Teaching Spelling ?? - DD spells well, but doesn't know why

[Cynful]

My dd10 reads on a high school level and spells VERY well also. I'm not quite sure "how" she spells though. I'm not sure even what level she is on. I don't know if she is memorizing, going by syllables, going by rules, etc. We were doing Megawords 1 and she was bored to tears. So I gave her the tests and she really is beyond level 1. She's just a natural speller but I want to make sure she'll continue to spell well especially higher levels.

 

Do I worry about a program with her? or just correct when mistakes come up? If you recommend a program, what program? I think I'd need one with a placement test.

[MerryAtHope]

 

Do I worry about a program with her? or just correct when mistakes come up? If you recommend a program, what program? I think I'd need one with a placement test.

 

I wouldn't--I'd just correct as mistakes come up. You could do dictation if you wanted. Enjoy!

 

Merry :-)

[abbeyej]

Just correct her when mistakes come up.

[regentrude]

If a child just knows how to spell very well, I would not bother with a spelling program. We just correct misspelled words.

 

My kids are natural spellers, and so am I. It just "looks wrong" if it is misspelled. I would suspect that most kids who are very good spellers do it instinctively and not because they are checking whether all rules have been obeyed.

[annlaura]

:iagree: My brother and I are natural spellers and were never taught to spell. We just read and read and read. One thing that did help was exposure to other languages.

[nansk]

It just "looks wrong" if it is misspelled. I would suspect that most kids who are very good spellers do it instinctively and not because they are checking whether all rules have been obeyed.

 

I agree. I was not taught phonics or spelling rules, but I spell most of the words correctly. I can see whether a word looks right or not.

 

For uncommon words, its does help to know the rules (I got this link from ElizabethB's web site). Perhaps you could work with her on the 4 and 5 syllable words in Webster's Speller.

[Kates]

As a natural speller myself, I agree - don't worry about it, correct things as they come up. Personally, I don't spell according to phonics...rather, I have a really strong visual memory and can tell when it's spelled right or not. I literally "see" the word in front of me and just spell it out, as if it were written on a page I'm looking at. When my teachers or parents tried to get me going on a spelling program (breaking it down by phonetic parts), it just messed me up.

 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it ;) Many kids do need the phonetic rules, but for those that don't, I wouldn't worry about it. They figure out their own ways of getting the job done, and if you try to change their methods, it doesn't often go well.

[HappyGrace]

:iagree: I'm a natural speller and so is dd10. We don't use a spelling program here.

 

BUT as she's getting older, besides just correcting mistakes (and having her write it five times sometimes), I am starting to make up a list at beginning of week of more difficult or longer or tricky spelling words. I pretest her on Monday, then she studies any she got wrong all week, and I test on Fri. She has yet to get them wrong on the test, but if she did, I'd carry it over to the next week's list. I hope by adding in some tough words, it will expand her range. This has proved very beneficial. Eventually we'll do a rigorous vocab program, and then those words will be considered her spelling too.

[Cynful]

I'm so glad to be able to drop it for her. :) Besides being pregnant and on bed rest, my son is dyslexic so he needs my time for it more right now. Thanks to everyone for confirming what I was hoping.