All About Spelling users: teaching without the Student Packet???

[savmom]

I've seen a few homeschoolers (here and on a couple blogs) mention that they use AAS without the student packet. :huh:  :confused1:   How is that even possible? What does a typical lesson look like using only the Teacher Guide?

 

My dd did SO well with AAS years ago but it just has not been in our budget  :tongue_smilie:  Someone is sending me the TG's for levels 2-4, but no student materials.

 

We've been flopping around with freebies for too long and now her spelling is becoming an issue. I don't want to attempt using AAS without the student materials unless I know it has been successful for others :thumbup: and I have a general idea of what to use instead of the cards/etc.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[sweetpea3829]

I use it primarily without the student packet.  I don't use any of the cards and the tiles were a distraction.  We use the whiteboard instead.  Ahead of time, I go through the level and write up the specific rules/methods they will be learning.  I have them saved from each level we've completed so far.  Every week, we have "Spelling Review" on Mondays and I go through some of those rules/methods to keep the material fresh for the kids.

 

Personally, I don't see any benefit in memorizing the word cards.  The goal is to teach them how to spell THAT KIND of word.  If they can spell that particular kind of word, than they can spell any of that kind without needing to memorize it.  I would prefer they NOT memorize their words.  

 

There are two aspects of the student packet that I do use, but you don't need to.  I use the word banks and create puzzles and whatnot.  But you can google those specific kinds of words and come up with word lists.  I also use the Jobs of Silent E book (from level 3 I think it was)...and level 5 has a book like that as well.  But to that effect, you don't need the booklet...you can make your own.  In fact, because I am schooling four children, I actually did make my own booklet modeled after the included booklet.  Now I can print one for each kiddo.  

 

Other than that, you don't really need the student packet. 

[tm919]

I use it primarily without the student packet.  I don't use any of the cards and the tiles were a distraction.  We use the whiteboard instead.  Ahead of time, I go through the level and write up the specific rules/methods they will be learning.  I have them saved from each level we've completed so far.  Every week, we have "Spelling Review" on Mondays and I go through some of those rules/methods to keep the material fresh for the kids.

 

Personally, I don't see any benefit in memorizing the word cards.  The goal is to teach them how to spell THAT KIND of word.  If they can spell that particular kind of word, than they can spell any of that kind without needing to memorize it.  I would prefer they NOT memorize their words.  

 

There are two aspects of the student packet that I do use, but you don't need to.  I use the word banks and create puzzles and whatnot.  But you can google those specific kinds of words and come up with word lists.  I also use the Jobs of Silent E book (from level 3 I think it was)...and level 5 has a book like that as well.  But to that effect, you don't need the booklet...you can make your own.  In fact, because I am schooling four children, I actually did make my own booklet modeled after the included booklet.  Now I can print one for each kiddo.  

 

Other than that, you don't really need the student packet. 

There is a free Silent E book on the AAS page -- unlocking the key to silent e (http://info.allaboutlearningpress.com/newsletter). The main thing I would miss is the word banks -- but maybe your source of the TGs could give those to you?

[MEmama]

There is nothing magical about using word tiles. They will work for some kids and be a distraction or annoyance for others. You can easily make your own if you are into that kind of thing and think they will be beneficial. We've never used them.

 

A typical 4 day lesson for us: Monday: talk about the rule, copy each word 3x. Tuesday: a handful of dictation sentences. Wednesday: DS makes up sentences using the rest of the words, plus any others that might have been missed the week before or that he just wants to practice more. Thursday: quiz.

 

It's been very effective for us, but I'm sure there's a thousand other ways to go about it. I personally think the key to any program is to be flexible and not allow it to dictate how you teach.

[Meg4]

There is nothing magical about using word tiles. They will work for some kids and be a distraction or annoyance for others. You can easily make your own if you are into that kind of thing and think they will be beneficial. We've never used them.

 

A typical 4 day lesson for us: Monday: talk about the rule, copy each word 3x. Tuesday: a handful of dictation sentences. Wednesday: DS makes up sentences using the rest of the words, plus any others that might have been missed the week before or that he just wants to practice more. Thursday: quiz.

 

It's been very effective for us, but I'm sure there's a thousand other ways to go about it. I personally think the key to any program is to be flexible and not allow it to dictate how you teach.

[Meg4]

This is exactly how we do it to! But, I never thought of having them make up sentences with the words . I love that idea.

[Crimson Wife]

The word banks are not in the TM's. Also, the rule cards I used frequently (but those are mostly in levels 2 & 3).

[savmom]

Awesome!! I love all your suggestions & ideas. I am not very creative....which makes being a homeschool mom challenging at times :p

[YsgolYGair]

I'm only on level one, but basically, I teach the rule - perhaps make up my own flash card about the rule, if I feel it's necessary for review - and then treat the TM like a dictation book. If he can spell all the words in the step, or many without difficulty, we move on. I would hate having all to pull out all those little pieces and cards everyday, but I love the incremental nature of AAS, so for me, this is the best of both worlds.

[Farrar]

The word banks and rule cards are the only thing I missed. But that wasn't enough to shell out the money for the student packet. We made our own silent E book and so forth. We used the white board, which was much easier than the tiles. If the kids were struggling with a particular spelling, I would make them "tiles" and put them on the board. Really, I think the student packet is pretty superfluous if you've got kids who don't gravitate toward the tiles.

[MerryAtHope]

I've known some people to use lists to track things they needed to review. I think a lot depends on the needs of your student. Mine needed ongoing review that was easy to customize, and that would have been really difficult without the cards. Kids who tend to pick up spelling more quickly wouldn't need as much review, and it might be easier to move ahead without the cards. 

 

I also felt they were necessary for reinforcing visual patterns--not only the word banks, but I would do things like show my kids the card after they spelled every word, whether it was correct or not. When they struggled with a particular visual pattern, I would also have them read the word card daily for several days, noting the pattern each day, and then have them try spelling it again. If the pattern they were struggling with wasn't visual, we would note the strategy they needed to use--whether it was phonetic, rules-based, morphemic, etc... We also reviewed phonogram, sound, and key cards monthly (focusing on a different type of card each week). We also did extra word card practice. Again, kids who don't struggle as much wouldn't need as much review. However, it would be easy for kids to memorize words without internalizing the rule, so it's important to review them periodically in some way. But, if you didn't have to do them as often as we did, you may find it works fine without having cards. You'd just want to flip through the books to find those key cards when you did review (the book pictures them when they are introduced). 

[savmom]

Thank you everyone..... and Merry, I appreciate you taking time to reply (actually I was secretly hoping you would respond lol I've followed your story for a long time since our husbands have similar illnesses).

I am torn I guess. I WANT to use AAS the way it's designed, especially since dd did so well with level 1 but ugh, money is so incredibly unbelievably tight since dh became disabled that every $0.01 is precious.

Homeschooling can be an amazing journey....for us, it can be described as an obstructed blessing. :banghead: Just when something good comes our way, it's thwarted by something I absolutely need that I can't readily obtain.

I posted an ISO in the classifieds, who knows, maybe for once I will get lucky with an AAS student packet cheap :drool: :thumbup: :001_tt1:

[cintinative]

So these are my thoughts. The student packet does include the rule cards and sound cards. I would find some way to review those, especially the rule cards.  I don't think you need the student packet for the word cards. You can mark in your book the ones you need to review and/or where you stopped. The other issue is that the student packet includes the tiles. I do think you need the tiles. I don't always make my kids spell with them, but when it asks us to break a word into syllables, etc. we use the tiles for that. Also when it has me use tiles to demonstrate something, I do. So those are the negatives I can see for not having the student packet.

[MerryAtHope]

Thank you everyone..... and Merry, I appreciate you taking time to reply (actually I was secretly hoping you would respond lol I've followed your story for a long time since our husbands have similar illnesses).

 

I am torn I guess. I WANT to use AAS the way it's designed, especially since dd did so well with level 1 but ugh, money is so incredibly unbelievably tight since dh became disabled that every $0.01 is precious.

 

Homeschooling can be an amazing journey....for us, it can be described as an obstructed blessing. :banghead: Just when something good comes our way, it's thwarted by something I absolutely need that I can't readily obtain.

 

I posted an ISO in the classifieds, who knows, maybe for once I will get lucky with an AAS student packet cheap :drool: :thumbup: :001_tt1:

 

 

I'm glad my post helped--I debated whether I should post since you were asking about how to do it without, and I didn't do it that way. I hope you find one!