Dysorthographia exercise: similar sounds f and v, ch and j

A child who writes ‘fache’ instead of ‘vache’, or ‘jeval’ instead of ‘cheval’, confuses similar sounds. These confusions are common in children with dysorthographia, who rely heavily on sound when writing. Here are some exercises to help the ear, and then the hand, tell these sounds apart.

Pairs of sounds that sound alike

The sounds most often confused form pairs: ‘f’ and ‘v’, ‘ch’ and ‘j’, ‘p’ and ‘b’, ‘t’ and ‘d’, ‘s’ and ‘z’, ‘k’ and ‘g’. In each pair, the mouth makes exactly the same movement. The only difference is the vibration of the vocal cords, which is present for one of the two sounds only.

If the child cannot hear this difference well, they cannot choose the right letter. Their errors are therefore logical, and not due to carelessness. Listening needs to be worked on before writing. The page My child writes as he hears explains this mechanism.

Feeling the difference with your hand

To make the difference noticeable, the child places a hand on their throat and says ‘ffff’ for a long time, then ‘vvvv’. They feel their throat vibrate with the ‘v’ and stay still with the ‘f’. The child notices this straight away under their hand.

We do the same with ‘ch’ and ‘j’, exaggerating the pronunciation. The child can then check, when hesitating while writing, by saying the sound with a hand on their throat. This small gesture becomes a reflex. It works for all pairs of similar sounds.

A key word for each sound

For each sound in the pair, we choose a key word with a picture: ‘fusée’ for ‘f’, ‘vélo’ for ‘v’. The child makes their own cards and displays them near their desk. When hesitating, they compare the sound of the word to be written with that of their key words.

We work on one pair for one or two weeks before moving on to the next. Mixing all the pairs too early risks reinforcing the confusion. The pairs already studied are reviewed regularly. Taking your time pays off more than trying to cover everything at once.

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Writing from dictation while articulating

Once the sounds are well distinguished orally, we dictate syllables containing one or the other sound, articulating clearly. The child writes and checks with a hand on their throat if in doubt. We then move on to short words, then to short sentences.

Pairs of words that differ only by this sound, such as ‘vin’ and ‘fin’ or ‘champ’ and ‘jambe’, make very good practice. The child understands that a mistake changes the meaning of the word. They become more attentive. The page on reversed letters covers another common error.

Sorting and classifying

We can offer a series of pictures and ask the child to sort them into two boxes according to the sound they contain. They say the name of each picture aloud, listen, then decide. This sorting does not require writing, which makes it accessible even to the youngest children.

We can then move on to written words with gaps, where the child fills in the missing ‘f’ or ‘v’. They say the word, check the sound and write the letter. This exercise can be done quickly on a slate. The page on spelling games offers other forms of it.

When speech is also affected

If the child also confuses these sounds when speaking, the difficulty may come from auditory perception or from spoken language. It is then useful to have their hearing checked by an ENT specialist. Normal hearing rules out a simple cause.

The speech and language therapist can also assess spoken language and suggest specific work. It is important not to limit the work to writing if speech is affected. The two are worked on together. The page Dysorthographia or developmental language disorder helps to tell them apart.

The speech and language therapist for persistent confusions

If these confusions persist despite practice, a speech and language assessment will help to understand their origin and suggest suitable therapy. The speech and language therapist has specific exercises for listening to sounds. These games at home extend their work without replacing it.

You can look for a speech and language therapist by town and by disorder in the ProfessionnelsDys directory. Bring a few pieces of writing showing these confusions; they will be useful during the assessment. The page on phonological dysorthographia describes this type of difficulty.