Spelling and grammar test/home study?

Question

Do you think if a test that included these subjects were a part of an adoption home study many PAPs would be approved to be parents?

Just wondering. I see so many 'well educated' and 'wealthy' PAPs who have terrible spelling, grammar, and communication skills.

Answer 1

Yes as well as extensive psychological tests to see if they're emotionally stable. To many unstable weirdo's are permitted to adopt.   I have met and seen many IA ap's and pap's and wouldn't want them adopting me. Too many are just delusional.

I don't think its fair that children be adopted and taken out of their country by white women that are morbidly obese as well. It does factor in to the emotional well being of a child.  I'm not trying to be mean but its about whats in the best interest of children.

Edit: for those that say well look at some birth mothers. I say they went through a pregnancy. Its hard not to gain weight.   Also, giving birth is a woman's right, adopting isn't.  They are being placed with you and yes, our society should expect the highest standards in a-parents.

Answer 2

Only when they start requiring a license for anyone to procreate (and include your spelling/grammar test on that too).  Maybe then there would be less children available for adoption!

Answer 3

WOW-  I see a lot of bad grammar and communication skills here on yahoo, and I can be very sure that all are not considering adopting.  Boy, speaking of generalizing?  Do you think that a PAP should not be considered for adoption, for generalizing?  I know that you wish you had not been adopted, but please. What if you could not have a child of your own, wouldn't you consider adoption if the PAP mispeled a worde.  I know I did not spell the last two words right, I did that on purpose.

Answer 4

Wow...We would have been so screwed. My spelling is terrible.... Thankfully, I can be a good parent while being a crappy speller.

But, if you are talking about the "wer cin I found a babii to addopt fer reel cheep".... Then I will agree with you!

Answer 5

Wha chew talkin 'bout? I talk real good!

Seriously, I think your question is very funny, but I don't think that should be an absolute criterion (perhaps a consideration, though). Yes, poor English bothers me, but ignorance about adoption loss bothers me a lot more.

Answer 6

What does literacy have to do with spelling and grammar?  They are separate issues.  I guarantee that a large number of top people in all areas of life, including Pulitzer winners, can't spell well.  Spelling actually uses a different section of the brain than grammar or reading or thinking.  Given that I have a brain injury, I can certainly attest to it.

Answer 7

I think I spell just fine, thanks. I don't agree with creating an unnecessary standard like proper spelling and grammar. That's what educators are paid for. My mom spells terribly, but I've surpassed her in educational progress.

I think the focus should definitely be more on nurturing abilities. Can you love a child? Can you handle stressful situations? The list obviously goes on and on... Why bother with something so petty? Are you saying that because I'm infertile and can't conceive on my own, that I should ultimately be able to spell "preposterous" before being approved? Gladly, I will, since that's exactly what such a notion sums up to...

Think about giving people a chance to have something they can't on their own and other people a chance to do the right thing... Here, I thought it was only the government and big corporations that created piles of useless stipulation and red tape that make it impossible for good, genuine people to accomplish anything worthwhile...

Answer 8

In the adoption applications, the essays, and many forms of required paperwork, the grammar is tested.  Maybe it's not called a grammar test, however, it gives a social worker some insight into the thinking processes of the adults, and first impressions can go a long way-good or bad.

My theory is, if people had to go through things before they got pregnant, like home studies, and making sure they had the emotional, mental, physical, and financial abilities to raise a child to it's fullest potential, there would be a LOT less babies and children in the world.

Answer 9

I read this and got a good laugh so thanks.  No I do not think that’s needed.  If it were then should we have children removed from their bio parents simple because their parents have poor spelling and grammar? Everybody has their strong and weak points.  Or as JL said only beautifully people can adopt.

I think at places like YA and other forum boards some people are more relaxed in their spelling and grammar because they know it really does not matter.  A lot of people online even use internet slang - r u ok? Thnx  4 send the pic, lol. Those who have poor grammar and spelling know it and I am sure have their work proofed for them if it’s going to be shown to someone or posted someplace it matters. Or they don’t have a job where they have to do a lot of writing.

Your right in what you said Fed Up. Some people who are against adoption would be fine and dandy if woman  who didn’t go beyond the 8th or 9th grade and had poor spelling and grammar decided to have a natural baby. But godforbid someone with poor spelling and grammar  decide they want to adopt.

Answer 10

i spell pretty well

Answer 11

oh now you've exhausted all your other jabs against PAPs and APs,  so  now you're resulting to commenting on spelling and grammar?

Pathetic, sorry... a new low of pathetic, even for you

BTW.. on the internet, in the interest of typing fast, most people just don't take the time to make their spelling and grammar perfect.. I know I CAN do alot better in the spelling and grammar department than I do sometimes when I quickly type something informal on the internet.. I assume that most people are better at spelling and grammar than their quickly typed internet posts would indicate.

Why don't they/we bother?? Because it's not necessary to get their point across..  Just like it's not necessary to type "Be right Back" in a chat room... so people just type BRB

Sorry.. gonna have to try harder.. that "dig" is pretty lame..

But, though it's a waste of my energy, I'll dignify your question with more of a response than it deserves.

Being literate, let alone having stellar spelling and grammar skills, is not essential to being a good parent.. Just ask your great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother.

Oh, and wouldn't YOU be one of the first to say that a PAP  won't make a better parent for a baby, just because they have a college education, and  better vocabulary, spelling, and grammar than the 14 year old who got herself pregnant and happens to be a couple years behind her class in English.... Eh?????  So, either your argument here is hypocritical, or you believe that the most important thing to being the "best" parent for a child is the ability to get pregnant.  LOL.. tell it to all the children who were abused by their biological parents..

ETA:

Don't know if you will actually see this, because it's so late, but, whatever.. Of course I don't stereotype and I don't believe that all relinquishing mothers are teens. I was using a hypothetical EXAMPLE.. comparing a 14 year old who struggles with English (she may be a genius in math) to a college educated person who has an excellent vocabulary and excellent spelling and grammar.. I was not even trying to say who was the better parent.. I was simply pointing out that YOU would surely say that it's the teen, who HAD the baby.. So either your derision of PAPs who aren't experts in grammar, etc, is incredibly hypocritical....or your standard of being the best parent is the ability to get pregnant.. which is ridiculous, as anyone horribly abused by their bio family would tell you..

Yes, I should have said "always done incredibly well in English courses" so noted.  As I said..give me an English test, I'll ace it.... but I don't always proofread my internet posts 2 or three times.. I have a life... sorry... and also, proofreading happens to be my job.. so you'll forgive me for not proofreading something like an answer to a question that is so pathetically lame it doesn't really deserve one.  I get my fill of proofreading 8 hours a day, thanks

But it was fun to write, nevertheless..that's why I did it.

Answer 12

So you're saying that someone has to be able to spell, write grammatically and communicate in a written format in order to be a good parent?

That's a parental requirement I haven't heard of before.

ETA: I'm sorry, where did I say anything about $$$?  I'm saying that written communication/spelling is not everyone's strong suit, even if they are educated.  I know plenty of excellent doctors that can't spell (or write legibly) worth a d**n.  Doesn't mean they are bad doctors.  

I realize that you want to put every limitation possible on adoptive parents because you want adoptions not  to happen at all.  But if written communication should be a requirement for adoptive parents, how about birth parents too?

Good for the goose, good for the gander, right?

ETA2: I have an idea.  How about we require a beauty standard for adoptive parents too?  I'm not talking about hygiene or obesity, but only attractive people should be able to adopt.  Homely or plain people just shouldn't apply because everyone knows that physical beauty=excellence in parenting.  Right?  After all, adoptive parents need to be at the highest standards!

Answer 13

How about instead of insulting each other, we take the time and effort and put it towards our children, make sure they are well educated in spelling, grammar and communication skills.

Answer 14

No.  One of my favorite pastimes is reading poorly written, inarticulate, uneducated baby begging letters and Y!A QAs from sanctimonious PAPs who are trying to sell their superior qualifications as parents.  I take the greatest delight in those that are from college educated people who do excellent in English.

JUST KIDDING!  Seriously, the screening for PAPs needs some serious upgrading judging from some of the uneducated (10 thumbs up for "spyd"!) and poorly written responses, questions, and blogs that I have seen on the Internet.

Answer 15

good grief, sunny.  you act like smarts are a big deal.

stoopit peeple R kewl, tu.

Answer 16

If you are referring to haphazard spelling and grammatical errors on the internet, well I don't see that as an accuate judge of someone's intelligence. I think a lot of the errors simply come down to people typing quickly. I'm sure when they write memos or briefs to the big bosses, they are spellchecked at least twice.

While we are on the subject, how does subpar spelling and grammar impact a child's wellbeing? OMG, that adoptive mom said "I don't have none!" That child will be scarred for life.

ETA 1: Most international programs do not allow obese people to adopt, in fact most have an absolute weight limit. China was probably the most lenient, however, now that they have pumped up their rules, overweight people can no longer apply.

ETA 2: And who said anything about first moms? Independant, you are the one who took that shot.

Answer 17

I agree with Sunny  that Fed Up should have used an adverb instead of the word excellent in his/her final sentence.  So much for the college edumacation.  Maybe he/she can get his/her money back.

And yes.  I DO think there should be some kind of intelligence testing for PAP's.  Nobody wants to be raised by an idiot.

Typo's are one thing, everybody has typo's now and than but to quote Forest Gump's mother, "Stupid is as stupid does."

It's supposed to be a "better life", remember?

Answer 18

I'm always entertained by your questions.

i thenk i speel reel gud.

Answer 19

Well you know, if you can't spell worth a c**p or construct a coherent sentence, chances are a prospective employer won't trust you enough to give you a job, because quite frankly, it DOES make you look like an idiot.

But I guess placing you with the care and oversight of a human being is ok, because who cares if you are stupid if you have enough love in your heart?

Answer 20

I think Spyder deserves 50 thumbs up.  d**n limits anyway!

I do see one area where spelling and grammar could potentially be a "bad sign" in this area.  As one answerer pointed out, if this were part of the process, adoption agencies would make sure people passed.  Which tells me it's not all that hard (compared to raising children, I'd say learning spelling and grammar is pretty d**n easy - even if you have to look up stuff every time you sit down to the computer).  Which then leads me to believe that some folks don't feel the need to put in much effort to learning proper spelling and grammar.  I'm not talking about people who make common mistakes, but in general, they seem to have a decent mastery of the English language - but those who just don't seem to even care.  This then leads me to wonder how much "care" they will have for raising a child, learning about adoption loss, figuring out what their kids need...after all, it takes a whole lot more effort to figure those things out than it does to use the spell check on the computer.

Not saying that people with bad grammar are going to make horrible parents.  I'm sure I make mistakes on a regular basis.  But it stands to reason that if a person isn't interested in putting in the effort to do something simple, one might wonder if they're willing to put in the effort to do something intensely difficult.

ETA:  I can't speak for all AP's or PAP's, but I don't claim to be giving my future children a "better life".  I mean, I sure will try, but as you well know, there's always that possiblity that my kids could come from a rich family, or a family where they tend to have more of an education (I have my associates, and my husband just has his HS diploma), or whatever.  It's less likely when adopting from foster care, for sure, but there are no guarantees.  I LOVE what Kassie said on another question:  "I'm a messy patch on a big hole."  I'm no better than my child's natural family.  I'm there because they need someone...it's my job to be the best I can be...not to be BETTER than anyone else.  I'm not competing.

Answer 21

I think if a spelling and grammar test was included agencies would offer, for a "small" extra fee, a series of test prep classes. The agencies would probably apply for grants to pay for a new person on their staff who was qualified to grade the tests.  And (Yes, I started a sentence with a conjunction!) people who don't seem to be qualified would somehow pass the test and be able to adopt.

Every child deserves a loving, stable home with parents who can communicate at least in their own language.  :)