Dear Teachers

QA DEARTEACHERS &

BY PEGGY GISLER AND MARGE EBERTS

COMMON REASONS FOR MISSPELLING WORDS

QUESTION: What are some of the reasons for the

misspellings many students make? What are some ways to avoid them? – Good Speller

ANSWER: First of all, parents need to understand that spelling is not a simple skill for children to master. It is tough for a lot of children—and even some adults. Spelling involves thinking about how words sound and then translating the sounds into print. Reading, on the other hand, is just recognizing what is there—not that this is to imply that learning to read is easy. Nevertheless, most young children are far better readers than spellers.

There are three groups of children who are likely to have greater difficulties with learning to spell words. Dyslexics have problems isolating sounds in words and turning them into letters, and spelling is also difficult for those with dysgraphia, as they have physical problems writing or typing words. The last group of children are those with auditory processing problems.

When children first begin to spell words, they do not have down pat the needed spelling rules or the sounds of individual letters, especially short vowels. So they use just a few letters to spell a word. This early spelling, common with 5- and 6-year-old children, is called inventive spelling and is not the same issue as misspellings of older children and adults. If you are curious about the words that are commonly misspelled, just search online for lists. You will easily find the 100 most commonly misspelled words, as well as those most misspelled by grade level. Fortunately, 85% of all words follow sound-to-letter correspondence, and many others follow a few basic rules with few exceptions. The spelling of the remaining words simply will have to be memorized.

Once children have grasped the basics of spelling and have had serious spelling instruction, there are a number of situations in which they are likely to misspell words. Here is a list of the most common reasons children misspell words: 1. One of the most common of all is the use of homophones, words that are pronounced the same but mean different things depending on how they are spelled. Some common examples of these misspellings are to/two/too, you’re/your, they’re/their/there, are/our and it’s/its. It takes considerable instruction for children to learn to spell homophones correctly. 2. Another cause of spelling errors in the early grades, as well as in later grades—even high school—is the mispronunciation of words. This is especially true of unfamiliar words in textbooks. 3. Students may forget to double letters in words such as committee, embarrass and tomorrow. 4. Words may be written as one word when they are actually two (e.g., every day not everyday, thank you not thankyou, and all right not allright). 5. Students may not realize that some common words have silent consonants and, consequently, misspell them.

Examples are caracter and enviroment. 6. Though spelling does follow some rules, students may not have learned the exceptions to these rules, or there may be too many exceptions for a rule to have value. 7. In this day of doing so much schoolwork on the computer, misspellings also may simply be typing errors.

There are techniques to reduce children’s spelling errors. Begin by encouraging the use of spellcheck, so children become aware of the errors they are making. Next, have them make a list of their commonly misspelled words and study it to see whether there is a pattern to the words that are misspelled. If so, you’ve found the problem to address. Ideally, instruction on spelling these words correctly would be given by the teacher, and a few of these words added to the weekly spelling test. If not, parents can work on the list with their children.

SENSIBLE ENOUGH

TO STAY HOME ALONE?

If the idea of leaving your child home alone for the first time conjures up scenes from the infamous Home Alone movie of the ’90s, don’t worry! For many, leaving children home alone is not only an “earned” convenience of sorts for parents, but also a rite of passage for children. Although Kansas does not have an official legal age for leaving a child home alone, the listed guideline is age 6. However, according to the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), “Young children from 0-6 years should not be left alone for even short periods of time. Children 6-9 years should be left for only short periods, depending on their level of maturity. Children 10 and above probably can be left for somewhat longer periods …” The National SAFEKIDS Campaign recommends no child under the age of 12 be left home alone.

Regardless of what age your family decides to leave your child home alone for the first time, consider some crucial things. Does your child know personal information, such as his full name, address, phone number and parents’ names? Does your child know household safety rules and basic first aid? Can your child use the phone to call you, a neighbor or 911?

A more extensive guide can be found at DCF.ks.gov/services. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a helpful place to start.

Classes are also a great way to prepare your children for staying home alone. Check out local recreation centers in your area for in-person classes but know that online home alone safety courses are also offered. At KidproofSafety.com, you can register your child for a quick 27-minute course for only $32, which also includes a free parent guidebook. No matter what program or class you use, you’ll want your own set of household guidelines and rules in place, as well as clear expectations. “When my children were in grade school and I first left them home alone, we lived in a tight-knit cul-de-sac with many young families. I would not leave them alone for long: I would run to the grocery store or go for a jog. I made sure at least one adult neighbor was home and aware that my children would be home alone. My children treated this independence as a privilege, so they knew to always follow my rules of keeping the doors locked, staying indoors, having the phone accessible … and getting along!” says Polly, an Overland Park mom of two.

Although guidelines and routines may vary from family to family, one thing seems to be common ground for everyone first leaving kids home alone: Begin with very small outings and work your way up. “I let my oldest stay home for the first time when he was around 10-and-a-half. I started with about 15 minutes, while I ran a quick errand, then gradually worked up to longer periods,” says Kristen, an Overland Park mom of three. “This past summer, I started letting all three children stay home for an hour or hour-and-a-half while I ran errands, but always had my phone with me and stayed close by.”

Staying home alone is a milestone for your child and can be confidence building, but remember, what works for one family may not work for yours, and even what worked for your oldest may not work for your youngest. “The age at which we first leave our children home alone is a very personal decision that depends on the comfort level of both parent and child,” Polly reminds. Ultimately you know your child best, so stay away from comparing your situation to that of a friend or classmate. The important thing is not to push your child, but try when the time is right, ensure your child feels comfortable with the idea, and provide him with adequate training.

Julie Collett has not yet experienced this milestone with her four children but both dreads and looks forward to it!