Instead of using the traditional list/test approach to spelling, you can mix things up by using the "editor" approach: Give your child a paragraph, poem, essay, or other piece of writing that you have prepared and tell them to find and correct the misspelled words. It helps if you tell them how many they are looking for. If you double- or triple-space the document, they can do it just like a real editor does--by circling the word in a color other than black (let the student use the red pencil against you instead of you against them for once!) and then writing the correct spelling above it. For younger students, you might have to help them with the correct spelling. For older students, don't provide the correct spelling for them, but do give them tools to find it (dictionaries, online spelling lists, etc), since this is how they will have to do it as adults.
This is extremely valuable. In most of the writing we do, it actually isn't necessary to spell a word right the first time, but it is necessary to have everything spelled right in the end. Being able to pick through a piece of writing and find the misspelled words is a valuable skill because that's how we most often interact with spelling--how often does someone give YOU a list of words to memorize and write down?
1 comment:
I really like this idea. I am one of those genetically spelling handicap individuals but even with me if I have to look up a word enough in a dictionary, I eventually get it right. Plus, it is good for children to learn to identify their own misspellings.
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