Friday, November 28, 2008

A POINTLESS PIECE OF HOMEWORK

No sooner do I praise the education my kids are receiving and the school goes and gives them something I have to complain about! Typical!
Marcel was given this proofreading exercise to do as his homework this week. I have absolutely nothing against proofreading as an exercise for an 11 year old boy. It will instil both good spelling and attention to detail in him. But look at it:
  • Sean and Josie stood stil.  Just a momment erlyier a fox had crosed the
    parth, stoped and shakern itself.  Then it sliped quiertly away.  They
    waited in silense hopeing to sea it agen, but eventuly relised it must
    have herd them.
    
    Wen they reterned to the car park they sore a notise arsking visters not
    to disterb the creaters who might be breading at this time of year.  "I
    hope we didn't wurry that buteaful fox," said Joise.  "I'm shore we
    didert," replyed her frend, "but we'll go now and leave all the animles
    in piece."
    
This is completely pointless for a Scottish child. All these ridiculous 'r's added in that they would never have even considered adding meant it was way too simple for him. Spelling 'sure' as 'shore' and 'saw' as 'sore', given they don't sound at all alike with our accent, meant he didn't even realize what word was intended! If you want to check kids can spot spelling mistakes, remember where they are from and how it would sound if they read it aloud.

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