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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIbu to expect my ds1's teacher to set spellings that are spelt correctly?

64 replies

caz1010 · 03/03/2011 10:25

My Ds1 receives a weekly spelling test. This weeks words include tinopener - is it not tin/can opener ie two words also mindmap WTF is a mindmap and again a word or two? I give you also fishfinger trafficwarden and milkmen. Need your opinion before i start my snotty letter to school !

OP posts:
Eglu · 03/03/2011 10:26

I think mindmap might be one word. The rest are a joke quite frankly. Surely there are some real words your DS could learn to spell.

Original poster
caz1010 · 03/03/2011 10:27

Should have maybe added ds1 is in year 2 ie 7 years old.

OP posts:
stiflersmom · 03/03/2011 10:31

good lord I don't think even MN can paper over this one

there is a culture on here of NEVER criticising teachers unless you want to be ripped apart by slavering dogs

but to set a spelling test full of glaring inaccuracies - I would be complaining, forcefully

fgs

sparkle12mar08 · 03/03/2011 10:33

I might let milkmen and mindmap go but the rest? No, complain all the way!

ConstanceFelicity · 03/03/2011 10:35

Complain!

pozzled · 03/03/2011 10:36

Agree with sparkle that milkmen and mindmap are acceptable, but definitely not the others.

Pterosaur · 03/03/2011 10:39

Milkman is one word, but the rest are wrong and look daft.

If it's an exercise in spelling compound words, it seems to have missed the mark.

zipzap · 03/03/2011 10:41

mind maps are fab - but have seen it spelt both with and without a space depending on who is talking (writing?) about them.

According to wikipedia they are:

A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid to studying and organizing information, solving problems, making decisions, and writing.

I didn't discover them until I got to uni. Would have made revising for me a whole lot easier if I had known about them when i was at school.

Am now already introducing the idea to ds1 (5) - perfect for him as he hates writing sentences, reading etc but loves information. just in a very basic way obviously - but think that it is something that could be very powerful indeed if it is a concept that he has grown up with from the start of his education.

already have a mind map book for kids squirrelled away for when he is older Blush - saw it and couldn't resist even though he wasn't even walking at the time - didn't want to get 7 years down the line and discover it was no longer available! (which kind of gives you an idea of how strongly I think it is something that should be introduced at an early stage of education though...)

solooovely · 03/03/2011 10:44

Maybe you should mention to the teacher (or the head) that these aren't correct.

MissVerinder · 03/03/2011 10:45

Really, it should be milk person.

But YADNBU. Send him back with a list of corrected spellings and a sad face for teacher.

mollymole · 03/03/2011 17:05

yes , send the list back to the teacher AFTER you have applied the corrections

Catnao · 03/03/2011 17:10

They sound like really odd spellings too! (Not just oddly spelt, I mean, but odd words for them to learn!)

Longtalljosie · 03/03/2011 17:13

Mindmap? What fresh hell is this?

No results found for mindmap:
Did you mean mantrap?

ROFL!

NarcolepsyQueen · 03/03/2011 17:27

Mindmap is correct, but the others are wrong. Mindmapping is the new word for what was called brain storming, on the whiteboard. Apparently brain storming was un PC Hmm

mrsravelstein · 03/03/2011 17:29

it hapens regulerly at ds1's (quiet posh) skool. they aparently don't think spelling is very importent.

mrsravelstein · 03/03/2011 17:30

in year 3, ds1 had a spelling word which wasn't even a word... i'm now struggling to remember what it was... but when i pointed out it didn't exist, the teacher thought it was terribly amusing. Confused

saffy85 · 03/03/2011 17:32

Is it a trick question? To see how many children notice that most of the words are actually 2 words? If not, maybe the teacher was having an off day and that's why she can't spell?

Bucharest · 03/03/2011 17:35

Narcolepsy - the very latest is "thought shower" (which I find even more poncetastic than mindmapping or brainstorming......

It must be an exercise on compounds. Which kind of compounds the outrageousness of the spelling mistakes.

mrsravelstein · 03/03/2011 17:35

ds1's year 5 teacher recently crossed out 'definitly' in his book and asked him to write out 'definately' 10 times. again she thought it was pretty hilarious when i pointed out her mistake.

Hulababy · 03/03/2011 17:44

mindmap and milkman are fine imo. Both are legitimate forms.

Mindmaps, or mind maps (both are acceptable) are nothing new and many children will have used these in school many times.

I am assuming this is a spelling test containing compound words. However, most of those are not compound words, but are two separate words. I would be tempted to comment tbh, to the teacher.

bloomingnora · 03/03/2011 18:05

I work with a teacher who put a lovely power point up on the first day of the school year. On the first slide, she had written draws. As in keep your draws tidy. She is in all other respects a wonderful teacher. She's an NQT and although her spelling is awful, she is prepared to admit in front of the children when she is not sure of things and look them up in the dictionary - I love that she can show them that even grown ups have to learn. She gets the kids really fired up about their learning. Not sure what my point is. Except - draws??? What the fuck?? Shock Shock

I think you should tell her they are wrong. I expect she sat there in a panic at 2am thinking "Shit, I forgot to prepare that compound words spelling sheet. I'm sure I can think of some off the top of my head". But tell her. Just do it nicely (which I am sure you would Smile).

schmee · 03/03/2011 18:16

I have to say I would have spelt "fishfinger" as one word but see I am wrong. I have a degree in English but they didn't eat fish fingers much in Elsinore.

I would mention it (if I had spotted it was wrong).

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 03/03/2011 18:18

We covered mindmaps in study skills sessions back in the mid-90s. They're not that new. And they're jolly useful ime. zipzap I've introduced my ds (year 5 rather than 5yo) to them - he finds them v.useful for gathering his thoughts, too.

Milkmen is absolutely fine. Tinopener is not fine.

I thought fishfinger was OK, but I think I was wrong in that. Trafficwarden is absolutely not correct.

schmee · 03/03/2011 18:19

I think power points are PowerPoints though?

Shallishanti · 03/03/2011 18:31

yup, they are
Mr Gates owns those words