{"id":1099,"date":"2014-12-29T14:26:13","date_gmt":"2014-12-29T21:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/?page_id=1099"},"modified":"2015-07-06T17:16:34","modified_gmt":"2015-07-06T23:16:34","slug":"kids-cant-spell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/kids-cant-spell\/","title":{"rendered":"Kids Can’t Spell?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"ammonsbeet\"

Ammon shows off a big beet he grew<\/p><\/div>\n

It is an all-too-common problem. Kids can\u2019t spell, teenagers can\u2019t spell, even many adults can\u2019t spell.<\/strong> Thank goodness for spell-check on the computer. It has helped the problem enormously!<\/p>\n

Learning to write is pretty important, as we use if daily in our communication.\u00a0Nothing blows “lookin’ smart” faster than misspelling a common word. It\u2019s like saying \u201cain\u2019t\u201d\u2014only on paper!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spelling the English language is very tricky! Just consider the ee<\/em> sound. There are eight ways to spell the ee<\/em> sound: chief, seat, beet, receive, key, he, Judy, ski. Now you can see why English is a bear to spell.<\/p>\n

Should you teach your children all those long spelling rules?<\/strong> Generally, I say no<\/strong>. By the time a person can understand those detailed rules, they are usually old enough to have figured out how to spell. Who can remember or make sense of such a rule as this: \u201cDouble the final consonant before a suffix beginning with a vowel if the word has only one syllable or is accented on the last syllable and the word ends in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel\u201d!<\/em>\u00a0 Not me!<\/p>\n

\"image-1\"<\/a>There are some rules that I teach when a child is good and ready (meaning that he is regularly misspelling these words in his own writing and could remember and benefit from a rule to go by). Teaching\u00a0commonly misspelled words<\/a>\u00a0will help your writing tremendously, and many\u00a0are simple to remember with memory clues.<\/p>\n

Some very common spelling mistakes (below) can each be learned in 5 minutes. They are worth memorizing. \u00a0I make a flashcard with the word on the front and the clues on the back. \u00a0I read the clue to my child, then expose the front of the card when he has spelled the word, so he can self-correct. It doesn’t take long until these are mastered.<\/p>\n

To, Two, Too<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Two<\/strong> is the number 2, that\u2019s easy enough. So eliminate that one by learning it first!<\/p>\n

Too<\/em> <\/strong>has two o’s<\/em>; it has more than enough, which is the meaning of the word too<\/em>, as in too<\/em> much fun, too<\/em> many cookies, etc. Too<\/em> means \u201calso,\u201d too!<\/p>\n

To<\/em><\/strong> is the word that we see most commonly. It only has one o<\/em>, and it means \u201cin the direction of,\u201d as in \u201cto the store,\u201d we also use it with verbs, such as \u201cto dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is, It\u2019s, Who\u2019s, Whose<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s<\/em> and who\u2019s<\/em> are contractions of the words\u00a0it is<\/em> and who is<\/em> .<\/p>\n

It is = it’s<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who is = who’s <\/strong><\/p>\n

The apostrophe shows that some letters have been squeezed out by the contraction. (That\u2019s my way of explaining it to my kids. They have been through enough pregnancies with me to know what a contraction is!)<\/p>\n

Its<\/em> <\/strong>and whose<\/em><\/strong> show ownership. Its paws<\/em>, for example, when talking about your cat.\u00a0These words don\u2019t need an apostrophe any more than the word his<\/em>, which also shows ownership. Ask yourself, \u201cWhose coat? Who\u2019s there?\u201d<\/em> If you can separate\u00a0the words into who is<\/em>,\u00a0then you want the word with the apostrophe (who’s<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Watch Out for the Schwa!<\/h4>\n

\"Screen<\/a>What is a schwa? That is the upside down and backward \u201ce\u201d that you see in dictionary spellings. This is the symbol for the uh\u00a0<\/em>sound you hear when you say the word A<\/strong>-mer-i-ca<\/em>. A schwa comes about in a language simply because people talk fast and get sloppy about articulating every syllable and vowel sound. Usually we hear the vowels (a, e, i, o, u) turn into a schwa on the unaccented syllable. This is okay for reading because you can quickly figure out that the word has a softened to a\u00a0shwa sound in such words as America, above, other<\/em>, etc. But it makes spelling a nightmare! Which letter\u00a0should you use when all you hear is uh<\/em>? Most people will use a u<\/em> since it makes an uh<\/em>\u00a0sound. But that guess is usually wrong.<\/p>\n

I teach my children to spell words with schwas by pronouncing them clearly and phonetically. Instead of saying other<\/em>, I enunciate clearly: \u201cAW-ther.\u201d Become<\/em> is pronounced \u201cbee-cAWm.\u201d They learn to spell the exaggerated pronunciation and can remember it even when the word is spoken with the schwa.<\/p>\n

Memory tricks are also a great way to help children remember spelling. I was taught to spell together<\/em> by remembering to get her<\/em>\u00a0so we can be together.<\/em>\u00a0I still remember that clue. Tomorrow<\/em> can be confusing . . . how many m’s<\/em>? You won\u2019t misspell it once you remember that it means to<\/em> (or on the<\/em>) morrow<\/em>. I still say aloud NECK-e-sary<\/em> when I want to spell necessary<\/em>. The neck<\/em>\u00a0helps me remember that there is a c<\/em> in it, even though it doesn\u2019t sound like it.<\/p>\n

Keep at it, they’ll get it! <\/strong>(So will we moms.)
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May I recommend:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

\"\"
\nNatural Speller versus Has-to-be-Taught
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\"emily_journals\"
\nWriting in My Homeschool
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\"8413\"
\nBetter Spelling in 30 Minutes a Day
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is an all-too-common problem. Kids can\u2019t spell, teenagers can\u2019t spell, even many adults can\u2019t spell. Thank goodness for spell-check on the computer. It has helped the problem enormously! Learning to write is pretty important, as we use if daily in our communication.\u00a0Nothing blows “lookin’ smart” faster than misspelling a common word. It\u2019s like saying […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[190,9],"tags":[315,115],"class_list":["post-1099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-spelling","category-what-articles","tag-misspelling","tag-writing","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/ammonsbeet.jpg?fit=263%2C350&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6IrRN-hJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":677,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/spelling-clues\/","url_meta":{"origin":1099,"position":0},"title":"Spelling Clues","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 English is a beautiful language! It is the language of the Kings James Version of the Bible. It is the language of Shakespeare. Then, why\u2014oh, why can't we spell? Over the years of teaching my 7 children to write, I wonder if perhaps I have seen nearly every misspelling\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spelling"","block_context":{"text":"Spelling","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/spelling-what-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/IMG_6036.jpg?fit=854%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/IMG_6036.jpg?fit=854%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/IMG_6036.jpg?fit=854%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/IMG_6036.jpg?fit=854%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2056,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/natural-speller\/","url_meta":{"origin":1099,"position":1},"title":"Natural Speller versus Has-to-Be-Taught","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"My children: Ammon, Julianna and Mark Will the \u201cnatural speller\u201d please stand up? Having homeschooled 7 children, I eventually figured out that either kids come as \u201cnatural spellers\u201d or they don\u2019t. And if they don\u2019t, you have to teach them to spell. The natural speller can\u00a0see\u00a0the word in their head.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "English: Spelling"","block_context":{"text":"English: Spelling","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/english-spelling\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ammon's journal","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/1775-239x300.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2134,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/teaching-an-older-child-to-write\/","url_meta":{"origin":1099,"position":2},"title":"Teaching an Older Child to Write","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a 9th grade daughter that really struggles in writing. She does not like writing so it has always been a battle and I have not pushed it nearly enough. Now I find she is really behind in writing and I am feeling panicked because writing is so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "What"","block_context":{"text":"What","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photoxpress_4560323-150x150","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Photoxpress_4560323-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":559,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/tricky-english\/","url_meta":{"origin":1099,"position":3},"title":"Quirky English","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"No wonder English is so difficult to learn! \u00a0 We must polish the Polish furniture. He could lead if he would get the lead out. The farm used to produce produce. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse. The soldier decided to desert in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spelling"","block_context":{"text":"Spelling","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/spelling-what-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/3kids_goldmine.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/3kids_goldmine.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/3kids_goldmine.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":663,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/spelling\/","url_meta":{"origin":1099,"position":4},"title":""I" Before "E", But Not After "C"","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"I am a product of the public schools of the 1960's. I was taught the spelling ditty: \"i\" before \"e\" but not after \"c\", and a host of other rules. Spelling rules seem to be made for the logical, perhaps, mathematical minds (not mine), but I am a good speller.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spelling"","block_context":{"text":"Spelling","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/spelling-what-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/rat-440987_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/rat-440987_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/rat-440987_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/rat-440987_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/rat-440987_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":695,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/spelling-those-tricky-words\/","url_meta":{"origin":1099,"position":5},"title":"Spelling Those Tricky Words","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Spelling correctly is just as important as doing your hair! How's that? Well, it makes quite a first impression, whether on a job application or in a love letter. Spelling is not something that we stop learning the day we graduate from high school, or college even. 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