Spelling

[Janelless]

Ok I'm rethinking spelling for next year. Clarissa (6) loves spelling, sees the word in her head and just spells it. Then can tell me the book she saw the word in.... :glare: I'm too chicken to ask the page...she'd tell me that one also. So what's a good program or do I just hand her a dictionary???:tongue_smilie: But I do want to make sure she's got a good grounding with the rules etc....of course that's just me. She'd more than likely whip the word out with her handy dandy magnet letters and proceed to tell me the book and page number...and what day we were reading it if I asked her. I choose not to...call me chicken. Any good ideas?!

 

Janelle

[Dmmetler]

Would she enjoy studying etymology and where words come from? We just bought a new dictionary, and my 5 yr old is devouring that section, so I'm planning to follow that rabbit trail a bit-and if that becomes our K/1 spelling/vocabulary, so be it :).

 

 

Also, has she seen Akeelah and the Bee? I think my DD really got interested in the "how are words made of parts" because of Disney Channel showing that movie.

[Kuovonne]

My dd is a natural speller with a good memory. I started with SWR to teach the phonograms and rules. I now use Spelling Plus Dictation by Susan C. Anthony. I don't pre-teach the words. I just give her the dictation passages cold. She usually gets all the words correct on the first try. If she misses any words, she practices them and usually gets them right the next time.

 

Even though DD spells far above her grade level, there are still many words that she can't spell correctly. She sometimes has trouble with long words. She doesn't have all the rules for adding suffixes down yet. She sometimes confuses homonyms. So, until she can spell at "exit level" I will do spelling with her.

 

Another benfit of straight dictation is that it does double duty for handwriting, punctuation, capitalization, and other grammar rules. It also builds stamina so that little hands don't tire as easily when doing writing in other subjects.

[Cammie]

I posted a similar question in the K-8 curriculum thread a few days ago. My dd 9 started SWO Level E last week - we went through the first 6 lessons in one sitting and she didn't make a mistake. She is a natural speller and knowns how to spell any word she has seen. So I am wondering the same as you, any point in continuing a "spelling" program with this type of learner? I am leaning towards forgoing spelling and moving towards vocaulary using the SAT 5000 words. That way she will be introduced to new words and learn the spelling as she learns the definition.

[Jen in PA]

 

Even though DD spells far above her grade level, there are still many words that she can't spell correctly. She sometimes has trouble with long words. She doesn't have all the rules for adding suffixes down yet. She sometimes confuses homonyms. So, until she can spell at "exit level" I will do spelling with her.

 

 

 

We have the same thing here. I am amazed one moment by what DD is able to spell, and then confused by the much simpler, more predictable words she gets wrong. I have actually dropped spelling for the remainder of this year, and am focusing on correcting errors in her writing. Next year I am going to create spelling lists for her out of her errors and our vocabulary studies. I was worried for a long time about leaving gaps, but at this point I feel that switching programs could leave gaps as easily as going my own way.