What do you think of Spelling Workout?

[Spetzi]

I've read reviews at both ends of the spectrum. Do you find this helpful to kids who tend to spell well? Do the children retain the spelling rules?

 

Do you really need to start at level A?

 

Do you have any other recommendations?

 

Thanks!

[aly9712]

I've used it with DD (at 4 now 5). I found it to be somewhat unorganized. I don't understand how the words are chosen and doesn't seem to follow any real logical pattern/progression to me. It was basically busy work. The only thing I found interesting was that at the end students were to create a sentence using 2-3 of the weekly words. DD enjoyed this part. We're going to try AAS in the fall and just taking a break from formal spelling right now.

[nmoira]

 

I've used it with DD (at 4 now 5). I found it to be somewhat unorganized. I don't understand how the words are chosen and doesn't seem to follow any real logical pattern/progression to me. It was basically busy work. The only thing I found interesting was that at the end students were to create a sentence using 2-3 of the weekly words. DD enjoyed this part. We're going to try AAS in the fall and just taking a break from formal spelling right now.

I could have written this almost word for word, except that she took an extended break from spelling (favoring copywork instead), did the first book of Sequential Spelling (now available on DVD), and ended up in Megawords, where she'll stay.

[Storm Bay]

Colossal waste of time when it came to spelling rules and spelling. The only profit ds had was in helping him work on his fine motor skills and learning to alphabetize. Of course, he could have used a better spelling program with the same benefits.

[Desert Rat]

Huck likes it because it has fun games to play. He also likes the creative writing projects where he has to try to use as many list words as possible. And he hates to write! Anything I find that has him excited about composing is good for us. He's on E right now. FWIW, he's an awful speller. I think the spelling rules are more clearly defined in the books we've covered recently versus the first few.

I haven't tried any other programs for spelling because this one has worked for us. Huck is a horrible speller and this program gives us less meltdowns. LOL

HTH

[lionfamily1999]

I am rather disappointed in it, esp. after the rec. from TWTM. Granted, it's not as melt down inducing as what we'd used before, but I can't see where the spelling rules have anything to do with it. The rules they list are so vague, or worse, word specific, that they seem like something just taking up space on the page.

[Wildiris]

Now for the non-negative response:

 

DD (gr.7) has used Spelling workout since book "A" in kindergarten. I will agree it does seem to be busy work sometimes, but she is a good speller. She likes doing the X-word puzzles and editing. The rules and roots add to other vocabulary work we do, and familiarity with words help in her reading. DD (gr.1) also using book"A" since kindergarten is a bit less enthusiastic, but it reinforces our work in Plaid Phonics and Phonics Pathways. I've tried Spelling Power with older brothers who are still terrible spellers and it did not remedy their poor spelling. I think a solid grounding in phonics helps produce good spellers.

 

 

[Spetzi]

You're not helping.......

 

:D

 

 

Thanks for the input. I guess I was hoping for more positive reviews. I think I may just use a list and misspelled words until we need more.

 

Thanks, everyone!

[EKS]

I used it with my good speller this past year. I find it to be mostly busywork. I frequently don't understand why certain groups of words are introduced together. They don't seem to teach rules exactly. Also, I don't like how it goes to having the list words in cursive in the third book. We are switching to something else next year (either K12 or AAS).

[AnneC]

All my kids found it boring. We started 2 years ago with A when the kids were 3 and 4 and all of them hated it, it was busywork for all of them, even my poor speller.

[Truscifi]

I also did not like Speling Workout. DS seemed bored with it. If you are going to use your own lists anyway, try SpellingCity.com - you can enter your own lists and your dc can play games with those words and be tested on them.

[PCA]

We have really liked spelling workout! I guess I'm in the minority here.

 

My daughter enjoys it. It doesn't take alot of time for her to do each day.

 

It is simple, inexpensive, not stressful, fun, and it works! My daughter is a good speller.

[Guest]

It seems, from reading these posts and my own experience, if your child is naturally a good speller, SWO is a good choice. If not, try something else.

 

We have gone through varying levels of SWO twice, Evan Moor Building Spelling Skills Daily Practice, Spelling Power, Logos School The Grammar of Spelling, Apples and Pears (UK program), Calvert Spelling CD, Sequential Spelling, a simple list, and All About Spelling AND MINE STILL CAN"T SPELL.

 

Some kids just seem to not get it.

[Storm Bay]

It seems, from reading these posts and my own experience, if your child is naturally a good speller, SWO is a good choice. If not, try something else.

 

We have gone through varying levels of SWO twice, Evan Moor Building Spelling Skills Daily Practice, Spelling Power, Logos School The Grammar of Spelling, Apples and Pears (UK program), Calvert Spelling CD, Sequential Spelling, a simple list, and All About Spelling AND MINE STILL CAN"T SPELL.

 

Some kids just seem to not get it.

 

 

Yes, some never get it. I thought my middle dc might never get it, but she has figured out her own mnemonics for spelling. Her way happens to be saying them phonetically when they're not spelled phonetically, etc. I always thought that mnemonics had to do with saying things, but it doesn't; it is "the process or technique of improving or developing the memory". (Dictionary.com's first entry.)

[mcconnellboys]

I will be finishing it up for the second time with my younger son next year. Both boys did well with it. I've always thought it a solid program.

[Guest]

Karin, your daughter does what I have done. Have you looked at Megawords?

[Storm Bay]

Karin, your daughter does what I have done. Have you looked at Megawords?

 

No, but I will keep it in mind. Now that she has a system, I'm hoping to go back to Spelling Power, which I bought new years ago because my eldest is a natural speller. If that fails, I'll try that. My budget is almost all done now as I made my big order and have only 1 or 2 more things to get.

[Elizabeth Conley]

It seems to work OK for kids who spell well in the first place. It's a huge waste of time for kids who have a trouble with spelling.

 

I go to the list of the first 1000 most commonly used words in the English language. I methodically quiz the child on those words until we get a spelling list of 12. Then we work on those words systematically, according to the child's particular learning style.

 

To me, Spelling Workout uses a scatter gun approach. Who's to say the word list for any given week are appropriate for the student? Maybe s/he can spell them, maybe s/he can't. If s/he can already spell them, then why the "beep" are we wasting all this time? If s/he can't, then we need to address learning styles.

 

Are the exercises provided optimal for teaching this particular student his/her spelling words? Really? All of them? Which ones? Are there any methods out there that might work better for the kid? If you're home schooling for the same reason we are, which is to make the best use of the children's time to educate them optimally, then Spelling Workout is a mediocre program. At best it needs to be tweaked. At worst it needs to be circular filed.

[Storm Bay]

It seems to work OK for kids who spell well in the first place. It's a huge waste of time for kids who have a trouble with spelling.

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Well put, especially these first 2 sentences which sum it all up. Had I used it with my eldest, I would have thought it a great program. She is a natural speller.