Inventive Spelling Freebie!

September 18, 2012

Back-to-school night is tomorrow and I have soooo much to do to get ready!

I thought I would share a quick freebie before I finish stressing out getting my ducks in a row for the big night!
I don’t know about your BTS night, but ours is solely informational! No kids, no fun, no games, just me, the parents and the 4-1-1. Nerve-wracking. I get very nervous in front of crowds. Especially crowds full of “grown-ups”. I turn into a full-blown Chandler Bing, awkard jokes and all. Last year, I managed to call a dad overweight when sitting in the tiny first grade chairs. I don’t know how it happens…. it just does…. *sigh*.
The first grade team gives out a whole packet about our homework policy, nightly reading folders, report cards/grading information and our brand-new snack policy. Bla bla bla, I have to get rid of my Kiss Your Brain Jar, bla bla bla. Tears.
My colleague, Janie, gave me this letter a couple years ago to send home to parents to help explain inventive spelling. I loved it, so with her permission, I gave it a little re-vamp and I am offering it up to you all as a freebie!
Here is mine:
If you click the image you can download the editable powerpoint to fill in your own name and change the date.
Enjoy!

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    • Stacy!! Thanks for the bloggy love! If you download it through googledocs it SHOULD open as a powerpoint so you can change your name and the date. Let me know if it doesn't work 🙂

      Reply

  • (Whoops I put the wrong html code for my blog, so here is my comment with correct html)
    I absolutely love that letter! Isn't it funny how you can still read it with that spelling!! BTW I feel your pain about parent night, ours is the same and I am usually a very confident speaker but usually end up saying something about teachers and drinking???? What? I'm sure that somehow the message gets across (;
    Tania
    Mrs Poultney's Ponderings

    Reply

  • That letter is such a great idea! We're just starting to write more and I'm putting smiley faces on papers that parents may not think are so smiley…due to the spelling! I think I'll be sending this note home with my families this week!
    Thanks and good luck with BTS Night!

    A Pirates Life for Us

    Reply

    • I know exactly how you feel – I alwayyysss have parents telling me their children can't spell anything and it is such a struggle for them as parents… I just remind them to let it go! This letter has been a help the past couple years, so I hope it helps you too! Thanks for the good luck!

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    • Our new snack policy is SOSOSO strict and our school could get a huge fine if they see unhealthy snacks in the classroom. I am just going to replace my hershey kisses with stickers or something… they've just been very helpful the past few weeks!

      Oh wellllll 🙁

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  • You letter is GREAT!!! Both it and your post made me laugh out loud – I soooo feel your pain on the awkward parent night jokes. I embarrass myself every. single. year. Oh well.

    I LOVE your blog and am thrilled to be a follower! (I just switched all my blog following to Google and am really loving it.)

    I would be so honored if you stopped by my blog where my Thirty One giveaway is going on for a few more days…Growing Firsties

    Reply

  • As an educator & parent,I find this very unprofessional and disappointing. I understand the point of the letter, but think there are better ways to demonstrate the concept. The district in which I work has many residents who are not yet proficient in English. A letter like this would "go over their heads" and possibly confuse them. I believe educators should always project a professional image and this strikes me as trying to be cutesy.

    I am not insulting you. I am just expressing a difference of opinion. I am aware there are many ways of looking at things. I certainly appreciate what you are doing!

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    • As an educator and a parent I think this is a really fun way to show parents how kids are developing. I don't think it is unprofessional at all. Maybe you feel it would be innapropriate for your population of parents, but that does not hold true for everyone.

      Corinna
      Surfin' Through Second

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  • Your letter Is similar to one that I sent home to parents 20 years ago when I taught kindergarten. I had gone to a workshop where the presenter sent an inventive spelling letter to parents.

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  • why can't I understand the "insistints" part? I'd love to send this home to parents but I need to understand that sentence. lol

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  • What a great letter!

    I'm a teacher in the Netherlands and I teach the little ones as they're learning how to read and write.

    I translated the letter in Dutch (well, invented spelling dutch) and will hand it out to the parents of my new group of kids next year.

    Reply

  • This letter is excellent! It’s exactly what I needed for my parents to understand writing phonetically. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  • Susan, you are amazing! Thank you for creating this and especially for sharing it with us. I cannot wait to share it with my parents. I have spoken to them about it but having them read this letter will allow them to see what I mean.

    Reply