RON MCDERMOTT spoke of THE REAL STORY 2 to DAN TRIPLETT on 08-23-96
RM>DT>Try this phonetically "hear."  You don't need the vowels.
RM> 
RM>You "need" the vowels... The word has the sound of 'e',
RM>which suggests that the letter 'e' is present with either
RM>an adjacent vowel, or an 'e' at the end of the word, no?
No.....the dominate sounds are the initial /h/ sound and since it's an r 
controlled ending the r controls the sound.  However it's not important 
to my point so Im willing to concede that the vowels are important.  But 
you are missing the point of my message.  I am merely trying to show 
that our spelling conventions are sometimes very difficult and that 
phonetically sounding out every word is not possible.  I was at a 
workshop put on by Washington's Center for the Improvement of Student 
Learning.  I attended several reading workshops.  In college I was told 
that our language was approximately 87% predictable.  But in this 
workshop it was said that if we programmed a computer to spell 
phonetically it would only get an average of 50% on a spelling test.  
Remembering that many sight words which are unpredictable would be on 
such a test this statistic makes some sense.
RM>DT>These same teachers probably use lots of work sheets in 
RM>DT>their classroom.  Work sheets (IMO) do not teach any skills.
RM> 
RM>I'm not sure that the function of worksheets IS to teach;
RM>they are more along the line of practicing something already
RM>taught...
Oh Im sure we can find many that are designed to do some teaching (as in 
the learning by doing kind of teaching).  What I am arguing is that 
worksheets are not the "doing" of anything.  They are at best busy work.
I also feel that there are times (probably frequent times) where a 
worksheet is entirely appropriate.  But for or the most part, and 
especially in the primary grades, worksheets are inappropriate to the 
developmental ability of the child and are unnecessary unless there is a 
specific need for the worksheet (like to record findings in science or a 
response worksheet to a specific reading).   I teach kindergarten so am 
somewhat unfamiliar with how worksheets are used in classrooms.  As for 
practicing with a worksheet, we have manipulative and games that can do 
that more concretely.
Dan  
CMPQwk 1.42 445p
PROFESSOR: Someone who talks in somebody else's sleep.
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