by Ms.Tirtza Koren Gal
Cursive is heading out the door... even reading real books that aren't digital seems as though it could go the way of the dodo bird any day now. Our world is changing quickly and it's changing the way we speak, think and learn.
Perhaps nothing has been more detrimental to our language today than the surge in SMS language or "text speak". SMS language is the truncated and abbreviated language that many people use to communicate via text and online. It is, of course, particularly popular amongst young people who have grown up with digital media.
Many educators and scholars have begun to see a link between this upsurge in SMS language and a corresponding decline in English language skills amongst young people. Some educators have even reported SMS language being used in assigned essays. As a homeschooling parent, what can you do to offset this disturbing trend and reinforce good grammar in the home?
Don't use it yourself - A lot of SMS language has, for better or for worse, bled into spoken language. We all know that children learn by example-- try to reinforce good grammar by speaking properly yourself and avoiding catch phrases like "LOL". If your child uses SMS language when speaking to you in the home, correct your child and ask him or her to express himself or herself more clearly and constructively.
Create media-free zones or times - We lived without our devices before, right? It only follows that we can at least go an hour or two nowadays without our trusty devices and survive. Make areas of your home device-free zones-- you library, office, etc. Let these spaces serve as a place of thought and conversation. Likewise, create device-free times of the day, like breakfast or dinner, during which no devices can be used or even briefly referred to, and use these times to foment real conversation and discourse.
Turn to the classics - Supplement your child's reading with the classics. Whether it's Tolkein or Jane Austen, absorbing writing by masters of the English language is an excellent way to reinforce strong language skills. This can start even before your children acquire advanced reading skills-- read aloud to them during story time from classics like The Chronicles of Narnia and provide them with a strong base from which to then begin experimenting with language.
Don't let them use text speak when texting with you - Do you text with your children regularly for check-ins and so on? Make it clear to them that if they send you a message, it should be in clear, fully fleshed-out English... and make sure you respond to them with the same, as well!
Explain to your child that there's a time and place for everything - Your child may find you a bit "behind the times" for censoring SMS language. Explain to your child that while text speak may be fine amongst his or her friends it is NOT standard or acceptable English and will not be helpful in school or later in a career. Help your child understand that to be truly successful he or she will need to learn to speak and write properly, even if he or she continues to use text speak socially. Your child will thank you in the end!
Ms.Tirtza Koren Gal is the founder of SkillaDo and the EasyPhonics™ reading program. Her mission as a teacher is to empower children by teaching them to read and control texts, allowing them to build strong self-images as readers and achievers. You can read more about teaching children, children & learning, and children & reading at the SkillaDo blog.
Cursive is heading out the door... even reading real books that aren't digital seems as though it could go the way of the dodo bird any day now. Our world is changing quickly and it's changing the way we speak, think and learn.
Perhaps nothing has been more detrimental to our language today than the surge in SMS language or "text speak". SMS language is the truncated and abbreviated language that many people use to communicate via text and online. It is, of course, particularly popular amongst young people who have grown up with digital media.
Many educators and scholars have begun to see a link between this upsurge in SMS language and a corresponding decline in English language skills amongst young people. Some educators have even reported SMS language being used in assigned essays. As a homeschooling parent, what can you do to offset this disturbing trend and reinforce good grammar in the home?
Don't use it yourself - A lot of SMS language has, for better or for worse, bled into spoken language. We all know that children learn by example-- try to reinforce good grammar by speaking properly yourself and avoiding catch phrases like "LOL". If your child uses SMS language when speaking to you in the home, correct your child and ask him or her to express himself or herself more clearly and constructively.
Create media-free zones or times - We lived without our devices before, right? It only follows that we can at least go an hour or two nowadays without our trusty devices and survive. Make areas of your home device-free zones-- you library, office, etc. Let these spaces serve as a place of thought and conversation. Likewise, create device-free times of the day, like breakfast or dinner, during which no devices can be used or even briefly referred to, and use these times to foment real conversation and discourse.
Turn to the classics - Supplement your child's reading with the classics. Whether it's Tolkein or Jane Austen, absorbing writing by masters of the English language is an excellent way to reinforce strong language skills. This can start even before your children acquire advanced reading skills-- read aloud to them during story time from classics like The Chronicles of Narnia and provide them with a strong base from which to then begin experimenting with language.
Don't let them use text speak when texting with you - Do you text with your children regularly for check-ins and so on? Make it clear to them that if they send you a message, it should be in clear, fully fleshed-out English... and make sure you respond to them with the same, as well!
Explain to your child that there's a time and place for everything - Your child may find you a bit "behind the times" for censoring SMS language. Explain to your child that while text speak may be fine amongst his or her friends it is NOT standard or acceptable English and will not be helpful in school or later in a career. Help your child understand that to be truly successful he or she will need to learn to speak and write properly, even if he or she continues to use text speak socially. Your child will thank you in the end!
Ms.Tirtza Koren Gal is the founder of SkillaDo and the EasyPhonics™ reading program. Her mission as a teacher is to empower children by teaching them to read and control texts, allowing them to build strong self-images as readers and achievers. You can read more about teaching children, children & learning, and children & reading at the SkillaDo blog.
