Since I've started back at the hospital, even though I'm officially working more than I was before, in fact I now have more time free, and more time to spend with the children, more time to cook tea, more time to help with homework supervision, in fact more time generally - more time to learn things I never knew or things I have forgotten. More time as a family - things that money just can't buy.
Time for being reminded that there are words I still struggle to spell, as I check the spellings for this week... one c or two, how many s's ....?
Some words I'll always have to check with a dictionary if I want them spelt correctly!
I will never forget how completely amazed I was at the speed the children learned to read.
If anything can illustrate the sponge-like quality of a childs brain it has to be learning to read - one of the most incredible everyday miracles I've been witness to.
We have spent much time since then, learning how to spell, although I was pleased to hear the other evening that the teachers are now putting more emphasis on the content and ideas within the children's writing than they are on the spelling ...
a blessing for so many people who found spelling difficult and thought that their writing was poor as a consequence.
Now Sam will look at her writing and judge it on her descriptions, her use of dialogue, how exciting it is, and whether she has portrayed what she wanted to the reader, before she gets to the grammar and spelling.
I'm no writer, but that seems about right to me.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Time for....
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4 comments:
I spell very well, but there is the odd word that I spell wrong all the time, weird thing.
Scott
Hi Rainbow.
Here's an interesting tidbit. Reading and writing and spelling and comprehension properly need about 7 or 8 different parts of the brain firing at the same time. If one is a wee bit off, it can affect any of the above. It's more important for a person to hone their receptive and expressive language skills. Spelling is a skill all on it's own. It never reflects a person's ability to read or comprehend what they are reading.......or what is being read to them. Consequently, one is either a good speller or a struggling one.
And since the English language has so many alterations to the rules of spelling..........one must memorize most words.
Reading ability begins at birth though interactive language and talking.........so by the time our kids reach an age where they can be like sponges and start reading, their foundations are filled with previous good learning!
This is my real background.....I also work with a lot of adults who have learning disabilities.
Enjoy your day.........
I have always been a good reader, and pretty good speller.... then of course I do have a dictionary and thesaurus next to my computer for those odd words I'm just not sure about.
My Dad was an educator, and always directed me to the dictionary when I was stuck on a word. He would tell me that I needed to sound it out phonetically in order to find it in the book, and as much as that irritated me at the time, he was teaching me a valuable lesson.
I started reading to my son as soon as he was able to comprehend words. I made posters of pictures he was familiar with, and we would go over the words all the time when he was only a little over a year old. I had to find a way to communicate with him, because I wanted him to learn to talk early. It sure beat the heck out of guessing what he needed over crying fits. We read a book every night before bedtime..... mostly Dr. Suess, and Berenstein Bears, where he learned fun stuff and manners, and to this day, I can still hear his giggle from reading the Suess books.
It payed off well, as he has a 3.8 average in college, and made Deans List twice in a row. Am I proud? You betcha!
Of course, he still relies on spell-check.... but then I do too. Love that part of technology!
Scott, I always thought I spelt well until it came to being tested on them, now I'll often check with the dictionary just in case!
Awareness, thanks for that, it does help to have an understanding of the processes involved.
Ellen, Suess books are great aren't they? A favourite here too...
And congratulations to your son, I'd be proud too :-)
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