lvissers Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 I am just completing my first year of homeschooling and the one thing I want to change is the spelling curriculum I am using. We used Bob Jones spelling this year and I wasn't impressed. I am leaning toward Phonetic Zoo for my 4th grader and found a thread on here that suggested using All About Spelling for the younger ones. I'm not familiar with that curriculum, so I'd like opinions from anyone who has used it. Please let me know what you liked and didn't like about it. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 I'll echo another poster - use the search function on the boards, type in either "All About Spelling" or AAS and you should find plenty of help. You can visit AAS's website as well - chatterbee.com or .net, I'm pretty sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvissers Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 Thanks! I'll do a search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 It's helped us a lot, I've written about it on my blog. Here's the AAS main site & their message board (The ChatterBee). Hope you find what works well for you! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 (edited) How young are your younger ones? Do you think that they have struggles with spelling or phonics? All About Spelling is excellent. It is a mastery program. It spells out every step very explicitly. There are no worksheets, which can be good or bad. On the con side there are many levels and it is expensive and slow moving. How To Teach Spelling is very similar, much cheaper, has fewer levels, includes worksheets (but there is much more to the program) and has a variety of words and dictation at an earlier level than AAS. It is good to have on hand for enriching AAS, so I would start with it and then go with AAS if your children need more help with spelling. You would need to buy phonogram cards to use with this program. Edited March 23, 2010 by Lovedtodeath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvissers Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 Thanks Merry! I will check out your blog. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvissers Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 How young are your younger ones? Do you think that they have struggles with spelling or phonics? All About Spelling is excellent. It is a mastery program. It spells out every step very explicitly. There are no worksheets, which can be good or bad. On the con side there are many levels and it is expensive and slow moving. How To Teach Spelling is very similar, much cheaper, has fewer levels, includes worksheets (but there is much more to the program) and has a variety of words and dictation at an earlier level than AAS. It is good to have on hand for enriching AAS, so I would start with it and then go with AAS if your children need more help with spelling. My younger ones are 6 and 7. Thanks for the info. I will check out How to teach spelling. I'm clueless when it come to teaching spelling. I just know that I wasn't happy with the Bob Jones spelling I used last year for my 7 and 8 year olds. It was very weak and my 8 year old said a lot of the words were ones he learned in first grade at his old school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 My younger ones are 6 and 7. Thanks for the info. I will check out How to teach spelling. I'm clueless when it come to teaching spelling. I just know that I wasn't happy with the Bob Jones spelling I used last year for my 7 and 8 year olds. It was very weak and my 8 year old said a lot of the words were ones he learned in first grade at his old school. The focus of AAS is on learning the rules that are applied to harder words later on. So it might start out too easy for your kids. In that case you would focus on the rules and concepts until you got to harder words. All About Spelling is specifically designed to help these groups of kids: - Kids who need remedial spelling help, whether they are behind or struggle to keep up in spelling - Those who never learned the spelling rules - New beginning spellers, to prevent spelling problems If that doesn't describe your 7 & 8 yo's, it might not be the best fit for them, or you would need to "fast track" through the beginning levels as I stated above, until you hit harder words. Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvissers Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 Thanks for the info Merry! That is very helpful. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamd Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 My ds is 10 and he has no trouble spelling but had trouble with reading words or sounding them out and someone recommend this program to me. He loves AAS and asks to do it. I was also told to start at level 1 regardless of the age. The words are easy for him in level 1, but I am so glad I took their advice. He is reading so much better and sounding out words. I have already bought level 2 and plan to continue. I think if you can start them out earlier that is awesome. Good luck and God Bless!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvissers Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 Thanks for the info Pam. That is good to know. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 My ds is a strong reader, but he has difficulty spelling. I needed a hands-on approach since he does well with that type of learning. We use AAS, and you can SEE the results as they are happening because there is built in review for every step/lesson. My son asks to do spelling and is always excited when he sees it's next in line in his workboxes. We're very pleased with it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/group.php?do=discuss&discussionid=1058&pp=10&page=3 There is some more info about All About Spelling here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvissers Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 My ds is a strong reader, but he has difficulty spelling. I needed a hands-on approach since he does well with that type of learning. We use AAS, and you can SEE the results as they are happening because there is built in review for every step/lesson. My son asks to do spelling and is always excited when he sees it's next in line in his workboxes. We're very pleased with it here. Wow! That is awesome that your son is excited about spelling. My kids sure aren't. Especially my younger one who struggles with it. Sounds like a great program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvissers Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/group.php?do=discuss&discussionid=1058&pp=10&page=3 There is some more info about All About Spelling here. Thanks for the info. I will check that out. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 If you have a child struggling with spelling and hating it then look no further. AAS breaks spelling down into explicit incremental steps. It is perfect. I would highly recommend that you buy both level one and two at the same time. It was very difficult for impatient me to do level one appropriately when you I didn't see where it was going. I ended up supplementing level one to the point where most of level two was already covered. duh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvissers Posted March 25, 2010 Author Share Posted March 25, 2010 If you have a child struggling with spelling and hating it then look no further. AAS breaks spelling down into explicit incremental steps. It is perfect. I've been looking at their website and I like what I see. I think this is the perfect program for my 7 year old who doesn't like spelling and will work well for my 6 year old who will start spelling in the fall. I would highly recommend that you buy both level one and two at the same time. It was very difficult for impatient me to do level one appropriately when you I didn't see where it was going. I ended up supplementing level one to the point where most of level two was already covered. duh Thanks for letting me know that. I would have done the same thing. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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