Hi Charles, 
 
 EL>Why can a six year old spell tyrannosaurus rex?
 EL>Because they want to.
 CB> It appears that your point is that young writers can spell correctly 
 CB> when they want to spell correctly.  Is that an indication that you 
 
 Human nature factor here. If you want to do something you will. In a 
 healthy language charged environment children will learn to read and 
 write. Content words, nouns and verbs are easier to see than filler words. 
 If you don't have a lot of experience of language are you going to know 
 the first time you write which *to* to write. All mine can tell you there 
 are three *tos* and they can tell you that the sore on your leg is 
 different to the saw that cuts but a couple would still be unable to tell 
 me t says te.
 
 CB> Or is it your point that since they
 CB> can  spell correctly, we should demand it of them all the time?
 In year one, I expect my spelling group (about fifteen children) to get 
 their Friday spelling test correct each week and I expect them to apply 
 their skills in story writing but the others are not ready yet - some are 
 nearly, some are no where near and one won't be ready even by the end of 
 the year.  
 
 Regards, 
 Erica.
... A clean desk is a sign of a cluttered desk drawer.
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
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