Re: ditto on the spelling rules.... (Classical Sources Message Board)

Re: ditto on the spelling rules....
Author: carol in ct	October 7, 1999 at 21:02:51
in reply to: I will write a note of explanation in my returned product...feel I owe it to explain why I'm not pleased with it....* posted by KC on October 5, 1999 at 05:52:28*

>KC, I have come to the same conclusion myself about the secondary importance of spelling rules as I've looked over various spelling programs and observed my 8 yr old, who is a good speller AFTER he has written a word a few times; other times he spells phonetically. I was considering a rule-based program-How To Spell (based on the ORton-Gillingham method, if that means anything to you), which presented rules and exercises and then gave dictation sentences containing words that pertained to the rule so that the child could apply the rule. I liked the idea, but I thought "what's the use?" At his age, he is not actively applying rules to words--any words he missed he would learn how to spell because we went over them several times, not because he was consciously applying a rule. It seems to me that at the grammar stage, in all its definitions, it would be unreasonable to expect that children apply the rules to words--that would seem more of a logic stage activity--although I guess the idea is that the children memorize the rules for use in the logic stage. I think it would be more useful to wait and introduce most rules during the later trivium stages (is that heresy?---hmmmm). At the risk of patting myself on the back, I'm an excellent speller (generally) but the only rule spelling rule I remember is "i before e except after c". Other than that, if I need to spell an unfamiliar word, I use instinct, phonetics, and syllabication--which I might add doesn't seem to be taught much at all these days; I've noticed it mostly in old spellers (you know, those turn of the century types).

Anyway, these are my rather rambling, untried thoughts on
the subject. I'm beginning to think that maybe Ruth
Beechick is right--forget the spelling programs, do
dictation and practice any words that give trouble there
and in any other writing...hrrrmph!

Carol in CT

Follow Ups

Here's someone you might want to banter with... KC 07:49:13 10/10/1999 (1)
- Re: combining PG and SP... carol in ct 09:03:21 10/11/1999 (0)

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> >KC, I have come to the same conclusion myself about the secondary importance of spelling rules as I've looked over various spelling programs and observed my 8 yr old, who is a good speller AFTER he has written a word a few times; other times he spells phonetically. I was considering a rule-based program-How To Spell (based on the ORton-Gillingham method, if that means anything to you), which presented rules and exercises and then gave dictation sentences containing words that pertained to the rule so that the child could apply the rule. I liked the idea, but I thought "what's the use?" At his age, he is not actively applying rules to words--any words he missed he would learn how to spell because we went over them several times, not because he was consciously applying a rule. It seems to me that at the grammar stage, in all its definitions, it would be unreasonable to expect that children apply the rules to words--that would seem more of a logic stage activity--although I guess the idea is that the children memorize the rules for use in the logic stage. I think it would be more useful to wait and introduce most rules during the later trivium stages (is that heresy?---hmmmm). At the risk of patting myself on the back, I'm an excellent speller (generally) but the only rule spelling rule I remember is "i before e except after c". Other than that, if I need to spell an unfamiliar word, I use instinct, phonetics, and syllabication--which I might add doesn't seem to be taught much at all these days; I've noticed it mostly in old spellers (you know, those turn of the century types). > > Anyway, these are my rather rambling, untried thoughts on > the subject. I'm beginning to think that maybe Ruth > Beechick is right--forget the spelling programs, do > dictation and practice any words that give trouble there > and in any other writing...hrrrmph! > > Carol in CT
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