All About Spelling Question

[kknickrehm]

Can All About Spelling users comment on the amount of teacher prep time needed each day for this program? Also, do the students get to a point where they are doing any part of it independently?

 

Thanks a bunch

 

-Katie

[bethben]

I don't do any teacher prep before the lesson. There is a lot of cutting with tiles and cards at the beginning, but once you're done, it's open and go. I don't think students could do this independently. There involves dictation in the higher levels. It's really an easy program to do and doesn't involve a lot of time. But, if you're looking for something you can just hand your child, this is not that program.

Beth

[msjones]

Ditto what Bethben said.

 

No daily prep. Initial prep -- yes. But none once that's done.

 

No independent work here so far. (We just finished Level 2.)

 

I do occasionally have my son review the Key cards on his own for a minute or two, but that's all there really is for him to do independently.

 

We both enjoy the lessons and I'm very pleased with the results.

[crosseyedparent]

Did either of you use it as a reading program for your kids or just as a spelling program. I am hoping to use it as the primary phonics program for my dd this year with Explode the Code as a supplement.

[Amber in AUS]

I agree with what the PP have said. I am using it as a primary phonics program and we are not doing anything else but my DD is already reading on a 6th grade level. She doesn't like workbooks and hated ETC so we ditched it in favour of AAS, she loves this program.

 

I have heard that you can use it as a reading program but you would work ahead with reading moving at a much faster rate only having the child read the words, not spell them with the tiles.

 

If this was the only reading instruction and you kept them together reading and spelling then i think the program would move way too slowly to produce a fluent reader in a relatively short period.

[8filltheheart]

Did either of you use it as a reading program for your kids or just as a spelling program. I am hoping to use it as the primary phonics program for my dd this year with Explode the Code as a supplement.

 

I would not recommend AAS as a primary phonics program. Kids' reading moves at a much quicker pace than their spelling. My first grader finished books 1&2 this yr, but they are no where near her reading level. She can read words like competition, thoroughly, etc. Those phonograms are not found in the lower levels.

 

Most kids can read words with all 72 phonograms in first grade. I know the first two levels are extremely limited in the phonics rules they present.

Edited June 1, 2009 by 8FillTheHeart

[MerryAtHope]

I have heard that you can use it as a reading program but you would work ahead with reading moving at a much faster rate only having the child read the words, not spell them with the tiles.

 

If this was the only reading instruction and you kept them together reading and spelling then i think the program would move way too slowly to produce a fluent reader in a relatively short period.

 

Yes, this is what the author has described doing when she uses AAS to teach reading to kids. She works at one place for spelling, and another for reading. When you use the lessons for reading, you teach the concept & have them read the words and dictations instead of having them spell and write them. So you can move through the lessons a lot more quickly for reading this way.

 

AAS has a reader that can be used starting about halfway through level 1, the Beehive Reader 1.

 

A couple of threads you might be interested in from the Chatterbee:

 

http://www.thechatterbee.com/forum/topics/how-do-you-teach

 

http://www.thechatterbee.com/forum/topics/does-aas-suffice-for-1st-grade

 

HTH! Merry :-)