Yr2 homework - quick question

[scrappydappydoo]

DD has to write a story in her homework book over half term. She has started to write the story out rough on a random piece of paper. When she copies it into her homework book do I help her with spellings or will the teacher be expecting warts and all?

We are asked to give any help we think is appropriate to get the work completed, but all writing must be done by their own hands. So I would ask her if she wants help with spelling and go with what help she would like. So spellings yes I'd offer to correct, and suggesting grammar corrections only if very wrong.

No I don't help unless my child asks, which is rare. I did correct the rather unique spelling of David Cameron though!

I've always helped my children with corrections like you describe and often I've found that as a result they produce better work on their own next time. Sometimes the schools are way too busy to provide that sort of one to one support so its the best chance your child will get to have some individually tailored guidance.

Obviously if it was a test, then the teacher would want to see it warts and all, but as I understand it, this is just a learning opportunity for your DD?

We are told to correct words they really should know but not new or more difficult words

When we have the time, I sit down with them and ask them to check the spelling themselves and check for capital letters, punctuation, etc. They can often correct themselves, and if there's still a spelling mistake I try to explain the phonic sound and see if they spot it themselves. But it takes time, and effort, and a good rubber....

Hi scrappydappydoo

It's sometimes really hard, but it really is better to encourage the writing (because it is a writing activity) rather than the spelling. However, I've come around to playing the long game on this one.

My strategy has been to focus on just a few things - like making sure sentences start with capitals and end in some form of punctuation (full stop, exclamation point or question mark).

I tend to work on a word that is being used frequently or is a current favourite - right now everything seems to be brilliant or amazing in DD2's writing (Y3) - so I've helped correct errors to get those words right, but let other errors go (this time). If she directly asks for help during writing (usually how to spell proper names of countries, people, or historical terms) I will help where I can.

I think it is too demoralising to have them correct every word (if many mistakes are being made). With DD1 (now Y5) she can write a few paragraphs with very little spelling, punctuation or grammar errors - so I tend to go through her work afterwards and point out anything that catches my eye. She seems to prefer this, because it allows her to get what she wants to get down on paper, without me peeking over her shoulder and when she's ready for my opinion she presents her workbook. It's made writing much more relaxed and DD2 has benefitted because I am not interferring as much as I once did at all, so she's writing tons (all hilariously misspelt) but she's got a great imagination and a flair for word craft that I don't want to quash in any way.

Thanks for the input! She's quite good at getting the story down on paper its just all the little spelling and punctuation mistakes - I think I'll just ask her to read through and correct anything she thinks needs changing and they maybe point out words she should know how to spell.
It's so difficult to step back and let her get on with it!

My ds is in y2 as well. He doesn't like guessing at spellings so he always asks me how to spell words he is unsure of. So any work he gives in doesn't contain strange spellings. My youngest on the other hand writes more prolifically and will spell things however she sees fit. So I imagine teachers receive a wide range of spellings!

We are told to correct words they really should know but not new or more difficult words

This drove my parents mad back in the 70s - their argument being how was I going to learn I was misspelling a word if it wasn't pointed out.

My dd tends to do a draft copy and then a best copy of her stories and hands both in.

I just put a note at the end to let the teacher know what help they have needed. Sometimes I read it through with DD and write above if a word is nowhere near the correct spelling so the teacher can at least understand the writing which is usually lovely despite the spelling which is usually appalling!!