Your child can sound out words when reading. They recognize letter patterns and decode sentences in their books. But can they write those same words from memory? This is where dictation exercises come in, and they’re more important than many parents realize.
What Are Dictation Exercises?
Dictation exercises involve listening to a word or sentence and writing it down. This simple activity requires children to hold sounds in their memory, recall correct spelling patterns, and apply their phonics knowledge in reverse. Instead of reading letters to understand words, they’re hearing words and determining which letters represent those sounds.
Dictation is the flip side of reading. When children read, they decode written symbols into sounds. When they write through dictation, they encode sounds into written symbols. Both processes strengthen the neural pathways that make reading and spelling automatic.
Quality dictation practice targets specific phonics patterns children have already learned. You don’t ask a child to spell words with sounds they haven’t studied yet. The exercise should reinforce what they know, build confidence, and cement letter-sound relationships in their memory.
How Dictation Supports Reading Development
Dictation exercises strengthen multiple literacy skills simultaneously. They improve phonemic awareness because children must identify individual sounds within words. They reinforce phonics knowledge because students apply their understanding of letter-sound correspondence. They develop spelling skills and support reading fluency by making word patterns automatic.
Encoding (writing) and decoding (reading) are reciprocal processes. When children practice spelling words through dictation, they strengthen their ability to recognize those same patterns when reading. The brain builds stronger connections between sounds and symbols through this two-way practice.
Dictation also develops working memory—the ability to hold information temporarily while processing it. Children must remember the word they heard, break it into individual sounds, recall the letters that represent each sound, and write them in the correct sequence. This mental workout builds cognitive skills that support all aspects of reading.
Dictation in the Reading.com App
The Reading.com app incorporates dictation naturally throughout its systematic lessons. After children learn new letter sounds and practice reading words, they move to letter-writing sections that function as dictation exercises.
The app uses visual prompts at the top of the screen to guide children. These prompts show what letter or sound the child should write. First, children trace the letter following a guided pattern. This helps them develop proper letter formation. Then they write the letter independently using their finger on the touchscreen.
If children make a mistake during letter writing, they can use the undo button to try again. This forgiving approach reduces frustration while encouraging practice. The tactile nature of tracing on a screen provides sensory feedback that reinforces letter shapes in memory.
The letter-writing sections appear early in each Reading.com lesson, right after children learn or review specific sounds. This timing matters. Children practice writing letters immediately after engaging with their sounds, strengthening the connection between hearing, seeing, and forming letters.
The app’s systematic structure ensures children only write letters they’ve already studied. If a child is on lesson 15, the dictation exercises only include sounds from lessons 1 through 15. This controlled approach prevents overwhelm and builds confidence through achievable practice.
Implement Dictation at Home
You can supplement your child’s app-based learning with simple dictation exercises during regular practice time. Keep sessions short, just five to ten minutes, and focus on sounds your child has already mastered.
Start with individual letters. Say a sound and have your child write the corresponding letter. For example, say “/m/” and your child writes the letter M. This basic exercise reinforces letter-sound correspondence.
Progress to simple words containing only sounds your child knows. If they’ve learned the sounds /c/, /a/, and /t/, dictate the word “cat.” Say the word naturally, then repeat it slowly if needed. Encourage your child to say the word themselves, listening for each sound before writing.
Use lined paper or a whiteboard for physical writing practice. The motor skills involved in forming letters by hand differ from touchscreen tracing, and both types of practice have value. Some children benefit from writing in sand, shaving cream, or with finger paints to engage multiple senses.
Make dictation feel like a game rather than a test. Celebrate correct attempts enthusiastically. When children make errors, guide them through the correction process rather than simply marking it wrong. Ask “What sound do you hear at the beginning?” or “Which letter makes that sound?”
Common Dictation Mistakes and Solutions
Children often struggle with certain aspects of dictation. They might reverse letters like B and D, especially when writing from memory. This is normal in early writing development. Gentle correction and continued practice help.
Some children write letters for the sounds they hear, but use incorrect letters. For example, they might write “sut” instead of “shut” because they hear the /sh/ sound but haven’t learned that digraph yet. This actually shows good phonemic awareness. Praise them for hearing the sounds correctly while teaching the proper spelling pattern.
Other children rush through dictation without careful listening. They guess at spellings rather than methodically thinking through each sound. Slow them down. Encourage them to repeat the word several times and count the sounds before writing anything.
Build Strong Readers Through Systematic Practice
Dictation exercises are just one component of comprehensive reading instruction. They work best when embedded in a structured program that systematically teaches phonics, provides regular practice, and builds skills sequentially.
Ready to give your child complete, systematic reading instruction that includes effective dictation practice? Start your free 7-day trial of the Reading.com app and experience how proper sequencing and engaging practice create confident readers and spellers!
