Does the TA's mis-use of apostrophes REALLY not matter in Year 1?

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Dd has brought home a couple of worksheets this year which the TA has done, and which contain randomly inserted apostrophes. I've mentioned it to the teacher in passing (I haven't made an issue of it) and she has said she'll keep an eye on things.

Last week two of dd's home reading books were listed in her reading record book with apostrophe errors - one was written down as "Ben Get's Cross" and the other was "The Missing Shoe's". As I usually do I corrected them in dd's book, because she likes to copy things down and I'd prefer her to be doing it correctly even at this stage.

Her teacher called me over this morning to tell me that she'd noticed the corrections, and that she's mentioned it to the TA yet again. What made my jaw drop, though, was her comment that "Actually it doesn't really matter at this stage, the children are too young for it to be a problem just yet".

Now, I freely admit that I have a thing about misplaced apostrophes - but I'm amazed that the teacher thinks it doesn't matter. Surely children take these things in even at this age, especially if (like my dd) they like to write and copy things down? Plus dd is at an age where teachers are nothing short of god-like; they are always right, and she will take their word over mine any day because they're teachers and they know everything.

So do I let it go? Is it really something that doesn't matter at the age of 5 and 6? I can't quite believe that can be the case - what do you lot think?

Oh yes it does. Children absorb grammar and spelling from seeing it written down correctly. At primary level, the basics are being taught. While you would not expect perfection from your child, you should at the very least expect the adults to set the correct example.

One of the reasons I did not send dd to the school attached to her nursery was the appaling state of grammar in the notices sent home.

I used to correct them in my special teacher's red pen when i was a bit tiddly and send them back.

I remember being mortified at primary school when my dad sent my spelling book back after having corrected the teacher's spellings in red pen.

I think it does matter wwb - see the discussion on the other thread about written work. Children absorb a lot of grammar and punctuation just from reading.

I would say it matters a lot, why to teach them wrongly and then the poor teacher next year spend plenty of time correcting the previous teacher's mistakes instead of concentrating in what she/he is meant to teach at that grade?

Have to say that my English grammar is a disaster so I can not help DS very much so, if the teachers are not doing their job right, he is in problems hence my decission not to send DS to the school across the street (Very good Oftead report with the exception of writing).

I would expect that if you are a TA at least you know how to write...

Absorb ... you both used exactly the same word I did to the teacher this morning. They do absorb these things, even if they aren't sitting down actively studying them.

I haven't made a fuss because I don't want to be an embarrassing parent, but I do think that the teacher needs to take this more seriously than she is.

me too. Get's is very strange

Of course it matters - at any age! Would you talk to your toddler ungrammatically? When he says "I comed" do you not respond "Yes, you came"?

Yes it matters. DD1 is in Yr 1. She is not a precociously bright child by any means, but she is already beginning to grasp that apostrophes are used to signify possession or, as DH rather nicely puts it, some letters that have been stolen. She would find 'Ben Get's Cross' very confusing. I would find it teeth clenchingly annoying.

WWB i would take it to the head actually if you're not satisfied with the teacher's response.

It's one thing for a mistake to be made but another to then brush it off and say it's not an issue.

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all.

I'd be cross - of course it matters! They are absorbing and learning things all the time! There is no way I'd drop it. If the teacher didn't think it was an issue I'd see the head.

Of course it matters.
I had teachers like tis at primary - correcting my correct sentences.

In fact, I know that ds is being taught punctuation this year so it must matter, even for the teachers in Yr1 iyswim!

like this

yes it matters, it matters a lot. what else does your teacher think is not important at this age? she is probably rather embarrassed that her TA makes such errors and that you pointed them out, and quite rightly so. i'd make a big deal of it. does the TA also say 'was you' instead of 'were you' i wonder.

Definitely matters. She's learning to read and write, it needs to be right.

We haven't had any other issues with the teachers this year - not yet, anyway! The TA is actually the one-to-one for one of dd's classmates who is deaf, so I think the teacher tends to think that anything she does for the other children is a bonus. The class TA is much better, but of course that's no consolation when it's the one-to-one who is writing this stuff in their books.

We have used this as a way of introducing apostrophes to dd, so maybe it's not all bad! We've told her that they show that something is missing, or that something belongs to someone, and I think she's started to grasp the idea of the missing letter.

I think I'll take it up with her teachers again first and see whether I get a more positive response when I can speak to the two of them together - she has two teachers, and the other one seems rather more proactive than the one I spoke to this morning. If not then I'll have a word with the head.

What an odd response from the teacher! Surely it's the job of 5 minutes to explain/remind the TA of the rules for the use of apostrophes (unless she has learning difficulties).

If the teacher is too embarrassed to do this, or the TA isn't picking it up then the teacher should be proof reading any written work that the TA sends home.

My mum's head teacher is dyslexic so gets my mum or another teacher to proof read anything she writes because it is IMPORTANT - doesn't matter the age imo.

What an odd response from the teacher! Surely it's the job of 5 minutes to explain/remind the TA of the rules for the use of apostrophes (unless she has learning difficulties).

If the teacher is too embarrassed to do this, or the TA isn't picking it up then the teacher should be proof reading any written work that the TA sends home.

My mum's head teacher is dyslexic so gets my mum or another teacher to proof read anything she writes because it is IMPORTANT - doesn't matter the age imo.

So important that I said it twice....

You're absolutely right to be concerned, WWB. You really should say something to the teacher. And don't worry about being embarrassing - surely that's part of the parent job description?

Of course it doesn't matter. They're 6, it's not going to scar them for life. The teacher has mentioned it to the TA, what do you want her to do? Make the TA write out "I must not misuse apostrophe's" 100 times?

I completely agree with you WWB. Of course it matters. When ds was in year 1 the TA would say things like "We was looking for you" [grrr]

Also the teacher would write things like "James was abscent" I would circle the offending spelling and put a sad face in the margin. She was crap anyway

LOL at your corrections Jammy!

What do I want her to do? I don't know really. I was just surprised at the casual attitude of the teacher, and wondered how other parents (who may not be such apostrophe pedants!) felt about such things. To me it's important that children are taught these things properly, particularly given that in a few years time they will all be writing things down as "Gr8" and "c u l8r" - I'd like her to have a good understanding of grammar and punctuation before that happens.

I don't think for one moment it will scar them for life - of course I don't! I do think, though, given dd's propensity for copying down everything she sees, that it would be better for things to be written down correctly. There's not much excuse for getting it wrong when all she has to do is copy the title of the book down - the correct punctuation is right there in front of her!

The teacher has mentioned it to the TA before and nothing has changed - why would talking to her again make a difference this time, particularly if the teacher doesn't seem that fussed about it? What happens when this TA moves up into Year 2, 3 or beyond with the boy she is one-to-one for and is still writing "get's" in the children's reading records? I would rather this was corrected now than later, even if it means that the TA has to be taught how to use apostrophes. Maybe 100 lines isn't such a bad idea ...

Well if you don't learn correct punctuation at school, where are you going to learn it?