How to Help Your Child with Spelling: 10 Evidence-Based Strategies

If there's one thing research consistently shows, it's this: systematic phonics instruction works. Multiple meta-analyses, including findings from the National Reading Panel, demonstrate that teaching phonics systematically produces meaningful improvements in spelling (effect size around 0.32).

What does "systematic" mean? It means teaching letter-sound relationships in a planned, sequential way—not randomly or only when questions come up. You're building knowledge step by step: simple consonant-vowel-consonant words first (cat, dog, sit), then more complex patterns.

Here's a counterintuitive finding: testing before studying is one of the most effective spelling strategies. The test-study-test technique works because it helps you identify exactly which words need attention—no wasted effort on words already mastered.

How it works:

This approach respects your child's time and builds confidence—they see immediate progress on the words that matter most.

Multisensory learning means engaging multiple senses simultaneously: seeing the word, hearing it, saying it aloud, and physically writing or tracing it. While rigorous experimental evidence is still emerging, educators consistently report that multisensory techniques help children—especially those with learning disabilities—stay engaged and retain information better.

Instead of treating each word as a separate memorization task, help your child recognize patterns. When they learn that "receive," "ceiling," and "conceive" all follow the "i before e except after c" rule, they've just learned to spell dozens of words—not just three.

Common spelling patterns to teach:

Research shows that word study allowing students to abstract patterns and make connections is compatible with effective instruction. The key is systematic exposure, not isolated drills.

Cramming doesn't work. Cognitive science research consistently demonstrates that spaced repetition—reviewing information at increasing intervals—produces far better long-term retention than massed practice.

Why spacing works: When you review a word just as you're starting to forget it, you strengthen the memory pathway more than if you practice it repeatedly in one sitting. The slight difficulty of recall is what makes learning stick.

While phonics is crucial, English has plenty of irregular words that don't follow the rules: "said," "was," "does," "could." These words appear constantly in children's writing, so they need early attention.

Research on students with learning disabilities emphasizes the importance of teaching irregular high-frequency words explicitly. These words often can't be "sounded out," so they require different strategies: visualization, memory tricks, and repeated exposure.

Attention spans are limited, especially for younger children. Fifteen minutes of focused practice beats an hour of frustrated struggle every time. Aim for daily or near-daily sessions rather than once-weekly marathons.

Spelling isn't just about letters—it's about communication. When children understand what a word means and how it's used, they're more likely to remember its spelling.

Practical ways to add context:

• • Always use words in sentences, not isolation
• • Have your child create their own sentences with spelling words
• • Discuss word meanings and origins (etymology)
• • Connect words to things your child cares about

SpellCamp automatically provides example sentences for every word, helping students understand context without extra effort from parents.

Fear of mistakes kills motivation faster than anything else. When children see errors as failures rather than feedback, they stop trying. Your job is to shift that mindset.

Research on learning shows that constructive feedback—specific, immediate, and encouraging—accelerates improvement. Make every misspelling a teaching moment, not a failure.

Not all technology is equal. The best spelling apps and tools incorporate multiple evidence-based strategies automatically: spaced repetition scheduling, immediate feedback, pattern-based instruction, and progress tracking.