Dictation

Why Is Dictation Important for Young Learners?

Dictation builds a strong foundation for literacy—helping children improve spelling, handwriting, and grammar. It connects listening skills with writing, reinforcing letter formation and legibility. Dictation exercises also help children apply the rules they’ve learned in a structured way.

Writing by hand boosts fine motor skills, focus, and memory. It engages the brain in a way that typing cannot, making it an effective way to reinforce learning.

Dictation Homework

For children who are ready, dictation homework is designed to improve spelling and expand vocabulary. Each week, children learn a set of new words, with a review and comprehension check the following week. I encourage parents to be involved in the process, as just 10 minutes of daily practice can lead to noticeable improvements in spelling accuracy. Misspelled words from previous weeks remain on the list until the child is able to write them correctly. There are no grades or pressure—just a supportive, stress-free approach that focuses on understanding, retention, and building a positive learning experience.

Building Vocabulary and Context

As children progress to reading chapter books, their dictation words will be drawn from the stories they’re reading. This not only introduces them to more challenging words, but also helps deepen their understanding of new vocabulary and its context. By relating words to the story, they naturally develop their comprehension skills and gain the ability to use higher level vocabulary with confidence.

Active Learning and Confidence

Dictation is an active learning process that engages children in both listening and writing. This dynamic approach helps them develop confidence in their language skills. As they improve, they become more confident in speaking, reading, and writing. 

By practising dictation early, children lay the groundwork for more complex writing later, building the skills needed for constructing coherent paragraphs and essays—though that’s not a focus in my program.