I have found 8 grammar and/or spelling mistakes in my 'Parent Information Sheet' for my son's new class.

[SilverBellsandCockleShells]

WIBU to mark them up in red and ask the teacher to see me after school?

LaQueen Fri 14-Sep-12 15:38:07
So, for starters any with so much as a single mistake are binned, without further ado.

People don't believe it when you say it happens.
If you're working for me on £25k-45k, and you can't be trusted to invest some effort for that... why would I trust you to deliver projects for me?

DSS2's old school sent home a newsletter which had 16 spelling & grammatical errors that I noticed. Not bad for a school which was then about to have its 3rd inspection in 12 months .

I think it's pretty obvious why DSS2 was moved schools to start P1 last year. At least he can read now...

BettySwollocks - if i had been that person, i would have replied "it is precisely because we are a school that we should be getting these things correct every time "

that sounds bad silverbells I would correct it and send it to the head anonymously.
Greengrocers' apostrophes are too much from a teacher.
Practice/practise I might turn a blind eye.....(as I check it on google)
Alpes is terrible, what, the teacher cannot even spell what they are studying?

LaQueen

Is it because they haven't been taught it or because they didn't listen whilst it was being taught?

It is very easy to blame the teachers.

Do it! I'm particularly annoyed by apostrophe abuse all over the kids' school. I had an argument with DS1 when he was in reception because he was convinced that apostrophes were used in plurals because he saw so many examples of it.

Boney - you say that, but sooner or later on spelling harrumph type threads a teacher always pops up to say how they don't think spelling is all that important, or that they don't think inability to spell should be a barrier to doing a PGCE.

doesn't anyone use a spell checker these days? there is no excuse really and no need for staff to proof read just correct the ones highlighted in red on your pc!!

Yanbu. I once took a red pen and circled the spelling mistakes found on a notice up in a baby changing room in Boots.

And I once pointed out to the nursery where my kids are, that stationery was not spelt with a second a. They didn't see it even when I showed them.

I forgave because that was nursery. But I wouldn't be as forgiving if that was school.

Ooh, I hate that netball example. The old "Woah! Here comes an S!" apostrophe.

deaky spell check doesn't tall you when you've used the wrong word, though - I was going to give an example of a common error I make when typing, but I've already made a glaring one, with no red squiggly lines, whatsoever.

Deakymum, spell checker doesn't save you from the correctly spelled words but with the wrong meaning - pendant / pedant, their / there. It should still be proof read.

(Is it just me or does anyone else get anxious about making mistakes on a thread like this?)

ouryve - cross post. I missed the tall / tell one on first read though, my mind just skips it and puts in the correct word. I hate proof reading.

Please point it out. I was recruiting recently and any CVs with spelling or grammatical errors went in the bin. There are plenty of candidates out there so I can set my standards high. It is really important that schools and those that work in them maintain high standards; they are just letting their pupils down otherwise.

I did get out my biro and correct a sign in sainsbury's the other day.
i said to the cashier "i'm terribly sorry, but I just have to vandalize your sign"
they'd used "you're" when they meant to use "your" - i was quite impressed: it was the first time I'd ever seen the mistake that way round!

spellchecker in Word is the one that is most likely to catch it (because it checks grammar) - but I wouldn't trust it, and I know what I'm doing - because sometimes it gives you honkers of bad suggestions for a "correction"

OTheHugeManatee
"Boney - you say that, but sooner or later on spelling harrumph type threads a teacher always pops up to say how they don't think spelling is all that important, or that they don't think inability to spell should be a barrier to doing a PGCE."

I have seen some teachers say that Dyslexia shouldn't be a barrier to a PGCE but not inability to spell. I have seen more teachers complain about grammar/spelling than support those teachers that can't.

But my point stands, I regulaly show parents presentations that has subject matter 'X' in it after they have complained that subject matter 'X' was on the test and it wasn't taught to their child.

is relevent to this topic :)

I left this thread without commenting and went on to read a Kate Middleton one which linked to a Telegraph article. I would have thought a serious newspaper was capable of using apostrophes properly:
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/kate-middleton/9542946/British-Closer-magazine-dragged-into-row-over-Duchess-of-Cambridge-topless-pictures.html

Oh we got a letter from the y1 teacher the other day. Your child has BOUGHT home their first reading book.

I coudn't help rolling my eyes. It's just ridiculous.

i think if you know you can't spell, or are unsure whether you're right, you should always ask for a proofreader.
otherwise you really are just saying" it doesn't matter"
when it clearly does.

The majority of teachers and teaching assistants in my school make very basic grammar and punctuation mistakes on a regular basis. I have given up trying to correct them all. It's very disheartening.