to/too/two

[4ofus]

My guys have generally had a very intuitive sense of when to use these & how to use them appropriately. It has not been an issue. Until now.

 

Suddenly, my 9 year old can't figure out what to do with to/too. It's almost like as we increased language instruction he's getting so caught up in the 'rules' he doesn't trust his own 'language sense' any longer. :/

 

Any suggestions to help clear the newly muddied waters?

 

We've reviewed how to use them repeatedly this year. Every time it's like it's brand new. Before this year he just 'knew'.

[justLisa]

Say the sentence using also in place of too, to see if it works

[Violet Crown]

A universal law of learning, in my homeschooling experience, is that new information/ skills unsettles the old. I would predict that the old understanding will return as the new language understanding firms up.

 

YMMV.

[4ofus]

Say the sentence using also in place of too, to see if it works

 

I've shown him this but it's not absolute. For instance, 'too much', 'too cute'.

 

I've talked it out with him. We've looked it up online & in grammar books. We look at example sentences & work it out. But at the end of the day it actually seems to be making it worse! Bleh.

[4ofus]

A universal law of learning, in my homeschooling experience, is that new information/ skills unsettles the old. I would predict that the old understanding will return as the new language understanding firms up.

 

YMMV.

 

I hope this is the case!

[MomatHWTK]

I tell my kids that "too" when used to describe excess (i.e. "too cute") or as also has an extra "o." It has more "o"s to describe a "more" situation.

[Bree]

I went through this and they still have a little trouble here and there. I would remind them that:

 

too can be replaced with also or very

two is a number and the w in two has two valleys.

to is usually surrounded by go or be...to go, go to, to be, going to be, or everything else (if too and two don't fit, then it's probably to. ;))

 

I hope that helps.

 

That's how I always remembered it, if you can replace it with very or also then use too, otherwise it is to :)

[MerryAtHope]

I tell my kids that "too" when used to describe excess (i.e. "too cute") or as also has an extra "o." It has more "o"s to describe a "more" situation.

 

I did this too. As in, "Too has too many o's. It has an extra o, also."

 

Does he have a personal dictionary for editing his work? You can put this on his list of words to always check.

 

Merry :-)

[Violet Crown]

You can also try having them always say the words as part of a phrase or sentence, as they're usually only homophones when said in isolation.

 

If I say "Too or to?" they sound the same; but in phrases, such as "have to go" or "walk to the store," to is pronounced much more like "tuh." But too is always /tū/ as in "too much fun" or "me, too."

 

At least in Texan English. :D

[Spy Car]

You can also try having them always say the words as part of a phrase or sentence, as they're usually only homophones when said in isolation.

 

If I say "Too or to?" they sound the same; but in phrases, such as "have to go" or "walk to the store," to is pronounced much more like "tuh." But too is always /tū/ as in "too much fun" or "me, too."

 

At least in Texan English. :D

 

My head is going to explode :D

 

Bill

[Violet Crown]

My head is going to explode :D

 

Bill

 

Think you mean fixin t' explode.