Fed up, decided to homeschool this year - principal said "kids can just use spellcheck" (private school, literacy)

[Ceece]

I think people don't know as much about their kids college experiences as they like to think. At least when it comes to trying to make a point with examples that are silly.

Getting back to the OP there is no reason for school vs homeschool. I still remember sitting with my dad learning to write my name and doing other things when I was a kid (long ago) WHILE I was in school. Do you think having a child in school means you don't have to do squat except drive them to soccer practice? It's a battle line people like to draw so they can feel a "win". That's really most of what I see these days when it comes to education....a battle that doesn't really exist. Nothing prevents anyone from teaching their kids anything, anytime, anyplace, even if they happen to go to school.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I have to agree with Ceece here. There are some math applications for which a calculator of some kind is a must! Remember, before calculators there were slide rules.

I have a CS and Math degree - very few of the math classes required use of a slide rule or calculator. All classes teaching fundamentals and theory were taught without use of a slide rule or calculator. If you don't understand the fundamentals you won't succeed beyond the rudimentary (again, my words).

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by Ceece

...with examples that are silly...

The first step to losing an argument is to attack the opponent(s) .

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by bongo

Students study spelling lists Monday through Thursday, receive 100% on the test on Friday, then proceed to misspell the words in the context of their writing on Monday.

Exactly. This is why we stopped the "list on Monday, test on Friday approach" at least ten years ago.

We have standards based grading. We don't have a "spelling" grade on our progress reports. The closest grade under Language Arts is "Edits for usage and mechanics in own writing".

Under that standard, the most specific indicators I can find for fourth grade come under benchmark 4.8.g, and there are three:

Use the correct spelling of frequently used words, including common homonyms/homophones, (e.g.,
threw/through).

Apply spelling generalizations.

Apply knowledge of letter sound relationships, word patterns.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

Exactly. This is why we stopped the "list on Monday, test on Friday approach" at least ten years ago...

When I went to school the "spelling list" was used as a tool to increase our vocabulary - not force us to memorize the spelling. We were required to look-up the definition of each word and use each word in two different sentences. The weekly test had us spell each word then match each word to its definition.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

Exactly. This is why we stopped the "list on Monday, test on Friday approach" at least ten years ago.

We have standards based grading. We don't have a "spelling" grade on our progress reports. The closest grade under Language Arts is "Edits for usage and mechanics in own writing".

Under that standard, the most specific indicators I can find for fourth grade come under benchmark 4.8.g, and there are three:

Use the correct spelling of frequently used words, including common homonyms/homophones, (e.g.,
threw/through).

Apply spelling generalizations.

Apply knowledge of letter sound relationships, word patterns.

So this is where education has evolved? I wonder how many parents understand what "Edits for usage and mechanics in own writing" means on their child's report card? I think "Spelling" provided a much better description and is where we need to get back to.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

You know, that's one word I ALWAYS mix up. How do you remember which one to use? I apologize for any cringing that induced!

Think of "than" in terms of math.

Is something "greater than", "less than"...are you trying to quantify it.

I ate and then I ate some more...sequence in time

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder

I have a CS and Math degree - very few of the math classes required use of a slide rule or calculator. All classes teaching fundamentals and theory were taught without use of a slide rule or calculator. If you don't understand the fundamentals you won't succeed beyond the rudimentary (again, my words).

CS degree as well with 30+ math credits under my belt.
90% of the math classes were no calculators.

And when they let us use calculators it was the 4 function ones.

Only in my trig class do I remember being allowed to use scientific calculators and only for the non standard angles. We were expected to memorize all the info for the standard angles and/or combinations of standard angles.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by Bludy-L

Certainly NOT to take the place of learning the basics!

If no one learned the basics, the there would be no computer programmers. If you can't spell, you'd make an awful programmer of anything....and especially at creating a spell-check.

Posted with TapaTalk

Imagine designing a user interface not knowing how to spell ?
Let someone else spellcheck your help screens or how to html docs ?

The world does not revolve around a word processor as many may think.
Compilers spit out errors and don't correct your spelling.



I had to teach my son how to graph an equation using tables and graph paper.
He was only taught how to do it on a graphing calculator.
Tried to explain that what he did on paper is what the calculator did internally.

You have to know how something works to go on to make a better version of it.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I have to agree with Ceece here. There are some math applications for which a calculator of some kind is a must! Remember, before calculators there were slide rules.

Like what ? Trig functions for non standard angles I can see.
But not for an entire semester.

In all cases though they are tools to be used after you have learned how to do it by hand.

Kids are getting calculators in elementary school and not memorizing their multiplication tables.
They don't know the order of operations to tell if they input into the calculator correctly because they don't know where to insert parenthesis because of trying to use a calculator.