Thank you everyone for the suggestions....so glad I asked this question. I'm feeling better about not forging ahead with AAS Level 5. These both look like great resources! What is the appeal of one over another? Also, I do best when concepts are presented globally so I can see the big picture before I delve in to the different pieces that make up the big picture. Does one of these books do this better than the other?

So, I have used AAS levels 1 through 4 with my son. I am glad we started out with this program as it was exactly what we needed to lay a strong foundation for sounding words out, understanding the whys behind the rules and the kinesthetic element of the program was a huge plus for my son in his younger years. However, he has expressed his disinterest in continuing with the program due to the lack of a challenge in the actual spelling words. So, I've decided to move on to a different program (Spelling Power) but I really do like the way AAS lays out the spelling rules. Is there a website available that provides all the spelling rules in a similar fashion laid out by AAS? I want to be sure that we don't miss out on crucial rules that AAS teaches during levels 5 - 7. So, if I could have a list of all the spelling rules, I can be sure to teach those rules that we haven't covered as well. AAS is just too expensive of a curriculum for me to buy just for the rules especially if my son is losing motivation to work on spelling because of the books.

I have been trying to figure this out for my son as well. I have used these books when I taught reading to adult learners who were reading at a 5th grade reading level and they were so helpful. I liked that the books were small and focused on one skill. I am unsure if they translate well to the home environment with a middle schooler though. For now, we are using Reading Detectives (the computer version because it is interactive) and he likes it, which is great. But I want to work on specific targeted skills in reading.

We have been using AAS for spelling and my son is currently finishing level 4. As much as I enjoy the program, my son has expressed to me he finds it a little bit boring and the words are too easy. He is what I think most would call a "natural speller." He can see a word and remember its spelling, learn the spelling rule and apply it very easily across the board. He doesn't care to interact with the tiles in AAS and constantly asks me to find harder words for him to spell than what is offered through AAS, which forces me to go to the internet to find word lists that teach the same skill presented in AAS. I am strongly considering ditching this system for Spelling Power. I like that it doesn't require that he waste time on words he can spell and it is a "one and done" purchase for spelling (AAS is an expensive curriculum to use if it is not the best fit for us). The feedback I'm looking for is how does this program approach the spelling rules? Are they easy to explain/understand? I like AAS' approach (the explanations are logical and are constantly revisited through the levels); they have really been helpful for both my son and me. Also, if you have used both, what is your experience with them and which do you prefer? Lastly, if you have a totally different recommendation that you think would be a good fit altogether especially for natural spellers, please share!

We are using MCT for grammar/vocab/poetry/writing and so far we are enjoying it. There is not enough focused instruction on punctuation and usage for me to feel comfortable as we move in to the middle school years. Do you have a book recommendation that focuses on punctuation and usage? My son will be entering 6th grade this fall.

If you have any experience with either of these reading comprehension skills workbooks, will you mind sharing a little about them? If you are familiar with both, which do you prefer?

*bumping

I need some help. Word study and vocabulary is not one of my strengths (among other subjects). We are using MCT's Building Language this year and he talks about 10 stem lessons. So, lesson 1 is about RE, which he labels stem 1. How can RE be a stem -and- a prefix? This is confusing to me, which leads me to my other questions. How can I create exercises from this book for practice? And what is the difference between a stem and a root word. Are root words also known as base words? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! (I hope I posted this in the right forum).

Hello, Mods, I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post my question (sorry if I posted incorrectly). Could someone explain how the swap and shop forum works? If there is something I'm interested in buying, do I select the "contact advertiser directly" option? Thanks for any help!!

Hello all, I homeschool my 4th grade son. I've always seen this forum come up when I google search reviews for certain curricula and I decided I'd like to join in the discussion.