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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Yr1 letter reversal in spellings - how strictly are they marked?

19 replies

LadyMuck · 19/01/2009 15:59

I'm trying to remember what the norm is for Year 1 as I'm sure that ds1 wasn't marked so harshly.

Ds2 has had his weekly spelling test. He got all of the words correct except that he reversed the letter "s", so he has ended up getting 6/10 purely due to the letter reversal, which has left him rather disappointed (he rarely gets all 10 correct and he thought that he had this week).

He's a summer born boy so is still 5. What is the normal expectation? Ds2's teacher is new to Year 1, and has admitted not being used to some aspects.

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emkana · 19/01/2009 16:03

I think that's ridiculous personally, he should not have been marked own for that.

emkana · 19/01/2009 16:03

I think that's ridiculous personally, he should not have been marked own for that.

Mercy · 19/01/2009 16:07

Dd didn't have spelling tests as such in Yr so I think it is a bit on the harsh side.

Different story by Yr2 though!

Feenie · 19/01/2009 16:17

I'm a primary teacher with experience across both key stages, and I think that's ridiculous!

Mind you, I think spelling tests in Y1 are also ridiculous - and I am a Literacy co-ordinator. The idea in Y1 is to help an enthusiasm for writing grow and thrive - how can that happen under those circumstances?

GreenEggsAndSpam · 19/01/2009 16:30

Not a teacher, but saddened that your DS has to do spellings and be tested every week at age 5 . As Feenie said, at this age, it should be all about encouraging writing, not penalising imperfections. I thought schools were moving away from spelling tests at infant level as it was shown not to be effective - and in your DS's case sounds more harmful than beneficial.
What is the school's general culture like?

Original poster

LadyMuck · 19/01/2009 17:10

Thanks for the feedback. I might ask to ensure that ds2 can see what he calls a "letter line", or some sort of visual prop of what the letters look like. I did make the point loudly to ds2 that he had in fact spelled all the words correctly!

Usually the school is very good at being positive in most respects. I think here that it is mainly down to a teacher who is new to year 1 being rather overstrict.

I shall have to consider my repsonse carefully. Actually ds1 still reverses letters in Year 3 yet I'm not sure that he gets marked down for it.

OP posts:

Hulababy · 19/01/2009 17:56

In Y1 and \y2 in DD's school the teachers don't mark down for reversed letters in selling. With things like b/d the teacher may well just check with the child they were trying to write the correct one.

Letter reversal is very common at this stage and he shouldn't be penalised for it IMO.

Original poster

LadyMuck · 20/01/2009 09:05

Hmmm, I've just checked DS1's spellings and he hasn't got marked down for a letter reversal, so it does seem a bit strict. I'll ask for some visual prompt on his desk though as that will probably help with all of his work.

OP posts:

seeker · 20/01/2009 09:50

Outraged on so many levels I don't know where to start!

Marne · 20/01/2009 09:52

That seems a little harsh.

Dd1 (reception) keeps getting pulled up for writing her 'y's' wrong (she writes them as they are on the pc, more of a v shape IYKWIM)

Original poster

LadyMuck · 20/01/2009 12:09

Seeker .

I think that I came to the conclusion that actually I was more annoyed than ds2 was. I guess one has to pick one's battles. I suspect that my comment to ds2 (which was deliberately loud enough to be overheard) may have put my point across but we shall see.

OP posts:

dilemma456 · 20/01/2009 13:22

Message withdrawn

melissa75 · 21/01/2009 09:59

I too have taught year one and thnk spelling tests are a bit ridiculous. But the law says they must be done! In ref to letter reversals, I think it depends on the child and the situation, if they had been working on say the letter s and making sure they were getting it the right way round, and if they had been told before doing the test that they would get it wrong if they did it the wrong way round, then I do not see it as a problem, but to give no warning and no upleading practice is not fair I do not think. I would speak to your childs teacher if I were you to find out what happened and what their justification was for doing so.

Feenie · 21/01/2009 10:31

"I too have taught year one and thnk spelling tests are a bit ridiculous. But the law says they must be done!"

Erm........no, it doesn't!

seeker · 22/01/2009 19:53

They don't do spelling tests at my ds's school. They have been proved to make very little difference to the children's spelling - it only imporves their ability to pass spelling tests. My dd got 100% in spelling tests all through primary school and her spelling remains appalling.

Smithagain · 22/01/2009 19:55

6/10 when he actually got all the spellings right What a way to motivate a 5 year old

Hulababy · 22/01/2009 20:03

I would ask his teacher for some suggestions to helpign your hild with the letter reversal. Explain that he/you feels it is unfair to get spellings wrong, when he does know the correct spelling but finds it difficult to form the letter. IMO the two shouldn't be tested at the same time. And can she recommend any support to help your son, rather than just marking him down week after week. What is SHE doing to help him?

melissa75 · 22/01/2009 21:00

oh Feenie, must people on here take things SO seriously...I was talking about management

Feenie · 22/01/2009 21:03

Whatever

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