Best spelling workbooks?

[Mrs. Lilac]

We've been doing Spelling Power and it's just too much. DD is a pretty good speller, and I'd really like to move to something more workbook/less teacher intensive. I've heard terrible things about Spelling Workout, so that's out....I've been looking at Building Spelling Skills. Any other ideas for spelling? (As an aside, she does BJU English for LA, but I honestly have hardly ever looked at their spelling.)

[Ellie]

And yet, doesn't SWB recommend Spelling Workout??? It's a decent series.

 

My favorite traditional spelling is Spelling by Sound and Structure (R&S). The first two years (2nd and 3rd) are pretty simple, but 4th and above are much more challenging--not necessarily the word lists, but the actual activities. Sixth through 8th grades are non-consummable.

[Guest]

How about Rod and Staff? Excellent series. I have looked at BJU spelling but for mine, the pages are too busy.

[Mrs. Lilac]

I know SWB does recommend Spelling Workout, but I haven't heard good things about it from actual users. If we all just went out and bought exactly what SWB recommended, there wouldn't be much purpose in a forum like this, right? :) In the current thread on here about curriculum people disliked, it's mentioned a BUNCH of times.

 

I'm certainly willing to reconsider it if someone articulates some interesting reasons why they really liked it.

[mrs.m]

Everybody has something they don't like for one reason or another. Even the most popular curriculum will have someone say it was worst thing they ever tried. It's a good thing that there is so much out there. :) That doesn't mean that it isn't good! I have a friend who uses it and loves it.

 

You might look into Evan Moore Spelling. We are going to use All About Spelling.

[Lori D.]

Natural Speller has "word family" lists, lots of widely used words, and is for grades 1-8, all in one book. At the very front of the book is the practice technique, similar to the look-say-spell-write practice method of Spelling Power, done solo by the student. The parent selects the week's words from the lists and then administers the test at the end of the week.

 

Megawords is done mostly independently by the student, and teaches vowel patterns and syllabication and has great words vocabulary-wise. There are 8 books, and the recommendation is for grade 4 and up. Book 1 and 2 are fairly easy, but the words and patterns rapidly get harder starting in Book 3; might want to look for a placement test. The parent dictates an occasional list of syllables for an exercise and administers the test at the end of each unit (at 1-2 pages a day, takes about 2 weeks to complete a unit). There are lists of dozens of words fitting the patterns at the start of each unit; most words are practiced in the worksheets, and the "starred" words are what the teacher selects from for the test.

 

No personal experience, but I believe the Apples Daily Spelling Drill workbook is fairly independent, and is based on spelling rules. I believe it was originally intended for older students needing phonics spelling help, but might be a great fit with older student vocabulary words and spelling rule drill. It is for grades 4 and up.

 

 

This is not a workbook suggestion, and is not necessarily less teacher intensive (you would have to select the word list each week), but since you say that DD is a pretty good speller, perhaps consider moving on to using a spelling resource such as "The ABCs and All Their Tricks" and make your own spelling each week, going over 1-2 spelling patterns, and choosing words at her level, and/or for vocabulary is what would both reinforce and stretch DD in her spelling at this time. You could also include words from her own writing that she typically misspells to polish up that area, as well.

 

 

BEST of luck in finding what works best for DD AND for you in your spelling journey! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited July 25, 2011 by Lori D.

[mom31257]

I'm going to try Big IQ Kids for spelling. He will do the lessons and even test online. He's been doing the free trial.

 

I'm planning on purchasing the membership, so I'll get emails of his progress and extra things. My big decision right now is if I want to purchase the membership for the entire site.

 

I had already purchased a workbook, so I'll probably use those lists. You can use lists that are on the site, though.

[mamamoon]

:grouphug:

[llindseymomoffour]

My 2nd and 3rd graders will be doing Soaring with Spelling. I liked the look of the lessons and the fact that they provide vocabulary as well with each word. The one we used last year did not and was pretty boring to the boys.

[NittanyJen]

I'll bite. My 7YO loves Spelling Workout; he begs to do spelling. I like the way it is highly organized and not fluffy or a time-waster at all.

 

The week's lesson is organized around a spelling rule that the student can then use to generalize to spell (or sound out when reading-- going the other direction) similar words in the future. This is important, because many people do NOT just absorb spelling naturally through reading and copy work.

 

The lesson begins by learning the meanings of the words. Spellings of words in isolation are unlikely to be retained, but using and learning a word that has meaning -- that sticks. The lesson also begins with a short story to put the words in context; again, giving the words meaning helps. Through the rest of the week, the students learn to pick out, recognize, and understand the spelling rule, and place the word in context in various ways, reinforcing both spelling and meaning. Finally there is a mastery problem in which the student gets to proofread, spot common errors, and correct them, reinforcing again context, meaning, and spelling, all of which cement the spelling of the word rather than expecting I to exist in a vacuum; these activities help place the word in long-term memory.

 

Finally, after every few lessons there is a mastery lesson in which prior words are reviewed. For the test on that unit, I might ask any words spelled incorrectly on prior tests, words struggled with during the weekly spelling tasks, or words added to our general spelling list from other subjects.

 

By the end of the mastery unit, he has the rules, spellings, and semantics down cold-- and except for the weekly quiz, he can do it independently at age 7.

 

So, it's organized, well-planned, anything but busywork (not workbooky) customizable to your child's level, not too expensive, not time-consuming for parent or child, effective, and not too parent-intensive, and at least for my son, highly effective. We had a minor hiccup when we first started, but I quickly realized it was because I had him in the wrong level-- easily fixed.

 

Consider this a very positive review of Spelling Workout.

[NittanyJen]

PS. My older child also used SW and was fine, but finished level H. We simply moved on to Vocabulary Workshop.

[kolamum]

We are really enjoying SpellWell and my poor speller has made amazing progress with it. :)

[TheCoffeeChick]

We use Rod & Staff Spelling by Sound and Structure and love it.

[Mrs. Lilac]

Thanks for all the feedback. I certainly didn't mean to get anyone on the defensive about Spelling Workout- I don't have any kind of personal vendetta against it. :) It's just something that for whatever reason I have personally heard predominantly negative reviews on. Sorry if my tone in the original post seemed to be attacking Spelling Workout, I just didn't plan to consider one I had not heard any positive feedback on.

 

Here's a big warm fuzzy hug for Spelling Workout! :grouphug:

 

:)

[mrshomework]

We had a minor hiccup when we first started, but I quickly realized it was because I had him in the wrong level-- easily fixed.

 

Consider this a very positive review of Spelling Workout.

 

Is spelling workout considered to be at grade level... I was just wondering if I should go a grade ahead ? We started with Evan Moor spelling skills this past year and it was way too easy.

[LindaWood]

I have 5 children, and two are graduated. We started using Well Trained Mind methods when the book first came out. We used Spelling Workout, and it was fine, but it was a little easy for our kids. We used BJU spelling one year, and that was way too easy (easier than SWO). We then started using Building Spelling Skills by Christian Liberty Press, and that has been just right for our family. It is more challenging, which was what we needed. It may not be that way for others--all of our kids are voracious readers and have had no learning problems in the language arts areas.

 

Linda

[blessedmom3]

Building Spelling Skills (CLP , not Evan Moor ) is excellent . Especially grades 3& up.

[Suzanne115]

We use A Beka spelling and we really like it. However, a lot of people don't like it. My daughter is a very strong speller, but she still wants to do spelling each week. A Beka is easy to use and works for us.

 

Suzanne

[Guest momk2000]

We have tried several, and have chosen to stick with Spelling Workout. :)

[2GAboys]

Thanks for all the feedback. I certainly didn't mean to get anyone on the defensive about Spelling Workout- I don't have any kind of personal vendetta against it. :) It's just something that for whatever reason I have personally heard predominantly negative reviews on. Sorry if my tone in the original post seemed to be attacking Spelling Workout, I just didn't plan to consider one I had not heard any positive feedback on.

 

Here's a big warm fuzzy hug for Spelling Workout! :grouphug:

 

:)

 

 

I didn't pick up on a negative tone at all. I remember reading some of those negative reviews so it is easy to see why initiially you ruled it out. Since I taught phonics via OPGTR and TWTM said Spelling Workout was the best at transforming the rules of reading (learned from the OPGTR) into rules for spelling that was what I went with. However, my second is a wiggly willie and I amended the workbook approach (he still did it) but I added letter tiles with a dry erase/magnetic board and had his spell them out with tiles, write them on dry erase, etc. I learned from attending a "Helping Boys Succeed in School" seminar based on the most recent research in the differences of male brains that boys need strong visuals and movement in the learning environment. I felt a workbook approach alone would be ineffective for him. I think that it is a good curriculum but if I just handed it to my child and said "here, go do this" then I don't think it would have been it for us. I tend to go over the rule, discuss how it applies to the spelling words, challenge my child to see how similarities and differences within the list words, etc. In later years I would make sure they knew they used the glossary in the back to learn the definition, etc. I also put the list on spellingcity.com and had them play games to learn the spelling. IMO, the curriculum is not what matters the most, its want you do to teach it and enrich it. It's certainly inexpensive. I made it work but there is lots out there.

[mrs.m]

Thanks for all the feedback. I certainly didn't mean to get anyone on the defensive about Spelling Workout- I don't have any kind of personal vendetta against it. :) It's just something that for whatever reason I have personally heard predominantly negative reviews on. Sorry if my tone in the original post seemed to be attacking Spelling Workout, I just didn't plan to consider one I had not heard any positive feedback on.

 

Here's a big warm fuzzy hug for Spelling Workout! :grouphug:

 

:)

 

:grouphug: I didn't get that tone either.

 

I think that particular thread isn't helpful since the reader doesn't get to see both sides. If there was another recent thread about favorite curriculum, it's possible that just as many people would list Spelling Power, Spelling Workout, All About Spelling, and many others that were listed in that thread.

[Gailmegan]

I didn't think your tone was harsh either. :001_smile:

 

We are another family that uses SWO - and both boys love it. You may consider giving it a try to find out for yourself.

 

If SWO wasn't an option I would probably try Soaring with Spelling.

[Stacie Leigh]

I like Rod & Staff and A Beka too. (So shoot me, lol!) I grew up spelling with A Beka Grammar and Spelling and I did great at ACSI spelling bees, and practically knew the MLA handbook went I started college. I also tested in the 99th percentile for spelling and vocabulary on every standardized test I took through elementary and junior high.

[NittanyJen]

Thanks for all the feedback. I certainly didn't mean to get anyone on the defensive about Spelling Workout- I don't have any kind of personal vendetta against it. :) It's just something that for whatever reason I have personally heard predominantly negative reviews on. Sorry if my tone in the original post seemed to be attacking Spelling Workout, I just didn't plan to consider one I had not heard any positive feedback on.

 

Here's a big warm fuzzy hug for Spelling Workout! :grouphug:

 

:)

 

I wasn't offended or defensive; I just wanted to give a more specific review regarding why I liked it instead of just saying "itz uh gud prohgram!". That way, if the reasons I like it are or are not important to you, you have an intelligent reason to decide on whether or not it's a good fit for your specific child, instead of just going with the flow of recent reviews. I hope others would follow suit, as they might have perspectives and perceptions entirely different from mine. (I give no credibility to reviews that say, "it's disorganized," ... Why is it disorganized? Or did you just not understand it or not stick with it long enough?)

 

Since most of us did not write the programs, there is no reason to assume we would feel defensive about them.

 

And, as PP pointed out, there are proponents and detractors for every program written-- often in nearly equal numbers. We love Life of Fred; others won't give it the time of day or relegate it to status of supplement only. I can't stand stand Nancy Larson; for others it's a Godsend. I won't even consider a science curriculum that teaches creation or ID (and yes, I am a Christian; I just don't believe faith and science have to be mutually exclusive); others believe that teaching evolution would be a profound violation of their beliefs. Reviews such as the one I wrote earlier are important, because unless you understand why somebody feels the way they do about a curriculum, all you are left with is, "Gee, a lot of people (in the thread I happened to see) don't

like it."

 

Thoroughness is for educational purposes, and to assist people in reaching their own conclusions; not to force people into a particular curriculum, nor to defend anything we don't have any particular stake in. Remember, one cannot 'sound' a particular way in written medium; that quality is in the ear of the reader, not necessarily the writer :). In my case, the care of the response is in helping my fellow home schoolers to make more informed decisions, so that they are free to choose based upon information and opinion rather tha simply very abbreviated opinion free of any useful context.

 

Hopefully that makes more sense-- sorry about the digression...

[NittanyJen]

Is spelling workout considered to be at grade level... I was just wondering if I should go a grade ahead ? We started with Evan Moor spelling skills this past year and it was way too easy.

 

That is a difficult question to answer, as the Spelling Workout texts are designated by letters, not grades. I started my 2nd/7YO in level D in Feb-- he is language disabled in some domains, but high IQ (very), so placing him was pure guesswork. He is happier in level C for now. My DS 10/roughly 5th grade, tests into 8th already finished level H, but it was challenging; a kid who can do that well doesn't need to study spelling any longer and can readily move on to Vocabulary instead as a subject. A quality program like Vocabulary Workshop will build around word roots, which will also reinforce spelling. I think a more typical kid would take longer to finish the SW series; there is no rush. I suspect that even though DS7 enjoys spelling and is gifted, it will take him longer.

 

I would suggest doing as we did-- if you find you are at the wrong level, regardless of program, change the level, not the program, if you like the format.

[kathy_overman]

I was just going to ask of All About Spelling is really worth it. It is waiting for us in the dining room, but it seems very complicated, teacher intense and it was very expensive.

 

I am wondering if I stick w/ it or go to something much cheaper like Rod & Staff?

 

Is AAS really worth all the cost and time?

[mrshomework]

I was just going to ask of All About Spelling is really worth it. It is waiting for us in the dining room, but it seems very complicated, teacher intense and it was very expensive.

 

I am wondering if I stick w/ it or go to something much cheaper like Rod & Staff?

 

Is AAS really worth all the cost and time?

I didn't mind the teacher involvement. I just don't see my daughter retaining the information. We finished AAS1 a few month ago and just the other day dd was writing a story and asking how to spell certain words. I kept reminding her the rules she didn't seem to remember them. Maybe I didn't implement AAS right but I think for my dd gets more out of workbook style. I am changing to Building Spelling Skills but Rod & Staff was my next pick.

[ukfan78]

We used Soaring with Spelling for 2 years and thought it was alright, but really just seemed like busy work. We are going to try something else this year though. I am hoping to make my own list. If I decide to do spelling with a workbook, we will use Spelling Workout.

 

Melissa