Why Does My Child Struggle With Spelling?

December 2025

Many parents think spelling is just remembering how a word looks, but in reality, spelling follows patterns and rules more than people realize. Kids become better spellers when they understand why words are spelled a certain way.

This Week’s Insight: Spelling Is About Patterns, Not Memorizing

For Example:

• Words ending in -ight (light, night, bright) follow the same pattern.

• Words with a silent e usually make the vowel say its long sound (cape, kite, hope).

• The sound /ch/ can be spelled ch or tch, depending on the pattern. (much, itch).

When kids learn to look for these patterns —instead of memorizing long lists — spelling becomes clearer, easier, and far less frustrating.

From Our Literacy Specialist: “Should I Correct My Child’s Spelling in Every Sentence They Write?”

No — and here’s why. Constant correction can shut down creativity and confidence. When kids write, the goal is expression, not perfection.

A better approach:

• Choose one or two words to focus on (like a spelling pattern of the week).

• Praise effort and improvement.

• Save the “big corrections” for specific spelling lessons — not everyday writing.

Slow, steady progress builds stronger spellers than nonstop fixing ever will.

Parent Tip: Use a Whiteboard for Spelling Practice

Kids often freeze up when they think their writing has to be “perfect.” A whiteboard takes away the pressure. It feels temporary, playful, and fun —and that makes kids more willing to try, erase, and try again.

Book Pick: “The Very Helpful Floss Rule” by Yvette Manns

A beautifully illustrated story about letters that go on an adventure to learn the FLOSS rule. The pattern teaches them to double their letters at the end of one-syllable words with a short vowel. (Gr. 3–5)

Next On Our Radar:

Research - The Science of Reading

What it means and why it’s important

The Latest Radar Report: The Reading Wars - Phonics vs. Whole Language

Phonics Methodology/Focus for Reading:

• What is Phonics? - Phonics is a method that builds a foundation for spelling and reading fluency by emphasizing and explicitly teaching the relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes). Phonics uses the “sounding out” of words to help children decode them independently.

• Key Features - Phonics offers improved decoding skills because children learn to break down unfamiliar words into their component sounds by recognizing letter-sound patterns. It also supports stronger spelling by teaching phonics rules which aid in spelling accuracy. It is a structured, step-by-step sequential approach that is particularly effective for early readers and those with learning differences like dyslexia.

• Criticisms - An overemphasis on phonics can lead to rigid reading practices, potentially stifling a child's natural enjoyment of reading.

Whole Language Methodology/Focus for Reading:

• What is Whole Language? - The whole language method focuses on overall meaning and context rather than breaking down words into individual sounds. It encourages children to recognize entire words and phrases, often through exposure to rich, meaningful texts.

• Key Features - Whole Language encourages a love of reading by highlighting the enjoyment of stories and the big-picture purpose of reading. It relies on immersion, or exposing children to a variety of texts and literature-rich environments to build recognition and vocabulary naturally by encouraging students to recognize whole words and use pictures, contextual cues, and background knowledge to infer meaning.

• Criticisms - While whole language emphasizes the joy of reading, it may leave gaps in foundational skills like decoding, particularly for struggling readers. It lacks the systematic structure that many children need to become proficient decoders.

A Case for Balanced Literacy:

• This method combines the systematic instruction of phonics with the immersive, meaning-driven aspects of the whole language. In a balanced program, children first learn decoding skills through phonics, then transition to exploring stories and texts that build comprehension and a love for reading. This dual focus ensures both foundational skills and deeper engagement.

What's "News" in Education

School Climate and Safety:

• Discipline Changes - New executive order titled “Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies” requires schools to abandon discipline policies based on "equity ideology" and instead focus on objective behavior only, removing considerations of disparities in racial or ethnic impact. The executive order threatens federal funding for schools that fail to comply with the new guidance. (Whitehouse.gov)

• Mental Health - There is a growing recognition that school safety is linked to the mental and emotional well-being of students and staff, and a need for more school psychologists and support staff to address underlying issues.

Privacy and Security of Sensitive Information:

• Data Breaches - Recent intelligence confirms that schools and universities now face more cyberattacks than any other sector. Attackers have made a strategic choice, viewing educational institutions as “target rich, cyber poor” because they hold vast amounts of sensitive data (student names, grades, Social Security numbers, medical information, and more), but often lack the resources for comprehensive digital security.

K-12 School Issues:

• Teacher Shortage: K-12 education worldwide is facing a two-pronged dilemma: A global shortage of 44 million teachers by 2030 and not enough funding to train or retain them, according to a report released by UNESCO

• Early Education - According to recent research from the University of Virginia and the American Institutes for Research, public Montessori outperforms other early education programs. The first nationwide study of public Montessori programs shows that they also achieve more positive outcomes at a lower price tag, mostly due to larger class sizes.

• Standardized Testing - It hasn’t disappeared, but high-stakes graduation tests are on the decline. In the early 2000s, more than half of U.S. states required students to pass a standardized exit exam to earn a diploma. As of 2024, that number has dropped to just eight: Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, *New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. (*New York is planning to phase out its Regents Exam requirements by the 2027-28 school year.)

Notable Developments: (NBC NEWS)

Federal DOE Closer to Closing - Six new agreements signed by the Education Department will effectively move billions of dollars in grant programs to other federal agencies. Most notable is one that will put the Department of Labor over some of the largest federal funding streams for K-12 schools, including Title I money for schools serving low-income communities.

Contact Us!

Have questions or need personalized advice? Email us anytime — we’re here to help! wordwiselit@gmail.com