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4. The right to developmentally appropriate education in spelling
Everyone from parents to pundits seems pretty comfortable with the idea that invented spelling works well for young children since it enables them to write, while older children should be working toward the greater level of correctness that society will expect of them (with an ultimate goal of 100% correct spelling in final drafts). We need to remember, however, that this is a continuum that is really more about the characteristics of development than about age. A typical first grader who knows the spelling of only a few dozen words will, of course, need to invent many spellings; a typical fifth grader who spells 90% of words correctly even in a first draft can work towards a well-edited final draft. With the first grader, we would provide a lot of time for reading and writing, with a little attention to how to find words in books when editing; with the fifth grader, we would concentrate on developing an editing expert with strong dictionary skills and high expectations.
But what about the fifth grader whose spellings in first-draft writing are 40% inventions, even when we know she's working to the best of her ability? Teachers are often too quick to focus on where a child should be in her development rather than where she is. Developmentally appropriate education involves asking ourselves where a particular child is and what will help her most to develop from that point. We are, of course, concerned about the fifth grader with a lot of invented spellings, but expecting a fifth-grade level of performance at this point won't do her any favors; she needs the same kind of experiences that have supported younger children in their development.
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