Possible reasons behind the spelling errors

The following list was taken from Screening for Success (2001) produced by the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada.

Auditory processing challenges

• Mispronunciations
• Omission of sounded letters
• Wrong, extra or missing syllables, prefixes or suffixes
• Inverted words

Visual memory challenges

• Reversals
• Omission of silent letters
• Phonetic substitutions
• Homonym confusions
• Errors may be related to lack of memory for spelling rules

Visual-spatial abilities

• Difficulty discriminating visually similar letters/words
• Difficulty discriminating correct spelling and misspellings
• Can spell orally but not in writing
• Poor letter formation
• Poor letter spacing
• Poor word spacing
• Slow speed of writing

Sample spelling list results

It is helpful to conduct an analysis of a learner's spelling to see if there is a consistent pattern in the types of errors. This helps the learner to become more conscious of the kinds of errors they tend to make and helps to focus energy on developing spelling strategies to help manage the difficulties.