There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, vastly different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities of spelling?
注：1.第一段中间出现 however, 末句为主题句
lar belief 普遍观点，负态度
r 忽略 = neglect = overlook, 区别是：ignor overlook
A priority over B 给A优先权
idently 自信的'
If spelling becomes the only focal point of his teachers interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to play safe . He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. Thats why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
注：l 关注的，名词为 focus 焦点
nturous 冒险的
ent 内容，contend 包含
nical ability 指的是 spelling
22. The expression play safe probably means ________
