I am rather frustrated because of the difficulties I'm having with 12yo dd over prepared dictation. She keeps insisting that "prepared dictation doesn't work for learning to spell" (with a sassy tone in her voice), and she does not want to put more than two or three minutes into actual preparation before I dictate to her. She tells me (again, in a nasty tone) that she has known these words for several years, yet when she does not spend time studying, she does misspell several words. Today, I told her to sit and study the passage (a portion of the Declaration of Independence) for a longer period of time--about 7 to 10 minutes--and she only misspelled one or two words. This is typical: when she insists that 2 minutes of study is enough, she misses 10 or more words in a passage.
I recall trying to explain to her why we use prepared dictation, but she doesn't want to revisit that. In previous years, she had a spelling workbook with a list of 20-25 words that were studied Monday through Thursday and tested on Friday. She always did well on those tests but didn't necessarily retain the words. When we do prepared dictation, she constantly interrupts and talks/complains while writing. She does not allow me to cover up misspelled words as we go along.....she doesn't even want me to watch as she writes. Afterward, when I do point out the words she needs to work on, I usually underline them on the original and blot out the words on her copy....which she complains and argues about!
I'm at my wit's end. Today, she was so intolerable that when we finished, I made her copy the passage three times as a consequence for her behavior (twice for the bad attitude and sassing during dictation, then once more for pitching a fit--a 15-minute fit--over having to copy it.) Later, she apologized and finished the three copies, but I don't want to keep having dictation sessions like this. Any suggestions? Anyone?
Thanks, Sue
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