Do your kids complain about having to learn their spelling words when they can easily just use auto correct and spell checker? Maybe you’ve even found yourself wondering if it’s still important to learn how to spell. Even with modern technology in a digital world, spelling is still an essential skill for children to learn.
Why Spelling is Still Important
If you want anyone to believe anything you say, you need to establish credibility. One of the quickest ways to lose credibility is to have spelling and grammar errors in your writing. Having strong spelling skills also helps your child read more easily, as they understand the relationship between letters and the words they form.
No matter how advanced our society becomes, human beings still need to be able to spell and write; in fact, the very definition of “literate” is the ability to read and write.
Learning To Spell In A Digital World
Computers, phones, tablets, and all digital tools are wonderful, but you undoubtedly want to make sure your kids are not falling too far into that digital rabbit hole. One way to integrate the two is to use educational apps and videos to help your child learn and practice spelling.
It’s also important to make sure your child has plenty of time away from devices; many parents do this by limiting the amount of screen time their children have access to each day. Limiting screen time allows for more practice with spelling skills, as well as interaction with others.
What Are The Implications Of Poor Spelling Skills?
If your child has trouble with their spelling, you will likely see them also struggle with their reading and writing, as all three skills are very closely related.
Trouble with spelling can also be a sign of learning disorders; a common one that affects a child’s ability to spell is dyslexia. If children are only ever exposed to writing and spelling digitally, it may hinder your ability to catch a disability in your child.
How To Help Your Child
Read, read, read! By reading to and with your child, you will help them become more familiar with seeing words, which will help them internalize spelling and typical letter patterns. Dr. Seuss and other rhyming books are great tools to help your child internalize letter patterns.
You can also play word games such as scrabble, boggle, hangman, or any other creative word game you can come up with. If you make spelling fun, your child won’t even realize they’re learning.
If you’re looking for extra help for your child, look no further than Genie Academy’s Reading and Writing Program. We offer small class sizes where we scaffold instruction so your child continually builds on previous skills they have learned, making the learning process developmentally appropriate and fun!
