Tricky Words Only Push Us To Be Better Editors

I came across an article entitled "English is Too Hard to Read for Children," by Anushka Asthana in The Observer (Sunday, 8 June 2008). In her article she said that the English spelling system is "unspeakably, absolutely awful." That is because of a conclusion in a research that found children facing around 800 words by age 11 which hinder their reading because of the way these words were spelled. These words challenge kids just because they contain letter combinations. Such examples would be monkey, asparagus, spinach, caterpillar, and handkerchief. 

Literary researcher Masha Bell thinks that there were words in the list that could be made simple by dropping certain letters.  An example would be dropping the letter i in friend and u in shoulder. The tricky spellings make English particularly difficult for children with dyslexia and those from disadvantaged homes who are less likely to be read to by their own parents.

This reminds me that in editing, we have to custom-fit our writings to the audience we're writing to. It wold be wishful thinking to say that we can edit in whatever way we want. There are still correct sentence structures to follow; proper writng formats to bear in mind; and several other guidelines to look into every time we work on an article.

When it comes to spellings, editors like myself have to be alert when scrutinizing bodies of copy. Somehow this is a test on how well I know my vocabulary by heart; words that I've learned while growing up; and words that I'm still learning along the way.

If only editing could be as simple as taking a letter out from a word but still, that would be wishful thinking, and absolutely too far from becoming a reality.

Editing & Parenting Go Together

One time in our online and editing class, our instructor asked us to name some areas or ways where and when we can use editing. I didn't share my answer at that time, maybe because I was busy contemplating on how I can use editing into my parenting skills. Images started to flood my mind- situations when my little angels were subjected to my disciplining or to my sweet doses of reminders and helpful instructions.  So now, here are the ways on how editing can be used into my parenting skills:

1. When giving instructions to my kids, I make it very simple and clear.
Children have a very short attention span (and sometimes, adults too!) so if there's anything that I need to come across, I make sure that my instructions are given in bits and pieces, and not in big chunks. Children are more prone to follow if simple and step-by-step instructions are given. As a parent, my supervision and guidance are things that I offer all the time. This reminds me that just like editing big chunks of written material, it's also good to be concise and straght to the point.

2. I am a parent, so I should act like one.
Being a parent doesn't have to be a serious and awfully boring job;  In fact, being one is a whole lot of fun!  To be a parent is a 24-hour job just because  everything that you do is for your kids' welfare and that you always have to be there when they need you. To be a parent is a full-time position and there is no resignation allowed. In raising kids, parenting is something that I do all the time. I look after my kids' best interests by being concerned with their physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual health. If there are occasions that I need to discipline my kids especially when they needed to go to bed early for school, I have to let the 'parent' in me control the situation by reminding them not to eat too much before bedtime so they'll be able to sleep more easily. Just like in any editorial work, the editor has to wear his hat when editing and feedback is given so as to improve the writer's job.

3. "I walk the talk" & "I talk the walk" as a parent.
Kids are keen observers- frankly, you cannot fool them. Once they hear you say something and you don't do what you've just told them, they would be quick to point out your mistake. Being a parent is surely not an easy job; as a parent, I am definitely not immuned from committing mistakes. Most of these are unintentional but a great deal of effort is done on my part to "mean what I say," and "say what I mean." You will gain their trust more easily if you are sincere in  every word you say and do. Tough job, isn't it? Once you know how to go about it, it will be much easier to 'edit out' anything that doesn't belong in the picture.

In general, different parents have different parenting styles; so far, these are the ways that work best for me. I do my editing as a parent on a constant basis trying to see, feel, and study the 'pages' where my kids are in.