How does Spelling Power work?

[Oakblossoms]

I would love something that is reusable for all the kids. I hate filling up workbooks.

 

Can you tell me how it works? Is it really that easy?

[KarenNC]

This might help

http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/SPmenu.htm

[danybug]

My son is a pretty good speller thus far, so we have used Spelling Power a little different than the specific requirements.

 

Each day I read whichever Group of words we are on and my ds does the daily test. Then whatever words he gets wrong he writes on the daily study sheet. Then he goes through the steps on the sheet which involve saying the word, spelling it out loud, writing it on a surface with your finger, closing your eyes and spelling it and rewriting it. Then at the bottom of the paper you write a sentence with each word. Then we write each word on the back of the paper ten times each. Then the next day we test those words on the daily test first and add the new words. Repeat each day. Then there are review tests mixed in and end of level tests throughout the levels.

 

We have done really well with the program. It comes with a disc that you load onto your computer and then when we need more sheets I just print out whichever ones I need. There are more resources with the book and disc but we do not use any other. I would if my ds struggled but he has done awesome so far and we are on Level E.

 

Hope this helps some.

[babysparkler]

My son is a pretty good speller thus far, so we have used Spelling Power a little different than the specific requirements.

 

Each day I read whichever Group of words we are on and my ds does the daily test. Then whatever words he gets wrong he writes on the daily study sheet. Then he goes through the steps on the sheet which involve saying the word, spelling it out loud, writing it on a surface with your finger, closing your eyes and spelling it and rewriting it. Then at the bottom of the paper you write a sentence with each word. Then we write each word on the back of the paper ten times each. Then the next day we test those words on the daily test first and add the new words. Repeat each day. Then there are review tests mixed in and end of level tests throughout the levels.

 

We have done really well with the program. It comes with a disc that you load onto your computer and then when we need more sheets I just print out whichever ones I need. There are more resources with the book and disc but we do not use any other. I would if my ds struggled but he has done awesome so far and we are on Level E.

 

Hope this helps some.

 

Just curious... about how many words does your child miss in a "set"? I use SP with my ds (just finished 3rd grade) and we have to go through about 5-7 "sets" just to get 10 missed words. It takes much longer than the typical 15 min. timeslot and he knows the correct spellings right away after the test (and retains them). I leveled him before we started (he was nearing the end of level F when we stopped for a break in March). What are your thoughts since you have experience with this program?

[KarenNC]

Just curious... about how many words does your child miss in a "set"? I use SP with my ds (just finished 3rd grade) and we have to go through about 5-7 "sets" just to get 10 missed words. It takes much longer than the typical 15 min. timeslot and he knows the correct spellings right away after the test (and retains them). I leveled him before we started (he was nearing the end of level F when we stopped for a break in March). What are your thoughts since you have experience with this program?

 

You aren't supposed to go to 10 words. The program is to go until you have *either* 5 words missed (some folks do 3) *or* you hit the end of the group *or* 5 minutes is up. If the child gets all in the group correct, then no need to study any words that day. My daughter (who is also just finished 3rd grade, midway through level G) will sometimes have 5 missed words, sometimes 2-3, sometimes none (which makes her very happy ;)). Usually it's in the 2-3 word range per group. I will sometimes stretch the time out a bit to the end of a group if she has missed only one or none by the time we hit 5 minutes, but I don't go beyond that group.

 

When you say you leveled your son, do you mean you did the survey, then placement test? It might be worth doing them again if he is going through multiple groups in a row with *no* misses (or just try moving up a level and see how he does, as there is review in pretty much every group). I find that at the beginning of a level, we may go through several groups with no or minimal misses, but that is usually not the case the further we get into the group.

[KarenNC]

As an aside, we do some of this a bit differently. I do the initial test of the day orally, often while she bounces on a bouncy ball. She has to write down any missed words on plain notebook paper and then follow the steps (we don't use the sheets, she knows the steps by now). The biggest challenge for me is that she wants me to make the example sentences into a story every day as I give them to her (which can get pretty strange ;)).

[babysparkler]

The biggest challenge for me is that she wants me to make the example sentences into a story every day as I give them to her (which can get pretty strange ;)).

 

Oh, I am so glad my ds hasn't thought that one up... :lol:

 

Thanks for your input! I'm not sure I will be able to convince my ds to stop with fewer than 10 words (he really loves the challenge of a big spelling list) but what I may be able to convince him to do is stop at 5 and give him 5 supplemental words from his spelling competition lists. :)