Please compare AAS to SWR

[campmom]

Can anyone compare these 2 for me. Do they teach the phonograms the same? What about the rules? I used SWR to teach spelling to my olders, and was planning to use it again, but now I am wondering about AAS for my youngers. What do you think? TIA

[MerryAtHope]

There have been lots of threads on this, you may want to do a search. Since you have already used SWR, is there a reason you are considering switching? That might help people help you decide.

 

On the AAS site, there is an FAQ about SWR that might help you. Merry :-)

[siloam]

Can anyone compare these 2 for me. Do they teach the phonograms the same? What about the rules? I used SWR to teach spelling to my olders, and was planning to use it again, but now I am wondering about AAS for my youngers. What do you think? TIA

 

The big differences?

 

AAS teaches syllable rules, SWR has them in the SWR guide but doesn't directly teach them unless you modify the program.

 

AAS uses colored tyles for visual discrimination, where SWR uses mark ups. You again could modify AAS with mark ups or use tiles with SWR. BTW I know Wanda isn't big on tiles, but AAS does have the child write out the words as well as use the tiles, so there is still that direct recall to pencil work.

 

AAS is incremental, covering one rule or common sounds in the same setting with all the words in the list dealing with the rule/sounds. You practice the words out of their nice neat lists by use of the cards, which can be shuffled. SWR, as you know, combines multiple sounds/rules on the lists.

 

More little things are the y says /e/ and the o says /u/. Again if you have strong feelings for the SWR way you can modify those specific lessons in AAS.

 

They are both strong programs. I think AAS is a bit easier for younger kids, and better for LD students. SWR is probably better for older students, but I was tired and moved my oldest over anyway. AAS is scripted, so it took a big weight off my shoulders. Though I always struggled with SWR, and never could manage the schedule needed to attend a class, even through the author is close by.

 

Heather

[kalanamak]

 

AAS is incremental, covering one rule or common sounds in the same setting with all the words in the list dealing with the rule/sounds. You practice the words out of their nice neat lists by use of the cards, which can be shuffled. SWR, as you know, combines multiple sounds/rules on the lists.

 

Kiddo finds the one rule/common sounds business boring, and blows through it without learning it well. SWR makes him THINK.

[Renee in NC]

Kiddo finds the one rule/common sounds business boring, and blows through it without learning it well. SWR makes him THINK.

 

:iagree:

 

At one point I switched to AAS because of the one rule at a time idea, but I found the same thing. Mixing the rules up (because of the sheer amount of repetition and really thinking through the rules involved) just sticks better.

 

ETA: I do teach my dc the AAS extra sounds for y and o, as well as explicitly teaching syllables.

[MerryAtHope]

:iagree:

 

At one point I switched to AAS because of the one rule at a time idea, but I found the same thing. Mixing the rules up (because of the sheer amount of repetition and really thinking through the rules involved) just sticks better.

 

 

AAS does eventually mix up the rules, they just introduce one at a time and allow a child time to master one before they introduce another similar one. Then they put both together and have the child think through all of the different strategies they have available to use to figure out how to spell words.

[kalanamak]

AAS does eventually mix up the rules, they just introduce one at a time and allow a child time to master one before they introduce another similar one. Then they put both together and have the child think through all of the different strategies they have available to use to figure out how to spell words.

 

What level, please!

[siloam]

Kiddo finds the one rule/common sounds business boring, and blows through it without learning it well. SWR makes him THINK.

 

You know I have had problems with my oldest in both programs. She has such great visual memory that she trusts it instead. In SWR she would misspell the same words wrong year after year, because she would trust her wrong visual memory over the rules. That is despite practicing it till mastery the year before (daily, weekly then monthly). In AAS I discovered she was doing the same thing and I had to have her start teaching me how to do things, to make her think. Otherwise she would rattle off the rules, rattle off the phonograms and then spell from visual memory. I think that is why she hit a well in SWR where she just couldn't get past a 7th grade spelling level for the least year and a half. I haven't tested her recently so I not sure she is past it yet.

 

My 2nd dd could have done either program. She spells well and pays attention to the rules, has good visual memory but does pay attention to the rules. AAS is just easier for me to teach.

 

My 3rd dd needed AAS, and facilitated the move. She is classic dyslexic, doesn't see words in her mind (low visual memory), has problems hearing the difference between sounds (had to do LiPS to remediate this), and is easily overwhelmed. SWR had her in tears daily because it was just too much. That was with having practiced the first 26 phonograms for a year before starting the spelling, practicing the rest daily as we were doing 5 words at a time, and she was already reading. She just couldn't keep it all straight in her head, and need the one rule, one step till mastered approach.

 

To what Marry said, as the program moves forward it does cover multiple rules in the review (not just the review of spelling words), you will have words that use more than one rule, one that will be old (mastered) and one new. You also have the writing station which works a lot with adding endings (and those rules) and with homonyms. This is up to level 4 that my oldest is at now. I would guess it would become increasingly so as you get into more complicated words.

 

I agree that you do have to weigh the needs of the family/children. The words in AAS can seem really easy, especially when they are organized by rules. The review is easy to skip, but needed if nothing else but to practice the words outside of their sanitized setting. If yo don't I think it leaves an opening for a huge gap where the child can't spell the words outside of their neat lists. There are families in which SWR is a better fit.

 

Heather

[MerryAtHope]

What level, please!

 

Well, I think the first time when you have both rules and visual patterns mixed is probably level 3, step 3 where they work with 4 different ways to spell the long A sound. The mixed practice before that is generally rules-based w/o visual discrimination mixed in--things like oi/oy and au/aw are in level 2, and C vs. K starts in level 1, but comes up again with harder words & more involved concepts throughout the series.

 

Level 3 also includes ways to spell long O, ways to spell long E, ways to spell ER, and ways to spell long I. There are sound cards that will say things like, "What are 4 ways to say X sound" and there are lessons that have a list of words that kids have to sort into columns based on the spelling pattern used.

 

Also starting in level 3, they include more teaching on word analysis skills, which continues and gets more involved throughout the series.

 

And throughout, the dictations come from any previously learned words, so kids do have to practice discrimination that way. Also, the review that you do with the card decks is mixed--the instructions are to shuffle the cards so that they aren't just memorizing one pattern and applying it over and over.

 

HTH some! Merry :-)

[campmom]

Thank you Heather and others. I think the differences you named were some of what I thought I understood about the 2 programs. Honestly I think I understand SWR better now than I did when I used it 10 years ago, also it was Teaching Reading back then, the new SWR book is much easier to understand. My littles are 5 and 7. We started out doing phonics with SWR but have added in some workbook type things. They have not learned all of the phonograms yet but we are still working on them the SWR way. I have not started a spelling program yet. Would you start a spelling program before finishing phonics or would you wait? They do ask me how to spell different words they want to write. I think I like the visual of the tiles, do my boys need that? I don't know, but I like the sample of how they are used on the website. I also thought it might be easier for them to learn the rules when they are only working on learning one at a time. I thought they might enjoy the CD rom for reviewing the phonograms on their own, they don't really get much computer time, they only have 1 computer game so I think they would like it. I might would still teach them to mark the words the SWR way and would probably use some of the other things I've learned from SWR. I guess I could also just get the tiles to use with SWR and just change my word list up to teach 1 rule at a time but that seems like alot of work and I really want to spend my time teaching not planning( I can get carried away). What do you think? For littles would the AAS method work better? Be easier for me? Would I possibly move to SWR when they are more advanced? And there is still they question of do I start them in a spelling program now or wait? It seems that it may help with their reading. I also don't think I understand the box or how the review works if anyone can help me with that.

Also I have everything for SWR but I probably need to buy the new SWR and Wise Guide because they have been updated and mine are really old. That would cost almost as much as getting everything I would need for Level 1 of AAS.

Another question I just thought of do you call out the words the way they are done with SWR?

Thanks everyone

[Renee in NC]

Never mind - I saw the answer.

[siloam]

Thank you Heather and others. I think the differences you named were some of what I thought I understood about the 2 programs. Honestly I think I understand SWR better now than I did when I used it 10 years ago, also it was Teaching Reading back then, the new SWR book is much easier to understand. My littles are 5 and 7. We started out doing phonics with SWR but have added in some workbook type things. They have not learned all of the phonograms yet but we are still working on them the SWR way. I have not started a spelling program yet. Would you start a spelling program before finishing phonics or would you wait? They do ask me how to spell different words they want to write. I think I like the visual of the tiles, do my boys need that? I don't know, but I like the sample of how they are used on the website. I also thought it might be easier for them to learn the rules when they are only working on learning one at a time. I thought they might enjoy the CD rom for reviewing the phonograms on their own, they don't really get much computer time, they only have 1 computer game so I think they would like it. I might would still teach them to mark the words the SWR way and would probably use some of the other things I've learned from SWR. I guess I could also just get the tiles to use with SWR and just change my word list up to teach 1 rule at a time but that seems like alot of work and I really want to spend my time teaching not planning( I can get carried away). What do you think? For littles would the AAS method work better? Be easier for me? Would I possibly move to SWR when they are more advanced? And there is still they question of do I start them in a spelling program now or wait? It seems that it may help with their reading. I also don't think I understand the box or how the review works if anyone can help me with that.

Also I have everything for SWR but I probably need to buy the new SWR and Wise Guide because they have been updated and mine are really old. That would cost almost as much as getting everything I would need for Level 1 of AAS.

Another question I just thought of do you call out the words the way they are done with SWR?

Thanks everyone

I start spelling before my kids finish phonics, but I generally follow the 3 years phonics path... SWR can also be used to teach reading. AAS is also coming out with a reading program in late fall (October/November).

 

AAS doesn't provide sentences, and doesn't use the fingerspelling. You can easily add both. My kids hated fingerspelling, so we didn't continue with that but we have made a game out of trying to come up with sentences that continue with the same theme or use the previous word with the new word.

 

I think you could easily blend the programs, using tiles with SWR or markings with AAS. You really can't make a wrong decision here, except that I agree that you shouldn't do a bunch of planning. There are just other ways to spend your time. You could also start with AAS then move to SWR. I really haven't totally ruled out using SWR after AAS, but if dd wants to she would have to use the CD's and self administer it. I need the one on one time with her siblings. The other thing I am looking at is Megawords to use after AAS, or maybe she won't do spelling at all. I can't really make a decision till we finish AAS and give her a diagnostic to see what level she is spelling at.

 

Heather

[Guest calledtoclassical]

Can anyone critique Spelling Plus versus Spelling Workout versus All About Spelling? My daughter is 7. She is a natural speller and an avid reader, but I would like to make sure we cover our bases. This will be our first year home schooling. She was up to level D in Spelling Workout by the end of school last year. However, I am not sure that she is retaining any of the rules. From a classical perspective, I know providing the foundation is important. Any recommendations? Thank you!