Learning in the Absence of Education
Essays on Homeschooling
© Beverley Paine
Index
Homeschool
Australia
Thoughts on Spelling
(continued)
When my children present me with invented spellings I say, “That is an interesting way of spelling that word. I've always spelt it differently, but your way looks like it might be more sensible - how did you come to spell it that way?” and “Most people spell it like this. What do you think?”
This opens up quite a lot of discussion and doesn't make the kid feel 'bad' for getting it 'wrong'. Instead they become involved in a discussion about the origins of our language and how it is recorded, and how it is dynamic, changing over time. As they grow and write more they conform, naturally and easily, because they see the sense in doing so. Not because they 'have to', or because it is 'right'.
I have never worried that invented spellings may become a habit, simply because if I see my child consistently spelling a word in the same way over and over again I point out the difference, or make sure they get to see that word more often as it is correctly spelled. Some days I use the spell checker for this, rather than me, when Thomas is on the computer. Coming from the computer seems to be less worrisome to Thomas than having his work constantly corrected by a more expert writer. The computer is neutral and doesn't judge or label him as a bad speller.
I also correct incorrect spellings, but only when it is 'safe' or appropriate to do so - generally only in published writing or in draft writing that will see an audience other than self. The homeschooling newsletter has been a good way to encourage Roger and Thomas to write for wider audiences, and they understand the importance of editing in this medium. It all helps. Word games such as scrabble and word card games are a great way to help, because the dictionary gets used a lot, not only for spelling but to find words that will fit the spaces.
We were careful to show the children that the dictionary is a lot more than just alphabetical lists of definitions. It is relatively useless as a spelling aide though, unless you already know a lot about how to spell. Personal dictionaries are a much better idea. All of our children had a book, either a purchased or home made one, where their most commonly used words are recorded. I'd take these words from the children's homeschool journals, or letters, or any of the writing they had done. When they were really young we pasted in pictures to go with the words. But that was in our 'school at home' days.
Most of the bad spelling habits I have seen have come from children in schools, where the teacher doesn't seem to care or have time to care to help the children progress beyond the invented spelling stage. This is very rare in a home environment, where attention from an adult is more available to the child. Because we care we watch and help in a positive way that doesn't make the child feel that spelling is far more important than the content.
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Excerpt from Learning in the Absence of Home Education: Essays on Homeschooling
© Beverley Paine, 1999
