Teacher corrects proper nouns in kid's homework sentences?

Question

My 2nd grader(public school) has a spelling list each week, and part of homework is to write detailed sentences using the words.
My kid write interesting sentences with details like when, why, how, where,who or when, and the sentences are grammatically correct plus make sense.

My kid likes to use slightly different spellings for proper nouns (only people names) sometimes than commonly accepted. For example: Lucie(Lucy), Engela (Angela), Juudie(Judy), Julien (Julian), Luois(Louis), Henree(Henry). And a few times, my kid used names like Reidgwin, Windeolin, Tierlor....The teacher either write the commonly accepted spelling, or puts a ? next to the weird/creative names. These are often the only corrections in the whole homework.
Kid says she wants to use her own spellings for imaginary people's names sometimes. I think my kid is right. Is she ?
Should I mention it to the teacher, or let it go and hope for a teacher with more imagination next year?

Please ignore some typos in the mail.
write/writes etc.

Answer 1

If the names are "imaginary", you should question this practice with the teacher.
If only customary spelling is required, the teacher should instruct the children.
I would be certain that your child does understand and can use customary spelling.

Answer 2

At 2nd grade, a teacher is going to typically correct anything that isnt the common spelling. The reason for this is that there is no way for them to know if something was spelled differently on purpose, or if the child is simply using phonetic spellings, and they are just wrong.

If anything, I would mention it at the next parent/teacher conference. I would be that the teacher still asks that the common spellings are used though.

Personally, I would say that if they need creativity, use the sentence as a whole to be creative. Keep the names of their subjects spelled commonly to show that they do know the common spellings.

Although, I do have to admit, that I think being creative with names is how we get people with names like River, and Rainbow, and many other hippie-related names :))

Answer 3

Any time you have a concern about what is going on in the classroom I would bring it up with the teacher. Making up names is perfectly acceptable in my opinion...authors do it all the time. Personally I find that often the "acceptable" spelling on personal names if more often than not correct...a name can be spelled anyway. I think if it were my child I would approach the teacher and let her/him know that your child does understand that there are more common spellings of the names she is using and does know the common correct spellings but since these are writing assignments she is taking poetic license in the use of different spellings and you would appreciate it if these particular spellings are not corrected as they are not wrong...but rather creative. (By the way, people are constantly asking me if I changed the spelling of my name because it is a very uncommon spelling...my mother did it to me :0...) Never wait to see if the situation improves with a new year...take care of this years problems this year.

And for Linda D.....do you have any idea of the number of "correct" spellings for the name Lynda, Lynnda.............or John or Susan or a million other "common" names?

Answer 4

Ok, I'm a second grade teacher and I am all about supporting creativity! I think maybe your chlid's teacher is just suggesting the normal spelling of the name. She may think your child is misspelling someone's name that she knows. Does the teacher count off points for this? If not, don't worry about it. If so, make a nice note at the bottom of the spelling paper that your child likes to be creative when spelling people's names. Leave it at that. She'll get the hint.

Answer 5

I think this is a battle that you have to let go. Since the teacher is not marking any points off for the creative spelling for names, and since they're just proper names, then nobody can be right or wrong. Have you looked in the paper lately to see how parents are spelling their children's names?! Kimberly is now Khymberleigh. Good grief.

Answer 6

You stated that this is SPELLING homework. Therefore, the teacher is absolutely right to ask that the proper nouns being used are spelled in their common/traditional form - FOR NOW! I also agree and understand your argument about creativity, however, this is NOT a creative writing class. Encourage your child to follow rules (real life is full of rules), but also encourage her creativity when it is appropriate and a spelling class is not the appropriate venue. Also, just a little advice from an old mom/grandma/teacher/children's book author - do not challenge a teacher's class authority over small inconsequential matters such as this because eventually you will erode your daughter's future respect for teachers and she will view education in a more negative light. Just think about the rules you have in your house/family and your daughter's friends' parents would question you about how you use them in your home and believe that their children should not have to follow your rules in your home....so, it's not a matter of having a more creative teacher next year, it's about what is appropriate methodology for specific subjects. Now from a children's book author's perspective, in the meantime, encourage your child to write stories using fanciful settings, plot and characters for her creative outlet - have her keep a portfolio of her stories. She sounds like a bright and intelligent child and as such she needs to also know the appropriacy and timeliness of her actions. Be a partner to the teacher not an adversary because she and you both have the same goals - educating your daughter. Here's an excerpt from an amazing book that every parent should read - it's called "In Defense of Elitism" by Wm.A.Henry - a book that shows how we are dumbing down our children..." Parents no longer teach respect/reverence for authority and learning. Many of them arrive at teacher conferences loaded for bear, prepared to treat any shortcomings of their child's as exclusively the fault of the school...students reared on Sesame Str. expect learning to be chirpy, funny, swift-paced and full of entertainment...they have far less patience than their parents had for such "wearisome" tasks such as spelling, grammar, memorization...and whereas schools in the 50's focused on stimulating the brightest, schools today focus on bringing the backward students up to speed and therefore do not have time to encourage the brighter students"...

Answer 7

I would definately let your child's teacher know what is going on. The creativity your child is showing may not be recognized by the teacher because as other's before have said, 2nd grade teachers (and students) typically use common spellings. So talk to the teacher, it couldn't hurt!

Answer 8

Your child is creative, imaginative, and obviously well-read. Please don't let one tired teacher get her down. It probably isn't worth mentioning to the teacher. S/he seems inclined to be close-minded.

Answer 9

Are you serious....................... if you refuse to demand your daughter follow the rules - then why send her to school.....
School is a place to learn the 'correct' ways to do things. Your daughter needs to follows the rules!
If she wishes to change names - let her do that at home, but please, as the parent you're supposed to be, inform your daughter when she turns in homework she MUST use the correct spellings!!!!!!!!!!
Speak to the teacher all you want; rules are rules!!!!!!!!!!!!
Follow the rules or send your daughter to an 'imaginary' school.........................