AAS vs Megawords for us - Thx for help!

[ChrissySC]

I sent dd to school for socialization (obviously:D). We are now approaching the 4th grade, and I realize how overextended my expectations were for our dear SC schools. DD is bored and impatient with her learning, but lacking spelling/phonics skills, which I believe will inevitably prevent her from succeeding in other academic areas.

 

However, we now need to remedy the shortcomings of her education.

 

Background: Reads well. Mispronounces and cannot spell words based on any phonetic sounding. She does not appear to have any word rules despite the "word study" that takes place at the third-grade level. She has memorized words.

 

I truly wonder if AAS, level one, would be inappropriate for fourth-grade study. I would appreciate your insight, comments, and/or questions. Does MW cover or repeat the earlier lessons that are listed as contents for AAS?

[scrapbabe]

Bump:bigear:

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

Mega Words would be great for a 4th grader (and up). I use it with my child that struggled with word lists and he has made great strides!

 

I would start with MW 1: Six Types of Syllables; Five Syllabication Rules.

 

I too had a great sight word memory and mispronounced words. When I learned "open" and "closed" syllables with my children, I finally figured out why I didn't know how to pronounce words correctly!

 

Hth,

K

[ChrissySC]

That is what I was hoping to receive. It appears she has very raw basics. In your opinion, do you think it is too great of a jump? How much did your dc have mastered prior to beginning MW?

 

I appreciate your feedback.

[rafiki]

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[siloam]

I sent dd to school for socialization (obviously:D). We are now approaching the 4th grade, and I realize how overextended my expectations were for our dear SC schools. DD is bored and impatient with her learning, but lacking spelling/phonics skills, which I believe will inevitably prevent her from succeeding in other academic areas.

 

However, we now need to remedy the shortcomings of her education.

 

Background: Reads well. Mispronounces and cannot spell words based on any phonetic sounding. She does not appear to have any word rules despite the "word study" that takes place at the third-grade level. She has memorized words.

 

I truly wonder if AAS, level one, would be inappropriate for fourth-grade study. I would appreciate your insight, comments, and/or questions. Does MW cover or repeat the earlier lessons that are listed as contents for AAS?

I have a 6th grader and 4th grader doing AAS, so not it is not inappropriate.

 

If I were in your shoes I would base it on learning style. AAS would work better with auditory learners and kinesthetic learners while Megawords works better for visual learners. Also factor in whether your child would like working with you or not. Even if they are not visual, but are very independent Megawords might be the better choice.

 

Though if you know there is an LD present at all I would go with AAS, because it is multi-sensory and O/G based. If there isn't an LD present then I go back to learning style.

 

Heather (who has already bought level 6 of AAS though it has only been out less than 24 hours) :D

[scrapbabe]

So, not to hijack here, but Siloam, did your children balk at all at the words being too easy in the beginning with AAS?

 

Shalynn

[Pster]

I had just posted similar questions trying to figure out which spelling program would be best for my 4th grader. I was comparing AAS to Megawords or to Spelling Power(?)....

 

In the end I decided to go with AAS so my dd will learn the rules. Merry from AAS addressed Level 1 being too easy for my 4th grader and said that we can go over that bk quicker and then move on to Level 2. It's more important for her to learn the rules first. Somehow that was missed our fist time around!

 

I read in one of the follow up posts that Megawords is a good follow-up to AAS.

 

Not sure that helps but after my research I decided to go with AAS to cement the rules.

[Guest eDbgr]

Does anyone looked at this new spelling rules book(s) from Linguist Camilia Sadik? Any reviews? or Any comparisions with Megawords, AAS

 

Here is the summary of this breakthrough Program:

 

• Linguist Camilia Sadik discovered 100 spelling rules and created Camilia's Programâ„¢ to teach all of phonics and the spelling of 25,000 English words, in just a few short weeks.
  
• Camilia's Program is the only comprehensive program for preventing dyslexia or ending it immediately among those who already have acquired it.
  
• Unlike traditional programs that take years to teach bits and pieces of phonics, Camilia's Program has been teaching spelling and consequently reading in weeks, not in years.
  
• Camilia's Program does not resemble any existing traditional program, which claims to teach literacy. We have good reasons to believe that traditional programs veer people away from learning and, unknowingly, participate in creating illiteracy.
  
• Camilia's Program is to change all of that. We are not interested in accumulating profits; our true mission is to root out illiteracy.
  

Source: http://www.spellingrules.com

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[apmom]

We love AAS for learning the spelling and phonics rules. My ds went through another curric. for 1st grade, and learned almost nothing. I started over in 2nd grade with AAS 1, and ds flew through that book like crazy, and has almost finished the second book with absolutely no problems. He has very clearly learned the rules and his reading and spelling are better than they have ever been.

 

AAS 1 might be very easy, but you can just go through it quickly, then move on. Plus, she'll at least feel like she's gaining confidence!

[ChrissySC]

Great point on the need to emphasize the rules. If dd is only somewhat comfortable or just beginning an understanding of phonetic rules, I believe the step to AAS prior to MW would be well suited in this instance. Additionally, I appreciate the need to establish confidence in an area where she is feeling somewhat inadequate. AAS, book 1, would be easy and a builder for her confidence to succeed in this academic area. We will begin with AAS. I believe the cliche "better safe than sorry" would apply here!

 

Thank you so much for your help and opinions! I appreciate being able to sound and to see the repsonses and reasoning behind choices.

[rafiki]

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[MerryAtHope]

But some children struggle with memorizing. Thus a rule approach won't work if they can't remember the rules, they will still need other tools to pull from such as syllabication or morphemes.

 

Rules are only one part of AAS. Syllabication is a strong component, and later on morphemes are covered. It uses visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches as well. There are lots of tools to use with AAS.

 

Merry :-)

[rafiki]

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[Dina in Oklahoma]

Hello ~

 

Just thought I'd share that my DD 11 is doing AAS 2 and Mega Words 1 simultaneously. She is excellent at memorizing so she always aced spelling lists, but could not spell on her own. AAS has helped her greatly and she loves Mega Words which really has reinforced what she learns in AAS.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Dina :001_smile:

[MerryAtHope]

I wasn't commenting on AAS, but on the statement quoted about emphasizing rules.

 

Oops, sorry! I wasn't sure from the context of the conversation.

 

Merry :-)

[siloam]

So, not to hijack here, but Siloam, did your children balk at all at the words being too easy in the beginning with AAS?

 

Shalynn

Shalynn,

 

It is a running joke between my oldest and myself (she is almost done with level 3 and still hasn't misspelled a word). She is an auditory learner though so she need to do the lessons with me, as much as she would prefer not. The spelling ends up being the treat, because they are so easy for her. While she doesn't love it she does recognize her need to do it this way. Time wise it really isn't that bad. We do the instruction one day, then the words and the writing station the next. Instruction days take us longer, so the majority of our AAS time really does focus on learning and practicing the rules, and not spelling words she knows.

 

She does want to master spelling, so she still talks about doing SWR after, and I talk about her doing Megawords after. Hopefully she won't need either, but we will actually see where her spelling level is when she finishes AAS and then make decisions.

 

My 4th grader doesn't complain at all, she loved that AAS took a step back and was easier than SWR. I break the teaching time into two parts for her, and she quickly spells the words on the third day, so again the majority of her time is spent on learning syllable rules and reviewing spelling rules. My 3rd dd...well spelling is not her forte, so AAS is right where she is at.

 

For my purposes I think it works, especially for my oldest. She has a very strong memory, so it is easy for her to do well in spelling by just memorizing words. Both times she restarted SWR though she got the same words wrong, so she wasn't apply the rules (though she had those memorized too) and she wasn't remembering how the words were spelled long term. When we do the exercises/lessons I require her to not just show me how the syllable divisions, but explain to me how she is applying the rules. This way she is really internalizing the rules instead of getting by on a good memory.

 

Heather

[scrapbabe]

Heather,

Thanks for the input. You strike me as such a well-read, intelligent homeschooler. You have a way of explaining things that is so useful and well thought out. I love to hear you talk about the curriculum you're using (even if I don't use it) because I can tell you're passionate about it and really have an understanding of how to teach. I wanna be you when I grow up!:lol:

 

Smiles,

Shalynn