DS failed Megawords spelling assessment-start at beginning spelling? Apples & Pears??

[Ann@thebeach]

I posted a while ago about our spelling problems. Megawords and Apples and Pears seemed to be the best matches for our problems. Here's the update.

 

I finally got Megawords 1 and did the assessment spelling test with the 8 lists of 5 words each. He only got 1 right on each list except for one where he got 3 right.

His reading is perfectly fine-he was able to read all the words listed correctly-no problems at all. He can read aloud and silently.

 

He just can't remember spelling rules or how to spell even most sight words! He tells me he just "doesn't remember" how to spell even basic sight words. It's all spelled phonetically.

 

I'm thinking he's not even ready for Megawords1 because it doesn't start back at beginning spelling for him.

 

He can spell VCV words but beyond that.....no.

 

My next thought was Apples and Pear because that is specifically a remedial spelling program for older kids (he's 11).

 

He got 4 wrong in the level 20 assessment which says to go back to level 9 but that's just tracing letters which he certainly doesn't need. But as I go thru the teacher's guide on-line, I don't really "get" how all the tracing in levels 9-19 will help him either?

 

Any advice here on where to start A/P?

 

ETA-we did Sequential Spelling for most of last year, thought it was working until I started quizzing him on words from the beginning and he wasn't retaining anything!

Edited June 22, 2010 by Ann in IA

[coffeegal]

This is really interesting. My 11 yo dd had a similar result on the A&P assessment. She even missed one at level 9 and I realized she doesn't hear the sounds clearly. I decided on A&P, and it arrived today! After looking through the TM and SW, I realized that since A&P is meant to be a complete remedial program in England, the writers assumed that some of the students would have difficulty writing. They begin at the beginning and assume nothing, not even the ability to write the alphabet. As the child traces the letters, he is to practice saying the sound. The idea is to connect the letter sounds with the letters. DD and I are going to start at the beginning (level 1) because I want to ensure she knows her letter sounds very well, even though she reads well and certainly knows how to write her alphabet. :D

[AHASRADA]

I am not familiar with Apples & Pears, but All About Spelling would probably be a good program to work through before Megawords. Megawords assumes the child has learned the spelling rules for single-syllable words, and Megawords teaches them to apply those rules to larger, multi-syllable words. My dd and I are just finishing the Wilson Reading System, which is an OG-based program for reading and spelling. We are going into Megawords next year. If she had not needed the reading remediation as well, I would have done AAS before Megawords. If Apples & Pears is OG-based, that may well work also.

 

HTH,