To not point this out to dd's teacher?

[LiegeAndLief]

Dd in reception. They have been learning about their bodies and a big poster has gone up on the wall about eyes. It says "Eye's have.... Eyelashes, eyebrows etc" and "Eye's can... Blink, cry etc".

I am a major apostrophe pedant and it makes me cringe every time I look at it. On the other hand, dd is just starting to read and has no idea what an apostrophe is, never mind how you should use it, and I think me mentioning it to the teacher might be very twattish.

The teacher is great and very experienced, ds was also in her class and I have never spotted a mistake like this before. They've had a couple of supply teachers recently so I'm hoping one of them did it and the teacher hates it as much as I do but doesn't want to go to the effort of changing the poster!

[NaffOrf]

I'd point it out. Apostrophe misuse has no place in a seat of learning. If the teacher does know how to punctuate, she'll thank you for pointing it out. If she doesn't - she should.

[NewtRipley]

It's not right that teachers don't understand apostrophes. I know a Headteacher whose communications are riddled with Grocers' apostrophes.

I think you would look an arse, unfortunately.

[Cringechilli]

Anonymous note!

[Nomama]

TELL HER!!!!!

1. If she is observed it could kill her chances of a good grade
   
2. She MUST learn to proof everything, all the time, even if it isn't hers
   
3. It is bloody irritating
   
4. It is setting kids up to get it wrong forever
   
5. Did I mention it is bloody irritating?

[NewtRipley]

Actually - you wouldn't look an arse but their embarrassment might lead them to think you are being arsey, IYSWIM

[cardibach]

Definitely point it out. I am stunned that a) the teacher has made this mistake and b) none of the other adults in the school have pointed it out to her yet. It needs to be changed. Your DD is learning to read - if she continually sees errors it will be hard for her to learn to be correct. This normalises the mistake.

[lazyhound444]

You should point it out. I have to tell young teachers all the time about basic spelling and grammar, it's quite shocking how many of them don't know the basics. Aside from apostrophe misuse, many of them don't know the difference between "sincerely" and "faithfully" ending letters, and they capitalise both words as well. I'm not arsey about it, I just mention it discreetly. They've always been grateful and delighted it's been spotted by me and not the Headteacher, lol :)

[AwfulMaureen]

I would tell her myself. It will be embarrassing for both of you but really....that's terrible!

[LiegeAndLief]

Ha ha I like the idea of an anonymous note! I'm really not sure whether I'm brave enough to do it face to face, I think it would be really uncomfortable and I can't think of a way of phrasing it that doesn't make me sound like an arse. Surely I can't be the only parent who has noticed, maybe someone else will do it!

[Waltonswatcher1]

I had a Cornish education , I can make a lighthouse out of a fairy liquid bottle and that's it!
I know nothing about apostrophes and have lived this far happily. Chill.

[NewtRipley]

Maybe make one out of cut-up newspapers?

[NewtRipley]

....... a note, I mean, not a lighthouse

[LiegeAndLief]

I guess what makes it worse is that she isn't a young teacher, she's older than me and has been teaching this class for years and years. She exudes competence and control! I just really don't want to believe she doesn't know how to use an apostrophe...

[Belini]

Serious post. How do you use the apostrophe? I always have to ask my teenager.

[lazyhound444]

You could be jokey about it and say "see you've got a rogue apostrophe up there lady!". Our Headteacher is a bit of a tyrant and if yours is too, she'll be grateful for the chance to correct it before it's seen by the Boss.

[NewtRipley]

Belini

1. To show a letter/s is missing eg let's = let us; don't = do not
   
   
2. To show possession eg The cat's tail was very furry; the boy's hair was messy. The only exception to this is this : The cat shook its head (no apostrophe)
   
   
3. NOT for plurals eg I saw two cat's playing on the grass = wrong

[sparklyma]

Bellini. They can show something belongs to someone. I stole Geoff's dinner. They can also show contraction of words e.g. I won't miss this cold weather.

[NewtRipley]

4. The apostrophe can go at the end of a word in this case:
   
   The cows' horns were too long (ie, there were several cows and their horns were too long)

[Pipbin]

I like Lazyhounds response.
Worth mentioning it, OFSTED picked up on it in our last visit.
Not in my room I hasten to add.

[sadbodyblue]

sorry I too have no idea of apostrophes etc

always amazed that people care. still it is a school so it should be correct but you may look like an annoying know it all.

[LiegeAndLief]

Oh, and when I told dh, he insisted that the eye's have bit was correct, because "all those things belong to the eye". I might have to divorce him.

[Nomama]

Don't forget singular / plural possession....

The students' library - a library belonging to all students
The team's changing room - a room belonging to one team
The teams' changing room - a room belonging to more than one team.

As one of my students said

Ah, the importance of apostrophes is the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit!

Sadly my HoD was in the room at the time and we quite spoiled the learning environment by hitting the floor giggling



I have one of those for commas too:

Let's eat grandma.
Let's eat, grandma.

[LiegeAndLief]

Hmm, the teacher is not really a jokey sort of person. I imagine she would just raise an eyebrow at me and I would run quaking from her classroom.

I don't know why I care so much about apostrophes, maybe it is daft but I really really do. My mother was an English teacher, which is a possible excuse.