OhElizabeth and Lori D. I'll look into your suggestions. With appreciation, Wanda

dd is required to take a career course for correspondence school. She doesn't want an online class. Are you familiar with any books/curriculum that cover the gamut of career planning, job security, creating a resume', etc? We would love some suggestions. Thank you!

Two kids took classes from her last year and we're back for more. They love her teaching, her style and her personality. A huge blessing!

The American Govt. book from Great Source? It's one I'm considering in conjunction with the Amanda Bennett Election Unit Study.

and so much that I agree with and have experienced with my own children, adults I know and with the dyslexic students that I tutor. I do believe that my oldest daughter, who struggles with spelling, wouldn't be as far along as she is today without the help of a program like Spell to Write and Read, which is what we used. My younger dd, who is more inclined in the area of language, would have become a great speller with or without SWR. (IMO) I don't think spelling rules are the be-all-end-all, but I do think they are tools that can help in many cases, and I find them helpful for many of the dyslexic students that I tutor. I do wish remedial spelling courses were offered in high school and college for those who just didn't get a good foundation in grade school. Math and English are, why not spelling? Spelling has always come easily to me, not that you would know it from my earlier post :), and I've benefitted greatly from teaching my own children. That's part of what I love about homeschooling, the opportunity to fill in the gaps in my own education! I knew how to spell words, I just never knew they "why" until I began teaching spelling. I also agree with recognizing where your deficiencies are and working to accommodate them - it's true that some people are completely unaware, but what we write and say is received as a message about ourselves to the world - *I think*. Spelling obviously does not define our character or our level of intelligence, but I personally believe in striving hard to improve or excel at whatever we take on. We had a pastor who was dyslexic and many of his PP presentations were misspelled. IMO, he should have used spell-check, his wife or a friend to help him with what he was presenting to the congregation. Thank you for all the input. It's quite obvious that spelling ability/inability has not affected academic and workplace success for many of you and others that you know.

what is the correlation between IQ and spelling ability...do tell!

I pride myself on being a good speller... guess that's out the window - well, happy to hear that the "consensus" is you can still be educated, smart and not spell worth a darn. Hmmm...

I have one dd that struggles with spelling and one that spells naturally. I think you're right, either you have a knack for it or you don't.

What's the concensus?

I've been using the 30-day shred; love it. Easy to follow, but a great workout. I've lost 20 lbs!

Wordly Wise 3000 or Wordly Wise? Thanks!

There are two series, Wordly Wise 3000 and Wordly Wise. What is the difference and which did you use? Yes, I agree about using those words. We're actually good about throwing them into our vocabulary or making little word games. Thanks for sharing!

I was wondering about using both and whether it would be too much. I think I'll order Wordly Wise then. Are you using your Word Roots from the book only or have you made or purchased flashcards or any other extras? Thanks!

We've started using Word Roots and I think it's helpful. Then I perused the Wordly Wise sample, which focuses more on straight vocabulary buildling. Which would you say is more beneficial for 9th grade? Word Roots are building blocks, but Wordly Wise seems to expand vocabulary and prepare your student for the SAT. Any thoughts? Thanks