Really random but a Question about spelling/letter writting..

[KayBea]

this is just a really weird ramble but i cant stop thinking about it.

Admin feel free to move this.

So earlier today we were at my sisters for my LOs bday party, my nephew was sulking (hes 13) so i asked what was up & stop being a grump.

he said he misses his best mate(call him J) as he went home yesterday. (J lives in wales but comes to visit his dad who lives next to my nephew every school holiday).

so i said well ring/text him. but he cant as J has left his phone here in England.

so i said go next door & ask for his address/email & send him a letter & ask him to contact you via email or write back, give him your mobile number so he can call/text if he gets another phone.

my nephew turned round to me & said i cant write a letter, i dont know how & i never have done :S


do they not teach this in school anymore?
ive noticed his spelling is REALLY bad. he asked me how to spell 'abroad' earlier... hes 13!

i asked why he cant spell it & he said because when hes texting his phone changes the spelling if its wrong (predictive text) as does his laptop & school computers if hes doing his homework etc etc..

i am sooo confused. why are they not teaching spelling in school? he claims hes not had spelling tests? i had them every week at his age, i knew how to spell pretty long words etc. whay are the not getting kids to write letters etc?

or am i just showing my age?

im pretty sure hand written letters sent by 'snail mail' will be gone in the next few years..

no idea what the purpose of this is, but maybe some parents of teens can help or any teachers? xx

 

[special_kala]

Spelling and language is definitely a big part if the curriculum from 5+.

 

[babyjan]

We had spelling tests in primary school so by the age of 13 most of us knew had to spell pretty well, my sister is 13 and I'm pretty sure she can spell.

I just remembered that brother who is 6 always comes home with so much homework of spellings x

 

[smokey]

I remember having spelling tests every monday in school and learning to write letters when we where about 8 but once I got into high school at 11 we never did anything like that.
I was never even taught proper grammer in high school so my spelling got worse as I got older.
I think its just somthing alot of schools assume they dont need to keep teaching ie once learnt always knows sort of thing but its not, its somthing that needs to keep being drilled in or you forget it over time.
I think alot of high school over look the basic education of spelling, reading and maths as somthing already taught and end up just putting it down to learning difficulties, lack of attention and dislexia when they just need to have further basic education along with the studies of their current schooling.

 

[tallybee]

My kids get spelling tests and spelling homework. They have stories to write etc. This is in P4 and P2.

 

[Eleanor ace]

Spelling and writing for various purposes (including letter writing) are part of the curriculum. I don't know about spelling tests in KS3+, they may well not have spelling tests as primary students do.

 

[clarebo9]

My 13 year old has a spelling test every week and get the next set of words for the following week, maybe he is just not bothering?!?

 

[KayBea]

maybe he just isnt bothering..
it just shocked me that he didnt even know how to write a letter... :/

thanks for the replies
xx

 

[emyandpotato]

Children at that age often find things like letter writing really awkward and feel embarrassed by it or think that their friends may find it stupid. I know I'd have been embarrassed to write a letter at that age! It's likely just an excuse to get you to drop the subject. As for spelling, yes that's taught in schools, as is letter writing, though the latter only briefly.