4 of 31 - SOLSC 2021
Overheard just now:
"I think I just spelled because!"
It's the exuberance in her voice that pulls me from my work as I stand at my desk. She is working with a partner on a Zoom call to try and finish a project for school. The joy and surprise in her voice caught my attention. She and the friend then talked a bit about words that trip them up, even as middle schoolers.
Recently some wordsmithing was shared with me regarding spelling. Many parents balk at terms like "inventive spelling" or "made up spelling". They don't like the idea their child is not spelling something the right way. What if we call it "temporary spelling"? We are acknowledging that it is a placeholder on the journey toward conventional spelling.
This daughter of mine has always been very verbal. I am thankful that she has had mentors that have encouraged her to use her spoken vocabulary when she writes, not being concerned about the correctness of her spelling. Her writing has stayed true to her voice while her spelling has stayed atrocious - until this school year. The pieces have finally fallen into place and her spelling has become mostly convention.
But we all have those words. You know the ones. Those words that despite slowing down as you write them, they seem to always appear with a red squiggle under them. Apparently because is one of those for my daughter. By the time their conversation finished the red squiggle had shown up under another occurrence of because in her writing. "Well, I guess I am still learning 'because'," she tells her partner.
😊 I remembered those days when I spelt very as wery.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I love what you capture in this post! Those red squiggles that confirm our spelling doubt, those parents who obsess and hamstring the young writers with spelling phobia, the importance of being brave with ideas... love this post!
ReplyDeleteI love this post! Despite coming from a background that fusses over handwriting and spelling, my workshop immersion has changed the way I view so many things. It has changed the way I view learning, actually.
ReplyDeleteYup, and sometimes I change whole sentences around to avoid one of THOSE words (and yet, I consider myself a good speller). Successive approximations is now what I say.
ReplyDeleteAs a 43-year-old woman who has written several books, there are still several words I cannot spell. And it's okay. There's spell check!
ReplyDeleteKudos to Grace for celebrating a word she's mastered. Some words take longer than others. Until then, I hope she keeps inventing her spelling and having teachers who accept it. :)
First of all, Ilove the way you articulated temporary spelling as a placeholder on a journey. It is so accurate.
ReplyDeleteI just loved this captured moment. So sweet. She is most definitely closer to knowing how to spell because.
Your post makes my heart so happy! I love that your daughter is comfortable with her spelling and that it hasn't impacted her voice and her writing. What a lovely overheard conversation--one of the upsides of everyone working and learning at home!
ReplyDeleteKim