Can spelling cause anxiety in children?
Yes, Hajar says, and the link runs in each direction. Anxiety can make spelling harder. The pressure of spelling can also trigger anxiety, so the two feed each other.
The task draws on several skills, she writes: phonological awareness, visual memory, auditory discrimination, attention and matching letters to sounds. A child who struggles may fear mistakes in front of classmates or low grades. The anxiety hurts concentration, and weaker concentration leads to more underachievement and more anxiety.
Which spelling skills should you check first?
Hajar starts by confirming the building blocks, before treating the worry. Can the child split “cloud” into its sounds, or “tomorrow” into the syllables to, mor and row? Can the child play with sounds? Say “fall” without the /f/ and you get “all”. Change the /d/ in “dig” to /b/ and you get “big”. She calls phoneme manipulation the hardest skill in the group and one of the most important for spelling.
English has 26 letters and 44 phonemes, the post says, plus many rules. A child who has not learned the silent e may write “lik” for “like”. Tricky words such as said, where, what and could need repeated practice in several ways.
What can parents try at home?
Hajar begins with mindset. Mistakes show what a child has learned, she says, and corrections count as wins: three mistakes means three words learned. When a child says “I can’t”, she suggests adding one word: “yet”. She also recommends sharing a challenge you overcame.
Short breaks of three to five minutes before and during a spelling task help. So do tools such as a picture checklist for capital letters and punctuation, a finger spacer and a sound mat which groups sounds into categories. Praise effort and progress, however small.
Where possible, skip paper and pencil for the weekly word list. Coloured sand, salt, rice or shaving foam makes practice more fun and, in her view, helps children retain the words.
What are the signs the anxiety has taken hold?
Full sentences can overwhelm some children, Hajar notes. They must juggle capital letters, punctuation, spacing and spelling at once. Some then avoid the task. The post lists behaviour problems, physical complaints, crying, frustration and complaining as ways avoidance can show.
A child may spell a word correctly alone and still get it wrong inside a sentence. She says to teach the transfer directly. For calming in the moment she suggests deep breathing and the 3-3-3 rule. Name three things you see, name three things you hear and move three parts of your body.
When should a child psychologist in Dubai get involved?
The post says to seek professional support if anxiety affects a child’s wellbeing or school performance. It names an educational psychologist, a child psychologist or a special educator as options. The clinic’s FAQ sets out the difference. A child psychologist focuses on emotional and behavioural wellbeing. An educational psychologist focuses on learning and academic challenges. The clinic offers each, and children sometimes benefit from seeing each one.
The child psychology page lists school-related stress and low confidence among the concerns it covers. A first appointment starts with a consultation about the child’s history and current concerns. Younger children may use play or drawing, and the psychologist may offer consultation to the child’s school. Parents decide whether assessment results go to the school, the FAQ says.
Book a Consultation for Your Child
Email info@thevalensclinic.ae or use the contact form on the website, and describe what happens when your child faces a spelling task. The coordinator will look for the most suitable clinician. Read more about the child psychology service and the Young Valens location.
Every clinician holds a licence from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) or the Community Development Authority (CDA), as the FAQ page states.