what are you using for spelling?

[hmlentz]

I have a 3rd grader (my other two are younger) but will start spelling next year. We are having trouble with spelling. She HATES it. We were doing the Sequential spelling. I really am not too excited about it either.... having to write words every day that she already knows seams rather counterproductive...

 

I was going to try Spelling Power, but now not sure. I would LOVE some of your thoughts on what you use and what you like about it.

Thanks!

Heidi

[jenL]

Although this is a more interactive approach, All About Spelling really works. Its methods are tried and true based on Orton-Gillingham methods which were developed intitially for dyslexic students. It's a hands-on phonetic approach so the kids not only hear the word and see the word, they move letters to make the word/sounds giving the brain one more thing to hold on to. It's open and go, and each level includes a teacher manual and a student supply kit that has everything you need in it to open the book & teach.

[Sunshine State Sue]

We have used Megawords starting in 5th grade. It's intended to be used starting in 4th grade. So far, we have covered Megawords 1-7. The last book, Megawords 8, we will complete this semester. You may read my review here.

 

As an update to my review, I can add that ds was tested at the end of last year (mid-8th grade) using the KTEA and scored post high school in spelling. Yay!

[Ellie]

My first choice for spelling/reading is Spalding. It teaches children to read by teaching them to spell so it can be used with children who are just learning to read, children who read but not well, children who read but can't spell for beans, children who...it's just good for every body. :-)

 

My preference for a traditional spelling method is Spelling by Sound and Structure (R&S). Second and third grades are pretty simple, with things really ramping up in fourth--not necessarily the word lists, but the activities in each lesson.

[pageta]

We're just using McGuffey's Eclectic Speller. We practice daily spelling the words orally as for a spelling bee. If he's having trouble with a particular set of words, I have him write them out for his daily copywork. We do about a half lesson per week which is about thirty words. They are grouped together so they are similar phonetically. Most of the lists he can spell about 80% of the words initially. Doing it aloud forces you to get the specific letters in the specific order they must be arranged in, which is why I like this method. If you are just writing words, it is easy to reverse letters and think you have it right since all of the correct letters are there. It's working very well for us.

[Millie.T.Cook]

We have used Megawords starting in 5th grade. It's intended to be used starting in 4th grade. So far, we have covered Megawords 1-7. The last book, Megawords 8, we will complete this semester. You may read my review here.

 

As an update to my review, I can add that ds was tested at the end of last year (mid-8th grade) using the KTEA and scored post high school in spelling. Yay!

 

Thank you so much for sharing. These sites are exactly what I was looking for.

[Ottakee]

We use Apples and Pears spelling http://www.prometheantrust.org/soundfoundationsbooks.htm It is very different from most programs but effective and no boring word lists to learn for the week and then forget.

[King Alfred Academy]

My ds loathed spelling but now asks to do it! He is using Phonetic Zoo. It's done independently by cd and once they get the 15 words correct two times in a row, they're done with that list. I do review with him periodically though.

[Satori]

We love All-About-Spelling. You can see our blog posts tagged with AAS in which I might mention it or have a photo of it in action here:

http://satorismiles.com/tag/aas/

[ReneeK]

We love All About Spelling The program is multisensory, approaching spelling through sight,sound, and touch. The lesson plans are easy to use. I love that it uses the Orton-Gillingham approach. My dd loves using the magnetic board and tiles. Writing she tolerates which in my opionion the writing is not alot compared to many programs. We think its a fun program and my dd gets excited with spelling. The lesson are around 15 minutes a day. Lots of review but it's in a fun way.

[MyLittleWonders]

Another vote for AAS - I'm using it now with my third grader and first grader. Some days we use the tiles and other days the boys opt to do their whole lesson on their small white boards. There is a ton of review built in, but like Renee said, in a fun way. The dictation sentences are the best part as that is where they will review concepts no only from the current level, but also from the previous levels.

[Wendy Inman]

Another vote for AAS. We just started Level 3 and my son is as excited about it as the day we started. I agree with everyone else on the reasons why.. and i LOVE that dictation is part of the curriculum as review and learning of the current lesson. It rocks :)

[blessed3x]

Another vote for AAS.

We just switched to it. :lol:

[In the Rain]

We use AAS also. I like it for all of the reasons stated above. It is probably my favorite thing to teach each day. Both girls like it will work without complaining. That is a BIG plus for us! ;)

 

Children can move through it quickly, so it can be kind of expensive. My oldest (2nd grade) started with level 1 about 12 months ago. Even with taking the summer off, she is over halfway through level 3 now. It is worth it to me though, since it is so easy to teach, and effective. :001_smile:

[Meriwether]

My 2nd grader uses Phonetic Zoo A and Grammar of Spelling 2.

[Cami in UT]

I use Spelling Wisdom -- which I have modified to fit us, of course.:001_smile:

[momtolgd]

My 9yo ds is enjoying learning spelling through the studied dictation method...we are using Spelling Wisdom. It is working well for us so far.

[woolybear]

http://www.spellingcity.com

[Homeschooling6]

I am using Phonics Road with my younger dc and SWR with my older. PR we are loving. SWR too soon to say. Will have to use it for a few more months. Although I don't plan on switching anymore. We are just going to stick with the two mentioned.

[StillStanding]

We also use Spelling.City

I am not an English native speaker, but my children read a lot so their spelling has improved over the years. Their spelling was awful until about 4th grade, then all of the sudden it seamed to click (I strongly believe is all the reading). We use Spelling.City to work on words they misspell in their writing. It is a free online program and the children have fun with the spelling games.

[Aurelia]

I second the Apples & Pears. I tried AAS, but it just took too much time for us.

[AngelBee]

We're just using McGuffey's Eclectic Speller. We practice daily spelling the words orally as for a spelling bee. If he's having trouble with a particular set of words, I have him write them out for his daily copywork. We do about a half lesson per week which is about thirty words. They are grouped together so they are similar phonetically. Most of the lists he can spell about 80% of the words initially. Doing it aloud forces you to get the specific letters in the specific order they must be arranged in, which is why I like this method. If you are just writing words, it is easy to reverse letters and think you have it right since all of the correct letters are there. It's working very well for us.

 

Thank you for sharing. I think we will try it like this tomorrow.

[Malenki]

We use All About Spelling as well. We're in the middle of Level 3 and it's going wonderfully.

 

The part I love the best is the dictation sentences at the end of each lesson. They have really cemented the spelling for my son. (But straight dictation sentences never transferred into spelling... he needs to know how the words are spelled before he puts it together in a sentence. If that makes any sense at all.)

[christine in al]

The author's world view and mine are pretty different so her example sentences are always changed, but at this point, we're pretty committed to the program. this is year 4 for one of mine and I think my kids can spell pretty well and KNOW why things are spelled the way they are. It is a hard program to get started. The learning curve is pretty steep, but now that I have it, we just open and go.

 

It's working for us.

~christine in al

[amtmcm]

Spelling Wisdom

[christine in al]

because they use the phongrams we've been learning, it won't be back tracking.

 

I'm pretty sold.

Looks like it has the benefits of SWR and tactile stimulus as well. ANd looks so much easier to teach.

 

A new AAS convert here I think.

 

~c.

[StephanieZ]

SWO.

 

It was one of the few WTM recc that I didn't try early on. . . After banging my head on the wall with Spelling Power for a few years, I finally tried it.

 

I love it and the kids like it, learn it, etc. Gets the job done efficiently and effectively with very little mom-time. Love it.

[Tina in WA]

We use Spelling Wisdom. We have tried several things over the years and so far, this has been something that has "clicked" with my kids. And it is real life living passages. Good things I want my kids to work on and remember. LOVE IT! ~Tina

[alegnab]

We use All About Spelling, and I highly recommend it. Ds#1 & 2 used Spelling Power (and other spelling programs) without success. Spelling Power gives lists of words grouped by sounds. The problem is that a list can contain words with various spellings of one sound. Because SP doesn't teach how to determine which phonogram to use when more than one makes a certain sound, my kids didn't learn to spell with it.

 

My sons' spelling abilities improved immensely while they were using Spell to Write and Read/Wise Guide for Spelling, because it taught them rules for determining which phonogram to use in a syllable. Ds#1 went through the program in one school year and didn't need to do spelling anymore. It took an extra school year with ds#2, who was three years younger than #1.

 

I put my younger two children in All About Spelling because it's very similar to SWR/WG in what it teaches, but it's much easier to use. The lessons in AAS are scripted, so it's very easy to teach. All of the lesson is in one place in the book, unlike SWR/WG, which has the word lists in one book and the instruction material in another book, so I had to switch back and forth between the two books while teaching lessons. With AAS, I can just open the book and card box and start teaching the lesson, but I had to read through instructional material beforehand with SWR/WG. Also, each word list in SWR/WG has words with a variety of phonograms, but AAS has word lists with words that use one particular phonogram, so the student can practice that particular phonogram with ten or more words. AAS uses a card filing system to make practice and review easy, without requiring the student to practice spelling words he already knows. If the student knows how to spell a word, it goes behind the Word Cards Mastered divider. If he didn't get the spelling right, the word goes behind the Word Cards Review divider. Every now and then the lesson book will say to review some words behind the Mastered divider. I usually throw a few in each day. My kids enjoy spelling their words on the white board and sometimes ask for more. I love AAS and think it is the best spelling program.

 

Sorry if some of this is repeat. I didn't read the other posts.

[trust and obey]

My ds was an awful speller, and this program has helped him a lot. He's been doing it for 3 years, and his spelling has improved so much.

[bbsweetpea]

We use Spell to Write and Read. My daughter's reading and spelling skills really have taken off from the use of it. Now that she understands the why's behind the words it is easier for her to decode similar words.