Each week Gracie has twenty spelling words. We started out like we did with Maggie - doing the spelling assignment on Wednesday and writing the words three times apiece on Thursday. She missed over half. The next week I tapped into her love of computer games with Spelling City - an online study aid. We saw very little improvement. The next week I upped the writing of the words to five times each, and the whining began.
"Do I HAVE to? I don't want to! Besides, Mom," she said with eyes rolling, "It's not like you use spelling in the REAL world!!!"
I had to laugh. Where, at her age, did she get this comment? And it's not like it's Trigonometry, it's SPELLING! I hate to tell you babe, but people DO use spelling in the real world.
So, I have contacted her teacher and will be meeting with her soon. In the meantime, we had Family Top Banana day at Gracie's class - like a show and tell of her family. On the form she filled out about what she likes and dislikes she put her favorite subject as PE and least favorite as Spelling. No surprise there.
This week's spelling assignment was to write a story and use ten of the twenty words in the story. It's a bit harder than most spelling assignments so we started early. Tuesday she had gotten a few sentences on the paper when I had them clear the table for dinner. I picked up the paper and read:
She had a hamburger her hamburger had ledes on it. how bid she eat it? She puke it up and dited it. wus it gob? it wus wundrfll
"What?" I thought. I called her into the kitchen and told her we needed to talk about her spelling story.
"We can't tell puking stories for spelling homework." I said.
"I didn't!!!" She protested.
"Yes, it says right here: "How did she eat it? She puked it up. . ."
"No Mom!!! She PICKED it up!!"
Ah. That makes all the difference in the world. I explained that pick is spelled with an I and no E, and that p-u-k-e does in fact, spell puke. Oh, and, yes, this is an example of spelling in the real world.
So we've got our noses to the grindstone, and are trying to find a way for Gracie to learn how to spell without making either of us crazy. If you have any suggestions, let me know!!
3 comments:
Suzy hang in there!!! WE HAVE ONE OF EACH OF THOSE!!!Nick writes like a doctor which means you can hardly tell if he spelled it correctly. Katilyn, writes and spells good!! I have battle nightly with Nick about homework. Kate nope you tell her to work on her spelling she goes off and come back finshed!!Complete Sentences and all.Reading same thing for her You tell which story to read, she's done!! Thank goodness because Nick already wore me down. We went though it just tonight!!!
Hey Suzy, it's Cora's mom Kelli. I remember that assignment and Cora had a hard time with it too. I did close to the same thing, except the words she defintely couldn't spell we spelled 5 times, just to give her kudos for the one's she did know how to spell. This year however we have book reports and I have the child that can't put her thoughts into word. She uses the words, stuff and thing often and her report turned into a review rather than a report. Needless to say, the book report project was a toughie and took all of 2 weeks and a few crying bouts. Glad it's over!
Anyone have trouble getting them to read the 20 min a night? It's like pulling teeth for one and I have to tell the other it's time to put the book down.
I feel like I'm going through elementary all over again. (Did I spell that right?)
That's my little granddaughter!!! Oh how I wish I was a fly on the wall in that household. My heart just delights in these stories.
Love you,
Nana (Terri)
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