Why can't they spell?

We were given some professional readings last week and one being a hand out form e-shortcuts.

One article in there caught my eye as it was all about spelling. Lately on many teachers forums the discussion of spelling has popped up with many teachers wondering how to teach it.

A lot of the questions were about the best spelling programme and this notion that todays children don't seem to spell as well as on previous years.

We seem to think these days children can’t spell like the used to. So it was interesting when I started reading Was it ever thus that this was being challenged. The main question was how do we know?

There will always be a number of students who can’t spell. They will never master the spelling rules and systems. But do students of today spell any worse than say fifty years ago?

It seems that we link texting and the way today students abridge everything to their lack of spelling abilities. But where  is the evidence?

In his article Dennis Sleigh questions all of the above and ask a valid question- when it comes to spelling performances just how much do we really know?

He questions where the evidence is or if it is merely judgements of various individuals who themselves mastered the skills and today resent the weakness of current youths (Was it ever thus?)

A great way to explain this is John’s McWhorter Ted talk who explains that texting is a not a writing skill but a speaking one. I agree with him purely because when I text or even tweet anyone, I feel I am talking to the recipient rather than actually writing. And I am someone who does remember life before mobile phones!

People are always going to worry about spelling and I love how McWhorter actually highlights this right back to 63AD and even then people were complaining about spelling and literacy standards.

So is it really a modern day issue?

This article concludes that there will always be a significant number who will never master spelling no matter how much we teach them. He also highlight this will be the same for someone trying to learn a language, play a trumpet or even cross stich.

The article goes on to say that yes, we should still keep up the efforts to improve spelling and grammar but do it without beating yourselves up (Was it ever thus?)

Are we spending too much time worrying about the unsolvable?

Original article came from Was it ever thus? Dennis Sleigh  e-shortcuts July 2015