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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to get annoyed when a home schooling parent...

278 replies

00100001 · 29/09/2016 10:13

... can't spell?

My SIL home schools her daughter.

But all the time, she is posting "I just thort of a new idea..." or "We just need to get threw this..." or ^"I love home schoolling" etc.

Just makes me twitch.

OP posts:
BantyCustards · 29/09/2016 19:03

We pulled out child out of school at 9. He was really struggling with reading and it had destroyed his love of stories.

We backed off completely, didn't make him read to us at all and a year later he was a fluent reader.

He'll be taking his maths GCSE at 13.

AgitatedGuava · 29/09/2016 19:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BantyCustards · 29/09/2016 19:14

Well you would be wrong, Agitated.

Pagwatch · 29/09/2016 19:22

I don't think I could home school but I don't understand the people who get so nosy and pissy about it that they pontificate about whether it should be 'allowed'

Because every one of the children currently in schools are getting such a fucking brilliant education. And in particular children with special needs all have their learning and pastoral needs met
Hmm

OnceThereWasThisGirlWho · 29/09/2016 19:23

gilly know very few H.ed parents who "teach" their children
they facilitate learning, something completely different.

Ok fine, but how will her child learn to spell if she can't?

A reason some choose to H.ed in the first place and some parents learn alongside their child.

That's interesting. So they'd be say, learning to spell, as their child is? I like the idea upthread of the different home ed-ers teaching (in it's broadest sense) the subject area they were most knowledgeable about.

Finally, I've seen some pretty poor spelling from qualified teachers in school
and quite often I've seen primary teachers with Pottery as their degree. This obviously puts "needs to be qualified in core subjects" to rest.

No, actually it makes it really worrying that teachers can't spell either. Or at least spell well enough for the ability level they are teaching. I'm unsure how they qualify in the basic subjects tbh.

ginger Should we be demanding that schools get rid of any teachers that don't have perfect spelling?

No, but they need good enough spelling, surely? Otherwise how on earth do they teach it? If there are ways, then great - hopefully the teacher can learn too.

I find home educating very interesting, as the few people I know who were home educated obviously really benefitted from it. They are the type of people who follow their own path but are really confident with it. Whereas their (apparent) equivalents who went to state schools, and didn't follow the mainstream, are lacking in confidence due to not fitting in, bullying etc. Also one of my parents was a primary school teacher and did more fun/not obviously learning type stuff with us outside school, which helped one sibling (in hindsight, likely undiagnosed SEN) immensely - it just wouldn't have happened in school.
But this OP was about a particular situation, not slating home ed altogether!

MommaL · 29/09/2016 19:25

I am a home educator and have been for 6 years, and I also greatly dislike it when other home educators can't spell.

00100001 · 29/09/2016 19:29

Gilly sorry, when did I say that the parent was teaching?

OP posts:
00100001 · 29/09/2016 19:29

And why do you think I know nothing about Home Ed?

OP posts:
GingerIvy · 29/09/2016 19:32

On a personal note, poor spelling drives me batty. However, many people struggle with spelling, regardless of where they acquired their education.

Ok fine, but how will her child learn to spell if she can't?

She learned spelling in school, I presume? Why is it that when children that attend school don't learn to spell, the child is blamed (or the parents), but when a home educated child cannot spell, the parent is blamed? Why is the school not blamed and/or held accountable?? I know LOADS of school educated adults that cannot spell well at all!

I have three children. Two are extremely good at spelling, one is not. The one that is not is suspected to have dyslexia. But of the two that are good spellers, one went through school, the other is home educating. Some people are simply better at spelling. Some people are better at other things.

gillybeanz · 29/09/2016 22:12

OP, you sound like you know nothing about H.ed because you pick up on a parent's bad spelling.
It doesn't matter.
I learned so much when H.edding dd, she would find something that interested her and she'd want to share it.
Likewise, although my spelling isn't too bad, I make mistakes the same as other people.
If your child is learning spellings what does it matter that the parent can't spell. They will see the words written down and know if the child has them right or wrong.
I can't do maths, dd struggles too. Had we continued through secondary years I'd have found help from the many people who offered to tutor her.
It really doesn't matter how well educated the parent is.

merrymouse · 29/09/2016 22:21

Ok fine, but how will her child learn to spell if she can't?

Perhaps using one of the many, many spelling programmes aimed at HE? By being a natural speller? As pointed out above, plenty of bad spellers went to school.

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 29/09/2016 22:34

An intelligent 9 year old who can't read is missing out on a lot of things, I think.

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 29/09/2016 22:36

If your child is learning spellings what does it matter that the parent can't spell. They will see the words written down and know if the child has them right or wrong.

How will they know?

GingerIvy · 29/09/2016 22:40

How will they know?

I imagine the easiest way would be to obtain spelling lists from websites like Twinkl or other home ed resources. There's always that old chestnut of "look it up in the dictionary to make sure you've got the spelling right."

Hmm
Babyiwantabump · 29/09/2016 22:41

Oh god - I know someone like this !

They have decided to home school as they came out of school with no qualifications not even one GCSE and so the school system failed them and so they will not even contemplate putting their child through that!

Of course it has nothing to do with the fact they spent most of the time they should have been at school pissing about or wagging lessons . Nope it was the schools fault! Hmm

gillybeanz · 29/09/2016 23:14

Seek
They'd use pre printed worksheets from the internet, text books with answers.
I used to do this with ds1 and 2 who went all the way through school, they had gaps through moving.
We had all ks2 topics.
With being at school too, they soon bridged the gaps and they helped them for revision too.

brasty · 29/09/2016 23:16

Those entering teacher training are now tested on their spelling, grammar and numeracy.

JeSuisUnChocoholic · 29/09/2016 23:23

Very few people can actually spell properly. One of my secondary school teachers wrote "Scandenavia" instead of "Scandinavia".

paxillin · 29/09/2016 23:27

I think "Scandenavia" is a lot better than "I thort we'd get threw this" from OP's example for someone who is teaching others to write.

Cagliostro · 30/09/2016 00:11

Happy home educator here, can't deny I would cringe at "thort"

Lots of home ed parents round here get tutors for the stuff they don't feel they can cover themselves (which is good for me, as I am now a maths tutor) :o

brasty · 30/09/2016 00:52

Which is one reason most that HE are middle class.

00100001 · 30/09/2016 07:12

gilly So, your entire basis for the statement of "you know nothing of H. Ed" is because I asked if I was being unreasonable because a person who home Ed their child can't spell?

You're inferring a lot from that.

Where did I ever say that her education was poor? Or that the child isn't thriving? Or that I disagree with hone Ed or anything like that?

All in asked was if I was being unreasonable to be annoyed that someone who chooses to home Ed can't spell correctly. Which many people have said YANBU

You are saying YABU, which is fine. However, to say ludricous things like I know nothing, or am jealous etc is rather over the top iny opinion.

OP posts:
GingerIvy · 30/09/2016 08:36

Where did I ever say that her education was poor? Or that the child isn't thriving? Or that I disagree with hone Ed or anything like that?

ok OP, let's look at some of your posts

to get annoyed when a home schooling parent.... can't spell?

My SIL home schools her daughter.

But all the time, she is posting "I just thort of a new idea..." or "We just need to get threw this..." or ^"I love home schoolling" etc.

Just makes me twitch.

she is the 'educator' yes!

I can guarantee the "threw" being used as 'through' is not a typo!

and nor is "thort" for thought!

sorry, when did I say that the parent was teaching?

Where did I ever say that her education was poor? Or that the child isn't thriving? Or that I disagree with hone Ed or anything like that?

All in asked was if I was being unreasonable to be annoyed that someone who chooses to home Ed can't spell correctly. Which many people have said YANBU

You are saying YABU, which is fine. However, to say ludricous things like I know nothing, or am jealous etc is rather over the top iny opinion.

I think we can safely say that you were implying that she was poorly educated and that you didn't feel the child would benefit from it. Now you appear to be backtracking. So let's have it clearly. Is she poorly educated? Is the child thriving? Or are you just annoyed because the conversation is not going the way you'd like it to go, as you expected everyone to jump on your bandwagon?

00100001 · 30/09/2016 10:29

No, that is what you are inferring from my statements.

All I asked was "AIBU to get annoyed when a home schooling parent can't spell?"

I didn't say anything else. I didn't ask if she should be Home Educating because if her poor spelling. I didn't offer my opinion on HEd.

Everything you and gilly are inferring is from your imagination. You are assuming you know my thoughts on the matter of Home Education as a whole. You are assuming I "know nothing of H ed" from this one observation. You are putting words in my mouth. Calling me jealous and ignorant of Home Education.

You know nothing of me or my stance or thoughts on home ed.

It just that spelling mistakes irritate me. Just as it does many other people on this thread (and yes, school teachers that send incorrect spellings is bad) but I would still be entitled to ask "AIBU to get annoyed when a home schooling parent school teacher can't spell?"

Would you have jumped down my throat and said things like
"OP, clearly you know nothing of school education" or "maybe you're jealous you can't send your child to school" or "I think we can safely say that you were implying that the teacher was poorly educated"

So, no backtracking on my part.

OP posts:
GingerIvy · 30/09/2016 10:35

Actually, let's not put words in my mouth. I didn't say you knew nothing about home ed. I didn't say you were jealous and ignoreant. I asked questions (which I note you didn't answer anyway). And I'll have to disagree - in my opinion, you did imply that she was poorly educated and that her home educating the child was to the child's detriment. We'll also have to disagree on the backtracking, as you seem to be doing exactly that.

Interesting that you make the question about poor spelling of a home educator - if it's just poor spelling in general (from either a home educator or a teacher alike) that bothers you, then surely you'd be saying "AIBU to get annoyed at poor spelling from people that are responsible for education?" rather than focusing it strictly on a home educator? That changes your focus to home education, which I suspect was your intent all along.

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