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Dyslexia - SPELD Foundation
Literacy & Clinical Services
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Learning difficulties
Learning Difficulties
An overview of learning difficulties and specific learning disorders
Dyslexia
A specific learning disability in reading is commonly called dyslexia.
Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia can appear as difficulties with spelling and/or trouble putting thoughts on paper.
Dyscalculia
A learning disorder related to mathematics is commonly referred to as Dyscalculia
Other disorders that can affect learning
Information regarding other conditions that can affect learning
Families
Families
Information and advice for parents and carers of children with learning difficulties
When should a child be assessed?
Information on the assessment and diagnosis of learning disorders
What is involved in an assessment?
Information on the assessment and diagnosis of learning disorders
How can families support children?
Information on how parents can assist and support their children in all aspects of learning
Where can I learn more about learning disorders?
Adults
Adults
An overview of learning difficulties in adults and support options
Can adults have learning disorders?
Information on how learning disorders can affect adults in the workplace and when undertaking further education
When should an adult be assessed?
Information on the assessment and diagnosis of learning disorders
What support is available for adults?
Information on how DSF can assist and support you and what provisions can be made in the workplace and when completing further studies
Where can I learn more about learning disorders?
Professionals
Professionals
Information for professionals working with individuals with learning difficulties
Schools
Services and information for schools and educational organisations
Teachers and Tutors
Advice and information for teachers.
Allied Health Professionals
Information for Speech Pathologists and Psychologists
Resources
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DSF developed resources
Learn more about our specifically designed literacy resources
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Learn more out our Understanding Learning Difficulties e-Learning course
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Individual and small-group tutoring for students in Perth and Albany.
Dyslexia - SPELD Foundation
Literacy & Clinical Services
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Learning difficulties
Learning Difficulties
Dyslexia
Dysgraphia
Dyscalculia
Other disorders that can affect learning
Families
Families
When should a child be assessed?
What is involved in an assessment?
How can families support children?
Where can I learn more about learning disorders?
Adults
Adults
Can adults have learning disorders?
When should an adult be assessed?
What support is available for adults?
Where can I learn more about learning disorders?
Professionals
Professionals
Schools
Teachers and Tutors
Allied Health Professionals
Resources
Free Resources
DSF developed resources
Resources for Families
Online store
DSF Library
News
Our Services
Workshops and Events
Online Learning
Clinical Services
Tutoring
DSF Literacy Clinics
Who we are
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Teachers and Tutors
Spelling Intervention
Intervention Strategies
Reading Intervention
Spelling Intervention
Spelling Rules and Guidelines
Writing Intervention
Numeracy Intervention
Teachers and Tutors
In this section
Teachers and Tutors overview
Effective Teaching Strategies For All Students
Reading and Spelling
Written Expression
Mathematics
The DSF Spelling Wheel
Supporting Students with Learning Difficulties in the Classroom
Small Group Instruction
What are Accommodations?
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology Resources
Selecting an Intervention Program
Intervention Strategies
Reading Intervention
Spelling Intervention
Spelling Rules and Guidelines
Writing Intervention
Numeracy Intervention
Students who experience difficulties with spelling may struggle to accurately represent all the precise sounds within words, confuse the sequence of letters, have difficulty retaining learnt spelling patterns over the long term, and have problems transferring this knowledge to their writing. They often use inefficient visual strategies, such as relying on visual memory to recall spellings, and this often results in incorrectly sequenced or missing letters. Just like reading, improving spelling is not something that “just happens”.
It is important that any literacy intervention undertaken focuses on the development of both reading and spelling skills.
A structured, systematic, and intensive program is needed, focussing on the acquisition of skills in six core areas.
Phonological Awareness
- Students need to be able to hear and break up sentences into words, words into syllables and syllables into individual speech sounds.
Phonics
- Students need to develop an understanding that English speech sounds (phonemes) are represented by one or more letters (graphemes) and that when we spell, we chose the most likely representation (the Alphabetic Principle).
Spelling conventions and patterns
- Students need to learn rules about letter combinations, letter sequences, the use of certain letters and how the position of a sound in a word relates to the spelling pattern.
Metacognitive and memory skills
- Students need direct teaching of problem solving strategies and memory "tricks" to remember irregular words.
Grammar (Morphology and Syntax)
- Spelling instruction should also develop a student's understanding that we write (and read) words as a combination of meaningful parts (morphemes) and these can include suffixes (grammatical function) to change tense, degree or number and prefixes (semantic function) to change meaning.
Semantic Knowledge (Morphemic)
- Students need to learn that many words contain the same letter sequence or spelling pattern (word families), that many words are built up from a base word (particularly Latin and Greek) and that understanding the meaning of the word assists with spelling homophones.
There are a number of resources available to assist with spelling instruction and intervention.
More Information
Spelling for Lower Primary Students
Download our info sheet on strategies to assist with the development of spelling skills
Spelling for Older Students
Download our info sheet on strategies to assist with the development of spelling skills
Spelling Rules and Guidelines
Learn more about important six important spelling rules
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