A few weeks ago SD10 (5th grade) comes in with a grin on her face saying she can read at a 7th grade reading level. As surprised as I am I tell her, "wow, that's great! I'm so proud of you!"

That night she wants to make cards for her teachers, so dh sits down with her while I relax with my new adult coloring books coloring away into zen lol.

SD asks dh "how do you spell science?" Dh asks her, "how do you think you spell it?" Not quizzing her, but trying to get her to think about it on her own, because she's the type that will ask you to do something for her with out trying first. So she begins "S-I-A-N-S"
Dh tells her "good try, but try again."
"S-E-A-S"
"Baby, that spells seas"
"No daddy, that's S-E-E-S"
"Great spelling, but that's another kind of sees"

Good thing I'm not at the table with them as my eyes are big and I'm holding back laughter.

He ends up telling her how to spell it, as science is a hard word, I get it. Then comes another word.

"Daddy, how do you spell school?"
"How would you spell it sweetie?"
"But that one is hard too daddy."
"You can try, it's OK"
"Ok, S-K-O-U-H-L"
"No, try again love"
"Daaaaddddyyy,it's too hard!"
"Come on hun,one more try"
"S-K-U-H-L"
Then he spelled it for her.
"Uh uh, c-h makes a ch ch sound, like Choo Choo train"

Things like that, and being from the US and on the border, she should know where Mexico is, she's been there, but no, she had to label a map, and said that she wasn't sure if Canada or Mexico went there. Dh tried giving her hints, but she still got it wrong. He gave her many ways to think through it, but she had no clue.

At first I thought she was just playing him, but she was genuinely confused and had no idea.

My kids are in 6th and 7th, so I've been through this very recently. They've been labeling maps since 3rd grade, they had science and school as spelling words in 3rd grade. My 7th grader is currently reading the christmas carol,I can guarantee you that if you can't spell school,there is no way you can read the christmas carol.

Now I am not saying that this is necessarily sd's fault. She can't help it if her school district sucks. We (dh,me, dds)have been trying to make SD want to transfer to the dds school district when she goes to middle school. Dh doesn't want to yank her out unless she wants to because bm is against it and BM will tell SD, see, this is all your father's fault, any time SD complains about switching schools, but if SD is for it, then there will be less of a chance for parental alienation to happen.