So impressed with Megawords!

[creekmom]

I never realized how important phonics/syllabication rules were with my first dc. He was a quick learner when it came to reading/spelling, so I pretty much skipped all the rules and let him read, read, read. I realize now that he's in 5th grade that was a mistake. I bought AAS to use with my 2nd and 3rd child this year, and when he overheard me teaching them the rules, he said, "Hey, I didn't know that! Why didn't you teach that to me?" I've also noticed that he mispronounces a lot of the words I thought he knew (mainly bc he doesn't know the vowel sounds for open/closed syllables for bigger words). Megawords is so organized and just what he needs. I love the pretest for reading/spelling in the teacher's guide! He's tested out of several chapters, and we've been able to focus on the rules he needs to know! I have peace of mind now! If you do decide to get Megawords for your older kids, you must order the teacher's guide to get the full benefit of the program! Oh, and if you're reading this and you have young kids, save yourself some time and money and go with a good phonics program from the beginning!

[Leanna Tomlinson]

:iagree:

 

My 19yo dd was much like your son. After she excelled early in reading, and she could spell 2nd and 3rd grade words well, I thought she didn't need any more phonics instruction. Spelling didn't come crashing down on her until she needed more complex words in the 5th and 6th grades. She credits Megawords with dragging her out of her spelling oblivion.

 

Leanna

[HollyBee]

This is great news, as I'm considering Megawords for next year for my 11 yo dd.

 

If you do decide to get Megawords for your older kids, you must order the teacher's guide to get the full benefit of the program!

 

Are you talking about the assessment book? Or the teacher's guides that go with each level?

 

Thanks!

Holly

[Moxie]

Megawords is for 5th and up? What would be a good phonics program for 2nd and 3rd?

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I never realized how important phonics/syllabication rules were with my first dc. He was a quick learner when it came to reading/spelling, so I pretty much skipped all the rules and let him read, read, read. I realize now that he's in 5th grade that was a mistake. I bought AAS to use with my 2nd and 3rd child this year, and when he overheard me teaching them the rules, he said, "Hey, I didn't know that! Why didn't you teach that to me?" I've also noticed that he mispronounces a lot of the words I thought he knew (mainly bc he doesn't know the vowel sounds for open/closed syllables for bigger words). Megawords is so organized and just what he needs. I love the pretest for reading/spelling in the teacher's guide! He's tested out of several chapters, and we've been able to focus on the rules he needs to know! I have peace of mind now! If you do decide to get Megawords for your older kids, you must order the teacher's guide to get the full benefit of the program! Oh, and if you're reading this and you have young kids, save yourself some time and money and go with a good phonics program from the beginning!

 

You have described me to a "T" --- that is why I love Megawords. I'm known for my Norm Crosbyisms....

[Sunshine State Sue]

Are you talking about the assessment book? Or the teacher's guides that go with each level?

She's likely talking about the teacher's guide. There is a pre-test in there that helps you to see what your child already knows. Each list has several pages that are focused on reading, several focused on spelling, and several focused on vocabulary. We skipped many of the reading pages in the early books because ds already mastered it.

 

I have the assessment book. It is more for a trained classroom teacher evaluating a large number of students. It is not necessary at all.

[HollyBee]

She's likely talking about the teacher's guide. There is a pre-test in there that helps you to see what your child already knows. Each list has several pages that are focused on reading, several focused on spelling, and several focused on vocabulary. We skipped many of the reading pages in the early books because ds already mastered it.

 

I have the assessment book. It is more for a trained classroom teacher evaluating a large number of students. It is not necessary at all.

 

Perfect! Thanks so much! :)

 

Holly

[In the Rain]

Would Megawords be a good follow up to AAS, or does it cover the same things?

[KathyBC]

Would Megawords be a good follow up to AAS, or does it cover the same things?

 

:bigear: I'd like to hear more about this, too.

[scrapbabe]

Did you start with Megawords 1 with your 5th grader and just start working through them all?

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

[Sunshine State Sue]

Did you start with Megawords 1 with your 5th grader and just start working through them all?

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

We started using Megawords in 5th grade (it's intended for 4th and up) and will complete the series (books 1 - 8) by the end of 8th grade. We worked through the books sequentially, although we did skip a number of the pages pertaining to reading in the first several books.

[scrapbabe]

Thanks Sue. My son is in 7th but needs to work on spelling. So we'll just start at 1 and go at an accelerated pace.

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

[KathyBC]

Thanks Sue. My son is in 7th but needs to work on spelling. So we'll just start at 1 and go at an accelerated pace.

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

 

We started book 1 partway through 7th. DS is just about to start book 3, partway through 8th so definitely not at an accelerated pace, but it is truly helping his spelling - I can see the improvement in his writing.

 

I'm wondering what to do with my younger kids next year - whether to use AAS first or wait until they're ready for Megawords.

[scrapbabe]

KathyBC,

Thanks. I guess it doesn't matter if it's accelerated as long as he's leraning it, right? I'm wondering the same thing about AAS. I'm debating whether or not to use it with my youngers.

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

[Lovedtodeath]

bumping

[selh09]

:bigear:

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

OK... I have heard that alot. I have to ask because I am very curious. I though megawords was for vocabulary. What exactly is it and how does it work????

[ElizabethB]

They do look good, I've known several people that have used them successfully and they also recommend them to all their friends!

 

I also have syllable division rules and exercises on my how to tutor page, and the arrangement of words into open and closed syllables in Webster's Speller accomplishes the same thing for students that learn best by pattern (even better to do both and make sure, reading is so important!) And, syllable divided books follow along in this pattern.

 

Another good source for these rules is M.K. Henry's Words. The new version is a bit more expensive, but includes a CD that lets you print out all the exercises, making it a bargain over the old version if you have more than one child. Words also combines spelling with some root study of Greek and Latin.

 

Just like some children don't make the jump from inadequately taught phonics with some sight words to reading, some children don't make the jump to multi-syllable words without being explicitly taught how to divide them or seeing them divided in patterns like in Webster's Speller and syllable divided words.

Edited March 28, 2010 by ElizabethB

[Lovedtodeath]

Thanks Elizabeth! The rules for syllabication was something that I was reluctant to give up AAS for.

 

What are the "vowel teams that don't make a sound"? Could you give an example of words?

[lauracolumbus]

If I have a good speller and good reader who is terrible with pronunciation would Megawords be overkill? Or is something else better?

 

Thanks,

Laura

[rafiki]

.

[Lovedtodeath]

I'm not familiar with AAS, does it cover syllabication thoroughly?

 

Very, very thoroughly.:)

[Sunshine State Sue]

OK... I have heard that alot. I have to ask because I am very curious. I though megawords was for vocabulary. What exactly is it and how does it work????

I think of Megawords as more of a spelling program, but it does cover reading large words (megawords) and vocabulary as well. You may read my review here.

[Sunshine State Sue]

If I have a good speller and good reader who is terrible with pronunciation would Megawords be overkill? Or is something else better?

 

Thanks,

Laura

One of the nice things about Megawords is that there is a pre-test for each book. Each of the lessons has pages that are for reading, spelling, and vocabulary. In the earlier books, we skipped a lot of the reading pages because ds tested out of them. So, you could do the same and skip whatever your child tests out of. It a nice way to individualize the program.

[ElizabethB]

What are the "vowel teams that don't make a sound"? Could you give an example of words?

 

There are some nice charts I made that you can see if you watch my phonics lesson 24 showing all the vowel teams that make and don't make sounds. The ones that don't make sounds are things like io in radio or ua in dual. The charts are about 1/4" to 1/2" from the start, they are very near the beginning.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

There are some nice charts I made that you can see if you watch my phonics lesson 24 showing all the vowel teams that make and don't make sounds. The ones that don't make sounds are things like io in radio or ua in dual. The charts are about 1/4" to 1/2" from the start, they are very near the beginning.

Oh, they do make sounds, just not together? I will watch those lessons, thanks!

[Halcyon]

MW has been working very well for my advanced 7 yo speller. We're working through it at a pace of a page a day, 4x per week, and I am having him do almost all of the work. He enjoys it and I love how it breaks down the works so clearly. So if you have a good speller who is younger, it works well also.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Halcyon

[nmoira]

 

MW has been working very well for my advanced 7 yo speller. We're working through it at a pace of a page a day, 4x per week, and I am having him do almost all of the work. He enjoys it and I love how it breaks down the works so clearly. So if you have a good speller who is younger, it works well.

My advanced 8yo is about halfway through the series. I love how little effort it takes on my part, and that the variety of exercises keeps it at least somewhat interesting for her.

[Halcyon]

Glad to know it works for others with younger kids! We were using more 'age-appropriate' material, but it was just not challenging my speller. Now, if only I could get him to WRITE with the joy he brings to SPELLING :tongue_smilie:

[kalanamak]

I think of Megawords as more of a spelling program, but it does cover reading large words (megawords) and vocabulary as well. You may read my review here.

 

Thanks. I have googled about and cannot find any "samples". May I ask if this is a workbook, i.e. consumable, and if it is secular or not. Thanks.

[scrapbabe]

http://www.christianbook.com/megawords-book-1-kristin-johnson/9780838809006/pd/611826?item_code=WW&netp_id=249781&event=ESRCN&view=details

 

Here's a link to Megawords at Christianbook.com

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

[KathyBC]

Thanks. I have googled about and cannot find any "samples". May I ask if this is a workbook, i.e. consumable, and if it is secular or not. Thanks.

 

The student workbook is consumable and it is secular. It's published by EPS; they might have a sample.

[lovemykids]

We love it here as well.

 

Enjoy! :)

[Sunshine State Sue]

Thanks. I have googled about and cannot find any "samples". May I ask if this is a workbook, i.e. consumable, and if it is secular or not. Thanks.

Here is a sample as well:

[rafiki]

.

[happyhappyjoyjoy]

Very, very thoroughly.:)

 

Thanks for this thread. I think I'm going to go w/ AAS and Megawords sounds like a nice follow-up.

[kalanamak]

Here is a sample as well:

 

 

oooooh, looks good. Thanks.

[jg_puppy]

Any opinions yet on the 1st vs the 2nd edition?

 

I am curious about this as well. I have the first 3 books in the 1st edition, but I love the samples of the 2nd edition. They look like they would be easier to use.

 

Jan

[Halcyon]

bump to learn more about the 2nd edition.

[Hedgehogs4]

Wow...i just looked at it. My ds will be fourth grade next year and I think this may be exactly what we need. Thanks for posting!

[nmoira]

Where are most of you ordering from? I ordered Megawords 1 from Christianbook.com several days ago, but just got an email that it has gone out of print from the publisher and my order is cancelled. :confused: I really want to use it with my oldest.

Did you order the first edition by any chance?

 

Ours (first edition) came from Rainbow Resources. Here's their link to the second edition. I haven't seen it, but the samples I've seen are very similar to the first, but the pages look cleaner. There were a very few typos, duplicated words, and student/TM mismatches in the first edition.

[razorbackmama]

Did you order the first edition by any chance?

 

Ours (first edition) came from Rainbow Resources. Here's their link to the second edition. I haven't seen it, but the samples I've seen are very similar to the first, but the pages look cleaner. There were a very few typos, duplicated words, and student/TM mismatches in the first edition.

 

We've had that same trouble with the 1st edition. I just got 3 levels of the 2nd edition in. I haven't looked that closely at them, but the TG looks a bit easier to use. And it's spiral bound.:D

[cillakat]

Oh, and if you're reading this and you have young kids, save yourself some time and money and go with a good phonics program from the beginning!

 

I so agree. Even for the great/natural readers.

 

I like megawords for the ones that really 'get' it but prefer Phonics Road or All About Spelling or Wilson for those that need a more thorough framework.

 

K

[cillakat]

Very, very thoroughly.:)

 

2nd. AAS covers syllabication and rules much more thoroughly than Megawords.

 

Katherine

[rafiki]

.

[deeinfl]

I used a not so phonics-y program for my first born son. He learned how to read very quickly, but his spelling was atrocious. We tried lots of things, but settled on Megawords in the 6th grade and went the fast pace and finished all 8 levels in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.

 

 

He made leaps and bounds in spelling, but the huge plus was that his reading improved and I was able to see that my son had such a small pool of vocabulary words, so for him, it was also an introduction to vocabulary.

 

I'm very happy with the progress and have kept all of my TE's just in case I will need it with my next son. ;) It was so worth the money!

 

HTH,

 

Dee

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I only hear good things about Megawords. Can someone tell me....

 

 

• Do I use the assessment book to place children, or do I just start with book 1 ?
  

 

 

• Is MW done independently? How much mom-time is needed with it?
  

 

 

 

• What is the youngest age/grade that is reasonable to start MW?
  

 

 

• What would work well for a 2nd grader to prep for MW once he reaches 4th grade??? I like the sound of Apples and Pears, but it is expensive and my to-be 2nd grader might not enjoy the repetition.
  

I've been using Spelling Power, but I don't feel like we've learned effective spelling construction.... SP really does not focus on phonograms/morphemes very well. I might try MW with my up-coming 6th and 7th graders. I'm just not sure if it is appropriate for 2nd grade.

 

Spelling should not be so expensive!:tongue_smilie:

[Sunshine State Sue]

I only hear good things about Megawords. Can someone tell me....

 

 

• Do I use the assessment book to place children, or do I just start with book 1 ?

 

I would just start with book 1 because it lays the foundation of breaking up words into syllables there. Each book has a pre-test which will help you to customize it to your child. We skipped a lot of the reading pages in the first books because ds tested out of them. Further, I bought the assessment book. It is better left for a trained classroom teacher to evaluate a classroom full of children.

 

• Is MW done independently? How much mom-time is needed with it?

 

Megawords is fairly independent. In the beginning, it might take some time to make sure your student is comprehending the material. I spend only a few minutes now checking ds's work.

 

• What is the youngest age/grade that is reasonable to start MW?

 

It's intended for 4th grade. You can judge if your student is ready.

 

• What would work well for a 2nd grader to prep for MW once he reaches 4th grade??? I like the sound of Apples and Pears, but it is expensive and my to-be 2nd grader might not enjoy the repetition.

 

We started Megawords in 5th grade with no prior attention to spelling (ds was a bit behind). I'd say relax and wait for 4th grade.

 

I've been using Spelling Power, but I don't feel like we've learned effective spelling construction.... SP really does not focus on phonograms/morphemes very well. I might try MW with my up-coming 6th and 7th graders. I'm just not sure if it is appropriate for 2nd grade.

 

Spelling should not be so expensive!:tongue_smilie:I totally agree.

HTH!