I also wonder about spelling in tests vs. spelling in actual work. I know perfectly well the difference between there, their, and they're and can get them right all the time on a test. But when I look back on my posts here, I see that I have used them wrong more than once. I am sure that I am so caught up in my profound thoughts that the edit function of the brain takes a back seat. My fingers are just typing the sounds I am hearing in my head and my higher brain is working on the idea and there is no part of my brain that is left to make sure I follow the rules.
I see DS doing this all the time in the stories he writes. When you have a kid trying to work out a big intersting idea and his fingers aren't keeping up with his brain anyway, it seems unfair to also ask him to stop and review spelling. It's just an obstacle to the writing process. If the work ever goes from a rough to a final draft that is when you get a chance to think about the spelling.
