Will using Dictation help my children's spelling?

Hunch:

Will using 'dictation' help my children's spelling?

What exactly happened in class with my students?

Through Quick60 program - dictation is done everyday
Dictate letters, words & one sentence a day

How did I do it in class?

- gives my student a chance to practice newly learned words in context
- review old spelling word / letter in a meaningful way - such as
- encouorage students to always give a go/try to write a sentence independently.

Check-Point - What I have noticed?

After 7-8 weeks

- students need more opportunities to practice newly learned words everyday
- students ability to form letters correctly are very poor and very slow to form letters
- some students are not able to hold pencil correclty
- some students are taking long time to form letters therefore, writing a sentence
also takes forever.

Things I have learned - four simple steps for dictation;
- teacher dictates a phrase or sentence
- student repeats the phrase or sentence
- student writes the phrase or sentence
- student proofreads what he wrote

Critique (Pros & Con)

- phrase / sentence dictation could provide meaningful opportunities for young children's learn of new vocabulary.

- directly teach meaning of new vocabulary using sentence / phrase.

- can develop all four skills - reading, pronounciation, forming of letters and speaking.

Final Thought

- some students may find dictation boring and difficult to do. Especially ESOL students, English language is foreign let alone the spelling.

Next Step

Students to write / form letters correctly and fluently in order for them to write their sentence quickly...