Michael Sylvester wrote: > We do it occasionally.When we are unsure of how a person's name or a > particular word is spelled,we put (sp) after the word. > Should we encourage our students to also do the same on their in class > written work? > for example Betelhime (sp) No. For work done outside of class, we should encourage them to find the correct spelling before turning work in. For in-class work (e.g., an exam) students should be familiar with the names and terms they might be expected to use in writing their answers. Spelling and grammar are important components in communicating effectively. We do students no favors by letting them be sloppy. All that said, I would not deduct for spelling on an exam unless the word was unrecognizable. But I do deduct for spelling on papers written outside of class. Kris Lewis Saint Michael's College Colchester VT
