Writing Road To Reading- Spell to Write & Read

[SonshineLearner]

Hi There,

 

I have WRTR and I'm looking at SWR. I also am able to go to a mini SWR seminar. Can you please let me know which one you think is easiest to use?

I have the revised WRTR just to let you know.

 

My son is 6 and he knows all the single letter phonograms... but I haven't done it the "right" way... and his dexterity isn't great. I started him on reading because without words in sight... he had already started spelling out loud. He mom... did you know that you spell pants... "PANTS?" and he kinda quietly sounds out the letters. SO, I knew he could read words... if he could spell..

 

Anyway, I want to stick with one of these programs... markings of the words and all... and now's the time I feel like I have to commit to one of these ways...

 

Carrie:-)

[Ellie]

That can be a very subjective answer. :-)

 

Spalding is my choice. I never felt the need to look at anything else, although I have perused SWR and Bonnie Dettmer's program, which has a really long name I can never remember, lol. Neither of them (nor Phonics Road etc.) inspired me to make the switch.

[Dinsfamily]

That can be a very subjective answer. :-)

 

Spalding is my choice. I never felt the need to look at anything else, although I have perused SWR and Bonnie Dettmer's program, which has a really long name I can never remember, lol. Neither of them (nor Phonics Road etc.) inspired me to make the switch.

 

I agree that it's subjective. I'd read the both the 4th ed. and the 5th ed. of WRTR several times over 4 years gearing up to start with my oldest, but I just didn't get it. I understood the concept, but couldn't figure out what to do daily. SWR was a breath of fresh air for me. It gave me the hand-holding that I needed. I know Ellie would disagree, but I think that the two programs are essentially the same. If you understand WRTR and can implement it with your ds, then stick with that. If it's confusing, either take a look at SWR or the Spalding TMs. The clincher between those two for me was the SWR yahoo group. The author and trainers are so helpful.

[Jen the RD]

I'm in my 3rd year of using WRTR and I have gotten wonderful results. You will find that people differ very much in their impression of both programs. Like Ellie said, it's very subjective. From what you've described your dc has already grasped actually reading/saying/spelling phonograms and now is applying it to words. It's only a matter of time before he'll start reading. For my ds, it literally happened overnight. If you have the book already, why don't you go ahead and use it following the scripted lessons. As for writing, work through the letters very slowly. I didn't follow the recs "exactly" as outlined. I gave ds one new letter per day. I wrote a letter, then he wrote a letter, back and forth until we got across the page. Then we reviewed letters using a similar method. His hand got a rest and he was able to watch the proper way to make the letter several times. Also, a pencil grip helped his dexterity immensely.

 

HTH,

Jennifer:)

[Ellie]

I know Ellie would disagree, but I think that the two programs are essentially the same.

I don't really disagree, only to say that SWR is not Spalding. Only Spalding is Spalding. :-)

[Closeacademy]

I like SWR because in the WISE guide there are all sort of enrichment activities that you can do with the lists so that if you decide to do something more traditional you could make up worksheets from the enrichment activities.

 

I've taught both my children to read using a combination of SWR and sight word activities. We are now using SWR to learn how to spell.

 

Just my opinion.:001_smile:

[Dinsfamily]

I don't really disagree, only to say that SWR is not Spalding. Only Spalding is Spalding. :-)

 

:001_smile:

[PeterPan]

I guess I don't see why you feel the need to commit. Despite the protests, the two programs are so similar that only afficianadoes see the differences. Flow between them is almost seamless for the student, with only SLIGHT differences. Sanseri approaches the logs a bit differently from Spalding at the earliest level. Does it really matter? Does any homeschooler ever buy into a program hook, line, and sinker and do it exactly like the programs says, without modification? And further, EASY is certainly not a word I would have put with SWR. Sanseri has a way of taking something very simple and making it seem very complex. :) It's not rocket science, and WRTR shows you how straightforward it can be. If you want more bells and whistles than that, if you want dictation sentences, enrichment activities, fandangled logs with lines and places to autograph each month, lists, tips, a user-manual with explanations of all the exceptions, etc., then get SWR. When I started, I tried to read WRTR, threw it at the wall (literally), and wanted to give up. I came back to it later, decided surely I could overcome it, and finally grasped the method enough to decide I wanted to move on to SWR. I would say if you haven't read WRTR yet, then you can't really know what you want. That's a ton of expense to go through in switching to SWR if you could be happy with WRTR. Remember, the method and almost everything is identical. It's just all the extra bells and whistles you're getting. I like the Spalding Foundation's phonogram cards better anyway.

 

Some people learn better through classes. If you're that type of person, by all means do an SWR seminar. But just know, SWR and that seminar is NOT gonna make it necessarily easy. SWR is the perpetual guilt-trip, the program that makes you think it's the only way and that it should only be done their way. You'll come out thinking you need tons of drill, tons of this and that, and that if your dc don't respond the way they say students will, you're clearly not doing enough. And when your dc hates spelling and thinks he can't spell (despite great scores), because the method is a bad fit for their learning style, you'll still feel too guilty to drop it. And when you do finally let go, it will leave you with a complex, until a day a few years later when you look back and wonder why you let something hassle you so much. In other words, enter SWR at your own risk. Many benefits, much good, but some bad too. I say read your WRTR and see if you need more or can make do. Your dc is clearly very bright, and you probably don't need more than just WRTR.

 

BTW, just to be extremely clear, I didn't say SWR will make *all* students hate spelling or life or anything else. But if you spend tons of money on it and *your* dc is one of those or it guilt-trips *you*, then it's pretty real. And I can think of a scad of compadres from when I started SWR way back when who all went through the same thing, those feelings of don't need it but can't leave it, hate it but love it, throw it at the wall or bow down and worship. SWR can be a miracle for some kids, but some kids it's just not right for. And they are so into it that they really guilt-trip you, making you think that if you just did it THEIR way, perfectly, your dc wouldn't struggle. Well I'm telling you I did it their way till I was blue in the face, and my quite bright girl thought she couldn't spell, felt stupid, and had very negative feelings. Took a lot to reverse that! Now we do no spelling formally at all, and although she isn't any better, she's no worse. In other words, her scores on diagnostics go up without SWR and formal instruction. I think instruction is good, but sometimes it's smarter for *you* to learn the method and then apply it at the time and way that fits your dc best, rather than using some canned approach. SWR/WRTR is great conceptually and something you can really get out of the box and use to explain things and discuss, but Sanseri's method specifically of how actually to do that isn't necessarily going to fit all kids.

Edited September 21, 2009 by OhElizabeth

[mystika1]

[quoteyou'll still feel too guilty to drop it. And when you do finally let go, it will leave you with a complex,

 

 

Ok, that is me right now.:ohmy: Glad I'm not alone. I have literally lost sleep. I have been feeling really guilty for looking at other spelling programs lately because I feel like if I change programs I will short change my daughter.

 

 

Penny

[Another Lynn]

I think instruction is good, but sometimes it's smarter for *you* to learn the method and then apply it at the time and way that fits your dc best, rather than using some canned approach. SWR/WRTR is great conceptually and something you can really get out of the box and use to explain things and discuss, but Sanseri's method specifically of how actually to do that isn't necessarily going to fit all kids.

 

:iagree: I still go back and forth on how much to implement SWR in our week, but what *I* learned from it (the concepts) has been worth it. I heard of SWR before I knew anything about WRTR - so I can't give you any comparison of the two. But you've gotten good advice here. If you have WRTR, start with it, you might be able to avoid further expense.

 

(ETA: OH E - just saw your signature - congratulations on your little fellow learning to walk - what fun! DD has gone from walking to swaggering (14 mos) and spreading things all around the house :))

Edited September 21, 2009 by Another Lynn

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

[quoteyou'll still feel too guilty to drop it. And when you do finally let go, it will leave you with a complex,

 

 

Ok, that is me right now.:ohmy: Glad I'm not alone. I have literally lost sleep. I have been feeling really guilty for looking at other spelling programs lately because I feel like if I change programs I will short change my daughter.

 

 

Penny

 

I was feeling that way without even having read SWR yet. lol

[PeterPan]

 

(ETA: OH E - just saw your signature - congratulations on your little fellow learning to walk - what fun! DD has gone from walking to swaggering (14 mos) and spreading things all around the house :))

 

Swaggering, what a hoot! You mean the messes will get worse? Oh boy. But he's so cute, we'll keep him. :)

[blessedmom3]

Your son is ready for reading. You can continue to use WRTR for a strong foundation and spelling , but add some readers .

These are the best and if you use WRTR , you don't need anything else.

Sing Spell Read and write-readers only

Christian Liberty phonics readers

Any step into books.

[Ellie]

Your son is ready for reading. You can continue to use WRTR for a strong foundation and spelling , but add some readers .

These are the best and if you use WRTR , you don't need anything else.

Sing Spell Read and write-readers only

Christian Liberty phonics readers

Any step into books.

Well, actually, you don't need to add "readers." WRTR has suggestions for good children's literature and recommends those above vocabulary-controlled basal readers. Spalding now also publishes a series of its own readers, which are of specific "genres" that the dc are taught to recognize and write themselves, although those are optional.