I feel in a tricky position at the moment. So any advice and wise words would be very helpful.
My son has just started Year 3 and has spelling homework for the first time.
The teacher printed out a note to parents explaining how they should do their homework.
“Each week we will be looking at a spelling rule in class…please practice the rule….they could also practice writing the word in sentences….children are expected to practice reading to an adult at least three times a week.”
Many people get confused about how to use practice and practise. The rule is that practise with an “s” is a verb. Practice with a “c” is a noun.
But the teacher got it wrong – three times.
Now, although I love grammar, I also love being polite. So I only go around correcting people in two circumstances:
1) They ask
2) They are my children. (And I’ll blog about that tomorrow).
I’m unsure whether to add a third category…people who teach spelling and grammar to the aforementioned children.
I don’t want to annoy the teacher and be the subject of staff room gossip. I have blogged before about the fact I feel sorry for teachers who didn’t learn grammar at school. However, I also think that it’s something she should check if she isn’t sure of it.
So what should I do? Should I write a quick, breezy note explaining the difference? Should I correct it? Or let it go?
Maybe the best solution would be to wear one of these to parents’ evening?
