Learning a spelling word list

Every week, the same list of words to learn, and every week the same struggle. For a child with dysorthographia, learning dictation words is often exhausting, and the results disappointing. With a suitable method, however, it is possible to remember them better, in less time and with less stress. Here is how to go about it. Five simple steps, to adapt to your child.

Lightening the list

A list of twenty words is often too long for a child with dysorthographia. They spend an enormous amount of time revising everything, and retain little. It is better to reduce the quantity to gain in quality. Quantity does not make quality.

Speak to the teacher: lightening the list is a simple adjustment, often accepted, and it can be written into a PAP. The child learns fewer words, but truly learns them. Many teachers are happy to agree.

Prioritise the most frequent words, those they will often use in writing. Rare words can wait. Useful words first, the others later. See PAP et dysorthographie.

Step 1: read and understand

Begin by reading the list with your child. Check that they know the meaning of each word. A word whose meaning is understood is remembered far better than a string of letters. Meaning is the first gateway into memory.

If a word is unknown, explain it, give an example, make a sentence with it. You can also look for words from the same family, which will help memorise the spelling. These words from the same family are valuable clues.

This step takes a few minutes, but it is essential. It gives meaning to all the work that follows. This time spent understanding is never wasted.

Step 2: spot the difficulties

For each word, look together for what is difficult: a silent letter, a double consonant, a sound that is written in an unexpected way, an accent. Colour this difficulty in red. This spotting guides all the rest of the work.

Ask your child to explain for themselves why it is difficult. This active reflection strengthens memorisation, far more than simple copying. Explaining is already remembering.

If possible, find an explanation for the difficulty: a word from the same family, a rule, a story. An explanation is worth more than repetition. See apprendre avec des couleurs.

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Step 3: photograph and write from memory

Ask your child to look carefully at the word, as if taking a photo of it in their head. They can close their eyes and try to see it, spell it aloud. This mental photo quickly becomes a game.

Then hide the model and ask them to write the word from memory. Check together. If there is a mistake, revisit the difficulty and start again. Mistakes are part of learning.

This method requires more thought than copying, but it is far more effective. Two or three attempts per word are enough. Quality takes precedence over quantity. See mon enfant n’arrive pas à retenir les mots.

Step 4: spread it over the week

Do not revise the whole list the evening before the dictation. Spread the work over several days: a few words on Monday, others on Tuesday, then a review of the whole list on Thursday. Last-minute cramming is not very effective.

Return each day for a few minutes to the words already seen. These regular reminders are the key to getting the words into long-term memory. These reminders are the key to lasting memory.

Five to ten minutes a day are far more effective than an hour on the last evening, and much less tiring for your child. Your child will also be less tired.

Step 5: review after the dictation

The work does not stop on the day of the dictation. For the words to stay, they need to be revisited the following week, then a few weeks later. Otherwise, they fade quickly. Otherwise, the week’s work is quickly lost.

Keep the words learnt in a box or notebook, and play a short revision game each week with the older lists. Words that were missed go back into the list to work on. This small weekly ritual is very effective.

This system of spaced revision is one of the most effective for long-term memory. The words eventually settle in. See apprendre l’orthographe autrement.

Varying the fun

To avoid boredom, vary the activities. Write the words in flour or sand, form them with magnetic letters, type them on a keyboard, write them in the air with a finger. Varying the materials keeps motivation up.

Games work very well too: hangman with the list words, word searches, riddles, a reverse dictation where the child dictates and you make mistakes for them to correct. Children love correcting adults’ mistakes.

The essential thing is that this time remains positive. A relaxed child remembers better than one under pressure. Enjoyment helps retention. See dysorthographie et dictée.

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Questions that keep coming up

How long per day to learn dictation words ?

Five to ten minutes a day, spread over the week, are far more effective than one long session the evening before. Regularity matters more than duration. A short, regular routine is ideal.

Should words be copied several times ?

Rarely. It is better to look at the word, identify its difficulty and write it from memory a few times. Repeated copying becomes mechanical and leaves little trace. Active thinking is more effective.