Posted by Jock on January 20, 2008 at 23:33:41 from 87.105.81.146 user Jock.
In Reply to: Re: Introducing children to reading (was FLASHMAN) posted by Peter Ceresole on January 19, 2008 at 18:57:37:
I know this is the classic thought- that natural wonder is squashed by education. I guess the equivalent is the '60s slogan 'Don't think, feel'. I never reckoned it. I never resented being expected to spell and punctuate properly; it was an exciting new skill, in the same way that discovering science and applying it to life and the universe made it all more wonderful, not less...
Let's hear it for proper grammar, and spelling...
Gosh, as a founder member of the TarBoard "Can't spell, won't spell!" Society, I can't let this go without a comment. Yes, I think that punctuation is important. It is closely related to logic and meaning. But the same cannot be said for spelling. English spelling, which was standardised, but never properly rationalised, is a real mess. It is part of the secret code that helps keep foreigners and lower class people in their place. It discourages literacy and creativity. The triumphant way in which TarBoarders used to pounce on each others' spelling mistakes kept me from posting anything myself for a long time. However, this was 10 or more years ago and these days, while it is customary to admit to one's own mistakes, it is considered rather Owdonish to point out the spelling slips of others. Hooray!
As for school itself, I did have some teachers who had the ability to inspire an interest in the subject they taught and even one or two who encouraged me to think. Then were a few who were bullies or sadists. But the great majority were just repeating a ritual that their great, great grandfathers had invented when the Empire needed more administrators and the factory and mine owners needed human computers who didn't ask awkward questions and could spell.
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