Schoolchildren have been transforming their spelling skills with the help of a simple but spectacular technique, as Simon Armstrong finds out. Struggling with any subject can make school life tough, but when it's spelling that's causing a problem it can have a knock-on effect across the board and make things even harder. But pupils at Park View Community School in Chester-le-Street have been given a helping hand thanks to Matt Hudson, an expert in applied psychology. Using a method known as neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), he "re-programmes" youngsters' minds so they quickly develop the confidence and belief that they can spell well. NLP tackles the way language patterns are formed in the brain and the way we see and access learning. Working on the basic premise that to spell we must work in the visual part of the brain, a group of Year 8 pupils learned new spelling strategies by visualising words so they can make clear pictures in their minds, in black and white. They can spell anything in future simply by accessing the visual area of the brain. Children who began the day struggling to spell simple four-letter words were soon progressing to successfully tackling longer words of up to 15 letters. To work in your visual sphere, you look up and to the left and that's how Matt starts exercising youngsters' minds to spell - white sheets of paper are held up and to the left in front of the child, with words written on for them to read backwards and forwards, letter by letter. Each time they become confident with the word, they spell it backwards and forwards without the piece of paper until they have it perfect, then move on to a more difficult word. This works like a computer upgrade, installing the ability to make clear pictures of words in the child's mind. They soon find they can picture any word without realising it. Matt, 38, of North Shields, explained: "It's a simple idea and by using games while they are learning encourages them to have fun. Learning must be context-related. If the kids are doing something they enjoy, then they can absorb the new ideas easily. If you find something difficult, like spelling, then when someone asks you to spell a word then you feel a negative emotion. But if you put spelling in an enjoyable and successful context then they will feel happier when they are doing it." "It's an easy initial strategy to use with children struggling to spell. Their mental pictures just need sharpening up into black and white, non-fuzzy, sharp images they can access easily." Their success enforces the crucial belief that they can spell well and they `forget' to struggle with literacy in future. Matt also works with corporate clients, entrepreneurs and in the health sector and with sports people. * Matt will be teaching his techniques during two sessions at the Art Café, Corbridge, on October 6 and October 13 from 7pm-9pm. For further information, call 07786 994 337 or e-mail info@matthudson.org | 
Northumberland
