spelling problem - "learning difficulty" or not?
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:55 pm
Does anyone know if the following is early indication of possible learning difficulty of some sort, or just normal part of the learning process for young child:
A child I know (nearly 6 years old) can:
1. easily learn the spellings of new words and say them out loud e.g stair, chair, whirl, third, - can spell out loud phonically or using letter names and then apply knowledge to knew words "so how do you spell "bird" then?" or how do you spell "hair"?
2. has known "phonics" (jolly phonics) since early pre-school age, including most of the things like er, ea, or etc etc. Learned all of that jolly fast.
3. has generally never had much difficulty sounding out and blending either from a word written down or spoken to him /her
BUT, when writing does the following:
1. will miss out letters in school spelling tests for words that he/she clearly knows the spelling for, and also sometimes at home (but not keen on writing, so not much written stuff seen at the home)
2. frequently writes the mirror image of letters (and the same for numbers), even when he/she is copying (also when tired goes back to reversing the sequence of numbers e.g. 51 instead of 15)
ALSO, when reading
1. Says dislikes reading, but loves being read to, including stuff well above his/her age and without pictures. (Not keen on writing, but enjoys dictating stories. Spoken grammar good, naturally dictates in well -constructed sentences, but says not sure where to put full stops when writing). Currently reads ORT books at home to parents each day - reads level 8/9 at home to parents but says does not like reading
2. Sometimes mixes up similar looking words when reading out loud, guesses a lot rather than seeing what is actually there (but often to good effect so it makes sense even though it is not what is written down and has similar meaning to what is actually printed in the book)
3. Is in guided reading group at school with reading matter that does not match up to what he/she reads to parents at home (ORT stage 8/9 at home, ORT stage 6 in guided reading at school)
4. Relative to others has sunk down spelling groups at school
With numbers:
1. Was much slower to recognise numbers than letters. 2 and 5 looked too similar, 3 and 8 too similar, 9 and 6 too similar, 1 and 7 too similar. So did not accurately recognise numbers until part way through Year R
2. Great on number concepts, shape and space etc
3. In top group for numeracy at school (has risen up groups during Year 1)
Above average on both reading and numeracy (don't know about writing and spelling).
Pre-school thought he/she was strong on the literacy side and not the numeracy side, school obviously thinks the opposite!
No eyesight problems according to optician, no apparent hearing problems.
Is this all just normal for a near 6 year old? Or early possible sign of some kind of SLD?
Thanks
A child I know (nearly 6 years old) can:
1. easily learn the spellings of new words and say them out loud e.g stair, chair, whirl, third, - can spell out loud phonically or using letter names and then apply knowledge to knew words "so how do you spell "bird" then?" or how do you spell "hair"?
2. has known "phonics" (jolly phonics) since early pre-school age, including most of the things like er, ea, or etc etc. Learned all of that jolly fast.
3. has generally never had much difficulty sounding out and blending either from a word written down or spoken to him /her
BUT, when writing does the following:
1. will miss out letters in school spelling tests for words that he/she clearly knows the spelling for, and also sometimes at home (but not keen on writing, so not much written stuff seen at the home)
2. frequently writes the mirror image of letters (and the same for numbers), even when he/she is copying (also when tired goes back to reversing the sequence of numbers e.g. 51 instead of 15)
ALSO, when reading
1. Says dislikes reading, but loves being read to, including stuff well above his/her age and without pictures. (Not keen on writing, but enjoys dictating stories. Spoken grammar good, naturally dictates in well -constructed sentences, but says not sure where to put full stops when writing). Currently reads ORT books at home to parents each day - reads level 8/9 at home to parents but says does not like reading
2. Sometimes mixes up similar looking words when reading out loud, guesses a lot rather than seeing what is actually there (but often to good effect so it makes sense even though it is not what is written down and has similar meaning to what is actually printed in the book)
3. Is in guided reading group at school with reading matter that does not match up to what he/she reads to parents at home (ORT stage 8/9 at home, ORT stage 6 in guided reading at school)
4. Relative to others has sunk down spelling groups at school
With numbers:
1. Was much slower to recognise numbers than letters. 2 and 5 looked too similar, 3 and 8 too similar, 9 and 6 too similar, 1 and 7 too similar. So did not accurately recognise numbers until part way through Year R
2. Great on number concepts, shape and space etc
3. In top group for numeracy at school (has risen up groups during Year 1)
Above average on both reading and numeracy (don't know about writing and spelling).
Pre-school thought he/she was strong on the literacy side and not the numeracy side, school obviously thinks the opposite!
No eyesight problems according to optician, no apparent hearing problems.
Is this all just normal for a near 6 year old? Or early possible sign of some kind of SLD?
Thanks