant to protect the short vowel.

Example:        quit → quitting                         hop → hopped

 

Only certain consonants can be doubled (they are highlighted below):

 

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

 

 can double - b d f g l m n p r s t z

cannot double - c h j k q v w x y

 

Example:         box →   boxing                          box →   boxed

 

For words that have more than one syllable with a short vowel:

 only double the last consonant if the last syllable is stressed.  This is not normally the case, so usually you can just add the ending.

 

Example:        happen → happening                  listen → listened

 

 

Note that words that end with ‘le’ that have a short vowel must also have their consonant (after the vowel) doubled since ‘le’ counts as just an ‘e’.

 

Example:              puzzle  - must have two ‘z’s to protect the short ‘u’                        

 

little - must have two ‘t’s to protect the short ‘i’

 

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Step 10 - Write Words with Suffixes Added to Words Ending with "y"

Write words with endings (suffixes) to words that end with a ‘y’. For words that end with a consonant followed by a ‘y’, you must turn the ‘y’ to an ‘i’ and then add the ending.

 

Example:       bunny   → bunnies,          heavy →   heavier,                  cry  → cries  

 

However,  if the ending starts with an ‘i’, then keep the ‘y’:

Example:       try  → trying                        cry→  crying                        shy →  shying  

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