My 15 year old granddaughter came to live with us for a while and I was helping he register for school. Sophomore.

While she filled out her registration, she asked several questions and when she finished, she asked me to check it over.

My word. She can't spell. Couldn't even spell mother.

The whole page was like that. I saw her transcript from her last school and she had good grades.

Holy smoke

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Slim, U.S. Army, Ret.

Might be worth working with her on that

If you can help her learn how to spell, I recommend it. If she is well-behaved in school most teachers will give good grades. They catch hell in many different ways if students "fall behind" This is why JUCOs are getting bigger rapidly......remedial high school.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

Slim, PLEASE if you have not, have her eyes checked. Have her tested for any possible dyslexia traits. I’ve fought dyslexia all my life, it can be kept under control but it takes work.

+1 on what old bear said, Slim.

Here's something else to consider. These days, spelling is not emphasized in the early grades as much as it was when we were kids. (I'm 58.)

Now, being able to spell "mother" is one thing, and I agree with you that this is a word that should be practically "automatic" for most educated folks. Other words -- longer ones -- are more likely to have been taught to be spelled "phonetically" instead of properly, and that's a disservice we've done to these kids.

Here's the thing: if your daughter has been getting good grades, it might be that her teachers have recognized that she is a person who simply is not a good speller, and they have taken that into account in grading her. (Again, not the way we were taught, but still.....) Many people have difficulty with spelling, and it's a fact that ability to spell is not related to intelligence or any lack thereof.

So, I encourage you to speak with her guidance counselor first, and then with any other teachers the counselor might recommend. You might find out that there is not as much for you to be deeply sad about, and that your daughter is doing pretty well.

Please, please, please, though: don't take it out on her or criticize her at this stage. She cannot control nor can she help the way she has been educated to this point. If she is doing her work, keeping her nose clean, and otherwise seems to be having a good experience in school, get down on your knees and thank God for that. It is a blessing, believe me.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

first find the cause...then work on a solution...

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There's nowt so queer as folk

I'm 81; I sometimes confuse left and right, and often have to think before I print a 'b' or 'd'.

Is she confused, or are you?


My children are all grown now, but even 10 years ago when my youngest was 15, there was less importance placed on spelling (since computers have spell check) and penmanship (who writes in longhand now anyway) and other basics. The modern world doesn't focus on what we called fundamentals...and sometimes the error of that approach shows up when confronted with situations just like this: when you have to fill out a paper form with a (gasp) pen, or even apply basic skills like making change without the register telling you what change to give.

Most schools teach to the test, focus on social promotion, and children learn dependence on computers and support mechanisms instead of using their brains.

My nine year old who spends about fourty-five minutes to an hour nightly studying spelling, definitions and usage (in addition to another hour to two hours of other homework) begs to differ.

Same as my 6 year old, she spent 30 minutes practicing for her spelling test tomorrow and another 30 minutes on writing sentences. She has a hour of homework in 1st grade, every night except Friday.

Say what you will about schools and teachers (and there is much to be said) but the people who are responsible for ensuring the child can read and write are her family, period.

The idea that a child could reach 15 years of age and those charged with her raising had no idea she couldn't spell is an inexcusable disgrace.

Absent a physical problem, the remedy is not rocket science. Books, dictionary, paper and pencil... and most importantly a responsible adult raising her.

Does the educational system teach proper spelling anymore ?
Most of the written reports from my young Officers took a lot of time and effort to correct spelling. (even with spell check)

I see what you did there.

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Georgia On My Mind

Unless she spells "mother" as "mutha" things may not be so bad.

But seriously, I believe everyone thinks that kids don't have to spell if they have spell check.

Hi-

My thought after reading what you wrote is that your granddaughter is aware of a problem, as she asked you to "check it all over" at 15 years old.
Talk to her gently about it, and help her yourself, of maybe get her a tutor.
If her grades are good, it is puzzling what the teachers are letting go, but that is another story.

Get her settled up on this.

It'll work out. Not by itself though.

You sound like a good grampa.

That happens to me and in only 47. I have a neurological prob called: Essential Tremors--which causes all kinds of problems from--shaking violently, to getting confused to memory loss etc. It aint fun...

A lot of kids do not read enough, which they need to learn at home. Reading good material, even the back of cereal boxes at breakfast, helps model the proper use of the language.

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NHI, 10-8.

I love to write. I've authored manuals for the Army, published articles-started a novel. Edited school papers! I can not spell! Never have been able to spell. So, I have a number of dictionaries and thesauruses-I have someone I trust edit my material.

Stay in close contact with her teachers (phone or e-mail) let them know your concerns and ask what both of you can do to help her over the hump. Once the teachers know you are really concerned and are willing to work with your granddaughter at home, they will take a special interest. Don't stop after a couple of months, hang in there with her.

I couldn't spell or punctuate worth a poot in high school, teacher said how was I going to succeed. Told her I would have a secretary! I do....Bill Gates finally invented spell check!! Good luck and hang tough.

It's the schools' fault.
It's the teachers' fault.
It's the bloated overpaid administrators' fault.
It's the teachers union's fault.
It's tenure's fault.
It's Bush and Obama's fault.

It is distinctly NOT the fault of parents who take no active in role in their kids' education.

By the way. Spelling ability is neither an indicator of intelligence OR academic success. It just looks like it is.

Reading is the best way to learn to spell.

I teach college and I

...will not say what I was thinking as educators are now being fired for commenting on educational matters.

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No life story has happy end.

how did she attempt to spell mother? Yes, it frightens me how some people cannot spell sometimes. I occasionally with purposely spell something wrong, but when it comes to something of importance, I assume this registration stuff is, I make sure to spell correctly.

well said.

Does she text?

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Caveat venditor.

When they deliberately stopped teaching spelling and having any spelling tests at my kid's school and I complained; I was told that now everyone has "spellcheck" and kids did not need to learn how to spell. I was stunned and said no sillier decision had been made since the U.S. built dog fighting aircraft without cannon or machine guns (you should have seen the looks that got). Among other things, a few of us older parents explained to our millennial educators that "spellcheck" was not a substitute for knowing how to spell. It may not be taught with any enthusiasm, but spelling is back on the curriculum. Spelling may soon be be a lost art.

Slim it looks like she learned to spell from you "Nuff sed"!

I was always a good speller when I was a kid, I loved to read even then, still do. When I got though high school and gave college a whirl, we had in our first semester English Composition and part of the class was when we would write something and had to review each others work. I remember reading what a student wrote, and keep in mind, this was a high school graduate and an English major, his entire paper was a run on sentence, he could barely spell and I have seen kids in grade school with better handwriting.
It should be expected when books are practically obsolete to anyone under 21 right now in favor of texting, tweets and facebook, why would anyone want to learn how to write, spell and use correct grammar? McDonalds had to put pictures of the food on the cash register keys because people were not smart enough to figure out the actual numbers. We put our son in a private school and he is not even 5, he can read quite a few words, can write his own name, knows the alphabet and can count to one hundred. I am certainly no road scholar, but I know if he wants to have a good education he isn't going to get it from a public school the way they are simply shoving kids from one grade to another with a pat on the back and a kick in the pants.

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Vaya con Dios

In Indiana the eduction-geniuses decided kids can do without handwriting skills - it is obsolete - so they made it a policy to quit teaching it. I was told that in twenty-years no one will use handwriting. Lately, I think they may have decided they got a little ahead of themselves. They might be retaining it now. I'm not sure how that ended up.

They look at spelling the same way. "It will all be 'keyboarding' and the software will 'auto-correct' everything for them." Yes, I have actually been told this by educators who don't buy this stuff themselves but are repeating the mantra laid out for them by higher-ups. (Yes, it can be dangerous to disagree "professionally," as SP points out.)

Happily I won't be around to see this in twenty five years!

I have always been a poor speller, but have always worked on getting better with age. I believe if I have to put my communication on paper, it should reflect that I care enough to work at getting my spelling correct. I am not embarrassed to ask someone how to spell a word, and I'm 66 years old. Never quit learning or trying to improve. I makes one feel good. I'm a firm believer that self respect is earned, not granted.
By the way, I still spell Mother the old fashioned way, "Mom".

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Endeavor to persevere. <><

These are all good recommendations, the most valuable thing a caregiver can give their children or grand children is undivided attention, get on a routine, spend time discussing what is going on in class and go over it together.
You have a tough row to hoe, having a teenager is going to be hard to corral, with all the social stuff happening at school.
I also recommend a trip to get a good eye exam, my son is dyslexic, and we caught it early. We notified his school teachers and they worked hard, plus we spent a lot of time making sure "the backwards lines" made sense to him. He is now 30 years old and is a nurse.
Oh, remember to have some fun with your granddaughter as well, there is plenty to do in San Antonio!

I think the huge emphasis on computers the last ten years has a lot to do with it. You can spell check everything at the end.

Educators think everything has to be done on a computer and all of the new pads.

How about writing everything on paper until a certain age.

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

My nephew's son is the same age as the OP's granddaughter. I quizzed him today as I was curious to this 'lack of education' was true. My first question was on cursive (or longhand for you older guys.) Well, the answer was, "I can write my name."

This is a young man who will be taking Pre-Calculus in his sophomore year in high school which is fairly advanced for the US. This is a bright kid but some of his basic understanding of subjects like civics and history were so-so.

In twenty years, will we need translators to read important historical documents like the Declaration of Independance, Constitution, etc.? Penmanship will be gone. Calligraphers will become a specialty.

Someone should develop a cursive font and force the young 'uns to use it.

Again, I blame the higher-ups. Most educators (teachers) I talk with about computers think much as I do. To them, they are a useful tool that, like most useful tools, can be terribly abused. The administrators, on the other hand, seem to think it is quite a feather in their caps to send the kids home with an Ipad - and require good old Mom and Dad to cough up all the various "technology fees" and insurance costs for the hardware. Much of this foolishness is driven by politicians.

Here in IN with our sometimes tricky winter weather, they even talk about running classes on them when the kids can't make it to school. Really? Great idea! - only problem is a lot of homes do not have high-speed internet, or in some cases, an internet connection at all. Not everyone has $40+/month to throw around on an internet connection. Oops! Guess they forgot to think of that... When you mention it, they like to say just let the kid take his thing to the library or to McDonalds. Well, right - when it is -20 below outside and/or the roads are impassable? Where are these guys on the problem-solving flowchart? (They have the page turned upside down. )

The teachers I know would be a lot more judicious about integrating technology into their classrooms and lesson plans than their administrators, if they were calling the shots. I agree 100% about using pen and paper until the basics are mastered, or at least under control. Ditto for simple math without electronic calculators. Let's work on the basics before we get into high-gear with the technology.

Someone once said, "We are all ignorant, just in different subjects." I don't remember his name and even if I did, I probably would misspell it.

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Endeavor to persevere. <><