Does anyone out there have a note or card from a child that has misspellings that you think are absolutely adorable? Although some of the words are misspelled, you can still read what your child was trying to say. Why is that inventive spelling fills your heart at home, but seems to be unacceptable to parents when it comes to their school work?
As a teacher, I love seeing inventive spelling! I love to see it for two specific reasons:
- It shows me that the student is trying to use the sounds and spelling patterns that are familiar, and
- It shows me what sounds and spelling patterns that need review or that need to be taught.
When it comes to inventive spelling, I don’t just accept arbitrary spelling attempts. I look for the student using previous understandings of sounds and patterns. For example, let’s say that a first grade student was trying to write the word “light.” If the student wrote “lnxr,” I would know that student knows the beginning sound of the word and nothing more. I would need to review ending sounds followed by vowel sounds. If the student writes “lite,” it tells me that this student has command of initial and final consonant sounds, and knows that the long vowel sound can be created by adding an “e” at the end of a CVC word. This particular student would be ready to start learning about different long vowel patterns. Inventive spelling tells us so much about what a student knows and what instruction that student needs.
So parents, please, appreciate your child’s spelling. Know that they are trying hard to get the word correct. They really want to write so that they can be understood. Let’s give them the tools to do so.
If you are a teacher or parent using word study to help your student become a better reader and writer, I have some supplemental resources that I have created in my TpT Store that you are welcome to check out.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Long-Vowel-Fun-5248417
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/R-Influenced-Fun-5248515
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Short-Vowel-Word-Family-Fun-5283969
Until next time… Happy Teaching!
Pina Rose
PinaRose Education 