teaching my self to improve my reading and spelling any tips or advice to help me

[sdrayton37]

i have figerd that my reading and spelling is holding me back with applyieying for jobs ect so im looking for hints and tips to teach myself if that is possible

[mathewlisett]

pretty simple solution, especially in 2013. for me if i didnt gain my first computer in the early 90's i wouldn't be able to do my school/college and then work...work. in recent years i have written up around 10 pages on both dyslexia, a letter to the government, and about online piracy. Now if you saw me back in the day theres not a chance i could have done this.

we now have devices and applications on those said devices that can help with speech, reading, writing and so forth.

oh and there are also DIFFERENT spelling and grammar checking systems these days, where there was only 1 back then.

[Hidden]

hi I have found TOE by TOE very helpful for my son - if you could find a friend who would go through it with you, as it needs someone to guide you.

Also the pocket collins spellmaster is helpful, as it takes words how you think they sound and tells you the spelling.

Alternatively dyslexia action do have tutoring for adults - might be worth seeing if anything local to you. Even a few sessions might help to boost your confidence.

Best of luck.

[Giosang]

I always ask someone to check through my job applications, even though my spelling isn't that bad because I use the computer's spell checker etc. It's not only spellings that cause problem on application forms, but punctuation. My advice to anyone would be get someone to read it through for you. Visit your local library they can help. It's worth it.

As for improving your spelling. It's a stepped approach, and it will take time. Toe by Toe is very good, but you need a teacher to guide you through it because it's a phonetic programme, which means you have to 'sound out' the words to someone.

If you work on the whole word level, then you can choose 10 words to master using this technique:

Look: at the word - its shape, do its letters go up or down. 'Draw the word' by which I mean do an outline of it so you memorise its shape. You could even get some plastic letters from the 'Early Learning Center' or make the words out of clay or bread dough ( then you can bake and eat your words!!) You should take time to really get to know the words. Focus on them. Take each one slowly.

Cover: Hide it from view and write it down from memory.

Check: Make sure you are right

Write it again 10 times in your handwriting in a book - not on the computer.

Find words with similar spelling patterns like: enough, through, tough etc and you'll see that you may be able to spell them all!

Record the words in patterns in a book, not alphabetically.

Your library will have books about all this. Go and talk to the librarians.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Giovanna (SEN teacher)

[Hidden]

It is difficult to know where to start to teach yourself. It is better to learn a group of words that all obey the same spelling rule than trying to learn one word at a time. If you have somebody that could take you slowly through a few rules, asking you to spot similar ones for each rule in some reading material then that could be useful. For a list that a person could help you with see phonicslessons.co.uk/englis...; so you could start (in this example) by learning that English words don't end with 'v' but 've' and spot some words like this e.g. give, survive; then learn a few of them as examples. With my students I write each 'rule' like this on a small index card with examples; then on the back we collect any words we find that don't obey the rule. This methodical approach often works with those with Dyslexia as it means they can see the sense in spellings. Good luck!!

[Montanna Volunteer]

I think these are very good examples and I think you should to summarise.

- learn words and their rules.

- get someone to proof read your work.

- get some electronic aids

However without knowing what you specific learning disability is you may be investing time poorly..

Ironically the best cure for bad grammar is reading. Reading something interesting. And moving this to long term memory.

- keep reading something. Rest. And then read it again. Try to understand new words. Look them up. Give yourself plenty if time.

My problem is poor memory and poor processing.

E.g if I can only copy limited amounts of data into my short term memory.

So I copy in 4 letter chunks. However I can trick my head into doing a bit more. I cannot improve on this.

Long term memory I have learnt the 16 digit number of my credit card. Know my NHS number, kids birthdays.