As somewhat of an aside, for my oldest DD, who is likely dysgraphic, combining spelling and vocabulary for a grade would be a nightmare. She can tell you the definitions but can't spell her way out of a paper bag. (In fact, her VCI was her highest score on the WISC with all of the subtest being equal.) Unfortunately, the emphasis on spelling and her perfectionism actually hindered her writing. She had an extensive vocabulary even as an infant, but when it came to writing, especially in early elementary school, she wouldn't use a word she couldn't spell.
For my middle DD, I am currently not happy with her teacher's choice of combining vocabulary with spelling since instead of enrichment it becomes a punishment. Specifically, they take a spelling pretest on Monday. If they miss 4 or more words on the pretest, they then have to define every single spelling word. If they miss fewer than 4 words, they only have to define the words they misspelled and 5 bonus words. Then, they are never evaluated on vocabulary. So, what this means in her class is that there are natural spellers who don't necessarily know what the words mean (and don't have to learn), and others who know every definition but have to spend quite a while defining words.
Last edited by revmom; 12/04/11 03:33 AM.
