Spelling & phonics

[Twistedheartache]

Quick question - should you correct spelling mistakes if your child is spelling (sort of) phonetically?
Dd is only 4 and at the end of 1st term of reception
Example kuld motbik (coloured motorbike)

[Jesabel]

I wouldn't correct the spelling. I might ask if she can hear any other sounds in those words though, get her to sound them out.

[NewBallsPlease00]

We had a phonics lesson at school - at this stage it's the sound and sound linking which is important, actual spelling is secondary and more year 1 than reception

[AppleAndBlackberry]

Not at that age, I didn't start before year 1 for my DD because I didn't want to put her off writing. Once she was writing fluently using the sounds she knew I might correct some spellings, but not every word. This is what school did too.

[Twistedheartache]

Thanks - I'll leave it then.
It's hard because I hate bad spelling as my team at work know, but she is so proud of her writing & enthusiastic I definitely don't want to crush that

[cariadlet]

Year 1 (and former Reception) teacher hear. The example you gave is a good use of phonics for her age. I wouldn't do anything to crush your dd's enthusiasm and would encourage her to sound out unfamiliar words.

But if she's bright and enjoys writing at home, then it might be worth picking out the odd key words that you're pretty sure she would recognise on sight in her reading (eg "the" or "is"). You can say something on the lines of "That's great sounding out, but I don't think you need to sound out that word. Have a look at it. Does it look quite right?"

[cariadlet]

Aargh! "here" not "hear", obviously. I should know by now to check my writing if I'm typing quickly (especially when I'm a bit tired!).

[Fairenuff]

Check how she says the sounds as, from her spelling, it looks like she is putting an 'uh' sound on the end of some letters.

For example, ku luh d and mo tuh bik

If she can keep the sounds pure, her spelling is likely to improve.

[maizieD]

At age 4, end of first term in YR I think she is doing brilliantly! Her spelling will improve as she learns more letter/sound correspondences. There are very few in 'coloured motorbike' that she will have learned yet.

I agree to check that she is using 'pure' sounds (though it is very difficult to say some consonants without the /uh/) but I don't think it's likely to be a major problem in this instance.

[mrz]

I think it's more likely that she's just writing the sounds she can hear clearly (not the schwa)