Thank you to everyone for your input so far!
This sounds just like our situation and now I'm thinking that we'll just drop formal spelling for now. There are obviously still many words in Spelling Power that she could learn, but I'm just not sure that it's a good use of our daily time right now, especially since it is frustrating to her to get even one word wrong. She's learning so much by reading on her own and I purposely choose dictation selections that will challenge her in this area (since I can't seem to stump her on grammar or punctuation!).
My only reservation about dropping a spelling program entirely is that my dd expresses an interest in participating in spelling bees in the future. She's not even eligible for our local bee for 2 more years, so we've got time, right? I'm torn :confused1:
Yes, R&S is a bit dry, but I like it for a couple of reasons: 1) the price is right, which is an important consideration for us! and 2) it seems to hit on the grammar topics that we need without too much extra fluff. Granted, I haven't looked at many other grammar programs so I don't have much to compare it to. We're using R&S orally so that she doesn't get bogged down with the writing and we're skipping many of the lessons that are too easy or repetitive (does this mean that we should skip to 4??). I did not have a solid education in English grammar, so honestly it is helping me to sit next to her and learn the parts of speech that I never learned!
I would love to hear more about Killgallon. I'm also intrigued by Writing Tales II. Is anyone using it?
I absolutely agree! I have to remember that my dd is only 6 and I think it's SO important for us to be spending this time together. It gives us a chance to discuss the books and cuddle together while her younger siblings are sleeping. I intend to read aloud to my kids for years to come, no matter what their reading levels are :)