My child makes a lot of spelling mistakes

Dictations come back covered in red, exercise books are full of errors, and you no longer know what to do. You may revise with them again and again, yet progress doesn’t come. Before you worry or lose heart, take the time to understand where these mistakes come from. They can have several causes, and each one calls for a different response. Here is how to see things more clearly, step by step.

First of all, don't panic

Making spelling mistakes is normal while learning, and French spelling is particularly difficult. Many children take years to master it, and some adults still regularly make spelling mistakes without having any specific disorder. A poor dictation, even several, does not therefore mean there is a serious problem.

What matters is progress over time. Is your child improving, even slowly? Are the words they have practised eventually remembered? Are the rules they have learnt starting to be applied? If so, they probably just need time and practice.

On the other hand, if the mistakes remain very numerous despite months of effort, if they are far more frequent than among their classmates, or if they cause your child distress, it is time to try to understand what is going on. It is better to consult for nothing than to miss a disorder.

Possible causes

Numerous mistakes can stem from a simple lack of practice or reading. A child who reads little encounters fewer written words, and their orthographic memory develops more slowly. In this case, a bit more reading and a good method are often enough to bring about progress.

They may also come from an undetected vision or hearing problem, a period of tiredness, stress or change in the child’s life. An attention disorder can also multiply careless mistakes, particularly over agreements and endings.

Finally, they may be a sign of dysorthographia, a lasting disorder in learning to spell. Only a professional can tell these causes apart. See dysorthographia or simple weakness in spelling.

Observing the type of mistakes

Not all mistakes are alike, and observing them closely provides valuable clues. For a few weeks, note the errors that keep recurring, with precise examples. This little notebook will be very useful when discussing it with the teacher and the doctor.

Does your child confuse similar sounds, such as “p” and “b”, or leave out letters? Do they write words as they sound, for example “fame” for “femme”? Do they forget agreements or confuse “a” and “à”? Each type of mistake points towards a different difficulty.

Also look at the situations in which they make the most mistakes: in dictation, in free writing, when copying, when tired or in a hurry. These observations will help professionals pinpoint the problem. See the signs of dysorthographia.

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Warning signs

Certain signs should prompt you to seek advice. The first is persistence: the mistakes do not decrease, or only very little, despite regular practice over several months. Words learnt for a dictation are forgotten the following week.

The second is inconsistency: the same word is written in several different ways, or a rule is applied one day and forgotten the next. The third is a gap: your child is quick and expresses themselves well orally, but their written work is well below their level.

Finally, pay attention to how they feel. If they say they are useless, refuse to write, cry before dictations or spend an excessive amount of time on their homework, their difficulties have a real impact that warrants an assessment. See when to be concerned about spelling mistakes.

Who to consult

Start by speaking to the teacher. They see your child write every day and can compare them with the other pupils in the class. Their view is valuable in judging whether the difficulties are out of the ordinary.

Then make an appointment with your GP or your child’s paediatrician. They will check vision and hearing, ask questions about your child’s development and can prescribe a speech therapy assessment if needed. The school doctor may also be called upon.

The speech therapy assessment will establish whether it is dysorthographia, and specify your child’s profile. As waiting times are often long, it is best not to delay too much. See who to consult for dysorthographia.

What you can do right now

While waiting for the assessment, you can already change certain habits. Stop correcting every mistake each time: choose one or two errors to work on, those that recur most often. Your child will be able to concentrate and progress without being overwhelmed.

Work in short, regular doses rather than long sessions. Five minutes a day on a few words is worth more than an hour the night before the dictation. Use colours, drawings and the meaning of words to help memorisation.

Encourage reading for pleasure, without making it a chore: comics, magazines, books about their interests. Every encounter with the written word strengthens their memory for words. See learning spelling differently.

Preserving their confidence

Repeated mistakes can damage a child’s confidence. Through red-marked papers and remarks, they may end up believing they are hopeless, first at spelling and then at everything else. Protecting their self-esteem is as important as working on spelling.

Value their ideas, their vocabulary, their efforts and their progress, however small. When you read through a text, always begin with what has been done well before talking about the mistakes. Remind them that spelling does not measure intelligence.

If homework becomes a battlefield, do not hesitate to hand over: another adult, a school tutor, or simply a break. Your relationship with your child matters more than Friday’s dictation. See how to help a child with dysorthographia.

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Questions that keep coming up

How many mistakes are normal for each age ?

There is no simple norm, as it depends on the type of text and the expected level. The most telling approach is to compare your child with their classmates and see whether they improve over time. The teacher can give you a precise opinion on this point.

Does doing dictations at home help ?

Short, targeted dictations can help, but long, repeated dictations often discourage the child. It is better to work on a few words or one rule at a time, in a playful way, with regular revision.

Is it worrying if my child makes mistakes when copying? ?

Making mistakes when copying a model is a sign to take seriously, as the child has the word in front of them. It may reveal a difficulty with visual memory, attention or motor skills. Speak to the teacher and the doctor about it.