Should a child’s spelling be corrected? What about their self-esteem?

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 Correcting a child's spelling can be a valuable part of their learning process, but it should be done with consideration and in an age-appropriate manner. The approach to correcting spelling may vary depending on the child's age, developmental stage, and the purpose of the writing activity. 

For Young Children:

For young children who are just beginning to explore writing, it is essential to focus more on expressing ideas and communicating through writing rather than on perfect spelling. Children are developing their fine motor skills and learning to associate letters with sounds at this stage. Encouraging them to write and express themselves without worrying about spelling errors benefits their creativity and confidence. 

For School-Aged Children:

As children progress through school and gain more spelling knowledge, it becomes appropriate to correct their spelling errors gently. Correcting spelling can help children internalise the correct forms of words and improve their language skills. 

Here are some tips for correcting spelling in a supportive and constructive way: 

1. Positive Reinforcement: Always acknowledge the effort and ideas behind the writing before pointing out spelling errors. Praise their creativity and content first. 

2. Selective Focus: Instead of correcting every spelling mistake, choose a few important or high-frequency words to focus on. Correcting too many errors at once can be overwhelming for the child. 

3. Use Context Clues: Encourage the child to use context clues to self-correct their spelling. For example, if they wrote "cat" as "kat," ask them to read the sentence aloud and think about what word would make sense. 

4. Phonetic Spelling: It's natural for younger children to spell words phonetically based on their understanding of sounds. Could you acknowledge their attempts and provide the correct spelling when appropriate? 

5. Model Correct Spelling: When appropriate, model correct spelling in your own writing or when discussing words with your child. They can learn a lot from seeing and hearing correct spelling in context. 

6. Word Walls or Spelling Lists: Create word walls or spelling lists with common words that the child can reference during writing activities. 

7. Individualised Support: If a child struggles with spelling, consider individualised support such as additional practice, tutoring, or working with a teacher or reading specialist. 

Remember that the goal is not to make the child afraid of making mistakes but to gradually help them improve their spelling skills. A supportive and encouraging approach to correcting spelling can foster a positive attitude towards writing and language development. 

Author: Rebecca Broadfoot

Speech and Language Pathologist here at With You Allied Health

To see more about Bec, click here.

To find out more about our speech services, click here.