Are you a parent who is chagrined by the way children spell online these days?
Text messaging, instant messaging, Facebook posts, and website fora are replete with acronyms ('BRB' for 'be right back'), abbreviations ('wkend' for 'weekend'), spelling errors ('chor' for 'chore'), and purposeful phonetic spellings ('u' for 'you).
This lingo is slowly but surely pervading formal communication, much to the consternation of educators.
No matter how much adults rave that spelling help for kids is an urgent need, these shortcuts to commonly used words in this technological age seems to be here to stay.
The abbreviations, kids reason, are punched in faster, and serve their purpose – that is, they get their message across, and they are understood by their peers.
Verily, spoken and written languages change to indicate socio-cultural evolution, but:
- 'the beliefs that correct spelling gives writing credibility, and that developments in technology have not replaced the need for spelling knowledge, hold true today' (New South Wales Department of Education and Training, in Young, 2007).
Parents hope that the kids will soon outgrow these fads, or at least know when to revert to formal communication when needed.
If you can't take the tech lingo away from them, you can provide spelling help for kids by purchasing spelling software that will keep their orthography in line.
The popular Ultimate Spelling software, for instance, is a downloadable program that can be used like an online dictionary but has much more useful features.
As it is installed into the computer, your child can consult it anytime – they can view the correct spelling, the various meanings and usages, and the correct pronunciation.
Not only that – you can use the Ultimate Spelling software in conjunction with other computer software such as spell checkers, talking word processors, and word prediction programs – especially for children who have reading disabilities.
Some of the spelling software, though, has certain limitations. Word processors with spell checkers, for instance:
- 'have been shown to assist students in spelling, but due to the necessity of spelling words close to their correct spelling, such assistance is limited, particularly for students who grossly misspell words' (Cullen, et al. 2008).
Talking word processors speak the words as they are typed, but as homonyms are pronounced the same, these devices may confuse the learner.
Word prediction software may be helpful in writing tasks, but adult supervision is still required to help a child select the appropriate spelling.
Computer software that offer spelling help for kids, when chosen carefully, can be a boon to children who are exposed to today's necessary – but sadly, incorrect – tech lingo.
References:
Young, K 2007, 'Developmental stage theory of spelling: Analysis of consistency across four spelling-related activities', Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 203-220
Cullen, et al. 2008, 'Using software to enhance the writing skills of students with special needs', Journal of Special Education Technology, vol. 23, no. 2, p. 33.