In today's world, nearly all written communication, at least in it's final format, is accomplished via some type of word processing program. I would encourage my students to utilize spell check while writing, as well as in a final check of their work. Ultimately, however, students should realize that they are in control and responsible for the final word choice in the document.
I found a wonderful lesson created by Mary Rizzo that teaches elementary students how to use spell check. Find the lesson here: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3019. It is important for students to specifically be taught the appropriate method for using spellcheck tools so they are aware of the limitations of the tool (eg. grammar mistakes, homophone confusion, contextual nuances, etc.). Students should also be instructed on proper spelling through phonic awareness, repetition, memorization and other "ground-up" techniques so as to not become reliant on spellcheck. The process is similar to math studies where students first learn all the building blocks of basic computation, including memorization of times table. After this is mastered, calculator usage is introduced.
Due to the increased push toward electronic communication and self-expression through multiple digital media formats, children should be introduced to spellchecking earlier than they may have been 10 years ago.
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