Multi-Sensory Spelling Strategies for Children That Goes Beyond Phonics: Approaches to Spelling That Really Stick
- Lucy Owen
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
At Reachout Educational, we understand that when it comes to learning to spell, one size never fits all.
For some children, phonics works brilliantly. For others — particularly those with dyslexia, poor working memory, or visual processing differences — a phonics-based approach can be frustrating and ineffective. That’s why our Spelling Packs and Dictation Sheets (for Years 1 to 6) are designed to offer a flexible, fun, and visual approach to spelling that helps all learners succeed.
Whether you're a teacher working one-to-one, a tutor supporting struggling spellers, or a parent trying to make homework less stressful, these tools make spelling click — even for children who’ve previously struggled to retain words.
🧠 Why Not Just Phonics?
Phonics teaches spelling through sound patterns — but many children don’t hear or process those sounds clearly or consistently. Some find decoding rules confusing (and the English language is full of contradictions to the rules anyway!). Others struggle to apply them in writing.
That’s why Reachout Spelling Packs use a visual-first approach, supported by auditory and kinesthetic memory strategies:
📏 Shape & structure of words are explored using coloured boxes and dots and dashes, building word memory through visual cues
👂 Auditory strategies like mnemonics and dictation help reinforce words in context
✋ Tactile tools like tracing, tapping, and playdough embed spelling through movement
And if phonics does work for a child? Great! Our resources can still be linked into existing phonics programmes — showing digraphs, trigraphs, and split digraphs using colour-coded prompts for added reinforcement.
This is spelling support that adapts — not a rigid system every child must fit into.
🎯 What Makes Our Spelling Packs Different?
Each Spelling Pack builds spelling skills step-by-step:
Read & repeat spelling words aloud.
Trace over letters, saying each one out loud to link sound and movement.
Spot visual patterns in suffixes, prefixes, or letter groups.
Create mnemonics and silly sentences to recall tricky words.
Use colour-coded boxes to reinforce visual structure — red for vowels, green for consonants, orange for doubles.
Advance to uncoloured grids to encourage independent visual recall.
Tap out words — using fingers and hands to build rhythmic, physical memory.
Touch-spell using a grid or alphabet arc.
Write the words using creative methods — chalk, sand, playdough, anything tactile.
Use Dictation Sheets to apply learning in full sentences for context and reinforcement.
It’s all about building spelling confidence in a way that’s enjoyable, memorable, and adaptable to each child’s learning style.
📄 Dictation Sheets: Adding Context to Practice
Learning spellings in isolation doesn’t guarantee success — children need to understand how words are used in real language.
Our Dictation Sheets pair perfectly with each Spelling Pack, offering full, age-appropriate sentences that use the target words in meaningful ways. This helps children:
Build grammatical understanding
Reinforce punctuation skills
Practice handwriting
Make deeper connections between word and meaning
Dictation is especially helpful for auditory learners and is a great follow-up to multi-sensory spelling work.
🔄 Spelling Packs available as printed or digital packs
💻 Dictation Sheets available as digital downloads only
🎉 Practical, Playful Spelling That Sticks
Some of the creative activities you can try include:
“Be the teacher”: Let your child quiz you on spellings — they’ll love trying to catch you out!
Ball toss spelling: Throw a ball and say one letter of a word per catch.
Spell and splash: Use chalk on the pavement or water pistols on a wall to "write" words.
Silly sentence challenge: Make up mnemonics like “You Always Catch Huge Tuna” to remember “yacht” — and draw them!
Dictation scavenger hunt: Hide dictation sentences around the house and solve them like clues.
🛍️ Where to Get Yours
We’ve got everything ready for you:
✅ Spelling Packs for Year 1, Year 2, Years 3 & 4, and Years 5 & 6
✅ Dictation Sheets to match each pack
✅ Printed or digital formats (Dictation Sheets are digital-only)
Whether you’re supporting a whole class, a small group, or just one child, these resources will give you the tools and structure to help them succeed — their way.
👉 Browse and shop here: https://www.reachouteducational.co.uk/category/spelling
Let’s move beyond memorisation and make spelling a skill that lasts.Let’s make it fun, flexible, and focused on what works for every learner.