I need spelling help

[HollyDay]

My dd will be in 9th next year. Spelling is still a struggle for her and I want to help her improve in this area. We did SWR for 3 years then Spelling Power for 3. I've used MegaWords books 1-4, Apples Daily Spelling, Word Roots, and English from the Roots Up.

 

I plan to start the year going back to SWR and continuing Word Roots. What else can I do? She reads above grade level, has a wonderful vocabulary, and writes reasonably well.

 

I'll cross post this in the K-8 board, but I really would like high school opinions from anyone who has BTDT.

 

Thanks!!!

[Teachin'Mine]

One of the things that has worked best for my dd for spelling, is writing on the computer with spell check. She gets instant feedback when something is misspelled and gets to choose the right spelling. :)

[PeterPan]

Holly, this is sort of out in left field, but for what it's worth, the vision therapy we're doing now seems to be changing the way my dd is processing and thinking about words. She has started trying to sound out words and think about components, something she NEVER did before, despite all the years of SWR and all our efforts. It's not that they've been working on phonics but more of a side effect. I think clearing up the vision glitch, getting the eyes to work together properly, improves the processing that is supposed to happen through the eyes. In any case, it might be something to consider. http://www.covd.com is where you find a developmental optometrist to assess them. It's way beyond what a regular eye doc does. It has been incredible for us, and with the changes I'm seeing I literally think I'm going to start her back over with SWR when we're done, going through the phonograms and whatnot. It's like her eyes are seeing everything anew.

 

I know, pretty far off in left field, but there you go. But apparently lots of dyslexics (and kids that look and smell like dyslexics but aren't diagnosed dyslexic) do have these vision problems with how the eyes work together.

[MomsintheGarden]

We have and like a computer program called Spelling Made Simple, available for download from their website. SMS has prepared lists to drill, or you can create your own lists from any bit of text, and record pronunciations. It's a powerful program with a lot of features, and worth the $40 price.

 

My son uses a free program called Audacity to do the recording for his own lists because he likes it a bit better than the SMS sound software.

 

HTH,

GardenMom

[Lori D.]

DS just finished gr. 10, and we still use Megawords and make our own individualized spelling to focus on letter sounds and vocabulary through The ABCs and All Their Tricks. What really seems to help make words "stick" is the one-on-one practice we do together:

 

- out loud daily practice (5 min./day; 5x/week)

I spell the words aloud to him, he spells them back to me; instantly correct any misspelling so it doesn't stick in his head by me spelling it aloud 3 to 5 times in a row to him, and having him spell it back to me several times reading it off of the whiteboard.

 

- dictation (5-10 min./day; 2x/week)

Great practice for simultaneous thinking/writing/spelling. I dictate a short sentence to him with 2 or 3 spelling words in it. He often helps himself focus by spelling each word aloud as he writes it.

 

- working with words on whiteboard (5-10 min./day; 1x/week)

We go over vowel patterns, homonymns, adding endings or prefixes, syllabication, etc.

 

 

While Megawords, individualized spelling and various practice methods have helped, he still cannot write and spell simultaneously, and spell check is also a big help for him. This year, my goal is to really work on revising his own writing as a CRITICAL, daily event, in hopes that will help it become an automatic habit. I think this DS may ALWAYS struggle with spelling; our only other option now is to seek possible tutoring or possible testing to see if there are any other things we can do to help him improve. Other than that, HE has to care, and frankly, he has never really seen a point to spelling, so he doesn't invest a lot of himself into it for improvement. Sigh...

 

BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

[joyfulmomSDG]

Is it best to begin Megawords at level 1 or try to match to the child's ability? Sorry but I am clueless about spelling methodology and my upcoming 9th grader really needs help in this area also!

 

Thanks!

[Enjoyinglife365]

spellingcity.com. This is spelling practice not a curriculum. You can do the free version,

[Lori D.]

Can you pinpoint more specifically what the upcoming 9th grader's difficulties are with spelling? I think that will help lead you towards the type of program you need, and from there, where in a program to start.

 

For example:

 

- Is it just while writing that the child is a poor speller? But when just focusing on spelling the child does fine?

(then work on dictation of short sentences with 2-3 spelling words in them to aid simultaneous writing / thinking / spelling)

 

- Does there seem to be a pattern as to what the child misspells? ex: doesn't know when to use "ai" or other "long a" vowel patterns

(probably need a program or resource that teaches vowel patterns and syllabication -- knowing where words break for syllables can really help you understand which spelling is correct -- such as The ABCs and All Their Tricks, Megawords, and others)

 

- Does the child seem to have no idea of how to sound out words, or break the word into syllables or prefix/root to simplify spelling attack?

(a program like Sequential Spelling or Megawords)

 

- Does the child seem to be all over the place -- some days spelling okay, other days missing simple words, or misspelling the same word three different ways in a piece of writing?

(probable learning disability; may need to do some things from Dianne Craft's website on nutrition and exercises to increase connection between left and right brain hemispheres; and then some very visual methods to learn spelling)

 

 

BEST of luck in finding what works for spelling for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[mschickie]

We used Apples: Daily Spelling Drills for Secondary Students

It worked pretty well for sd.

 

You could also look at doing Squential Spelling.