Usually that’s one issue teachers don’t need to content with. Most students excel when it comes to words. You have your occasional late bloomers, though, and the unfortunate truth is learning the English is more crucial than any other discipline, especially at the 3rd and 4th grade level.
If you’re a teacher running out of tactics to help some of your students with spelling issues, look no further; there is an exercise that might help a child in the development of the ability to hear certain sounds in words.
Step One:
First write four words on a chart, chalkboard, or even a piece of paper….
break, foot, water, state ….for example.
What you do is read the words aloud and direct the child to focus on the sounds of the word–in other words, give directions such as “point to the word that starts with the same sound as ‘wait’ (referring to ‘water’). Or you can direct the child to find the word that matches the same sound at the end, such as the word ‘plate’ (referring to the word ‘state’). In other words, teaching the child how to rhyme.
The ultimate result is a familiarity with certain words that sound alike, tying in memory with some of the letters they already know. Constant exercises such as these should help a student spell words that are more difficult for them. All it takes from you, as a teacher, is perseverance and consistency. It’s easy for a child to get discouraged, so be sure to award a lot of support and praise.