--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, John Cowan <cowan@...>
wrote:

> suzmccarth scripsit:
>
> > Then when a teacher spells a word out loud to a child or

provides a

> > written model for the child to copy in that language the

teacher has

> > to know that the child cannot use a linear system to keyboard

the

> > letters.
>
> I agree that copying letters in order will not work in Tamil, but I
> doubt it would even if a typewriter-order input method were

avialable

> (which is not impossible). However, Unicode order is phonetic

order,

> so you can teach that "kii" is done by pushing "ka" followed by

pushing

> "ii".

Yeah, it sounds like it would work, I originally thought it would but
children have visual image I guess, a shape either in their heads
or on that little piece of paper. I say 'sound it out' - but
sometimes I just have to spell out loud. It is the conflict betwen
visual and sound sequence. I think we must need both to learn
how to spell and they have to work together. Phemic awareness,
sight words all that primary stuff. That is why the Tamil students
brought their syllabary - see teacher...

This is a very powerful technique which works actually better

> in abugida-using languages where every letter is

pronounceable, as

> opposed to English where "k" never sounds like "kay" by itself.

English isn't perfect either but the less able copy one-by-one the
letters to google their favourite game or animal or map or
whatever. They email each other using their own orthographic
patterns. Just because you can't spell you don't end up with
holes all over the place.

> --
> After fixing the Y2K bug in an application: John Cowan
> WELCOME TO <censored> jcowan@...
> DATE: MONDAK, JANUARK 1, 1900

http://www.ccil.org/~cowan