What am I missing with education these days?

Question

My son was homeschooled last year and we were very strict about his spelling and his grammar. We decided to let him go to a private school this year and we pulled him out last month to do homeschooling again. They actually told him that he could spell any way he wanted to, it didn't matter as long as they could decipher it. What is up with that way of thinking? This wasn't even a progressive type school... it was a Christian School using Abeka school books.

I am now having to go back and unteach him all these bad habits of spelling and writing and it's very frustrating for him.

My 15 year old has no clue how to spell anything, knows nothing about grammar and cannot read or write cursive handwriting (he is my step-son, we just got custody of him this year.) I can't believe that this happened to him. He tells me that when he was in 1st and 2nd grade that the teachers were unhappy with his parents because... more to come

Answer 1

Your doing the right thing in teaching him how to perfect his spelling.( He will soon learn to ablib once he becomes interested in the computer. Plently of time before that though) I taught my daughter the montessori method of teaching the spelling and language arts was superior to anything I could get my hands on. Also the math programme is fabulous. I do not believe in the newer methods of learning how towrite what you hear...I was taught to sound out..and learned the sounds..its as it should be.

Answer 2

Wow. That from a Catholic school? I always thought that that was something that public schools did...

Answer 3

Well, it's really the individual.  Some individuals are able to grasp things without much attention from others.  Others need motivation in order to accomplish anything.

Answer 4

I think you got unlucky with the Christian private school you went to. That is definitely unusual that a Christian private school would be so completely lax about grammar and spelling. I think you should call some other Christian schools and find out what ones are more serious about education than the one you went to. Good luck.

Answer 5

It is always important to check a school out before enrolling your child.  I feel that the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic should not be underplayed, but as the parent of one child that was talented and gifted and another child with developmental disabilities, their educations would provide me with the greatest learning experience of my life.  From the disabled child I learned that "conventional" education does not work for everyone.  From the gifted child I learned to pick battles and evaluate the overall importance of tasks.  My gifted child was always nagged (by me) to document his math problem progress, but when he began sixth grade his teacher was not encouraging this behavior.  When asked why, she explained that most of her students were beyond what the class was teaching and that they could usually look at a problem, evaluate and answer with only mental figuring.  If they were that capable, she figured it was a waste of their time to go into the details - they obviously had it.  Instead they showed their work only when their answer was wrong.  What I'm trying to say is that common skills are necessary, but being overly rigid does not encourage creative problem solving or later life flexibility that will enhance their family and career experiences.

Answer 6

I am in total agreement with you. My daughter, aged 10, is not being taught to spell. She has a "spelling test" every week, but isn't corrected any other time. I don't understand the thinking behind this theory, and we both see the result of these ides on YA's.

Sadly, my step-daughter was recently diagnosed with ADHD and her mom refuses to treat it, so I anticipate a similar situation to the one you're facing with your step-son. When parents refuse to help their children as much as possible, teachers give up on them, too.

My only solution is to work with my child to teach her to spell properly. I don't think that home-schooling is an appropriate solution for us; I'm happy that it's working for you.

Answer 7

NOW WAY!!!!! That school is totally stupid! I'm 15 years old and they are extremely strict on how our grammar and spelling is.

Somehow, I think this school is really dodgey. You should probably report them because they are teacher students wrong and

Answer 8

As a Public Library Director we come up against this all the time. Kids just can't spell. They make me and my staff crazy when they visit the library. One boy wanted to know how to spell school and he is in sixth grade. He sees it everyday as he walks into the building. They also can not tell time unless it is a digital clock. ( We have a regular one with Roman numerals and they can't read it). We are supposed to be there to supplement their education, but we end up teaching them ourselves. They have no idea how to use Dewey decimal system or how to ask for help.  We are so temped sometimes to drive by the teachers parking lots and throw dictionary's out the window. What are they teaching these kids? Without calculators, computers  the kids will be lost. No child left behind my foot, I wish they would learn the 3R'S.