Why Kids Struggle to Write Words

It can be confusing when a child can read a word correctly but then struggles when asked to write that same word.

Parents may see their child confidently recognise a familiar word on a page, yet hesitate when the word needs to be written independently.

This does not necessarily mean that the child does not know the word.

Reading a word and writing a word are connected skills, but they require children to do different things.

Recognising a Word Is Different From Writing It

When children read a word, they have the letters in front of them.

They can look at the shape of the word, recognise familiar letters and use the sounds they have learnt to help work out what the word says.

Writing is different because the child needs to produce the word without necessarily having those visual clues in front of them.

They need to remember which letters are needed and put them in the correct order.

• Recognise the word
• Remember the letters in the word
• Remember the correct letter order
• Form each letter correctly
• Control the pencil
• Produce the complete word independently

That is a lot of information for a young learner to manage at the same time.

Reading Gives Children a Visual Prompt

Imagine showing a child the word cat.

The child can see the three letters and may already recognise the word.

But if you remove the word and ask them to write cat, the task changes.

Now the child needs to remember that the word contains c, a and t, remember the order of those letters and then form each one.

The child may know the word perfectly well but still find writing it difficult.

Writing Requires Active Recall

One of the biggest differences between reading and writing is that writing requires children to retrieve information from memory.

When reading, the word provides information to the child.

When writing independently, the child has to provide the information themselves.

They need to think about the sounds they hear, the letters that represent those sounds and how those letters should be formed.

This is why a child can sometimes read a word more confidently than they can write it.

Letter Formation Still Matters

A child may know exactly which letters belong in a word but still struggle to write them.

They may be learning where to start each letter, which direction to move the pencil or how to keep their letters a consistent size.

For young children, handwriting itself can require a great deal of concentration.

• Remembering how each letter is formed
• Starting letters in the correct place
• Controlling pencil movements
• Keeping letters on the line
• Leaving appropriate spaces between words

When all of this is happening at once, remembering the spelling of a word can become much harder.

Some Children Need More Practice Connecting the Skills

Children do not all develop reading, spelling and handwriting skills at exactly the same pace.

A child may become confident recognising letters and simple words before they are ready to reproduce those words independently.

This is why it is helpful to give children regular opportunities to connect what they can see, hear, say and write.

For example, when practising the word sun, you could ask your child to:

• Say the word
• Listen to the sounds
• Identify the letters
• Write the word
• Read the word back

This gives children a simple way to connect phonics, reading, spelling and handwriting.

Start With Words Your Child Knows

Independent writing practice does not need to begin with difficult words.

Start with short, familiar words that your child already recognises.

• cat
• dog
• sun
• hat
• pig
• bed
• mum
• dad

Simple CVC words can be particularly useful because children can hear the individual sounds and connect those sounds with the letters they need to write.

As their confidence develops, you can gradually introduce longer and less familiar words.

Keep Writing Practice Short

Children do not need long writing sessions to develop these skills.

A few minutes of focused practice can be more useful than expecting a young child to sit and write for a long period.

You might choose two or three familiar words and give your child an opportunity to read them, say them and then write them.

If they make a mistake, give them time to have another go.

The goal is to build the connection between recognising a word and producing it independently.

Try Not to Assume Your Child Does Not Know the Word

When a child reads a word correctly but cannot write it, it can be easy to think they have forgotten the word.

But the difficulty may actually be with recalling the letters, remembering their order or forming the letters on the page.

Looking at which part of the task is difficult can help you provide the right type of practice.

If your child knows the word but struggles to form one particular letter, for example, some extra letter-formation practice may be more helpful than repeatedly asking them to spell the whole word.

Give Children Opportunities to Write Independently

It is useful for children to see words, trace words and copy words, but they also need opportunities to write without having every letter provided for them.

Independent attempts help children practise retrieving what they know.

They can begin to discover that the letters and sounds they have been learning can be used to create words of their own.

This is an important step towards more confident spelling and sentence writing.

Reading and Writing Work Together

Reading helps children recognise words and understand how letters and sounds work together.

Writing gives children an opportunity to reproduce that knowledge independently.

The two skills support each other as children develop their literacy skills.

So if your child can read a word but struggles to write it, remember that they may simply need more opportunities to practise making that connection.

Support Your Child With Short, Regular Practice

Give your child opportunities to read familiar words, say the sounds, identify the letters and then have a go at writing them.

Keep practice short and positive, and allow your child time to develop their confidence.

Our reusable Writeboard gives children an easy way to practise letters, words and early spelling again and again. They can have a go, wipe their work away and try again without using a new sheet of paper each time.

With regular practice, children can gradually become more confident turning the words they recognise into words they can write independently.

Find the learning resources for your child by selecting your Australian state and exploring the handwriting, phonics, reading, spelling and writing resources available for families.