Need help with spelling curriculum

[MistyMountain]

I trying to look into spelling programs for a weak speller who reads above grade level now in case I end up pulling from school. Spalding does not work because it introduces too much at once. I rather have something pattern based. Writing things over does not work even with learning the rules with it. I am considering the online sequential spelling to take the handwriting out of it. I just wonder if it will be enough practice since it sounds like you just correct it once only. He does better with his words in an app then he does writing them out. Writing is a very big weakness. He spells very phonetically. Phonemic awareness is fine. I do not mind a program with rules as long as it is not too many at once.

[displace]

Is AAS an option? The first 1.5-2 books are all (easy) phonetic, then patterns of teaching words of vowel teams and phonemes for similar sounds. There is one phoneme per lesson. They also start homophones and sight words for spelling in book three. They have sentences to review at the end of each lesson that review prior rules. They recommend writing words, and using tiles to spell, but you could spell orally or type, or just use tiles.

 

An app for spelling that gives an option of different phonemes is simplex spelling. So, in a word with long e, there may be a drop down option of e, ee, e(magic)e, ea, etc.

 

There are a couple of spelling apps where you can put in your own word lists. Vocabulary city has an option to import others' lists, and AAS is in their database.

 

I have no advice for sequential spelling as we haven't used it.

[Code Lyoko]

I have never used Scientific Spelling but it was the system that was strongly recommended to me by a CALT specialist a few years ago.  She said she had had great results using it with weak spellers.  I am linking it below.  You might be able to find a used version cheaper but I thought you might want to see the main website first.

 

http://neuhaus.org/spelling-instruction/

 

Other than that, I agree AAS might be a good idea.  

 

Good luck in your quest.

 

ETA:  The link looks like it is to professional development classes for professional tutors/teachers wanting to use the system.  I am uncertain where to get the actual materials without the professional development.

Edited November 15, 2016 by Code Lyoko

[MistyMountain]

I have considered AAS and that is definitely an option. Learning the rules may be better in that format with less introduced at once then the Spalding format. Simplex Spelling did look interesting and like it could be something that worked but I haven't seen anything from someone who used it.

 

Yea I could not find anything about where to get scientific spelling or what the cost would be.

[Ottakee]

Apples and Pears

[MistyMountain]

I heard Apples and Pears mentioned here before as being really good but I thought it had a lot of writing. Looking it over more maybe it would be something to consider.

[blondeviolin]

We're using SS for my older two. My 10yo is an average but lazy speller. She is excelling. My 9yo is a weak speller who I suspect is dyslexic. The SS works nicely for him, I think. He still has a lot of holes and spelling issues, but he is getting there. The SS is more than just correcting it once. Because it builds on the base word, they have to remember how to spell that sound pattern over and over again. They also get good at adding prefixes and suffixes to words. In all honesty, it's simple, but effective here.

[displace]

I heard Apples and Pears mentioned here before as being really good but I thought it had a lot of writing. Looking it over more maybe it would be something to consider.

Though I recommended AAS, I'm actually looking to switch to Apples and Pears for a change. There is a lot more writing than I want DS to do so we will probably use SnapType app (takes a picture and allows typing on it). You can consider scribing as well, or typing on a different program. Or taking two days to do a lesson instead of one, or break it up into two daily sessions.

[shinyhappypeople]

Sequential Spelling is pattern-based. We're currently using Apples Daily Spelling Drills, and it's working really well for DD. Just one side of one page per day, and one spelling rule or pattern per week. I like it a lot. DD isn't in love with it, but her spelling is improving so much that we're sticking with it.

[sbgrace]

Apples and Pears does have writing...I think many people split each lesson into two days. That's what I did all the way through.

 

Nothing else did or has worked nearly as well for my weak speller. Like your description, my son spells phonetically. He has extremely weak visual memory for words. He actually did learn the spelling rules, but he still spelled things wrong because spelling is as much visual as it is following rules. More, actually, imo, given most rules only work part of the time or have exceptions. Apples and Pears teaches only the rules (3 or 4..) that work 100% of the time.

 

I don't know of a better program for kids like mine. But it is writing based. Phonetic Zoo is audio based. By the time I heard of that one, my son was past the levels due to his work in Apples and Pears.

Edited November 18, 2016 by sbgrace

[J in OKC]

I used AVKO.  It is sequential spelling.  http://avko.org/shop/avko-curriculum-spelling.html

[City Mouse]

I have never used Scientific Spelling but it was the system that was strongly recommended to me by a CALT specialist a few years ago. She said she had had great results using it with weak spellers. I am linking it below. You might be able to find a used version cheaper but I thought you might want to see the main website first.

 

http://neuhaus.org/spelling-instruction/

 

Other than that, I agree AAS might be a good idea.

 

Good luck in your quest.

 

ETA: The link looks like it is to professional development classes for professional tutors/teachers wanting to use the system. I am uncertain where to get the actual materials without the professional development.

To get the materials for Scientific Spelling, you do have to take the training class, but it does include all the master I also, and it is available as an online course. I completed it last summer. I really liked the Multi-sensory Grammar program from Neuhaus as well.

[BooksandBoys]

We are using Apples and spears and finally seeing improvement.

I use Spalding to teach him to write his letters correctly (this took a year and a half, mastered at age

7...his dysgraphia is undiagnosed but almost definitely there), but once we tried to progress to spelling with Spalding, it fell apart. AAS was a disaster (thankfully, I borrowed it).

Apples and Pears is all writing, but mine can do it. The first 15 exercises or so in A have more pages, but after that, it's just a front and back worksheet every day with lots of white space on the page. It takes time, but he's doing well.

If you would like screen shots of Level A, PM me and I'll send you some.

Most exciting development: I've noticed him looking at a misspelled word, realizing (visual nemory) that it doesn't look right, and erasing it to try again.

I also greatly appreciate that Apples and Pears teaches basic grammar. In A, it's that we capitalize the first word of a sentence and names, and that we use punctuation at the end and how to tell if we need a period or a question mark. My son wasn't retaining any grammar rules from our grammar curriculum, but he's slowly retaining these.

[displace]

The whole apples and pears curriculum is visible online on heir website. It's an option when you look at each book individually (a preview option).

 

I will tweak some pages because I don't like the font for tracing. I'll use write start to type up HWT font for it.

[MistyMountain]

We are using Apples and spears and finally seeing improvement.

I use Spalding to teach him to write his letters correctly (this took a year and a half, mastered at age

7...his dysgraphia is undiagnosed but almost definitely there), but once we tried to progress to spelling with Spalding, it fell apart. AAS was a disaster (thankfully, I borrowed it).

Apples and Pears is all writing, but mine can do it. The first 15 exercises or so in A have more pages, but after that, it's just a front and back worksheet every day with lots of white space on the page. It takes time, but he's doing well.

If you would like screen shots of Level A, PM me and I'll send you some.

Most exciting development: I've noticed him looking at a misspelled word, realizing (visual nemory) that it doesn't look right, and erasing it to try again.

I also greatly appreciate that Apples and Pears teaches basic grammar. In A, it's that we capitalize the first word of a sentence and names, and that we use punctuation at the end and how to tell if we need a period or a question mark. My son wasn't retaining any grammar rules from our grammar curriculum, but he's slowly retaining these.

I found a blog that contained good samples of what a page looked like and that did make me reconsider it because I saw it was not simply copying the words. He retains nothing with copying and I think that is because of the dysgraphia. What you say though is what I am hoping will happen. He is not visualizing the words and I think something helping with that would help him spell better plus extra grammar would probably help him too.

[BooksandBoys]

I found a blog that contained good samples of what a page looked like and that did make me reconsider it because I saw it was not simply copying the words. He retains nothing with copying and I think that is because of the dysgraphia. What you say though is what I am hoping will happen. He is not visualizing the words and I think something helping with that would help him spell better plus extra grammar would probably help him too.

We do add just a bit to the regular program: if he misses a word, we nor only fix it immediately (as you are instructed to do in the TM), but we add it to a separate page. He practices the missed word later in the day. We've only had to do this with a few words so far, but I think it's important for him.