spelling

[zowda]

I have tried about 3-4 different spelling curriculum and still have not found anything I like.  I was wondering what spelling curriculum do you use?  Why do you like it?  What do you not like about it?  What would make it better?

Any response would be helpful. Thank you!  : )

 

 

[SeekingHim77]

I'm a big fan of Charlotte Mason methods and have seen the greatest improvement in my daughter's spelling when using studied dictation. We are using Simply Spelling. It's only $15 for the complete program (a download) and it covers spelling for all age children. Each week the child starts a new passage from great literature, poetry, famous speeches, etc. On days 1-4 the child copies the selection and does one short additional exercise like looking for and circling prefixes or focusing on some of the more difficult words and breaking them down into syllables. On day 5 the child writes the passage from dictation.

 

I've pulled my own copy work and dictation passages from my daughter's school books for years but am loving the convenience of having them all done for me. I also like the little extras this program provides.

[Hunter]

Statistically spelling curricula do not work. And they are least effective for the students that need them the most.

 

Spelling can be a black hole that swallows up your homeschool. Decide how much money and time you want to devote to a project that has little chance of significant return, and refuse to go over budget. Live with the results without shame.

 

If phonics and spelling are YOUR hobby, go all out and make this into a project. Phonics fascinates me. I don't inflict my hobby on students, though.

[HomeAgain]

Honestly?  For my oldest we ended up memorizing phonics rules and Greek/Latin word parts (think CTC's Word Roots).  Nothing else helped: Sequential Spelling, spelling with lesson words, word lists...we spent years wasting time before just breaking it down to the basics and now he spells quite well.

[craftyerin]

Studied dictation through Brave Writer

[JaneEyre]

Apples and Pears :)

[Ellie]

I have tried about 3-4 different spelling curriculum and still have not found anything I like.  I was wondering what spelling curriculum do you use?  Why do you like it?  What do you not like about it?  What would make it better?

Any response would be helpful. Thank you!  : )

 

Spalding. It's so logical, teaching children to read by teaching them to spell, with penmanship, capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing as integral parts of the method, one manual to teach it all.

 

There are a number of spin-offs (LOE, AAS, SWR, two or three others); I just prefer the original. :-)

[Pink and Green Mom]

All About Spelling has been great for us.

 

My older son was a decent speller but had terrible phonemic awareness and some other language issues.  All About Spelling not only was a great fit for spelling, it was what really helped him over his problems in reading as well.

 

My younger son is gifted but an atrocious speller.  All About Spelling has been great with him.  His spelling in his writing (both for school and the free writing he likes to do) really didn't catch up to what it should be until somewhere in Level 4.  He knew how to spell the words correctly, it just wasn't being applied with regularity until mid-4th grade. 

 

I have read here, and heard on one of SWB's lectures, that spelling usually doesn't translate to a student's writing until late elementary.  I do not know how old your kids are but maybe some of the issue isn't the curriculum itself just the fact that the skills aren't transferring yet.

[FO4UR]

I like Apples & Pears.  

 

I reformatted an old spelling program (Pearson 1919) to fit my dyslexic son, and I use it with my ds9 also.  It uses the Ayer's list, but it's different in methodology from Spalding.  I added cursive handwriting practice and some direct phonetic work.

 

You can see samples through links in my siggie.

[Heidi]

I've used many Spalding spinoffs and dictation, and my kids spell great, but I suspect they are natural spellers anyway.

My current spinoff is Reading Lessons through Literature and dictation comes from English Lessons through Literature.

[Guest]

....

Edited June 25, 2016 by Guest

[WIS0320]

Phonics Road - it is teacher intensive and takes a lot of time to implement each day BUT it works.  It is a full language arts program, not just spelling.  It is one of the Spalding/OG program spin offs out there.  It taught me how to teach my kids to read, write and spell and that has been invaluable for our family.  

[zowda]

Honestly?  For my oldest we ended up memorizing phonics rules and Greek/Latin word parts (think CTC's Word Roots).  Nothing else helped: Sequential Spelling, spelling with lesson words, word lists...we spent years wasting time before just breaking it down to the basics and now he spells quite well.

 

That's interesting.  How did you get the list of phonic rules?  I am assuming there would probably be different lists but is there one comprehensive one that you liked and used?

[zowda]

Spalding. It's so logical, teaching children to read by teaching them to spell, with penmanship, capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing as integral parts of the method, one manual to teach it all.

 

There are a number of spin-offs (LOE, AAS, SWR, two or three others); I just prefer the original. :-)

 

It sounds like spalding might be phonics based.  Is that right?

 

[zowda]

Thank you for all the replies! I really appreciate it.

 

It seems, although I am not familiare with a lot of the curriculum, that most, if not all are phonics based. 

Am I correct in my assumptions?  What are your opinions on a phonics based system, rather than others

that are offered?

[Ellie]

It sounds like spalding might be phonics based.  Is that right?

 

 

I wouldn't say that it is "phonics based." It teaches children to read by teaching them to spell. Children learn phonics, but through spelling; spelling rules and phonics rules are not the same thing. :-)

[HomeAgain]

That's interesting.  How did you get the list of phonic rules?  I am assuming there would probably be different lists but is there one comprehensive one that you liked and used?

 

We looked them up as we went along.  I would type in "spelling rule" and what was needed "double consonant".  Learning the why and how to use helped him a LOT more in the long run than previous methods of spelling lists or integrated spelling (like in Writing Strands, where you correct as you go through each assignment).  We wasted about 5 years trying to find a fit with popular programs before deciding to break it down as much as possible.  There are books and websites totally devoted to spelling rules, so you can probably find a resource you love. :)

[MerryAtHope]

For my struggling spellers, All About Spelling was immensely helpful (and not a time-drain on our day--15-20 minutes for lesson time left us plenty of time for other pursuits.) My kids started at a point where they typically left out letters, changed the order of letters, decorated with vowels, and sometimes used phonetically impossible patterns. "Spell-check" could not make accurate suggestions on correct spelling because it couldn't identify the word. Today my kids spell most words correctly, occasionally surprise me with their knowledge of how to spell a difficult word, and their few spelling errors are at least phonetically possible. A little time each day went a long way for us, and I'm proud of the progress they made. Here's a review I did back when we started, with another update (we've since finished and I should write again sometime...haven't gotten around to it!)

 

HTH as you search for the right curriculum for your family!

[zowda]

I wouldn't say that it is "phonics based." It teaches children to read by teaching them to spell. Children learn phonics, but through spelling; spelling rules and phonics rules are not the same thing. :-)

 

I'm embarrasses to say, but I never really thought about them being totally separate before.   The two kind of blended a bit in my mind especially like two letter vowel sounds spelled differently but sounds the same.  There would be phonics rules for that and not spelling rules, right?  That makes sense to me now.  Thank you!  : )  Epiphany!

[zowda]

Just as a reference for this sort of thing, I love The ABC's And All Their Tricks.

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=008752

 

Thank you for all the info and the link to the video.  It was helpful.  The book you mentioned above sounds very thorough.  I'm curious, how did you use this book?  Did you teach from this book or was it more of a reference to go to when you noticed your children needing help in an area? 

[zowda]

We looked them up as we went along.  I would type in "spelling rule" and what was needed "double consonant".  Learning the why and how to use helped him a LOT more in the long run than previous methods of spelling lists or integrated spelling (like in Writing Strands, where you correct as you go through each assignment).  We wasted about 5 years trying to find a fit with popular programs before deciding to break it down as much as possible.  There are books and websites totally devoted to spelling rules, so you can probably find a resource you love. :)

 

Thank you.  I am rethinking about how to approach spelling.  Phonic rules and spelling rules interest me.  I learned spelling by memorizing lists growing up.  Of course I remember the 'i before e except after c' jingle and 'drop the e at the end before adding -ing' but I never knew 'double the consonant at the end of a one sylable word when adding -ed or -ing'.  I just memorized all those, I didn't know there was an actual rule working behind the scenes there.  : ) 

 

Off subject, but I had a college professor who had no tolerance for misspelled words.  Your paper could go down a grade for a misspelled word.  He said once you correct a misspelled word, it should never happen again.  I never understood that. 

 

I have a 15-year old son who is not a good speller and I can't help but feel responsible since I was the one teaching him! : )  I still struggle with teaching my 10-year old.  : ( 

[Ellie]

I'm embarrasses to say, but I never really thought about them being totally separate before.   The two kind of blended a bit in my mind especially like two letter vowel sounds spelled differently but sounds the same.  There would be phonics rules for that and not spelling rules, right?  That makes sense to me now.  Thank you!  : )  Epiphany!

 

You would not be alone. :-)

 

Spalding approaches "rules" differently than most. For example, the fact that a has three sounds is not a rule; that it says its second (or "long") sound at the end of a short word or syllable is a rule. So, two-letter vowel sounds spelled differently but sounding the same would not be a rule. Knowing that they make the same sound might be a phonics thing (I'm being careful how I use "rule," lol); knowing which one to use under which circumstances might be a rule...see, it's complex, isn't it? :-) Spalding doesn't teach a certain sound and all of the letter combinations that make that sound. It teaches the phonograms (single letters or combinations of letters) and all the sounds that go with each, then any rules that might go with a specific phonogram. For example, "ck" is usually used after a single vowel that doesn't spell its name. Children would know when reading that it says /k/ because of phonics; they would know how to spell "duck" because of spelling. Spalding teaches both simultaneously.

 

Hope that isn't TMI. :laugh:

[sbgrace]

I have nearly completed Apples and Pears with a weak (and also an average/decent) speller. It teaches the few spelling rules that work all the time and helps kids break words into parts/chunks while developing a visual memory for the word. I've loved the results here.

[zowda]

 

Hope that isn't TMI. :laugh:

 

Clear explaination.  Makes sense.  Thank you!

[zowda]

Statistically spelling curricula do not work. And they are least effective for the students that need them the most.

 

Spelling can be a black hole that swallows up your homeschool. Decide how much money and time you want to devote to a project that has little chance of significant return, and refuse to go over budget. Live with the results without shame.

 

If phonics and spelling are YOUR hobby, go all out and make this into a project. Phonics fascinates me. I don't inflict my hobby on students, though.

 

I'd be really interested in reading more about that.  Was there an article that you read that you could refer me too? 

Thank you. 

[Ewe Mama]

I am currently using five different spelling programs, one with each child. Hunter is correct when she refers to spelling as a black hole!

 

Joy is using Level 7 of AAS and it is really challenging her. We are re-doing the current lesson because she has not caught on to this particular pattern very well. She is a natural speller, so it is good for her to slow down and think about it. I will be glad to complete AAS, though.

 

Simon is my suspected slightly dyslexic child. We tried several programs with him. He would start out strong and then rapidly spiral downward and forget all the words he thought he know. Apples and Pears has been the best fit ever for him. He still makes errors, but he now sees and understands them without throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. He did Levels A and B last year and just started C. I am so proud of the strides he has made with his spelling, and he is, too!

 

Theodore loves to do studied dictation. We use Spelling Wisdom from Simply Charlotte Mason and he is doing very well with it. He usually copies the lesson once a day for two or three days, depending upon how challenging he finds it, and then we do a dictation the following day. It moves at a slower pace, but he surprises me by spelling more difficult words perfectly when he does creative writing on his own. I'll ask him if he had that word in spelling and he always says yes while wearing a big grin on his face.

 

Alvin is my natural speller with a short attention span. He uses Spelling Plus and Dictation together. He copies a list of 15 words out of the Spelling Plus book into his spelling notebook. The following day, he copies the words onto the dry erase board. The next day, I have him spell them orally. The day after that, I give him a spelling test. Once he has successfully completed that list, we go to the Dictation book. We work from the list that is two lessons prior to the lesson he just completed in Spelling Plus; this allows for more built in review. I dictate only two sentences per day. He rarely misses any words. If he does, he copies it 3-5 times and uses the word in an original written sentence. Easy peasy. He doesn't have time to get distracted since we move through the day's work so quickly.

 

Faith is using the Modern Speller for studied dictation. She is not a natural speller and really struggles with it, but the lessons are shorter and easier for her to complete than Spelling Wisdom would be. We also like that the word families are included in the lessons, so that allows her to see the connections and patterns with other similar words. We had tried AAS, but it was not a good fit for her. I am not sure if we will stay with this long-term or not. We shall see.

[Ottakee]

Apples and Pears

[zowda]

I am currently using five different spelling programs, one with each child. Hunter is correct when she refers to spelling as a black hole!

Wow, how do you do that!?  I feel so overwhelmed just reading what you do.   I am truly amazed with your love and dedication to each of your children and finding something that works for each of them.  You're amazing!  : )