Spalding programs...which one do you like or not like and why...

[Blessed with seven]

Phonics Road, SWR etc...

 

What do you all like and what would you use if you had 4 or 5 children to use it with AND you wanted to get more done in one day than just that :001_huh:

 

Kim

[Ellie]

There is only one Spalding. :)

 

We all have our favorites (Spalding or its spin-offs). I think Spalding is easy to do, but it drives others crazy. Some people really like Phonics Road, but it drives others crazy. And so it goes.

 

I will always choose Spalding 'cuz I'm a Spalding geek.:D

[RootAnn]

I use SWR. I like it. I am only using it with two of my kids (school age) right now. If I had five kids to use it with all in one day, I'd ... um, swoon? I personally couldn't do it with five kids (unless three of them were all at the same level) at once. I can see doing three levels in one day ... maybe. It is definitely one of the more inexpensive methods of OG-type programs with the WRTR being the least expensive, IMO.

 

I do 45 min of teaching with my child who is doing SWR for the second year. I do 30 minutes of teaching with my child who is doing SWR for the fourth year. I spend about an hour (broken up in chunks during the day) the year a child starts the program. They say you can teach a reference page to two kids at the same time to cut down on your teacher-time, but it doesn't work for me in real life.

 

Good luck!

[Snowfall]

I'm hardly an expert, but we tried SWR and dropped it. The notebook did not work for my first grader, for one thing. The lines are way too small for her to write and that caused SO much trouble. I don't buy the theory that writing smaller is actually easier...at all. Without being able to use the notebooks, with all the reference pages, etc., you're just covering phonograms and spelling words with them, which is good, but not what I wanted. We're using PR1 now and like it much better. I always know what to do next, the lines aren't way too small for your average 1st grader, the songs help in remembering the rules. We enjoy it. I had serious doubts about it, since SWR was such a failure, but I liked the all in one aspect, so we jumped in and I'm glad we did.

[Crimson Wife]

I don't think I could do a teacher-intensive program with 5 kids. What I would probably do is use OPGTR for those who need reading instruction and How to Teach Spelling with all of them for spelling.

[siloam]

I will always choose Spalding 'cuz I'm a Spalding geek.:D

 

Nope that would be Supper Spalding Geek. ;) :grouphug:

 

BTW you would be glad to know I have the read WRTR 5th edition on the way here right now. Finally ordered it off Amazon when I needed something else to get up to the $25 free shipping. :D

 

Kim,

 

What are you looking for, for which child to fill which holes.

 

Ds keeps going back and forth on reading or not. Feast or famine. I was about ready to go back to SWR because he is trying to read stuff over his head and I wanted to get him going ASAP. But then he still has recall problems with sounds he has down via flashcards for over a year. Ugh! The ones he remembers the best are the ones we covered one at a time.

 

What am I doing now:

 

1. Cover all the phonograms daily via flashcards.

2. Cover in depth (via SWR) phonograms as introduced in his o/g program. This involved the SWR and I am sure WRTR method of hearing the sounds, seeing the letter, saying the sounds and writing them, not just going through a stack of flashcards. Love this process, and it seems to be missing from Barton and I wonder if the same is true of other o/g programs. I also added visualization work (Seeing Stars).

3. I keep his spelling to the words he has been directly taught, using the phonograms we have covered in depth. Given his hearing issues I sound the words out for him on the first day. Between recall problems and hearing correctly there it is just too easy for him to make a mistake, but once he sees it right he doesn't seem to make errors.

4. Have him read controlled readers.

 

I still use the Barton movements and b/d/not check. I am thinking about making one giant reference list like they do in Barton , but for when he reads on his own. Yet I am afraid it would overwhelm him. Good idea but not practical.

 

In addition, I am thinking of adding 5 words per week from SWR. This would be to cover words like there which don't follow spelling rules. There are just too many for him to memorize instead of cover phonetically if I don't. SWR uses the same think to spell idea that is used in AAS, and I would assume WRTR.

 

The big problem I had with SWR was finding the information I needed. For example the first time I used it I missed all the multi-sensory work with the phonograms because it is listed under handwriting. All my girls were already writing, so I didn't read that part. :001_huh: The instructions on how to do the spelling aren't until about page 76 (somewhere in the 70's). Thus I hit the ground running, having my oldest memorize the phonograms and the rules, and started having them spelling the words from the lists, but not using the multi-sensory part because I missed the instructions in SWR. By the time I did find them the kids didn't want to change anything. :glare: The information is there, I am just a start at the beginning person and go straight through and she goes into such detail in each section it would take me a while to read and absorb it. Most of the time I was just so overwhelmed, trying to push ahead and read more, but not really getting what I had read because I needed more time for it to sink in.

 

I am hoping WRTR is written in a way that I can connect with. There are some different ideas from the o/g we are familiar with that I really like.

 

It sounds like PR has the corner on ease of use, but I hate watching videos. I am as bad as ds about not wanting to sit still. :D

 

Heather

[Snowfall]

It sounds like PR has the corner on ease of use, but I hate watching videos. I am as bad as ds about not wanting to sit still. :D

 

I do, too! You know, I thought that part of it was the worst when I first got PR, but it's not so bad once you watch the first few weeks, which is only maybe 90 minutes or 2 hours worth of video, I think. After that, you can fast forward through the spelling lists, only stopping when you want to hear a song, when you see her pause for a long time on a word (which means she's telling you something you might want to know), or when you see her hold up a building code you have to complete or add to. Fast forwarding through, you can do week in just a few minutes. It's not as bad as it seems.

[Blessed with seven]

There is only one Spalding. :)

 

 

 

 

Aww...very true!! I forget about the Spalding website!! :willy_nilly: Oh boy...

 

Kim

[Blessed with seven]

It sounds like PR has the corner on ease of use, but I hate watching videos. I am as bad as ds about not wanting to sit still. :D

 

Heather

 

You know...I like watching the videos. I don't know what this means about me :001_huh: but....if I have to read a "book, like pages and pages and pages" before getting started or to "understand" what I am supposed to be doing and how, and then go back every lesson and try to figure it out..IT WILL NOT WORK, my brain is tired!!

 

PR sounds great but my goodness, it is a 4 year committment and $200 a wack at that, Alpha PHonics and ETC are looking pretty good..ha!

 

Kim

[siloam]

You know...I like watching the videos. I don't know what this means about me :001_huh: but....if I have to read a "book, like pages and pages and pages" before getting started or to "understand" what I am supposed to be doing and how, and then go back every lesson and try to figure it out..IT WILL NOT WORK, my brain is tired!!

 

PR sounds great but my goodness, it is a 4 year committment and $200 a wack at that, Alpha PHonics and ETC are looking pretty good..ha!

 

Kim

Kim,

 

Nothing wrong with that. I used to say I was going to nail my Mom to a chair so she would watch a whole movie. She would get up and start fidgeting in the middle. I would be the same way except I bring something to do with me, usually play with my Sudoku puzzles or my Nintendo DS; yes I play Pokemon with the kids:rolleyes:.

 

Heather

[abrightmom]

PR sounds great but my goodness, it is a 4 year committment and $200 a wack at that, Alpha PHonics and ETC are looking pretty good..ha!

PR is spelling, reading, composition, grammar, penmanship, and literature study BEAUTIFULLY integrated and organized . . . the teacher training via DVD is so cool! I have grown to thoroughly enjoy it and initially I didn't want it at ALL! :D I've only used Level One and I've already learned so much. My DS8 LOVES it . . . and it's so thorough that I think one could easily use the four years over 5ish years and come out with a strong English studies foundation. :001_smile:

[Quiver0f10]

I use SWR. I really like the program and feel my kids have learned to spell well with it. As far as teaching 4 or 5 kids, are any of them close in ability? If so, I would combine where you could which would make teaching much easier.

[thowell]

We are using SWR only after I read WRTR 3 times. SWR just helped me implement it a little. However, just a note on were you place your kids. I tested all three of mine and they tested in different areas but I decided to start them out together to get used to the program with the plan of separating them a few weeks in. What I found was that there were alot of holes in what they knew. My dd7 is a great speller and has no trouble keeping up with the others. Even though it was a easy start for dd10 and dd11 they are now working on words they have missed in the lists. Here is our schedule

 

Monday: review phonograms and rules. 15 min.

do next spelling lists - about 20 min.

 

Tuesday: add reference pages if needed - depends

review phonograms and rules - 15 min.

 

Wednesday: create original sentences with spelling lists

here we add in our grammar ex. label nouns, verbs, or type of sentences (depends on what we are working on in grammar)

 

Friday: Weekly test and phonograms and spelling lists

 

It really doesn't take that much time and the girls reading and writing are really improving. I concentrate more on dd10 and dd11 with dd7 tagging along, however like I said so far she has kept up with no problem!

 

Just wanted to add that we do mix up how we review phonograms (the girls favorite is when we play Mother May I with them).

Edited December 18, 2010 by thowell
add

[Blessed with seven]

Soo....if you all had 4 needing to learn this, probably only needing 2 levels, would you use PR or SWR?

 

Kim

[Quiver0f10]

Soo....if you all had 4 needing to learn this, probably only needing 2 levels, would you use PR or SWR?

 

Kim

 

 

I did two levels of SWR last year.

[PeterPan]

Not having 5 but having a good imagination about what it would be like, I'd lean SWR. It's the consumate option for flexibility. That said, I LOVE, LOVE LOVE the phonogram tiles with magnets from AAS. If you have a little one, definitely buy them. Even my 11 yo loves them. :)

 

The main thing is to learn the method and make it your own, not get locked into thinking there's only one way to implement it. If you read the book and like the theory but hate Sanseri's methodology, apply it to a new context (daily dictation from a lit book, spelling wisdom, whatever) that works for you. It's the flexibility that makes it ideal. For several years I worked dd forward through the lists dictating the sentences from the Wise Guide, not something Sanseri recommends. Make it your own, hehe.

[Blessed with seven]

For several years I worked dd forward through the lists dictating the sentences from the Wise Guide, not something Sanseri recommends. Make it your own, hehe.

 

 

You know....I like that idea, I had someone who was a trained SWR person tell me I could use WISE Guide for spelling, eliminating the main guide. Now...this was with a son who I needed to get moving reading and well...long story.

 

I had also talked to a lady who used AP to teach her children to read and then went to SWR for spelling, I am leaning towards this option because I had a BAD experience w/ SWR when my son was oh....9 maybe or 8, he HATED, HATED writing...was not good. I do wish I had stuck w/ it though...it was just such a fight everyday, I wish I had just taught him to read in short little lessons.

 

 

I love the "idea" of PR, the illustrating of their stories etc...sounds great but I don't have an hour a day to spend at 2 different levels and cover everything else.

 

I also need to remediate my sons spelling, he is 13 and don't want to have to take him through 4 years of a program, or even 3 years. It is said you can go through Level 1 and 2 in one year w/ an older student but...still.

 

I appreciate all the posts, by the way!!

 

Kim

[Blessed with seven]

Oh...anyone used Happy Phonics, someone just emailed me about this...

 

Kim

[PeterPan]

He hated writing because of ...? My dd has always resisted writing, but a large part of it is her hand hurt. She's doing OT for it now. If a dc is 13 and still remedial with spelling, I'd start looking for some why's. Can't fix the problem till you know what it is. VT (vision therapy) totally changed how my dd perceives words and approaches spelling. She would never sound out words before, and after two months of VT she started to on her own!

[Jen the RD]

Just chiming in to say that like Ellie, I am a Spalding geek! I have absolutely loved this method of teaching reading, spelling, and writing. I've used it with both kids and been extremely successful. I've also turned others on to it, who also love it's simplicity. Yes, I said "simplicity". I know, I know.....many are quite opinionated and state the complete opposite. So, I say this: We are all different and our kids learning styles are different. Therefore, in order to know if something is going to work, you really have to try it yourself (no matter what the curriculum) and use it long enough to get a good feel for it. At least with the Spalding book, you're investment is only $22.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

HTH,

Jennifer

[LizzyBee]

I used SWR for a year with my middle child and I tried AAS for probably 3 months with my youngest child. And honestly, I don't like either of them. I think they are too tedious for kids who aren't dyslexic, and not "enough" for kids who are dyslexic. My middle child ended up using Calvert Spelling on CD with great success, and my youngest is making good progress with Barton Reading and Spelling, an Orton-Gillingham based program for dyslexics. My oldest was a natural speller, and Spelling Workout was fine for her.

Edited December 20, 2010 by LizzyBee

[Pata]

Just chiming in to say that like Ellie, I am a Spalding geek! I have absolutely loved this method of teaching reading, spelling, and writing. I've used it with both kids and been extremely successful. I've also turned others on to it, who also love it's simplicity. Yes, I said "simplicity". I know, I know.....many are quite opinionated and state the complete opposite. So, I say this: We are all different and our kids learning styles are different. Therefore, in order to know if something is going to work, you really have to try it yourself (no matter what the curriculum) and use it long enough to get a good feel for it. At least with the Spalding book, you're investment is only $22.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

HTH,

Jennifer

 

I would agree with Jennifer and with Ellie, but add in that we haven't been using WRTR all that long. However I have found it easy to understand and begin to implement. It's not as hard as it's made out to be, I say save your money and just get the real thing.

[PeterPan]

Ooo, we liked the Calvert spelling cd's too! I think they now sell it as online access. Got us through a pinch when things just weren't clicking right. Non-threatening, fun, and good for their typing too! Our SWR time had gotten negative (in dd's mind), and she was going around saying she couldn't spell. The Calvert cd's changed that. Not saying they did miracles for her SPELLING, haha, just her attitude. So even if they're not a permanent solution, they can be a good filler for when you just don't know want to do.

[johnandtinagilbert]

You know...I like watching the videos. I don't know what this means about me :001_huh: but....if I have to read a "book, like pages and pages and pages" before getting started or to "understand" what I am supposed to be doing and how, and then go back every lesson and try to figure it out..IT WILL NOT WORK, my brain is tired!!

 

PR sounds great but my goodness, it is a 4 year committment and $200 a wack at that, Alpha PHonics and ETC are looking pretty good..ha!

 

Kim

Keep in mind that $200 per level can be used for ALL of your children (I have 8) for all language arts for ALL of elementary school. They are levels, not years. I plan on finishing level 4 in mid-sixth grade. Then we can nicely head into the Latin Road, which in my opinion (we're in LR level 2 now), a level of maturity is necessary to be successful.

 

Soo....if you all had 4 needing to learn this, probably only needing 2 levels, would you use PR or SWR?

 

Kim

That would depend on your need for complete language arts or not. PR will cover all your LA needs in that time. My blog (in the siggy) has several examples that include time schedules. I accomplish 3 levels, totaling 4 dc, in about 1 hour 45 min. a day. That's a learning to reader and complete LA for a 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grader.

 

I also need to remediate my sons spelling, he is 13 and don't want to have to take him through 4 years of a program, or even 3 years. It is said you can go through Level 1 and 2 in one year w/ an older student but...still.

Kim

I have come up with my own method of spelling only remediation that does not require using all the levels. If you buy the first 2 levels for other students, then remediating your 13yo can be done by using the Level 3 spelling lists and teaching the markings and Rule Tunes (songs to teach spelling rules) with no problem. After a few days, the markings will come along and in no time, the songs will kick in, too. Since the beginning of L3 is review of L1&2, you're getting the same words, same markings, same songs, and saving $$. Use notebook paper instead of buying student materials and you're good to go.

 

If you need grammar remediation, too, then I'd suggest hitting the end of L1 and all of L2. There are acceleration posts on my blog, too.

[ArizonaGirl]

I agree with Jen, Ellie, and Pata. I go with the original WRTR.

 

I do struggle to fit in all the levels with four children at once. We do phonograms orally and written together, and then two of mine are combined for spelling.

 

Although I have the fifth edition, I also have the second edition (1969), so each child has a grammar workbook on their own level. We do a lot together orally and compose sentences with their spelling words, so the oral grammar work is often review for the older kids. At least I know that in their workbooks, they are working at their own levels, even if I can't cover everything for every child every day.

 

They may share writing assignments.

 

My first-grader, for example, will write a couple of related sentences, while my third and fifth-graders will write a full paragraph.

 

I will require much more detail and complex sentences from my sixth-grader.

 

I still struggle teaching all at once, so sometimes I just work every other day with each child--two levels one day and two other levels the next. I can go a little faster one-on-one than a teacher in a classroom, so we will cover two-three days work in one sitting.

 

Does that make sense?

 

I'd definitely recommend the original Spalding and the Writing Road to Reading, but that is where I am comfortable.

[Blessed with seven]

I agree with Jen, Ellie, and Pata. I go with the original WRTR.

 

I do struggle to fit in all the levels with four children at once. We do phonograms orally and written together, and then two of mine are combined for spelling.

 

Although I have the fifth edition, I also have the second edition (1969), so each child has a grammar workbook on their own level. We do a lot together orally and compose sentences with their spelling words, so the oral grammar work is often review for the older kids. At least I know that in their workbooks, they are working at their own levels, even if I can't cover everything for every child every day.

 

They may share writing assignments.

 

My first-grader, for example, will write a couple of related sentences, while my third and fifth-graders will write a full paragraph.

 

I will require much more detail and complex sentences from my sixth-grader.

 

I still struggle teaching all at once, so sometimes I just work every other day with each child--two levels one day and two other levels the next. I can go a little faster one-on-one than a teacher in a classroom, so we will cover two-three days work in one sitting.

 

Does that make sense?

 

I'd definitely recommend the original Spalding and the Writing Road to Reading, but that is where I am comfortable.

 

I do know ONE thing, I am not comfortable unless I have some sort of lesson plans, my brain needs lots and lots of help!!

 

I have WRTR 4th but if I were to combine grammar/LA, and need to put together my own lesson plans for 3 or 4 different children, I would get NOTHING done. That is just an area that I have realized...no matter how great something is, I really, for my own sanity, need the lesson plans.

[ArizonaGirl]

I do know ONE thing, I am not comfortable unless I have some sort of lesson plans, my brain needs lots and lots of help!!

 

I have WRTR 4th but if I were to combine grammar/LA, and need to put together my own lesson plans for 3 or 4 different children, I would get NOTHING done. That is just an area that I have realized...no matter how great something is, I really, for my own sanity, need the lesson plans.

 

I struggle with lesson plans, too. At this point, I have most of the Instructors Guides from Spalding, so I just use those for lesson plans. They give me a week on a page, and say cover this on days 1-3, this on days 3-5, etc. I just stay on one page until my kids have covered everything and I am comfortable that they have it. Then we turn the page and go on to the next week.

 

I know those guides are expensive, but for me teaching so many, they are worth it. I have collected them slowly over the past few years. At first, I tried teaching all my kids from one guide. That worked for those close to the level, but necessitated adaptation for my younger ones. I now find it easier to teach four grades from three separate guides. Two of my children are close enough to combine. I base their level on where they test for spelling. I add in grammar workbooks to be sure we cover grade appropriate grammar ( I like Easy Grammar or Growing With Grammar for this), especially since one of mine spells far below grade level. He also has a writing workbook (We've used Six Trait Writing and Writing Strands at different times), again to keep him close to grade level. I also pull in WWE, especially when I am short on time to work as closely with my younger ones as I would like. It seems to work fairly well this way, and I don't stress as much about covering everything with Spalding, as much as I would like to use only Spalding.

 

Thanks for listening to my rambling. I guess I'm just trying to say it would be more difficult to do Spalding only for so many children without the Instructor's Guides.

 

By the way, Spalding Education International now has samples of the guides up on their website, if that will help.

[Blessed with seven]

I struggle with lesson plans, too. At this point, I have most of the Instructors Guides from Spalding, so I just use those for lesson plans. They give me a week on a page, and say cover this on days 1-3, this on days 3-5, etc. I just stay on one page until my kids have covered everything and I am comfortable that they have it. Then we turn the page and go on to the next week.

 

I know those guides are expensive, but for me teaching so many, they are worth it. I have collected them slowly over the past few years. At first, I tried teaching all my kids from one guide. That worked for those close to the level, but necessitated adaptation for my younger ones. I now find it easier to teach four grades from three separate guides. Two of my children are close enough to combine. I base their level on where they test for spelling. I add in grammar workbooks to be sure we cover grade appropriate grammar ( I like Easy Grammar or Growing With Grammar for this), especially since one of mine spells far below grade level. He also has a writing workbook (We've used Six Trait Writing and Writing Strands at different times), again to keep him close to grade level. I also pull in WWE, especially when I am short on time to work as closely with my younger ones as I would like. It seems to work fairly well this way, and I don't stress as much about covering everything with Spalding, as much as I would like to use only Spalding.

 

Thanks for listening to my rambling. I guess I'm just trying to say it would be more difficult to do Spalding only for so many children without the Instructor's Guides.

 

By the way, Spalding Education International now has samples of the guides up on their website, if that will help.

 

 

Thank you so much for this information! I will check out the samples, I have looked at their website before....

 

Thanks again,

 

Kim

[kreistetter]

I like Sound Beginnings by Julia Fogassy. It is a lot like Spalding in theory. SB is very easy to use as a hsing parent. I took the Writing Road to Reading class when I taught in PS, it seemed like a lot of work to prepare the lessons.

[Blessed with seven]

Where do you find Sound Beginnings?

 

Also..those using the "real" Spalding program, how to you do your daily lesson plans, if you do not use the Teachers Guides from Spalding.org

 

Thought I had better edit this...I say "real" Spalding meaning to be a bit funny. I am talking about the material from Spalding.Org, not meaning ANYTHING else :)

Edited December 30, 2010 by Blessed with seven

[Janet in MA]

http://ourfathershouse.biz/shopsite_sc/store/html/index.html

 

I found the manual used on the WTM FS board