Read and Spell Blog

Most children begin to learn English spelling words and spelling rules in the first and second grades, at the same time as they are learning how to read and write. And while being able to spell is not necessarily a reflection of a child’s intelligence, it’s a skill that is important to master.

That’s because poor spelling habits will follow a student as they move into higher grades and their vocabulary grows. Misspelled words are distracting for teachers who are correcting assignments and can be embarrassing for adults who still make mistakes in professional communication.

More importantly, problems with spelling can alert teachers and parents to the presence of an un-diagnosed learning difficulty, such as dyslexia.

Do you remember learning keyboarding at school? Depending on when and where you grew up, you may have studied touch-typing as part of a computer science course. Before computers at home were common, a school’s computer lab was one of the only places where students had the opportunity to learn correct finger placement and practice typing.

Today this is no longer the case. Children are exposed to keyboards on a range of devices from an early age. Many families have computers at home, some kids have their own tablets with wireless keyboards, and it's common to find local libraries with public computers available for use. Yet despite children developing early familiarity with keyboards and being more "tech savvy," most students cannot type without looking at the keyboard.

Moreover, it's not as common for schools to offer typing programs. This is the case even given an increase in the amount of schoolwork students complete electronically and online.

Processing speed is a way of describing how the brain receives, understands and responds to information. Not everyone thinks at the same pace. And while speed has nothing to do with how smart a child is, kids who struggle with slow processing speed may struggle to follow lessons and complete tasks at school.

Slow processing speed is also related to literacy development and math skills. It can cause a child to fall behind their peers, become frustrated, and form negative associations with learning. Often these experiences make kids think they aren’t good at school, causing low self-esteem and a lack of self-confidence.

But this downward spiral can be avoided if the symptoms are recognized early on. When students are provided with targeted strategy training and teachers adjust tasks appropriately, it gives kids with slow processing speed the best chance of reaching their full potential.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a specific learning difficulty typified by short attention span, lack of concentration and in the case of ADHD presentations that include hyperactivity, poor control of impulses. A student with hyperactivity and impulsivity might be restless, uncooperative or even disruptive in class. They can be the child who doesn’t sit still and struggles to listen. Because of their high activity level, children with this ADHD presentation can try to solve problems physically and their behavior may lead to problems with other students.

ADHD without hyperactivity, formerly known as attention deficit disorder (ADD), is now included under the ADHD umbrella and identified as ADHD with a primarily inattentive presentation. These students may struggle to focus but are often harder to spot in the classroom. They can be quiet and calm, and may seem to be paying attention to a lesson. Nonetheless, problems can show up when they are called on to answer a question or struggle to complete homework and other assignments. 

Using the right teaching strategies can help students with different ADHD presentations focus their attention, strengthen their self-esteem, and have more agency in learning. If you haven't tried a strength-finding activity, it might be a great way to start any new teaching program. Children with ADHD often receive a lot of negative attention so looking at their strengths first and understanding how their learning difficulty might actually benefit them, can help them get on board with new approaches. You can learn more about ADHD strengths and get some ideas on lesson plans in this article.