thescrappyhomeschooler Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My god daughter was in a spelling bee tonight and she did not think this was an 8th grade level word. I did not tell her my kids could spell it, because they memorized The Pear Tree by Edna St. Vincent Millay, and that's one of the first words in it. So, is squalid an 8th grade level word? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deannajo Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I just asked my 8th grader if she could spell it, and she did. She's not a great speller ;-) My 5th grader couldn't do it - she added an extra "l" for some reason, but otherwise was correct :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Ds in 6th spelled it without hesitation. He's an intuitive speller, fwiw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 I'm really surprised she didn't know the word at all. She is a voracious reader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My eighth grader just spelled it and said it seemed kind of easy for eighth grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Called him in and said to spell it and he did. Yay. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 7th-grader, who is not a natural speller, spelled it accurately on her first try when I asked her just now. It seems more like a 6th-grade level word. Or lower.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My sixth grader just spelled it. He didn't know the definition, but he could spell it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Dd9 spelled it easily. She wasn't familiar with the word, though. I had the boys spell it just for fun: Ds8 spelled it squlied. Sigh. At least he said, "Oh. I forgot the 'a'." as he handed me the paper. Ds6 carefully wrote out "scwoled". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 It seems to me like a fairly easy word to spell actually, but not sure most kids would recognize the word. I'm not even sure I know what it means. :blushing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 It seems to me like a fairly easy word to spell actually, but not sure most kids would recognize the word. I'm not even sure I know what it means. :blushing: Dh heard me ask the kids to spell it and asked what it meant. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty Mathy Mom Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Mine couldn't. Sigh. She spelled it "squalled". Maybe she would have done better if she had written it down. She could never be in a spelling bee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnae Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 4th grader just spelled it. He's a pretty good speller, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Ds8 spelled it squlied. Sigh. At least he said, "Oh. I forgot the 'a'." as he handed me the paper. Ds6 carefully wrote out "scwoled". :smilielol5: Love this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccolopy Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 3rd and 6th graders can spell it, although the 3rd grader thought it was a kind of bird... I don't really know what it means to be an 8th grade level word, but I would expect any word to be fair game for an 8th grade spelling bee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Mine can, just asked. Not sure why this would be a hard one since it is rather phonetic - no silent consonants or weird combinations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Yes, in fact she just did. And honestly she is not a strong speller. LOL (neither am I. we are a bit dyslexic) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 no. Strong Dyslexia in this family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 4th and 7th graders didn't know the word, but the 7th grader did spell it correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EducationX2 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 6 year old spelled. Sqoalid. She knew that a certain letter went with Q, but couldn't remember if it was O or U. She guessed (the wrong one, clearly! ) (Edited to add- She didn't know what the word was. She told me that it wasn't a real word. She's still not convinced I'm not just putting her on, because why else would I ask her to spell a random word at 11pm? :lol: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 8yo spelled it s q u a u l i d but fixed it when I said au was incorrect. IMO it is appropriate for an 8th grader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Considering it was "bourgeoisie" that knocked me out around the 6th grade (in just our school spelling bee), I would say "squalid" is a fair word for 8th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasia Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 4th, 6th and 8th graders can spell it. The younger two are advanced readers/spellers, but I would say my 8th grader is about average. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Don't youngsters read Dickens any more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 6th grader spelled it correctly, but my 8th grader spelled it squaled. Not that it proves anything, but I find it curious that my younger dd learned how to read and spell using ABeka, and she is a great speller. My older daughter was in public school using various phonics/whole word methods, and she has a little bit tougher time with spelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I think an eight grader could expect to see that in a spelling bee. Asked my 5 year old just out of curiosity: "sqailid". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My dd9 spelled it correctly. As she was going out the door she said, "Guess not." I told her she spelled it right, and she said no, the word must not be an eighth grade word because she could spell it. LOL She had read the OP over my shoulder before she left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I don't have an 8th grader, but my 1st grader did it, so not sure how to vote (he did hesitate trying to decide whether it should be an a or an o after the u). Did she think it was too hard or too easy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 my 8th grader did but he had to think about it, my 7th grader(on paper only, she is supposed to be 8th) could not, but that girl is horrible at spelling and is having to relearn it all, so is in AAS1 at this point. I think it is an 8th grade word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 5th grader, who is a voracious reader, couldn't spell it. I was kind of surprised, although spelling has never been her strong point. I don't think it is an 8th grade word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My god daughter was in a spelling bee tonight and she did not think this was an 8th grade level word. I did not tell her my kids could spell it, because they memorized The Pear Tree by Edna St. Vincent Millay, and that's one of the first words in it. So, is squalid an 8th grade level word? No idea what level it is but my 6th grader just spelled it correctly. For whatever that's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I asked my 7 year old. After making me define it for him, he first went squaled, then thought about it ("squa...LID") and spelled it right. He seems to be a pretty natural speller but was able to do it phonetically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 7th-grader, who is not a natural speller, spelled it accurately on her first try when I asked her just now. It seems more like a 6th-grade level word. Or lower.... I did the same with my 7th grader, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Researcher Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I just asked my 5th grader and he spelled it with no problems. Although, he did not know the meaning of the word until I told him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 5th grader just spelled it for me. My 4th grader could not (though she struggles with spelling.) Neither knew what it meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 7th grader spelled it correctly, but she wasn't sure if she was right. She is a voracious reader, but not always the best speller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 12 yo (6th grader spelled it with an e on the end instead of an i) but not a natural speller, reads all the time My 10 yo (5th grader) spelled it correctly, more of a natural speller but hates reading I would think for 8th grade and a spelling bee, it seems on the easy side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I just asked my 7th grader. She's French, English is her second language, but she's fairly fluent. She didn't know the word, but she spelled it right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraciebytheBay Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I would think it was a lower level word, but I voted yes in the poll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 yes, the poll is a bit weird. Is it a word that I expect an 8th grader to know? Yes, for sure, because 8th graders should know words from 1st grade to 8th grade. But is this a word that an 8th grader should *learn" ? then, no. I expect it to be learnt before ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Library Momma Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My 5th grader spelled it correctly and then used it in a sentence (she's like that). My 3rd grader spelled it incorrectly (squallid) and did not know what it means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My kindegartner spelled it, but he had to think a long time about the "a" (he talked to himself for awhile--I thought he was going to write "o"). Of course, as a kindergartner, he's right in the midst of learning all that phonics stuff. When you say it slowly you can hear the different parts pretty well, and I did say it slowly for him a few times. Of course he had no idea what it meant (I'd probably have fallen off my chair if he did...lol). I wouId think it's fair as an 8th grade word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannanlee Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 My 6th grader mixed up the ua of the word. So I would say it is a 6th grade word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Hobbes spelled it correctly, but he's a word hound and a natural speller. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.