While spelling and grammar seem to be made easy due to technological advancements, people may wonder if technology is a replacement for knowing spelling and grammar. Amy Rosenbluth, executive director of Lake Erie Ink, disagrees.
“No, we’re in the world of AI, but if you don’t know what is correct, then you don’t even know if what’s corrected is correct,” she says. “Technology can help in the revision process. But, students still need to understand what makes a complete sentence.”
Jan Sixt, a tutor, recommends that parents help their children to learn spelling and grammar by focusing on phonics. Phonics is a method of correlating sounds with letters or groups of letters.
“Children who struggle with spelling tend to have missed some piece of the basics,” she says. “Our brain works so fast — we talk faster than we can write. With phonics, you’re really slowing yourself down so you hear all of those sounds. It’s an analytical approach to writing that breaks the word down piece by piece.”
Once the children learn the sounds, they are more equipped to spell unfamiliar words because they have already learned how to analyze the word sounds.
Many students tend to write the way that they think or talk. One of the best ways to correct grammar is by reading the student’s work out loud.
“Reading the work first or asking your child to read it to you and then going in and reading it and seeing if there’s a disconnect,” Rosenbluth says. “Sometimes kids know what they’re trying to say, so when parents read the child’s work they can notice if there is a missing word or if the punctuation is correct.”
There are many creative ways to help your child with spelling. If a child is struggling, you don’t want them to end up just feeling bad by repeatedly reviewing the same thing. This can lead to frustration that disrupts the learning process. Therefore, finding a creative way to learn spelling helps to reinforce what the child learned in school while making it fun.
Rosenbluth surveyed some of the teachers at Lake Erie Ink and here are some of the popular suggestions:
A family poetry night. The child has to use four of the words from the spelling lis
A funny comic panel. Create a little comic strip where you have to include words from the list.
Write a letter. The letter doesn’t have to be a letter to grandma. It could be to anyone including someone imaginary like their favorite character.
Write note cards.
Have a child help you write the menu for the week using the spelling words.
Create a shopping list. Use the spelling words to make a funny shopping list.
Review the spelling words in a game show format.
Write a blank story with words left out. Then the kids have to fill in the right word. This helps with spelling, recognizing the parts of speech, and application of the actual use of the word.
Playing games like Bananagrams.
You can even help your child turn their doodling, which is a picture story, into a written story. Rosenbluth suggests that parents ask their children, “Tell me about this picture story in one to six words. The story has to include a verb and a noun. This allows the student to include parts of speech and introduce storytelling and sequencing.” Then ask further questions about the story to encourage more discussion.
If your child is struggling with writing, ask your child to tell the story while you write it down or type it.
“Type the story really big so the kid can see the letters on the screen,” Rosenbluth says. “It’s not a cheat. The child is still giving you the information. But, you’re allowing them to work without being stressed out. This helps them to begin to recognize how words and ideas translate into writing.”
Some parents may be wondering if they can support their child in learning spelling, writing, and grammar without an education degree.
“You are your children’s first teacher and you are capable of helping them learn their spelling, writing, and grammar,” Sixt says. “You’re always teaching something, even if it’s just to put their socks in the hamper. You can do this too.”
“The more your child sees how words and language are used, the more they will become familiar with it and the context of the words,” Rosenbluth adds.
