The link between reading and spelling

We often hear that simply reading is enough to have good spelling. This is partly true, but not entirely. Reading and spelling are closely linked, but they do not draw on exactly the same skills. Understanding this link helps to better support a child with dysorthographia, whether or not they are a good reader. A strong link, but not an automatic one.

Two sides of the same skill

Reading and writing rest on the same foundations: knowledge of the correspondences between sounds and letters, and memory of how words are spelt. They are two sides of the same skill, written language. They develop together.

When a child learns to read, they simultaneously learn to recognise letters, syllables and words. This knowledge then serves them when writing. Conversely, writing also helps them read better. The two kinds of learning feed each other.

This is why difficulties with reading and spelling often go together, as in dyslexia-dysorthographia. They are often supported together. See dysorthographia or dyslexia.

How reading nourishes spelling

Each time a child reads a word, they strengthen a little the image of that word in their memory. The more often they encounter a word, the more likely they are to spell it correctly later on. It is a form of invisible memorisation.

This process largely happens without conscious effort. An avid reader thus memorises thousands of words, without ever having learnt them by heart. This is sometimes called implicit learning.

Reading also enriches vocabulary and knowledge of the written language: sentence structures, punctuation, agreements. All of these elements are then useful when writing. Reading is therefore a precious ally.

Why reading is not always enough

Yet some children read a great deal and still make many spelling mistakes. This is because recognising a word while reading is much easier than retrieving it letter by letter in order to write it. This difference explains many surprising situations.

To read, an approximate image of the word is enough, especially as context helps with guessing. To write, a precise image is needed, with every silent letter and every double consonant. In a child with dysorthographia, this image remains blurred. Context does not help them when writing.

Reading a lot does help, but it is not always enough to correct dysorthographia. It remains very useful nonetheless. See dysorthographia without dyslexia.

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When reading is difficult

In a child with dyslexia, reading is slow and effortful. They therefore read less than other children, and encounter fewer written words. Their orthographic memory develops more slowly. This lack of reading has consequences for spelling.

Moreover, when they decode, all their attention goes into decoding. They do not pay attention to the spelling of the words they read, which further limits memorisation. Decoding uses up all their energy.

This is a vicious circle: the less one reads, the less one memorises words, and the harder it becomes to read and write. Speech therapy rehabilitation aims to break it. This is one of its goals. See speech and language therapy rehabilitation.

Encouraging reading without pressure

Even if it is not enough on its own, reading remains an excellent ally for spelling. The important thing is that it stays a pleasure, and not one chore more. Forced reading is rarely effective.

Offer your child reading that genuinely interests them: comics, manga, magazines about their passions, non-fiction books. Anything that gets them reading is worth having. Pleasure is the best motivator.

For a child with dyslexia, books adapted with an airy layout, or audiobooks paired with the written text, can help. Reading together, taking turns, is also a good solution. Reading together also creates a moment of sharing.

Reading with attention to spelling

So that reading benefits spelling more, we can sometimes draw attention to words. After reading, identify together one or two words with a surprising spelling, and look at them closely. This exercise should remain light.

This small exercise, done from time to time and without insisting, helps the child get into the habit of looking at how words are written. It should not spoil the pleasure of reading. The pleasure of reading must remain intact.

You can also play at searching a text for words with the same difficulty: all the words with “eau”, all the silent letters. These games sharpen attention to spelling. See learning spelling differently.

Writing to read better

The link also works the other way round: writing helps to read better. When a child writes a word, they must analyse each sound and each letter, which strengthens their knowledge of the code. The two skills progress together.

Encourage your child to write every day, even a little: a shopping list, a message, a small logbook. Without pressure over mistakes, just for the pleasure of writing. Every little piece of writing counts.

These small moments of writing strengthen both their reading and their spelling. Writing for oneself frees many children. See writing every day.

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Questions that keep coming up

Does reading a lot improve spelling? ?

Yes, reading helps to memorise the spelling of words. But in a child with dysorthographia, it is not always enough, because writing requires a more precise memory than reading. It remains an excellent complement to speech and language therapy rehabilitation.

Why does my child read well but write poorly? ?

Because recognising a word while reading is easier than retrieving it letter by letter in order to write it. Dysorthographia can exist without dyslexia. An assessment makes it possible to confirm this.

Which books to offer a child with dysorthographia? ?

Books that genuinely interest them: comics, manga, magazines, non-fiction. The pleasure of reading matters more than the type of reading. Anything that gets them reading is worth having.