Just clarifying what I mean by "anything goes as long as they write something", my state's schools not only encourage inventive spelling but also feel kids should write however they like and on blank paper for the first few years. Teaching pencil grip or using lined paper makes it "too hard" to get started and its most important that they "just write something"... So handwriting AND spelling are ignored. And grammar, punctuation and everything else of course. As long as they write something....