We have Spelling Power AND AAS. We started with AAS - and honestly that is all that I've used. I have looked over SP quite a bit though and it just isn't nearly as intensive as AAS. It does give general rules etc. but I think it is better for natural spellers or those who aren't really challenged or needing intensive, direct instruction. I'd say AAS would be a better choice because it clearly and systematically teaches OG phonics while getting children to build words with the concepts before asking them to remember spelling lists. SP is a bit more list-based. We don't have a dyslexic child but OG programs are most often recommended for dyslexics and AAS is the most open-and-go, easy to implement, yet incredibly thorough OG program I've seen.

Yay, I'm in! Thanks Angela!

Your blog won't let me leave a comment because it doesn't like my email address :(. It says, blah blah blah, won't accept proxy emails? Too bad, we love AAS!

We used A Beka's A Handbook for Reading with the leveled readers, and then we used AAS for spelling/and intensive review. We move faster in reading than spelling, so that has worked well for us :). Using the handbook is easy, just do a page every day, every few days review what you've learned to date, and read a story from a reader :).

Well, if your child has normal phonological awareness abilities, I'd go with AAS. We have used both and AAR is great for children who can't yet distinguish starting sounds, can't rhyme etc. It is EXCELLENT for developing those skills. BUT if your child is 8, she likely already has those in place. These are like, pre-blending skills if that makes sense :). If your daughter is blending you could just go with AAS - the intensive phonics, multi-sensory approach is awesome!

Seriously? I throw it all in a clear tub with a lid...

We relied heavily upon A Beka's readers because they were phonetically leveled instead of by sight words - as even many vintage readers are!

If they don't need to be tied to history, the early SL reader packages are wonderful. DD#1 is blitzing through her grade 3 readers so I need to buy her the 4+5 set.

My Mommy, My Teacher is awesome :). We have also really enjoyed the Wright on Time books :).

We've read American Twins of the Revolution out loud 3 times (the first time was me, the next two were by request). My oldest adores it :).

I agree that Leap Frog is great for teaching letter sounds BUT if you really want to work on phonological awareness to build up to blending, we are really enjoying AAR Pre-1 together.

My MUS came this week too!

Agreed. I want my dc to know US history too, but I want THAT to be the 'add on', not Canadian history if that makes sense :). Instead of integrating US and world history with Canada tacked on, I want integrated Canadian and world history with the US tacked on. Haven't seen it yet though, not in an open-and-go form in any case. I think Modern History Through Canadian Eyes is the closest I've seen.

My oldest DD hasn't traced, and HWT never uses tracing either. Visual processing and muscle memory are really two different things and the visual tracking can actually interfere with the muscle memory acquisition. Have you watched the presentations at Peterson :)? We don't use their program - not easy enough for me to figure out, and we did use it a bit with first DD but it's more ball and stick than I like in the younger grades. I just want to teach continuos stroke manuscript off the bat with the rest of the dc. So, what do we do? Air writing, writing in dishes of lentils, writing BIG on a wipeable board. I'll even grab their hands and move them in a bunch of lentils so they can figure it out tactilely. BUT that being said, I'm glad you found something that worked for you!

FWIW it is just too hard for me organizationally to teach two history programs concurrently. It is WAY too difficult to line them up. I'd actually rather teach Canadian content entirely separately while dropping world history for that time period and just use a timeline to line up events instead of trying to combine two programs on my own. My brain would explode.

Yes, SL is literature based, and is very open-and-go dead easy to use :). I'm with Roxy - I don't want to teach modern history from a US perspective, I want to teach it from a Canadian perspective. Canada is a YOUNG country. Most classical history currics do four years - the last two are often the period Canadian history slots into, and most of the US programs are very US-centric during this time - think MFW. I don't want to use programs like that to teach the modern period that Canada slots into. Ancients, sure, medieval, reformation, sure, but colonization through Canada? I'd love to get that from a Canadian perspective :).

Math U See, Math U See!

I want Canadian history combined WITH world history, not just a separate program I try to splice alongside world history. And I want it to be like Sonlight (at least in the elementary years).

Ditto on listening to the fellow at Peterson. Tracing does NOT equal writing proficiency, it is actually HARDER to trade than it is to get the strokes into muscle memory. Do one letter at a time, then do joins, then do copywork. Copywork won't really be successful until the character formation is learned IMO. And then just start with individual words :).

Well. I just did it today. I finally bought an iPod touch! So, now...ahem. What are your favorite educational app suggestions? There seem to be a glut of them out there, but which ones are actually worth the time and $$. Effective and fun suggestions needed!

We like them too :). Congrats on finding something that works!

We do most of the English orally as well. Sometimes for an *extra* treat I let DD write on the whiteboard. Whiteboards make everything fun for some reason!

We went with NOEO too - it is less scattered but still lit-based :).

I tried an all in one LA (Phonics Road) but sadly the teaching style didn't work for me so I'm piecing it together. We use AAS for spelling and phonics review (now that our formal phonics instruction is over for my oldest), Rod and Staff English for grammar and some writing, narration and copywork. And for reading we do SL Readers 3 and free reading time. We also do some memorization and I think that counts for LA too :).

I tried an all in one LA (Phonics Road) but sadly the teaching style didn't work for me so I'm piecing it together. We use AAS for spelling and phonics review (now that our formal phonics instruction is over for my oldest), Rod and Staff English for grammar and some writing, narration and copywork. And for reading we do SL Readers 3 and free reading time. We also do some memorization and I think that counts for LA too :).