Consider how this child’s writing reflects a knowledge of the phonetics and phonology of spoken language, rather than the orthographic conventions of English writing. For each word that is “mis-spelled” according to orthographic conventions, discuss why the child might have spelled the word in that way.

Note any instances where phonetic knowledge and orthographic conventions begin to mix as the child acquires spelling conventions.

Words

Brd (bird)

Win (when)

tac (take)

Maws (mouse) 

Schcool (school)

asc (ask)

yor (your)

lunch (lanch)

bock (boxs) 

ten (then)

mac (make)

haws (house)

Jump (jumped)

ropt (rope)

popt (polled)

lickt (licked) 

lolepop (lollipop)

elamentreschool (elemntary school)

abawt (about)

icsprand (exclaimed)

valentin (valentine)

whos (whose)

pul (pull)

iees (eyes) 

evry (every)

baty (body)

harts (hearts)

finaly (finally)

mitll (mill)