I was making homemade Chinese dumplings recently, and it occurred to me…

Learning to spell is a bit like learning to make dumplings. My sister-in-law is from China and she makes the most mouth-watering Chinese dumplings you’ve ever tasted. She learned how by watching her father make them. I’ve watched her make them quite a few times over the past year and decided to try my hand at it. My dough was a failure! I kid you not. My dumplings literally fell apart when I boiled them.

So I read up on dumplings. My sister-in-law didn’t have a written recipe (it was all by feel, she said), so I looked up a recipe and tried again. This time, the dough was so stiff that I couldn’t wrap it around the filling. But I didn’t give up.

After laughing at my dough…

My sister-in-law had me knead and roll out some of her dough. She had me pinch the dough between my fingers so I could get the feel for the right consistency. She had me roll out quarter-size balls with a small rolling pin until I could sense the right thickness. And then I was ready to wrap the dough around the tasty filling.

Here’s how I compare the whole experience to learning spelling:

I had to see it done, hear it explained, and feel it for myself in order to be successful.

This fact about learning is true for me and it is even truer for our kids. During the learning process we use three main pathways to the brain: visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), and kinesthetic (doing). We are wired to learn using the three pathways, and the strength of each modality is different for each person. So some people may be very strong visual learners while others learn best auditorily or kinesthetically.

Kinesthetic activities are great for learning spelling. Kinesthetic activities can include things like using letter tiles to build spelling words, writing down the phonogram as the sound is dictated, or using the pointer finger to practice “tricky” words on a textured fabric. This last activity is fun for a lot of kids, so I put together a list of tactile surfaces for practicing spelling to give you some ideas. Items range from a plush carpet square to rice poured in a baking pan to shaving cream in a plastic baggie. Check out the article for more ideas.

Use what you have around the house or make a small purchase next time you are at the store. It won’t take much time or money in proportion to the benefits you will see for your student. Every so often, use a new tactile surface just to keep things fun and motivating.

Photo by Jasper Yue