One of the most basic subjects taught in the Amish classroom is spelling...and, I'd be prepared to wager that there are many Amish children who can spell better than my own. So, it got me thinking...I recently had the pleasure to proofread an advanced scholarly paper which summarized over fifty years of approaches to spelling success. And, while some may just rely on a spell check, the reality is that SAT exam essays and many essays for scholarships depend on long hand writing and the spelling abilities of the individual. To summarize the paper that I read, the best thing that young students (or really anyone who wants to improve) can do to strengthen spelling skills is to write, yes on paper with a pencil, and to circle any word they create which doesn't look right at the time. The purpose is to not interrupt the flow of writing thought. And, students learn proper spelling far better when it is part of the context of their own writing. According to research, all of the old standbys of spelling lists, memorization, etc. failed in the face of circling and going back to respell...researchers called it developing a "spelling conscience." I was really impressed by both the paper and the cumulative research. As a former English teacher (and yes, I miss teaching badly), I would highly suggest adopting this spelling conscience in your home, knowing that you have opportunity to create advanced spellers for their tomorrows...

P.S. Yesssss, I know that I have misspelled words on Facebook...sigh...but that makes a good teacher, one who's always willing to make mistakes and learn!