Very imortant to my carear

[The Mystery Machine]

The biggest thing is practice, practice, practice.

When you write something, be it on a discussion board, text message, email or just a personal note pretend you are writing a professional document. Try not to use short hand or slang and spell check everything with a spell check program or a dictionary. Also, re-read everything and if you have someone who doesn't mind, have them edit anything that is not confidential.

Another thing you need to do is read...a lot. The suggestion to read non-fiction is a good one...just be careful with primary documents; some of the grammar and spelling from centuries past can be atrocious (reading some stuff that George Washington wrote made my eyes cross).

A book on how to write would be a good thing as well. I have a copy of Keys to Great Writing by Stephen Wilbers and it has helped me a lot.

If you're going to be doing any research papers (which I suspect you will), figure out what documenting format your school uses (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc) and buy the guide book. They tend to be a bit expensive but if you're doing more than one paper they are worth ever penny.

Good tips. I am going to look into this for my younger dd.

 

[crashbb]

Call me cynical, but, a typo and a spelling error in a five word heading...seems suspect to me. Butt wat do I no?

Unfortunately, that is totally normal for the OP.

For those that keep telling the OP to use spellcheck, I agree, but only to a certain extent. Spellcheck can ensure that a word is spelt correctly, but it does not ensure that the word is the correct word. I like the idea of looking at anything that is underlined and trying to correct the spelling yourself, before allowing spell check to correct it.

It also depends on your intent. If your intent is simply to make sure that written work that you give to someone else is correct, then spell check (and, perhaps, grammar check - though I find that very inaccurate) can be helpful. If your intent is to actually improve spelling and grammar, then it isn't as useful. For the latter, I'd suggest some textbooks or computer programs (there are ones where you can hear the word and then type in your spelling attempt, for example).

I believe that you mentioned that you have a learning disability. You need to work with someone who knows about that disability (or find some books specific to that disability). What might work people without a disability, may not work for you. I have dysgraphia, for example, and the standard memorizing a list of words each week (i.e. as one did in school) does not work for me.

One suggestion I use for proofreading my own work is to read it sentence by sentence and go backwards (i.e. read the last sentence first). This means you are reading out of context and it is easier to find mistakes. When reading your own work, your brain sometimes sees what *should* be there (because you expect it to be there) rather than what *is* there (or, at least, mine does).

 

[shortbun]

Get a book and memorize the rules for punctuation. With spelling, that is harder. I'd suggest learning a list of words weekly like school kids do. Spell check is good IF you are using the correct word. If you are working by hand, keep a blackberry or small computer with spellcheck nearby to check your work. I've been known to type a word into my laptop for a check on spelling. Get a pocket dictionary. Slow down. Say the word slowly before and while you spell it. In your heading, for instance, you could have caught the error in the word 'important' if you had spoken it carefully as it obviously has a P in it.

 

[Jennasis]

I never use spell check. I know if a word is "off" and I look it up by googling it.

Now I always got A's in spelling so it was never a problem with me, but I also never got "rusty" by using spell check either. I wonder if that makes a difference? Someone should post a poll, I think.

I just think it is interesting to read that people use spell check all the time.

I wonder how many people spell check their DISposts?

In Firefox, the spell-check feature only underlines misspelled words with a red squiggly line. When I see the red line, I go back and retype the word correctly (or until I finally figure out the correct spelling and the line disappears).

HOWEVER, sometimes I'll type something incorrectly but it is still a real word. For example, I may type "IN" instead of "IF". So spell-check won't catch those mistakes.

 

[Sorsha]

OP, you have gotten many many good suggestions.

I would second signing up for remedial writing or English or reading classes at a community center or community college. An instructor may be able to help you and guide you in ways that you may not be able to help yourself.

Most important, in my opinion, read, read, READ. Read everything you can get your hands on. Read novels, read non-fiction, read magazine, read newspapers. The more you get your brain used to processing the written word, the more it will be able to reproduce the written word on demand.

I have been a voracious reader since I was a very small child, and tested at a college reading level in 5th grade. I have never had trouble with spelling or writing because when I want to write something I visually see it in my brain as though I were reading it on the page of a book. It is as though I have read it so many times it has become a visual memorization. If I write a sentence, and then read it, I can hear it, and I know how it should sound. That makes punctuation easier too (although I am the first to admit that is a weak point of mine - we can't all be practically perfect in every way).

I honestly believe though, with some remedial classes, lots of practice, and lots of time devoted to reading, you can improve! Good luck, OP!

 

[WDWisTheBest]

READ.

Read everything you can get your hands on.

Especially all the posts by Disboarders. Right?

 

[Jennasis]

Especially all the posts by Disboarders. Right?

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

As an added note...does your learning disability make it difficult to read books? If this is a problem, you may want to look into an e-reader device.

My brother had a horrible time reading books because his learning disability made it where the words would move around on the page so he couldn't concentrate on what he was reading. After I invested in a Kindle he discovered the words did not move around on the e-reader screen.

My mother bought him his own Kindle and he has gone from never reading a book for pleasure to reading the entire Percy Jackson series in a couple of months. I have noticed an improvement on his spelling and grammar skills since then.

 

[crashbb]

Interesting that people keep suggesting reading. I was/am a voracious reader, but a horrible speller. Just because I can read a word when someone else writes it, doesn't mean I'll remember how to spell it myself! Again, given that you have a learning disability (which is at the heart of my disconnect), I really suggest getting some professional help (or at least, workbooks designed for those with your learning disability).

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Reading good literature will also help with grammar. Seeing the English language in action will help you to live all that you are trying to remember.

As for spelling--some people are great spellers and some are not and others are just "normal".

A dictionary/spell check is good. A proofreader is even better.

My husband will have me double check his writing or at least my spelling brain to make sure he has a word correct.

 

[NotUrsula]

Interesting that people keep suggesting reading. I was/am a voracious reader, but a horrible speller. Just because I can read a word when someone else writes it, doesn't mean I'll remember how to spell it myself! Again, given that you have a learning disability (which is at the heart of my disconnect), I really suggest getting some professional help (or at least, workbooks designed for those with your learning disability).

IME, the only people for whom the "more reading guarantees better spelling" strategy does not work are those who have learning disorders involving visual processing. Folks who have neurotypical brains will always learn to recognize correct spellings by seeing their vocabulary words in print over and over and over again.

The OP did not mention an LD in her post, so I didn't assume that she had one in mine. I agree, if she's got an LD, she needs expert tutelage to compensate for it.

 

[crashbb]

IME, the only people for whom the "more reading guarantees better spelling" strategy does not work are those who have learning disorders involving visual processing. Folks who have neurotypical brains will always learn to recognize correct spellings by seeing their vocabulary words in print over and over and over again.

The OP did not mention an LD in her post, so I didn't assume that she had one in mine. I agree, if she's got an LD, she needs expert tutelage to compensate for it.

She didn't mention it in her OP, but has mentioned it in other threads, which is why I brought it up (I totally understand others not knowing about the LD - I didn't mean my comments to be criticisms of what you and others had written).

Yes, my LD does involve visual processing (as well as oral processing, which makes the "sound it out" suggestions also problematic). Honestly, I just stared at the word "the" for a few minutes because I couldn't make it look right - I've seen/written/said that word millions of times. I have no idea if the OP has similar LDs (I suspect she doesn't), but they will definitely change how she can tackle her issues with spelling/grammar.

 

[Ceila]

Call me cynical, but, a typo and a spelling error in a five word heading...seems suspect to me. Butt wat do I no?

I believe that the OP has mentioned having a learning disability in other threads.

 

[manning]

Just asking, people have a tendency to do that sort of thing. Create a joke like that to see if some one else notices a mistake in it.

Spell check usually doesn't hinder my learning how to spell a word, because when I see the red line, I try to correct the word myself, rather than right clicking and selecting. Spell check just bothers me as a whole going through a proper document because there's going to be a lot of "incorrect grammar errors" and what the computer believes is wrong, but right. Like names of people and things.

I'd go back as far as a 5/6th grade grammar book, to the basics of writing a sentence. Too many technicalities and exception to the rule in higher levels.

That should be "someone"

 

[crazelion]

I do read everything I get my hands on believe are not. I read newspaper, magazines, and books. I do use spell check all the time to correct words.

I have tutors left and right that have work with me. Went through college with tutors in English. I take remidal and comp I ten times before past it so I can get my degree. I remember leaving English tutor and going to the math and computer lab to tutor someone myself in math and computers. I was poor sight to see.

I took all my test oral college to. It helps that got photo graph memory too. One those types of people to show something to one time I got it. I have excellent people skills to and listening skills. Math now is my subject.

I was one sitting in the hard class without pencil and paper could tell everything the teacher said word for word.

 

[David80]

Did you grow up here in the US? If so, how did you pass grade school without learning the basics?

 

[tinkerbellandeyor]

I found a game for my DS player that teaches English as a second language wil that help me out u think

 

[meliss8599]

Did you grow up here in the US? If so, how did you pass grade school without learning the basics?

Kids are not held back anymore. More and more interventions are put in place to "help" them but they are just passed through the system regardless of thier progress or lack thereof.

 

[bluesaturn]

I do read everything I get my hands on believe are not. I read newspaper, magazines, and books. I do use spell check all the time to correct words.

I have tutors left and right that have work with me. Went through college with tutors in English. I take remidal and comp I ten times before past it so I can get my degree. I remember leaving English tutor and going to the math and computer lab to tutor someone myself in math and computers. I was poor sight to see.

I took all my test oral college to. It helps that got photo graph memory too. One those types of people to show something to one time I got it. I have excellent people skills to and listening skills. Math now is my subject.

I was one sitting in the hard class without pencil and paper could tell everything the teacher said word for word.

One thing that makes your writing hard to read is that you drop a lot of words. Your spelling and grammar wasn't horrible for the words you did include, it was just difficult to make sense of what you were saying. Is that part of your learning disability? Do you drop words in verbal speech or only in written language?

I don't mean this to be snarky, but if you have a photographic memory could you just memorize proper spelling and grammar? Like memorize correct phrases and common words and such?

 

[crashbb]

One thing that makes your writing hard to read is that you drop a lot of words. Your spelling and grammar wasn't horrible for the words you did include, it was just difficult to make sense of what you were saying. Is that part of your learning disability? Do you drop words in verbal speech or only in written language?

I don't mean this to be snarky, but if you have a photographic memory could you just memorize proper spelling and grammar? Like memorize correct phrases and common words and such?

That isn't the OP.