need spelling recs for 11th grader

[Guest outofcoffee]

I have an 11th grader that needs work on his spelling. Any suggestions?

[lllll]

I'm not up on current programs, but I used "Spelling Power" with our kids when they were older to review spelling and cement it in their brains. I liked it because I could use the lists to pinpoint specific mistakes they were making and make dc aware of them. Plus, it only took about 20 minutes a day. If you use it, be sure to alter it to suit your dc's needs. I didn't use the Student Books, for example.

 

HTH

[Teachin'Mine]

I would second the recommendation of Spelling Power. We have it, and aren't using it right now since her curriculum includes a spelling book, but we will go back to it when the spelling books end. I think it's especially good for the older students as it doesn't force them to do exercises on words they already know, but concentrates on what they don't know.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

I used Megawords when my eldest needed help with spelling. I know there have been some recent threads about this program.

[Lori D.]

I recommend Megawords, but it really depends on what exactly the need is:

- Understanding/learning vowel patterns?

- Understanding/practice of breaking words into roots/endings or syllables to see the patterns for spelling?

- Exposure to vocabulary?

- Practice of most commonly used words?

 

 

Megawords would help with all of the above. Spelling Power helps with just the last 2 questions above.

 

 

Megawords is a mostly independent workbook, with each unit teaching specific vowel patterns and syllabication rules for breaking words into smaller "bites" for spelling attack. The spelling list is drawn from a large list of 100 words (all of which are used in the practice workpages, so the student gets exposed to words which use the same pattern even though they are not on the spelling list). Megawords is geared for grades 4 and UP; there are 8 workbooks; if you really move, you can get through 2 workbooks per year. At a normal pace you get through 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 workbooks a year. Especially workbooks 4-8 have great vocabulary type words in the lists.

 

See table of contents and samples of each workbook at http://www.christianbook.com'>http://www.christianbook.com'>http://www.christianbook.com'>http://www.christianbook.com

 

 

Spelling Power is exposure to lists of words until you come up with enough misspelled words to make a list to study and practice through "look-say-spell-write". Spelling Power contains lists of the 5000 most commonly used words as a help towards the spelling approach of "words you probably should learn to spell".

 

see table of contents and samples at http://www.christianbook.com

 

 

If the spelling need is for the student to learn how to see when/why they consistently misspell words, you might look at "Tricks of the Trade" and the companion teacher booklet "How to Teach Any Child to Spell". The idea here is to have the student keep a notebook of words they misspell and begin to find the patterns of what they misspelled and why, and then practice words that fall into those categories. I will add that unless your student is motivated and a self-learner, this is probably not a realistic program.

 

 

BEST of luck in finding what works best for your student! Warmly, Lori D.

Edited April 30, 2010 by Lori D.
added info

[SusanAR]

This is not intended to be snarky :001_smile:, but for an older student, I would buy them a Franklin speller and not worry about it.. Some people are natural spellers, some never get it to click. :001_smile: I would spend my time on writing.

[lllll]

Another tool. I bought each dc one of these. Here are some others. Each dc has one and is expected to use it when writing.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

Part of me agrees to just use spell check and not worry about it. Then, another part of me thinks that 10 minutes a day with Spelling Power would refresh those spelling rules and refresh words that just have to be memorized. There is a placement test within spelling power to guage what level to begin with. I think I would do the placement test, begin at the proper level, and do Spelling Power for 5 or 10 minutes a day, 3 or 4 days a week and then not worry about it. :)

[MomsintheGarden]

I agree with the recommendation for Spelling Power, if you'd just like to concentrate on spelling.

 

However, if it were my dc who needed spelling help (and I have had one who did!), I would combine spelling with SAT vocabulary study. I recommend perusing SAT vocab prep books in a good bookstore with your student and drilling on their spelling as well as definition. You can use the SP practice books & method for the ones missed.

 

Just my $0.02.

 

GardenMom