What would you do about teacher's errors in homework?

[TheBightyMoosh]

My DD is in reception and gets a small amount of homework. This week it's all about Goldilocks and the three bears. Only it's not - it's Goldilock's and the three bears. And it's in three places throughout the homework. Should I raise this with the teacher or should I let it go? I don't think my DD has noticed, to be honest but I am slightly concerned. What would you do? (Short of circling it all with a big red pen!)

My father continually corrected my English teacher's errors when I was at Grammar school ... I hated it!

She's a reception teacher, her class will not be learning about punctuation whilst under her tuition so I would just let it go.

My daughter recently had a piece of homework where the use of "their/there" was incorrect. I got my red pen out, crossed out and corrected. Really bad in Year 2 when they are actually being taught how to use it!

yes she should but anyone can make a mistake ... it's when they continue to make errors that there is a problem

Sorry, just checked her homework book and was actually you're being used instead on your !!! (Possibly slightly better, but not much!)

In homework: correct it.

Tippex. Polite and discrete.

Also if older than six.

In less formal situation:

Ignore

e.g.

My children had a reception teacher who was lovely, but also terrible at spelling. I never corrected her mistakes as they were always comments on the kids school work, accompanied by a smiley. e.g. You're drawing was great/Read Good.

The children were too young to really notice.

Any yes, that reply was a grammatical disaster.

I suppose the point I was making was the child will only have around 8 weeks left in her class, is it really worth making a big scene at this point?

Lots of lovely teachers/doctors/lawyers/hairdressers/chefs/people out there. But being 'lovely' doesn't mean that making fundamental errors in their jobs are acceptable or should be overlooked because no-one feels they're able to point them out for fear of upsetting anyone. Especially when those mistakes have a direct knock-on consequence.

It's not too much to expect a teacher to be getting this right. I don't think that just because children are too young to notice that it doesn't matter. If anything it matters more because they're being short changed. And even if they don't outwardly notice they'll absorb it on some level to be sure.

I would circle all the apostrophes with a red biro. I couldn't not .

I would correct it, I have done so before now - with an apology to the teacher! They knew I used to be a proof reader and knew that I just couldn't help myself. It never happened again

Proceed with caution OP. There's a lot more involved in being a good teacher than having a good working knowledge of punctuation, grammar and vocabulary. I agree that primary teachers should have these skills, but in the case of a reception teacher who is looking after your little girl the POSSIBLE consequences of pointing out her mistake might not be worth it.

You probably have a better idea of what the effect of pointing out her mistake might be than we do. If she has a problem with language skills she is highly likely to be embarrassed - that might or might not matter - but if the homework question was a careless mistake then it doesn't matter too much I'd have thought.

Well, if the COSLA statement about education (in Scotland) is to be believed, teachers should no longer be considered educators.

"Indeed, we would even suggest that the primary
role for a teacher should not be to teach children but should be articulated in terms of ensuring the development, well being, and safety of children"

I would say something, quietly.

Wow lots of responses! Thanks so much everyone. I certainly wouldn't consider making a big deal about it but I rarely see the teacher in question so my only option would be to write something in the homework book. I'm very surprised at the error as she comes across as very precise and particular - I'm sure she has no language issues. I know my DD won't be learning about apostrophes yet but I guess as someone said up-thread, it's about making sure it doesn't cause any confusion later.

Still in two minds about it but thanks for all the varying opinions!

erm my reception daughter would have noticed so I would have written a note making some such statement. (she noticed a typing mistake in her homework last week). My daughter has done apostrophes at school this term so some reception children will use them although perhaps not in that class if they haven't done them.

I also don't think that the fact that it's reception means it doesn't matter - some dc (mine included) knew what apostrophes were towards the end of reception and, besides which, this teacher might next year be teaching year two or year five. They do move around.

Next job for an eagle-eyed parent: point out the difference between 'discrete' and 'discreet' to the people writing curriculum brochures in many secondary schools - in regard to IT provision (as one example), they mean totally different things...

Totally 'opposite', I mean.

I teach R, I'd like to be told! there was a howler up on my wall once. No one said anything, I suddenly spotted it when talking to a parent. I used to be an editor before I taught - anyone can make mistakes!

I've just leant something too : looked up the different meanings between 'discrete' and 'discreet' - which I didn't know before! Thanks B&C!

In my second term as a TA, a Yr1 teacher doing letter V work, wrote on the board 'vacume cleaner'; I quietly pointed it out to her, and she was surprised it should be 'vacuum'. She also didn't know what a 'sloth' was!

[ Maybe MNers should collect examples of such errors, and send them to Michael Gove, with a copy to Lynne ('Eats, Shoots and Leaves') Truss. ]

Only joking (I think!).

[ My Linux computer seems to have an American spell checker, thus spells 'color', and doesn't like 'learnt'. ]

Please don't give Gove any more ammo he already wants to hunt us down! I agree one mistake should be let go, however much your red pen is twitching. You don't know who wrote the sheet and i'm guessing they were focusing on content. That said my dd in reception used an apostrophe in her homework today. She wrote 'i did it 6 time's'..... And i did apply the rubber....