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Do primary schools teach spelling nowadays?

When I was at Primary School, I had to learn a list of spellings every week. I now have good spelling and it infuriates me that people don't seem to care about spellings at all. Many teenagers I know don't understand why they shouldn't use text-speak in essays. A colleague just told me that she did some voluntary work in a primary school and they were not supposed to correct spellings. So, is spelling being taught in the UK now?

23 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    We do spellings at our school from Y1 -Y6.

    Spelling did go out of fashion ie learning the patterns such as ou etc.

    but there is now a BIG push to do phonics work (we always have) and to learn these patterns in english and how they go together. Because of this I think most schools will be giving spellings to help practise/learn the patterns.

    Many reception (4 - 5yrs) classes use Jolly Phonics which breaks the language into the individual sounds and all schools (UK) have to be seen doing these phonics so all young children should develop awareness of spellings

    Source(s): infant teacher
  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    Did you ever stop and think?- Not everyone has an higher education then others and they are trying hard enough time just to get the lines out so one can read their needs? Spell check doesn't always work. People may be just getting used to the computer. Four years ago I didn't even know what a mouse was. LOL There is also people whom are learning the English spelling. Therefore the meanings are still odd to them (So many meaning for one word). I find more and more that school won't even hold back a child anymore. They just put them in next grade. I had a foster child in grade 8, could only tell time to digital. Other child grade 6, Could only read a grade 3 level (That was pushing it). I do agree something is wrong but please stop and think of others as individuals. Note: Not to sound rude, but there are so many people on yahoo Q's & A's. You know, I know and they know they are smart, educate and some just trying to get by life the best they can. I'm one of those ones that are just trying to get by the best that I can. Educate some school but more taugh from street smart. I can't spell worth a dam (Thank you spell check) and know no fancy big words. So maybe I'm one of those kind of people your describing in your posting. And my point is who cares, you are just there to help a person solve a problem, answer a question and not play the teacher or play spell checker. You are just a person like me. Just look at it that way when you do come across another me. Ok, thank you have a good night. Ps. Sorry if mistakes but spell check is not working.

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    1

    Source(s): Reading Lessons for Kids http://emuy.info/ChildrenLearningReading
  • 1 decade ago

    I am a primary teacher in Scotland and we teach spelling. In infant classes children are taught phonics to help understand letter blends.

    Your friend who was a volunteer could have been correct that spelling was not corrected in some exercises. If I am teaching a punctuation lesson, for example, when I come to assess it with the children it is their understanding and use of puncuation in the work that is important, I wouldn't want them distracted from this task worrying that every word has the correct spelling.

    When I was training there was a lot of debate on "spelling caught or taught" research has shown that some of the most intelligent people are poor spellers.

    Source(s): primary teacher for about 20 years
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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    My eldest daughter is starting Year 2 in two weeks, she's 6. She started bringing home spelling test at the beginning of year 1, she didn't do them in Reception class. She started off with 10 spellings to learn and then went up to 15. She was given them on a Tuesday and then she had a week to learn them before her spelling test. They do this all the way through her school.

  • 1 decade ago

    One has to admit that there does not seem to be much evidence of the teaching of spelling in schools, but it may be that the corrupting effect of texting abbreviation undoes any good the schools can do.

    It might help a lot if all parents and teachers could spell and were a little more pedantic about the slovenly use and abuse of language both in the home and at school.

    Wishful thinking I'm afraid.

  • 1 decade ago

    They teach spelling in Scotland

    Every week you have a spelling test and then the teacher goes through the spelling and the children correct the ones they got wrong.

    x

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Yes they do. Children from the start are taught spellings and are often sent a list each week to learn. It varies with each school - perhaps your colleague was in a school where literacy wasn't so strong.

    Source(s): Worked in schools for years
  • 1 decade ago

    I was taught spelling (I left primary school two years ago), and we had spelling and mental maths tests almost every week. I think it is more or less compulsory, or taught as a part of the English curriculum.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I'm so glad I'm not the only person who feels this way.

    I find it absolutely maddening that nobody nowadays seems to have a clue about either spelling or grammar.

    And the way no one seems to bother about it, as though it is just accepted practice, is also infuriating.

    Please don't let our great language continue to degrade like this. This is a really important issue.

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