How long do you spend on AAS each day/week?

[Edwena]

After seeing all the posts and reviews of AAS here, I'm just curious. How long do you spend on AAS each day/week? I was also wondering for those who've used AAS for awhile, once you hit where your child needs to be, how many level do you progress through each year?

 

To answer my own questions: We set the timer for 20 min. and when it goes off, we stop.

 

This is our first year using AAS and my ds(8) started in Level One and is currently right in the middle of Level 3 which we hope to complete this school year. My dd (6) started with Level One and is currently in the first few lessons of Level 2. I don't think we'll be able to complete it by the end of the year though. Just not sure.

[MerryAtHope]

I do 15 minutes for my 12 yo and 20 for my 14 yo, 4-5 times per week. We also set a timer :-).

 

My oldest went through Levels 1, 2, and most of 3 that first year, and now goes through about 1.5 levels per year. I hope to finish all of the levels by the end of his Freshman year in HS, but it may go into Sophomore year, we've slowed down a bit in Level 5 here.

 

My youngest did 1, 2, and part of 3 that first year and does around a level a year, maybe a tad more, now. I believe she'll finish the series by the end of her 8th grade year.

 

Merry :-)

[Satori]

We average 20 minutes, three times a week. I set a timer too, as sometimes we get carried away and do 30+ minutes. We love spelling time.

 

It looks like we're doing about two levels per year. I think we'll be done with AAS by the time my DD turns 8, but that's just her.

 

I wouldn't worry about comparing children to others, just go at a pace that seems appropriate for each individual child.

Edited February 25, 2011 by Satori

[hearts4homeschooling]

My DD, age 9, started AAS Level 1 recently, and we're doing two lessons a day four days a week to get her up to where she needs to be. We started at the beginning to be sure she has a firm foundation, and there are things she is learning even though much of it is review. We'll be done with Level 1 in 12 days total and move on to Level 2 and will move at this pace until she settles into her appropriate level.

 

We spend about 10 minutes a day on two lessons, but that will change at the higher levels as we are breezing over much of it now. So, I'm probably not much help to you!

 

Homeschool blog:

www.heartsforhomeschooling.blogspot.com

 

Quilting blog:

www.busyhandsquilts.blogspot.com

[Edwena]

I wouldn't worry about comparing children to others, just go at a pace that seems appropriate for each individual child.

Oh, I'm sorry if it seemed like I was comparing my dc or any others for that matter. I'm fine where both of my dc are at.:) I guess I was curious because I was wondering, once a child is where they need to be in the program (rather than flying through levels because most of it's review), how much time it takes each day or week to complete one level of AAS.

 

I was also wondering if it took longer to complete a lesson in the upper levels. I'm seeing that with ds in Level 3. It seems to me that the lessons are longer.

 

Thanks for the replies.:)

[Mama2two]

we do about 15 minutes, 3 days a week. My first graders is almost done with level 1

[nukeswife]

We do 15 minutes a day, 4 days a week.

[guateangel]

We spend 15-20 min., 3x's a week. I think we are the minority because we only finish 1 step a wk now that we've hit level 2.

 

 

Typical week:

 

Day 1: Complete 'Review' section, introduce 'New Teaching' section and have dd write out (we don't use the tiles anymore) the new words from the 'Word Cards' section.

Day 2: Review word cards, rules, etc. Then complete the 'Dictate Phrases' section.

Day 3: Complete the 'Dictate Sentences' and go over the 'More Words' if needed.

 

Once in a while we complete more than 1 step but generally I take it slow.

[jewel7123]

I aim for 4 days a week, but a couple of times we've only done it 3x.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[boscopup]

We've only been using it a month, but we're doing about 20ish minutes (I need to set a timer!) 4 days a week. We did level 1 in 3 weeks, since most of it was review. We have only just started level 2 this week, and have only done one step of "new stuff", but I'm thinking 2 steps a week will probably be what we do in the near future, and we might slow down to 1 step a week at some point in this level. I'm not sure. The "rules" are mostly new to him, but he picks them up quickly and applies them to new words.

 

Oh, and he's only first grade, so he probably should be somewhere in this level anyway.

 

I plan to purchase levels 3 and 4 for 2nd grade, but if we don't get those done by the end, that's fine. I just want to be ready. He is a pretty good speller once he knows the rules for that word. He probably could have used any spelling program and done just fine, but he wanted to know "why", and I couldn't tell him "why", thus we're using AAS. We both enjoy it, and he's learning "why". :)

 

I'm using level 1 to teach reading to my 4 year old. That's amusing. :lol: I think he'll enjoy it once we get to the tile part. We just did the first couple steps this week, and our only issue was following instructions: "What's the first sound in 'ball'?" "B!" "That's the letter, but what sound does it make?" "/b/!", repeat, repeat... I just had to laugh. He did well though, and I think once we get in the "normal" lessons, it will be easier, especially since we'll be using it for reading, not spelling. Oh, and he HAD to spell "cat" and "rat" with the tiles at the end of that lesson. Just because he knows how to spell them. :D

[Penelope]

We started in first grade and did level 1 and most of level 2. Second grade through the end of level 3. Third grade should be through the middle of level 5. We have spent more or less time depending what else we are working on, but average 20 minutes 2-3 times per week.

[3MonkeysMama]

We spend 15-20 minutes (I am guessing, haven't used a timer) 4x a week. In the beginning we did two steps a day (but a lot was review). Now we do about two steps a week. So two days per step.