When AAS doesn't always "stick"

[Negin]

Ds is now in level 3, and, on the whole, we love AAS. But he sometimes forgets the rules or how to spell certain words that he's done many times before.

No, we don't do the cards. We find them annoying.

Should I go back and review all the problem areas? Not something I particularly look forward to at all. :confused:

Are there any good spelling workbooks that he can focus on independently? I guess, the answer to that is "no". I wish AAS would make some extra practice/drill workbooks for a son like mine.

Teaching him to spell is taking him FOREVER. I'm getting very, very frustrated.

[shanvan]

Ds is now in level 3, and, on the whole, we love AAS. But he sometimes forgets the rules or how to spell certain words that he's done many times before.

No, we don't do the cards. We find them annoying.

Should I go back and review all the problem areas? Not something I particularly look forward to at all. :confused:

 

Yes, that is what I have done with my DD. I also have her practice the words more.

 

Are there any good spelling workbooks that he can focus on independently? I guess, the answer to that is "no". I wish AAS would make some extra practice/drill workbooks for a son like mine.

 

I do too! I make my own worksheets for each of the rules.

Teaching him to spell is taking him FOREVER. I'm getting very, very frustrated.

 

Here is a link to a thread that discussed retention with AAS. I posted extensively there about how I design my worksheets.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214299

 

Shannon

 

 

[laurad1125]

This may not be the answer you want to hear, but we started using the cards. We're in level 3 as well and started seeing retention problems, too. I pulled out all the cards from levels 1 & 2 and started reviewing them. It's made all the difference (but we find them annoying, too....)

[siloam]

Ds is now in level 3, and, on the whole, we love AAS. But he sometimes forgets the rules or how to spell certain words that he's done many times before.

No, we don't do the cards. We find them annoying.

Should I go back and review all the problem areas? Not something I particularly look forward to at all. :confused:

Are there any good spelling workbooks that he can focus on independently? I guess, the answer to that is "no". I wish AAS would make some extra practice/drill workbooks for a son like mine.

Teaching him to spell is taking him FOREVER. I'm getting very, very frustrated.

 

My 12 that spells on an 8.8 grade level still makes silly errors that she should know better than do. For example at the end of book 4 they had attic as part of the ic lesson. She spelled it atic. :glare: It really come down to, IMO, the fact that they often don't want to think.

 

Reviewing all the words would be good for a child who struggles with spelling. My oldest has always been a natural speller with excellent visual memory, so it is harder to get her to stop and think sometimes. She would prefer to use her visual memory first, and guess second. Third she thinks because mom made her. I have hope that some day she will actually care and think first, but it might not be till much, much later in life.

 

In the mean time she is building visual memory of words, and her spelling continues to improve, and if she does decide to engage the old brain, she knows the rules.

 

Heather

[golfcartmama]

We are haing a problem with this as well! I'm off to check the worksheets mentioned...

[Penelope]

I don't care for the cards, either. Takes up lots of space. I do get them out and go through the stack every couple of months.

 

Other than that, I keep a running word list of trouble words and keep reviewing those. When it seems it is just in his brain "wrong", I go to some of the strategies AAS recommends for trouble words, or other ways we come up with to imprint the words. Today I had ds write a few words on index cards, sound by sound, with each sound in a different color. Then we'll review them the next few days. I also incorporate more of his personal trouble list into the dictation sentences and writing station. So I might substitute a sentence where I am certain he will spell everything correctly, for a made-up one using the words he is in greater need of reviewing.

[robsiew]

Ds is now in level 3, and, on the whole, we love AAS. But he sometimes forgets the rules or how to spell certain words that he's done many times before.

No, we don't do the cards. We find them annoying.

Should I go back and review all the problem areas? Not something I particularly look forward to at all. :confused:

Are there any good spelling workbooks that he can focus on independently? I guess, the answer to that is "no". I wish AAS would make some extra practice/drill workbooks for a son like mine.

Teaching him to spell is taking him FOREVER. I'm getting very, very frustrated.

 

Take this for what it's worth, but I think spelling, like so many other skills is a process. I've gotten to the point where I don't expect my kids to spell everything correctly, even if we've studied it. I just remind them of forgotten rules. I try to remember that children often times don't spell consistently well until at least 12 years age. Here is the routine I do with my kids when they have spelling errors.

 

1. Say, "There is one (or two, however many) words not spelled correctly in this sentence. Can you find it? (work on one at a time if more than one error) If they have a hard time finding it I tell them to read the sentence out loud. If they still can't find it I show them.

 

2. Can you see what is wrong? If yes, can you fix it? If no... I remind them of the rule they may be forgetting.

 

I just stopped being frustrated because it really does no good. I know AAS is giving us our solid rules so I'm not worried about instruction. Then, it's just a matter of time before they begin to remember and their sight vocabulary builds. Some will be better spellers catching on faster, some will take longer... some may never be "great" spellers. I'm trying to view it more as a process that I'm there to help them through, rather than a "one time" thing that should have been learned and not forgotten.

 

Just my view point.... others may disagree.... but it helps me to be more relaxed and enjoy teaching spelling!

 

Also... my 8 y/o really could care less about spelling. She was getting really sloppy. So, I have doubled my efforts and make her correct most of what she spells wrong on her narrations. She's getting the idea that if she slows down a bit and concentrates more she doesn't have to redo it. I've seen improvement in just a week. This tells me she knows the rules, she's just rushing to get it done and really didn't care!

[shanvan]

Take this for what it's worth, but I think spelling, like so many other skills is a process. I've gotten to the point where I don't expect my kids to spell everything correctly, even if we've studied it.

 

Yes, this is a good point. We do need to realize they will make mistakes.

 

I just remind them of forgotten rules. I try to remember that children often times don't spell consistently well until at least 12 years age. Here is the routine I do with my kids when they have spelling errors.

 

1. Say, "There is one (or two, however many) words not spelled correctly in this sentence. Can you find it? (work on one at a time if more than one error) If they have a hard time finding it I tell them to read the sentence out loud. If they still can't find it I show them.

 

2. Can you see what is wrong? If yes, can you fix it? If no... I remind them of the rule they may be forgetting.

 

I just stopped being frustrated because it really does no good. I know AAS is giving us our solid rules so I'm not worried about instruction. Then, it's just a matter of time before they begin to remember and their sight vocabulary builds. Some will be better spellers catching on faster, some will take longer... some may never be "great" spellers. I'm trying to view it more as a process that I'm there to help them through, rather than a "one time" thing that should have been learned and not forgotten.

 

Just my view point.... others may disagree.... but it helps me to be more relaxed and enjoy teaching spelling!

 

Yes, it's good to view spelling as a process, and reviewing can be part of that process. Review using various strategies does not need to equal frustration, especially if you keep in mind that you are looking for improvement, not just trying to complete the curriculum. My children know I see it as a process, but they also know they may have some extra practice (which is to help them through the process) possibly in the form of a worksheet or written assignment using misspelled words. They really love when I assign them a story using words from AAS. Because they don't have to make any sense at all we enjoy reading them when they are done and get a great laugh out of the assignment.

 

Also... my 8 y/o really could care less about spelling. She was getting really sloppy. So, I have doubled my efforts and make her correct most of what she spells wrong on her narrations. She's getting the idea that if she slows down a bit and concentrates more she doesn't have to redo it. I've seen improvement in just a week. This tells me she knows the rules, she's just rushing to get it done and really didn't care!

 

Your point of being sure to notice and recognize spelling errors in other subjects is a great point. That's another way to make sure the rules from AAS carry over and are not just learned for the spelling lesson portion of the day.

 

I have one particularly bad speller (DS, 12). What has helped him is consistent review plus making the effort to focus on correcting errors. I have learned that I need to be diligent in monitoring and reminding of rules.

 

What has helped me to relax is knowing that we can always review instead of pushing ahead and knowing that we are being very careful to pay attention spelling in all subject areas.

 

Shannon

[MerryAtHope]

You need to have some method of ongoing review. If the cards are annoying, make lists or turn the cards into worksheets or something. Review is an incredibly important part of the program though, and I think it would be difficult for many children to achieve mastery without it.

 

The review box is what allows you to customize the program for your child, and to do as much review as is needed. So...you may have to come up with an alternative form of review if you don't want to do that.

 

When my kids miss a word in dictation, I often will write that word in the margin and practice it the next few days. If there's a related sound, phonogram or key card, I'll pull those out to practice as well. Maybe you could keep a list of things to practice and read off of that as an option?

 

Hope you can find a way to make it work.

 

Sorry the cards don't work for you--they are a lifesaver here! My oldest does find them a bit annoying & loves when he doesn't have cards to do, but they are helping him so much that I don't care if he grouses a bit, LOL! Thankfully he doesn't much, LOL!

 

Merry :-)

[nicholsonhomeschool]

One little idea that we've been implementing lately -- I'll give my son a list of words to choose from (I include words that haven't "stuck") and ask him to make up his own sentences. This isn't the same as drilling individual words, but he gets glassy if I start flipping through a stack of cards. And he likes coming up with his own sentences...

 

So many good reflections on spelling!

[Mom-ninja.]

Same here. I feel like we'll be in level three forever.

 

I've started using the cards more.Ds needs the review. I also keep a list of trouble words. If I notice a pattern of incorrect words we go back and review the rule.

[Negin]

Thank you all so very much :grouphug:. Off to read your suggestions, links, and ideas in more detail. What I've read so far is very helpful.

[Maverick_Mom]

You need to have some method of ongoing review. If the cards are annoying, make lists or turn the cards into worksheets or something. Review is an incredibly important part of the program though, and I think it would be difficult for many children to achieve mastery without it.

 

The review box is what allows you to customize the program for your child, and to do as much review as is needed. So...you may have to come up with an alternative form of review if you don't want to do that.

 

Sorry the cards don't work for you--they are a lifesaver here! My oldest does find them a bit annoying & loves when he doesn't have cards to do, but they are helping him so much that I don't care if he grouses a bit, LOL! Thankfully he doesn't much, LOL!

 

Merry, our experience has been the same. I would sooner give up the tiles (and have done so with ds #1) than give up the cards. For us, the cards are the heart and soul of the program. AAS is more than just a series of word lists and practice sentences that are built around a particular concept -- it's a systematic plan for learning the rules (and exceptions -- my son loves nabbing the Rulebreakers, LOL) that govern English and make (relative) sense out of spelling.

 

I'm embarrassed to say that in previous years I've gone overboard with the cards. We did them three times a week, and I would alternate a color each day -- Monday, the phonogram cards; Wed., the sound cards; Friday, the key cards. Ds had to do ALL of each color. We started Level 6 this year, so you can imagine how long the sound cards took! He knew them well enough -- this was just me being legalistic about him reviewing them. Then you mentioned on another forum that you could just do a few each day and even make it a mix of yellow, red, and blue cards -- and I thought, "You mean everyone else doesn't torture her kid with the cards the way I do?!" :lol: This year we still do the cards three times a week, but I pick a *few* to review. And of course, when there are any problems, I pick out the relevant cards and spend more time, over the course of more days, reviewing them. Ds is MUCH happier this way. :)