Dyslexia and Spelling

by Sandman-Hurley

Written by an authority in the dyslexia field, this is the first accessible guide to the close interplay of spelling and dyslexia. Kelli Sandman-Hurley talks the teacher or parent through why kids with dyslexia find spelling so hard, and what we can learn from the spelling mistakes in their writing samples. Introducing key terminology around morphemes (smallest unit of meaning in words) and phonemes (smallest contrastive units in language) in an accessible and clear way, Sandman-Hurley goes on to explain how we can identify, and learn from, kids' spelling miscues, and use them to further inform our teaching and instruction. Shedding much-needed light on an under-explored tool for classroom or home learning, Dyslexia and Spelling is essential reading for teachers and parents alike.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Reference

128 pages, Paperback

Published June 21, 2019

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information. Easy to read and understand. Perfect for those wanting to learn more in this area.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I REALLY wanted to love this book. I didn’t expect a “cookbook” or “how-to-do-it-book.” But I did expect a more in-depth explanation about the concepts presented. If this were my first introduction to structured word inquiry, I would have been pretty lost. There were too many times where I felt the author forgot that not everyone has in-depth knowledge of the terms or the process. Too many times where the author began with a great example and then just stopped, leaving me to have to figure out just where her mind was going. Too often, I couldn’t. In addition, I always expect a book about spelling to be meticulously proofread. This one was not. I did appreciate the suggestions for making the instruction multi-sensory. The glossary looks useful. Overall, the book felt rushed into print and left me wanting a whole lot more.

[Donn Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a short book, but one that packs a whole lot of punch. Half of me really wanted this book to be more than it was, to be more step-by-step, but the other half of me knows that if this book tried to do more it'd have overstayed its welcome.

This book is a great primer on spelling through the use of affixes and root/base words. I actually picked up a similar book from the library ("Build Vocabulary Faster Using Roots and Links") and at that time I thought the premise was great, but that I wanted more guidance on how teaching using this method might be like in practice, and it just so happens that this book covers that.

But like I said, it's a great primer but that's it. It is not sufficient by itself, but it'd point the way towards other resources along a similar vein and that by itself is worth picking this book up.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theory of teaching spelling based-off word meaning is great. I can see how this will resonate with kids at a very young age. As someone who learned a second language as an adult, understanding the base of the word and the add-ons to change the meaning of the word makes perfect sense. It’s exactly how we learned an additional language. I wish the book had highlighted scientific evidence and or references for its theories.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this could be an example of "once a teacher, always a teacher." Even though I haven't taught in 18 years, I'm still married to a man with dyslexia. I saw this book on Libby and thought I'd peruse it. Not bad. I'm going to share with my sister-in-law who is still teaching.

[Emily Sharpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book; challenging at times to read because of the complexity. It provides a lot of good insight and strategies for teaching dyslexic students and struggling readers.