kids and texting - actually helps spelling

[Tom Zurinskas]

Speaking about kids, my interest is phonetic spelling suitable for kids as well as adults.  The theory below says the texting helps kids with spelling because it's phonetic.  This is a supposition.  They would have to use truespel phonetics to really test if that is true.
 
http://www.sellmymobile.com/news/can-texting-improve-spelling-skills-2505/
Can Texting Improve Spelling Skills?
January 24, 2011 by Jennie Cole
Yes, if the latest research is to be believed.
Scientists from Coventry University divided 114 children aged 9 to 10 from 10 primary schools across the Midlands into 2 groups. None of the children actually used a mobile phone, which removed the obvious potential bias of text experience.
One group was given a mobile phone to use over a 10 week period. The other group, the control group, was not.
All pupils were given tests which included reading, spelling and psychological awareness before and after the study. To ensure no continual bias, the children’s reading and spelling was also monitored over the 10 week period.  Other differences and potential problems that were taken into account included the children’s IQ score.
The results of the study found children who used the mobile phones had higher test scores than the control group. More interesting is the research also found an association between spelling and texting. The Coventry University academics believe that this association may in fact be related to the phonetic nature of texting itself; text messages use phonetic abbreviations as a form of text short hand
Speaking with the Daily Telegraph, Professor Clare Wood who is senior lecturer in the university’s psychology department said: “We are now starting to see consistent evidence that children’s use of text message abbreviations has a positive impact on their spelling skills.  “There is no evidence that children’s language play when using mobile phones is damaging literacy development.”


Tom Zurinskas, from Conn 20 yrs, then Tenn 3, NJ 33, now FL 8.
Free English-based phonetic converter, URL and text , at truespel.com


 
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> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: tiger mothers
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> CNN discusses "kids who were raised by so-called 'tiger mothers.'"
> 
> Tiger mothers live mostly in China. There are millions of them. They use
> very tough love to turn their kids into world-beating overachievers, unlike
> American mothers who use wimpy love to turn theirs into whining,
> talentless losers.
> 
> How to Tell them Apart: tiger moms harass kids till they shape up; mama
> grizzlies protect them from socialism.
> 
> 148,000 hits for "tiger mother," 124,000 for "tiger mom," 5,000 for "tiger
> mommy." Of course, most of these - esp. the last - refer to real tiger
> moms.
> 
> Some background here:
> http://blogs.ajc.com/cynthia-tucker/2011/01/21/tiger-mothers-vs-most-americans/?cxntfid=blogs_cynthia_tucker
> 
> 
> JL
> 
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> 
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