Inventive Spelling

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Home : 2002 : November : 10

Inventive Spelling
By Mary

I don't like inventive spelling for the following reasons.
1. Kids don't have all the phonics tools in first grade to sound out properly.
2. Kids in first grade don't pronounce a lot of words correctly.
3. It's
hard to undo this habit when it's time to make kids accountable for correct spelling.
4.Kids try this method on spelling tests which doesn't always work.
5. Lots of words cannot be sounded out.
What I do is...
1.List words on the board for them when they are writing.
2.Have them use the word wall.
3. Give them a spelling folder with Dolch words. They also keep important

words on a piece of paper. (family members names, words of things they often write about)
4.Have parents come in when we do writing and help the kids spelling.

I have taught for over 20 years. When I first started teaching, we never had the kids do much writing until they could read and take spelling tests and had a number of phonics skills under their belts. Now kids that can hardly hold a pencil are expected to write stories. I am concerned about this practice although I do it because it's the in thing to do. My first child was in the old school and can write beautifully and spell like a champ. My youngest kids delt with inventive spelling and are poor spellers because they think spelling phonetically is OK. Being a poor speller is a handicap. It makes the most intelligent person look stupid.