Pink Think: “My spelling is Wobbly. It’s good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.” – A. A. Milne
Why is it that when I edit a manuscript, I obsess over every single typo and spelling error…
…but when I see this in my eight year old daughter’s school notebook:
spilling activittie
reid 20 minets
thocabulary test
Dear perants
compering numbers
math homrok
…I’m almost sad for the time when she’ll spell the words correctly?
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Oh -I have a theory about spelling. Many people along my path have agreed with me. Spelling is like belly buttons. With belly buttons you are either an inny or an outty and those are your choice. Same with spelling. You either CAN or you CAN’T. There isn’t a lot of middle ground.
And studies have shown that there is a window for learning how to spell -and it closes kinda early, I’m wanting to say around nine???? And after that it is all about memorizing.
And for the record -I am not a speller.
I especially like “Math Homrok”!
Heather: *belly button analogy* Never thought of spelling like that before!
Weston: I know, cute, huh. So hard to explain to the kids why something is not spelled the way it sounds. 🙂
Hi – I teach 6th grade Language Arts and we’ve had a doozy of time deciding on an effective spelling program for 11 year olds. Like Heather, I agree 100% spelling is something you can be naturally good at and naturally stink at.
Pink, I think you obsessing over spelling is a good thing, because its part of being an effective writer.
Its what I tell my students as well. If I can’t even understand what it is you’re trying to say because of multiple spelling errors, then you aren’t being effective…as a communicator. And, that is the whole basis for writing and reading – getting your message across.
I spells real good. It’s the grammars stuff what I gots problems with.
I know what you mean about them losing those kid things. I was sad when my daughter stopped calling her eyebrows: ‘eyepops.’ And when my other daughter stopped calling her freckles: ‘frunkles.’
🙂
I spell fairly well on most words (I can’t spell ‘acknowledgment’ without spell check (yes, I used one there)) but sometimes on the way to the paper/screen the letters mix themselves up or the words bring in letters from the next word in the sentence. I think faster than I write…
Ahh we’re learning spelling now, mine’s in 1st grade. Fun!!! th, wh, sh, oo,..it’s great fun.
Aw, I like “activittie.” Looks Italian!
We sure don’t want them to grow up too fast, do we?
k.m.: Hi, nice to see you. Sure wish there was some program to improve spelling. I’ve spent many an afternoon trying to help my kids practice words using spelling rules that have all sorts of exceptions 🙂
BPV: *crack* That’s the sound of me cracking up 🙂
Serena: I like that, frunkles :-)Yeah, they come up with cute stuff, don’t they. Couldn’t do it myself if I tried.
Q: Yeah, thank goodness we can edit blog entries posted in haste…
Winifred: Welcome! I remember 1st grade last year, lots of spelling sheets.
Rachel: You know what it makes me think of? “Activittie, Liberte, Egalite!” 🙂
Evelyn: Yes, not if we can help it, huh? 🙂
That’s it. “Thocabulary” is my new word for the week.
(She sounds so cute, and I haven’t even met her!!)
Perants makes much more sense than parents.I’m with your daughter. Even though I can usually spell things, it is really hard to teach my boys to spell–too much of it doesn’t make sense.
I think I’m a good speller mostly. I was spelling champion when I was a kid but I didn’t grow up to be famous or rich so that didn’t do me a lot of good. Oh, well— I love the way your kid spelled words — shows high intelligence actually because even though she has not been instructed completely yet she still managed to sound out the words and spell phonetically. SMART girl! Creative and resourceful. And yes, it will be sad when she starts spelling correctly because that means she’s growing older.
Terra: Some days, the poor thing has to sit on her mom’s lap so she can be smothered with hugs and kisses :-).
Melinda: Hey there! 🙂 Been busy with your ms/homeschooling? When I try to explain, it sounds like some silly joke, I give up after a while.
Marivic: My parents were spellinarians :-), too, so I grew up a speller. Phonetic spelling makes sense, doesn’t it?
Great blog! Love pink, love writing, reading and cannot spell for shat;) Keep up the good work.
xoxo
Meaghan
Hey…I am from the south. I do live in a high tech city in which most are not from here. I am very thankful for that because so many from my surrounding areas write the way they speak. My 2nd grader has a hard time understanding how important spelling is when he claims “everyone speaks poorly” and they don’t know better. He seems to be justifying the wrongs of others as though it is OK for them. He mentioned this to me last week while we were preparing for a spelling test. I had to sit back and think for a moment. Where did he pick up that some spoke poorly. I then asked him that question. He said, “You know on the movies where they always show people from the south as stupid, slow, and speaking in a foreign language”. I didn’t really have an answer. I do love the city in which I live and I am thankful that my children are growing up being able to hear all “slang” languages. As for the spelling, well I am going to miss some of his words as he grows up. He will use ya’ll in sentences, and I find sometimes that he adds an extra “a” on some…snowmaan. Cute.
That is cute! I think it’s sad because you see it as a sign of growing up. And as they grow up, they lose some of that innocence… Pretty soon they’ll be using computers and spell checkers…and what fun is that!
I can’t tell you how many things I have saved merely because it was too classic the way my 8 year old spelled them. Congrshulshuns was one of my favorites.
Okay, that is some of the cutest bad spelling I’ve ever seen! I wouldn’t be in a hurry either.
My four year old says “Lasterday” instead of “Yesterday.” I’m going to be so sad when she starts saying it right.
Meaghan: Nice to “see” you here!
Enjoyed reading your blog; you have an amazing story.
Tammy: Dialect is so interesting, isn’t it? I do think it can add charm to both speech and the way someone writes, even if it’s not considered “proper”.
Lance: Yes, I love watching my kids’ faces when I am talking to them and they still have that wide-eyed, innocent look.
Berlinwritergirl: *Congrshulshuns* What a fun word!
Kimberly: Welcome! 🙂 My youngest doesn’t so much say those cute things anymore, though I will not correct her if she did :-).
LOL my son does the same thing…I keep telling him to slow down and spell correctly!
So ironic. Mine just wrote “I luv Yu” she is just starting to sound out words and I love it!!!
Trish and Liz: Hi! I have to resist the urge to correct each time; like Liz said, it’s too cute!