ERICA LONG spoke of Spelling... to DAN TRIPLETT on 09-03-96
EL> Hi Dan, 
EL> I am at home   with about my fourth bout of the flu this
EL>winter (now spring). Can you   convince your parents that keeping the
EL>child home for a day or two when   they are sick will not cause them
EL>to miss too much work and will only   spread the disease - esp to the
EL>teacher - and then they'll be away   and the whole class will miss
EL>out etc etc etc??? Can't convince this year's   parents.
I think I'm immune to just about anything.  My first few years I was 
always sick. I think my antibodies are into the martial arts now and 
they really knock out the germs.  Still, there is something about a 5 
year old with a nose full of snott that sends me to the phone.  Ive had 
a few throw up on me.  One parent said her son wasn't feeling well and 
wouldn't touch his breakfast but he insisted he wanted to be at school.  
He was very pale and I said I'd call if he got worse.  Ten minutes later 
he barffed on the carpet where we were having circle time.  
EL> 
EL> Many people don't seem to understand that transitional
EL>spelling/invented   spelling is not a life long thing. In the first
EL>year or so most children   will progress through most of the stages
EL>and will be spelling quite well   by the end of the year. It is a
EL>necessary thing along with that initial   encouragement that they can
EL>read that they can also write.
I have some things of interest from Regie Routman as well as others.  I 
do believe that a study of the history of WL and the research 
surrounding it will show that things such as "invented spelling" (which 
I like to refer to only as transitional spelling which covers all the 
stages of spelling development) was not borne out of the whole-language 
movement but rather whole-language developed from research including the 
research done regarding developmental stages in spelling.  Clearly there 
are many developing stages children go through from primitive to 
sophisticated.  This includes fine and gross motor, perceptual 
awareness, drawing ability, language development, reading development, 
and spelling development. 
    
EL> I would not expect to teach someone to play golf by teaching them
EL>all the   theory first and not allowing them to have a few practice
EL>swings first and   I certainly would not expect them to get a hole in
EL>one first off.
agreed
 
EL> I noticed someone else saying that children should know how to read
EL>before   they are allowed to write.
I think the current research shows this to be untrue.  I am preparing to 
post some information regarding this idea but I am still researching the 
subject.  I know that even in my kindergarten classrooms there are 
children who want to write.  During our "Post-Office" unit our kids 
"write" hundreds of letters to each other, their teacher, and parents.  
Some is just scribbling, others just pictures, some write words they 
know, most want to dictate a letter and then draw a picture with it.  
I have seen some of the 1st grade writing samples and it is impressive.  
Kids really begin to make sense of writing and the desire to write can 
be enhanced by a teacher who understands the limitations of such early 
writers and focuses on the "process" of writing and not the "product."  
Dan
CMPQwk 1.42 445p
I know your problem.....You're as sharp as a marble.
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