Is this normal for a boy? 7yrs old in 1st grade

My son is doing fairly well with reading. He is horrible with spelling and now with English.
We speak properly and correct when incorrect speach is used, but when deciding on which verb to use--strong/weak/needs a helper/doesn't--
he totally misses it sometimes. We take the spelling list, write 5X each for 3 days, write sentences with the words, and he totally misses them on the test.
Is this normal? Any suggestions? He still turns a few letters backwards too---K and d---
I want to make sure there is not something I am totally missing in my teaching technique or missing for him developmentally.
Of course, math is fine....thanks for any guidance--support--ideas you can provide. God Bless

Boys, as a rule, develop certain mental/eye/hand functions later than girls. I'm on my 7th child, a boy, in first grade, and so far, he and the other boy have been slightly "behind" where the girls were at this age. I don't even really do spelling until second grade..I work on writing skills and lots of math and reading (the little kids aren't enrolled in Kolbe).

Christina

I don't start spelling until 2nd grade either.

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Volunteer Kolbe Parent