Helping Kids with Wobbly Spelling

Helping Kids
with Wobbly Spelling

2nd Edition

Charmaine McKissock

© Charmaine McKissock 2016, 2018

All rights reserved: No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission from
the author of the text and illustrations Charmaine McKissock
[email protected]

First edition published in 2016
by Inki Publications
ISBN 978-0-9955622-0-2

Second edition published in 2018
ISBN 978-0-9955622-1-9

About the author

Charmaine McKissock has helped many individuals find ways to
learn more easily and succeed in their goals. She has contributed
widely to the understanding of dyslexia and other learning
differences. She has worked in Education, Health and Community
settings as a Senior Lecturer, trainer, teacher and manager.
A past winner of the Observer's Young Writer's Competition,
Charmaine has been commissioned to write and illustrate numerous
publications for educational and community projects. She is the
author of the innovative and highly popular ‘Great Ways to Learn
Anatomy & Physiology' published by Palgrave Macmillan.

Helping Kids with Wobbly Spelling

by Charmaine McKissock

“My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it

wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.”

A.A. Milne, ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’

Our promise to wobbly spellers

(and to the people who really want to help them)

 No long lists of words or sounds to learn by heart.
 No copying out words over and over again.
 You learn only words important to you.
 Fun and adventure with words.
 No horrid spelling tests.

Contents

PART 1: Introduction

Who’s this book for? 1

How does the Pick & Stick Method work? 2
What do you need to get started? 3

PART 2: Quick Start 4-7

The 3 steps in Pick & Stick 5-6
7
Step 1: Pick 7
Step 2: Stick
Step 3: Tick 8 - 17

7 Memory strategies 8
9
Cut-it-Up 10
Say-it-Your-Way 11
Think-a-Link 12
Memory Tricks 13 - 17
Feel it - Move it 13
The 5 Spelling Rules 14
15 - 16
‘i’ before ‘e’ 17
Plurals 17
Double Trouble
‘Full’ at end of word 18 - 26
Silent ‘e’
19 - 20
Weekly Spelling Routine 21 - 22
23
Memory Strategies Form 24 - 26
Weekly Practice Sheet
Making a Memory Box
Getting Started: First Sessions

PART 3: Learning to spell 27 - 35

Relax into Learning 27 - 28
29 - 32
Coping with Stress 33 - 34
Calming an Anxious Speller
10 Minute Chill-out

Attitudes to Spelling 36 - 43

Questionnaire 36
37
1: Is spelling always important? 38

2: Does reading help spelling? 38 - 40
3-6: Is the English spelling 40

system crazy? 41
42
7: Does it help to copy out words
or write in print? 43

8: Using technology

9 &10: Sticking to one method

Words Borrowed from
Other Languages

Becoming a Spelling Detective 44 - 50

Error Analysis 44 - 46

Finding a Pattern in Errors 47

Error Analysis Forms 48 - 49

Sharing Results with the Learner 50

PART 4: Booster Materials 51 - 54
55 - 63
Developing Auditory Memory
The Brain and Spelling 55
56
The Brain and Spelling 57 - 58
Different Types of Memory 59 - 60
Making your Brain Stronger 61 - 63
Changing Negative Mindsets
Creating Learning Habits 64 - 67
68 - 72
Language Experience Method 73
Spelling Games
Ideas for Whole Group Work

THANKS 74

Who’s this book for?

This book is for anybody trying to help a child cope with spelling difficulties.
In this guide, we call your pupil, child or teenager the ‘learner’. You may be a
family member, guardian, carer, friend or teacher: we call you a ‘helper’, but
you may prefer to call yourself something different such ‘tutor’, ’supporter',
or ’adviser’.

What age learner is this book aimed at?
The method is flexible enough to suit any age. If any of the tasks, language,
or illustrations are not age-appropriate, you can easily adapt them. For
example, learners of all ages seem to love the Booster Bee character, but if
your learner finds it too childish, they can invent their own characters.

What’s special about this book?
The aim is to get you comfortable with using a brilliant spelling method called
‘Pick & Stick’. At first, this method is meant to be used by the learner in
partnership with their helper. Gradually, you’ll notice your learner becoming
more independent, at a speed that’s right for them. In the next phase, you
may notice a snowball effect, as the learner becomes a more adventurous,
resourceful and competent speller.

Will Pick & Stick work?
Have you already tried several methods and nothing really works? Does your
learner hate spelling and avoids it at any cost? For many years Charmaine
McKissock has been a specialist in learning difficulties, assisting both
learners and their helpers to find solutions to some very stubborn challenges.
She believes you can always find creative and practical ways to get round an
individual’s weaknesses and play to their strengths. Often the solution is
very simple - this guide will help you find one.

Every new project involves kicking off with a plan of action: this guide helps
you do that. With the Pick & Stick method, the learner is not seen as the
‘problem’, but the key to the solution. Pick & Stick does not use a one-size-
fits-all approach. Each programme is tailor-made by you to fit the needs,
interests, abilities and precise difficulties of your learner. This is why it
suits learners with dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD so well. Above all, it’s about
slow and deep learning.

Pick & Stick also takes into account how our weird and wonderful English
spelling system really works, and how our brain can best remember spellings.

This method has helped a large number of individuals - of all ages and
abilities- to improve their spelling and memory skills, as well as develop
confidence and self-esteem: this is why many people are committing to this
approach. We wish you and your learner every success!

So, how does the Pick & Stick method work?

Seven main ingredients make the method work so well:

1. The Pick & Stick (P&S) method is multi-sensory.

You use sound, images, colour, touch, as well as movement. This really
fixes spellings in your memory, as they are stored in different parts of
the brain.

2. P&S trains you to develop curiosity and calm concentration.

Pupils learn to pinpoint exactly what they find difficult, as they focus
only on the ‘problem’ part of the word.

3. The learner finds a personal solution to the target word.

Pupils (supported by the helper) learn to use their own experiences,
imagination and knowledge as an anchor for learning a new word.

4. The learner is never overloaded.

They don’t go on to learn anything new until previous learning is solid.
Learnt words are stored in a personal ‘bank’ of words. The bank of
words will grow slowly at first and then faster and faster, as the meth-
od rolls out.

5. The learner takes an active part in the programme.

Your learner chooses the words that are important to them and one of
the 7 memory strategies that work best for them.

6. The learner practises on specific days during the week.

This routine reinforces and stores memories as effectively as possible.

7. Most importantly, Pick & Stick is fun...

What do you need to get started?

Do you need any special skills to teach Pick & Stick?

The ‘helper’ is quite simply a trusted person,
who works carefully through the Pick & Stick
programme with the ‘learner’. You need:

 to be open-minded and willing to take a
fresh approach to spelling;
 a sense of fun and adventure when guiding
your learner;
 patience and sticking power to keep your learner on track;
 a good understanding of Pick & Stick, so you can be positive and confident
about it with your learner;
 to be flexible: you’ll find many practical ideas and worksheets to use in
this guide, but I’m sure you’ll want to tweak them to suit your particular
learner and situation.

What materials and equipment do you need?

You’ll mostly need scrap paper, coloured pens, highlighters, and a small
alphabetical notebook. There are also some worksheets that you may wish to
photocopy. A Button Bottle, Magic Dust shaker, Stress Balls, and Memory Box
are optional - more about these later...

TIP

For a Quick Start:
go straight to page 4.

If you wish to learn more about
Learning to Spell: from page 27 onwards.

For extra Booster Materials: from page 51 onwards.

Here are the 3 Steps of ‘Pick & Stick’
1. Pick

2. Stick

3. Tick

If incorrect: If correct:
Go back to Start! Store

in notebook

10 things to say when your learner gets anxious…

Your wobbly speller is probably getting
constant messages that they aren’t good
enough, not bright enough, hard-working
enough, positive enough, calm enough,
brave enough etc…

These messages are then interiorised and
can lead to a resistance to learning,
teachers, school, writing or spelling.

In some cases, this can also lead to a stress, anxiety or hopeless
response to a learning situation. You, the helper, may also feel
anxious or confused as to what to do.

Each learner will respond differently, so it helps to try out
different calming words and see what works best. Here are some
suggestions:

1. ‘I am here to help you: what would you like me to do?’

2. ‘Can you tell me/show me what you are feeling right now?’

3. ‘Do you want to talk a little bit about what’s worrying you?’

4. ‘How big is your worry? Can you show me/draw it?’

5. ‘What do you want to say to your worry?’ (For example: ‘Go away!’)

6. ‘Can we change the ending of that story in your head?’

7. Use the word ‘and’ instead of ‘but’: ‘You’re worried and you are safe / and
you know what to do..’

8. ‘You will feel better soon.’

9. ‘What do you think would help you most?’

10. ‘How do you want to try and calm down?’

TIP:

See pages 31-35 for a list of calming strategies. These need to be practised
many times in advance of stressful situations.
The worksheet on page 30 is great for finding out how your learner feels at
the start of each learning session.

Attitudes to Spelling: Can’t spell – won’t spell!

Your learner’s attitude to spelling may be causing learning blocks. If
they’re mature enough, it’s well worth spending time talking through
the questions and answers below. If not, you can just drop the points
into conversation, as and when it feels right.

Do you agree or disagree? Yes? No?

1. Good spelling is always important.

2. I can improve my spelling by reading a lot.

3. English spelling is completely crazy.

4. If I get stuck on spelling a word, all I need to
do is break it into sounds.

5. I make mistakes because I don’t say the words
properly.

6. If I could remember all the spelling rules, my
spelling would be perfect.

7. I need to copy out difficult words as many times
as possible to remember them.
It helps to print the word in capital letters.

8. If I want to spell correctly, I can just use a
spellchecker or dictionary.

9. Looking at a word for a long time will fix it in my
memory.

10. I must stick to just one spelling method.

TIP:
For suggestions on how to respond to the learner

see pages 37-43

Becoming a Spelling Detective

Error Analysis

‘Error Analysis’ is an extremely helpful way for the helper to be able to
analyse what type of errors the learner is making. This may be different
from other spelling methods where the number of errors may be considered
more important than finding a reason why the learner has made a particular
mistake (which is the preferred method in Pick & Stick).

Here is a sample of an elementary level dictation that is
commonly used for a formal error analysis.:

'One day as I was walking down Bridge Street, I heard the sound of
trotting. I turned and saw behind me the shaggy dark hair of a frightened
little horse. I searched in my pockets for an apple from my dinner to give
him. "I know where you should be," I said. So I removed the belt of my
raincoat and tied it around his neck and lead him back. I opened the gate,
and with satisfaction he galloped into his field. I was certainly very happy
that now he was safe, away from the noisy and dangerous traffic.’

From 'Diagnosing Dyslexia' by C. Klein, Basic Skills Agency (2003)

You may wish to start a spelling programme by using a dictation, such as
the one above. It’s really important that your learner does not think this is
a test – it’s just a way to find a clear pattern in their strengths and
weaknesses. You will find many examples of how to do this on pages 45-46.
Of course, you can also use the learner’s own writing, but they need to be
prepared to take risks and ‘have a go’ at words that they can’t easily spell.

The Brain and Spelling

Pick & Stick uses research into how the brain works in order to
make learning spelling easier for children. In this section you’ll
find information about how the brain deals with remembering
spellings, as well as some effective memory tips and activities.

Your brain is plastic!

Of course, this doesn’t mean that your brain is made of plastic. It means that
your brain can develop and re-organise itself throughout your life. The brain
is most plastic during childhood, which is why children are able to learn and
change behavior quickly.
Each time you are exposed to a new experience or information, existing
connections between brain cells (‘neurons’) can be formed into new pathways
and previously unused circuits can be brought into use. This explains how the
brain can re-organise itself after an injury or stroke. This is also very good
news for children with persistent spelling difficulties, such as dyslexia.

‘Use it or lose it’: is the old saying true?

Pathways of neurons that are often used become stronger and wider with
each use. On the other hand, connections that are poorly stored or rarely
used are left to fade away. Your brain deletes old connections, through a
process called ‘pruning’. This makes the brain a far more efficient
information highway! It might help to think of the brain as a forest with
pathways – some of these pathways are wide and well-trodden; some smaller
unused pathways become overgrown and disappear. This is why, if you don’t
practice and use spellings regularly, they might disappear!

How does the brain make spellings stick in your memory?

When you learn new skills, large groups of neurons are activated at the same
time. Interestingly, the more neurons activated, the better you remember
what you have learnt. This is why a multi-sensory approach to learning
(looking, hearing, feeling, smelling, doing…) is the most effective way to learn
something.

Are there different types of memory involved in learning?

When you are first exposed to something new, that
information is held in your short-term memory.
This type of memory involves chemical and
electrical processes to retain information for a
short amount of time, rather than more lasting
changes to the structure of the brain.

The key to making information stick in memory,
however, occurs only when a second neuron repeats
the impulse back again to the first neuron that
sent the original message. This is most likely to
happen when we think the new information is
especially important or when a certain experience
is repeated fairly often.

TIP: What does all this mean for spelling?

 Use a variety of multi-sensory strategies to memorize
spellings.

 Practise spelling words at particular and frequent intervals.

 Learn words and strategies that are particularly meaningful
and memorable to you.

 Keep an active and curious mind.

 Create links between existing knowledge and new information.

Changing negative mindsets

Many wobbly spellers have internal
voices that keep repeating negative
remarks about their abilities. These
thoughts can become fixed mindsets and
affect the learner’s confidence and
learning behaviors. Below you will find an
activity that will help you gently but
consistently challenge these negative
thoughts.

TASK:
Read through the list of negative statements below
and ask the learner to suggest some positive ones
instead. You will find some suggestions on page 60.

NEGATIVE POSITIVE?

 I'm really bad at spelling… ……………………………………………………………..

 I'm stupid… ……………………………………………………………..

 I can't spell that word… ……………………………………………………………..

 I won't do any spelling… ……………………………………………………………..

 I hate making a mistake… ……………………………………………………………..

 I give up… ……………………………………………………………..

 Spelling is so boring… ……………………………………………………………..

 Everyone is better than me… ……………………………………………………………..

 Any others you can add?? ……………………………………………………………..

Here’s a checklist to help you fix a good study habit:

Pick any one of the study routines that causes constant
struggles

1. Is there a clear trigger?

2. Is there a simple routine that works for everyone?

3. Is there a reward that the learner wants enough to
motivate them?

4. Are you giving enough support and positive
reinforcement to make sure the learner is successful in
carrying out the routine?

5. Have you got a plan for the trigger, routine and
reward? (You may need to tinker with the elements to
get them right!)

The Language Experience Method

What is the Language Experience Method (LEM)?
The Language Experience Method is a brilliant way to help
learners develop their reading skills. In fact, it develops all the
language skills - listening, speaking, writing and reading.
Who invented the Language experience approach?
It was initiated by Huey (The Psychology and Pedagogy of
Reading, 1908) and developed by Frank Smith in the late 1960s.
How do you use this method?
The learner describes an experience or story to a helper
(a family member or teacher) who writes down the learner’s
exact words. The advantage of using this method is that you
don’t need to worry about whether the reading material suits
the learner’s interests or level of understanding, because the
material comes directly from the learner’s own words. The text
can also be used with many different kinds of activities, such as
spelling and handwriting practice.

The 10 steps
Some aspects of the LEM are very important for its success, so
you should follow these 10 steps carefully. Below you will also
find some extra tips for guidance and ideas for extension
activities.

Snap: this game reinforces rapid visual memory of words. The aim of the

game is to ‘snap’ cards until one player has them all and is the winner.

Make 40 playing cards out of cardboard with the learner.
Choose 10 of the learner’s words from their spelling list and make 4 copies
of each card in large clear letters. Then you are ready to play.

Make sure the cards all face the right way in the pack.
Shuffle the cards well and distribute them equally face down.

Players take turns to reveal their first card and place it the right way up on
the table. When two of the same cards appear, the first person to call out
‘snap’ takes them and places them at the bottom of their cards.

If there is no ‘snap’ or two people say snap at exactly the same time, the
cards are piled up in the middle of the table.
When the next person says ‘snap’ first, they collect the whole pile.

Invent raps or poems to practise the 'Say-it-your-Way' strategies.

‘Change the Look’: Learners may enjoy visually playing around with

tricky words in an art session. 3D models can be also made in playdoh, papier
mache or clay. You can paint stones with decorated words. You can run a
poster competition for the best 'Change the Look' strategy.

TIP

Growth Mindset activities are vital for Wobbly Spellers.

You can encourage learners to do drawings or cartoons with the captions:
‘I can get stronger; I can learn from my mistakes; I keep on trying; I’ll
try another way, I can learn from other people, I did it…’
See pages 57-60 for some ideas.

The Button Jar: Collect a tin full of varied, and

interesting buttons. During the session, each time
the learner tries hard, succeeds in something they
were struggling with, comes up with an interesting
strategy, or concentrates well, place a button in a
jam jar or plastic bottle. When it’s full the learner
gets a treat of their choice (negotiated in advance!)
This seems to work remarkably well as an incentive
for all ages.

Quickstart Ideas for Whole Group Work

The Pick & Stick method, as set out in this book, is best suited to a one-to-
one learning situation. The method can also work beautifully for whole group
work, with careful and imaginative planning.

Before you start

It’s good to kick off the Pick & Stick method with positive energy. Teachers
report that they gain confidence in sharing the method if they themselves
first become familiar with the ins and outs of this book. You may wish to
explore your own attitude to spelling before you start! See pages 36-43.
This also works well as part of an in-service training event.

You can then say to wobbly spellers: ‘Pick & Stick is different; it really works
if you follow the instructions (rather like a magic spell); it’s fun; it doesn’t
matter if you make mistakes, it’s having a go that’s important ‘. Many
teachers like to use ’Our Promise to Wobbly Spellers’ on the back book cover.

Introducing the 3 Steps of Pick & Stick: see pages 4-7

The ‘Pick’ stage starts with the words that the individual child finds difficult
and wants to learn. In a group situation, the teacher picks the list of words
to work on. It’s very important not to work on confusable words within the
same session, for example: there, their and they’re.

Introduce and practise the 7 different memory strategies: see
pages 8-17. There are many ways to do this, but the strategies should be

introduced over several sessions in a fun way.

The Weekly Spelling Routine: see pages 18-26

Working on the spellings over a week, whilst practising a chosen memory
trick, is essential to success with Pick & Stick. It’s not enough to just find a
good memory trick; it must be practised several times and over a period of
weeks : this is the Stick part of the routine. Ask each learner to pick 3
words to work on during the week. Divide into pairs at the end of the week to
check whether they know the words or need to put them back on their list
for the following week. It’s best to avoid competitive tests or spelling games
which might exclude or undermine wobbly spellers in a group context.

Handwriting practice: this also goes hand in hand with spelling, as it

reinforces motor memory of words.

Games /Auditory activities: see pages 68-72 or 51-54

These can be played in pairs or groups

Your Notes, Tips & Good Ideas...

Our Promise to Wobbly Spellers
(and to the people who really want to help them)

 No long lists of words or sounds to learn by heart.
 No copying out words over and over again.
 No horrid spelling tests.
 You learn only words important to you.
 Fun and adventure with words.

REVIEWS FOR WOBBLY SPELLING
“Brilliant for young people with dyslexia,
dyspraxia, ADD or just plain wobbly spelling.”
“The Pick & Stick approach doesn’t treat the learner as ‘the problem’.
Instead learner and helper become partners in solving a spelling mys-
tery. This is not a one-size-fits-all method!”

“Helping Kids with Wobbly Spelling is fresh, supportive
and fun. At last a smart spelling method that really
works for children of all ages and their helpers. “