By Gavin Mackintosh And Chris Williamson
Several Uk Primary school parents have very poor spelling, a research by the eye of media.com have found.
Parents of primary school students completed the last assessment of primary school end of year primary school sats exams, to assess their exposure and ability to help or inspire their children.
The exercise began over the summer, and was conducted in the homes of some parents, and other times by assembling parents of primary school children identified through surveying. Parents were sometimes selected outside primary schools by some of our enthusiastic researchers, keen to establish where they are academically. After an initial assessment of the parents understanding of English sats questions, they were presented with a group of words drawn from various sources used to teach primary school children. Over 73 % of a random 100 were generally poor at spelling, unable to spell basic words like dissatisfaction, disappointment, preposition, ambition, or endeavour.
Shockingly, 77% of them could not spell the word embarassed, most of them confused as to whether it should have one or two s’s. A disappointing 81% of them could not spell the word ‘insufficient’, making it no surprise that many primary school students have very bad spelling. All primary schools must broaden their scope of spelling training to their children to prevent them becoming next to hopeless adults who can’t spell. Adults who suffer from dyslexia are different, and must be judged completely differently. Although, in many cases bad spelling comes from insufficient exposure to a wide range of words young children need to be exposed to from an early age.
Children can perfect their spellings if they are taught well, and in an interesting atmosphere that encourages them to want to learn more and perfect their spelling. Increased spelling exercise for primary school children will also broaden their knowledge of the the words whose spelling they are learning. The findings show that more and more parents are having children at an age when they themselves have very little academic or self taught development. Primary school pupils are generally under tested , despite the view by some that they are young children who should not be pushed too hard. The reality is that primary school students are generally not tested enough, and the testing that occurs is usually not as wide enough as necessary to secure a solid foundation upon which they can comfortably build when they get to secondaty school.
Apart from children with a genuine neurological problem, there should be no reason or excuse why any adult raised in the Uk should generally have poor spelling, or be unable to write a decent letter to any official person or body. Parents pulled from the streets during their usual hussle and bussle of life were paid £5 to conduct the survey, whilst many parents known to any of the researchers volunteered to participate free of charge. Parents whose children have been put in care often have had limited academic input in the lives of their children, those poor children will havew to rely on whatever their foster parents have to offer in the way of extra traiing. Research shows that educated parents who contribute positively and dedicate time to their children’s progress, produce the brightest children in primary and secondary schools. Outside of this valuable family support, primary school children left to the school don’t develop fast.
Only children who take a particular interest in reading books privately may counteract the negative effects of having parents who can’t spell or write fluently. Primary schools that understand the unfair vacuum left in the lives of children from weak homes, should take on the full duty of providing thorough training to children , making allowance for the possibility that secondary school may otherwise become a pointless journey marked by distractions and negative influences that can ruin their future. Children of affluent and educated parents who attend private primary schools are many, but still a tiny minority of the British population. They get committed and bright teachers who will bring out the best from them and ignite their best development and performance. Those children are better driven and motivated because they know they are in school to get a real education which their parents pay for.
Parents, teachers, and primary school pupils will benefit from understanding the natural extent of their disadvantage, so that they can jointly work hard to compensate for it, and improve the prospects of young people in Britain today and for the future.