I saw there was a recent post about All About Spelling & The Writing Road to Reading. I wondered if I could get some more thoughts on them. I've been talking with some friends recently about language arts and these are two things they've recommended. Have you used it? What have you thought of it? How long does it take you every day? (The intro says 2-3 hours/day in a classroom setting!) If you've considered it but not used it, why not? Have you found your child able to do the writing portion? My 2 kids were ready to learn to read long before they were comfortable writing.
Similarly, any thoughts on "All About Spelling"?
If it helps you to know my situation, I have a second grader who is reading well, but he struggles to decode longer words and he's abysmal at spelling! We've been using Spelling Workout A & B, as recommended by The Well-Trained Mind, but I find myself continually wanting to be able to tell him a rule, and that curriculum doesn't take that approach. (By the way, if you know why TWTM recommends Spelling Workout, let me know, as right now I'm seeing more of its weaknesses than its strengths!) I'm feeling the need for spelling rules and also decoding practice. Hearing about The Writing Road to Reading's emphasis on spelling rules, phonograms, roots, etc. intrigued me. That said, it seems like a pretty intense program, so I'm wondering if All About Spelling would be a good compromise (another friend who gave up on Spelling Workout likes it), particularly given that my child's already reading.
Thanks.