Megawords - who is this for?

[abrightmom]

What type of student is Megawords suitable for? Is it intended to be remedial? Does it follow phonics? Is it a spelling program or more than that? It looks a little bit like AAS in a workbook which I like. But, I am having a hard time figuring out the target audience/student! :001_smile:

 

Thanks for your help?

[CarrieF]

It is a good follow-up to the Explode the Code series. You're right: it does have some similarities to the rules taught in AAS, which is one of the reasons I bought it for my oldest son. :001_smile: We were going to do AAS, but he was way too far beyond it for it to be worth our time (or the expense), so we've moved on to Megawords. I like that it covers spelling AND phonics because they really do go hand in hand.

[abrightmom]

So, if I love AAS but it's not the best fit for DS8 b/c he's a "natural speller" then perhaps Megawords is a good choice. :001_smile:

 

What is required of the teacher? :001_smile:

[Mom0012]

:bigear: I'm hoping to hear some more about this as well since I am considering using it for my daughter, who is a natural speller, next year. I wonder if it is overkill for a natural speller?

 

Lisa

[Dina in Oklahoma]

Katrina~

 

I used it for a short time with DD to reinforce AAS but things started to click and she didn't need it. She did like Mega words.

 

 

Hope that helps,

 

Dina :001_smile:

[abrightmom]

Katrina~

 

I used it for a short time with DD to reinforce AAS but things started to click and she didn't need it. She did like Mega words.

 

 

Hope that helps,

 

Dina :001_smile:

Dina,

 

Will you share details? :D When you say that things started to "click" do you mean in regard to spelling? How far did you take AAS? Why did you use the two simultaneously?

 

Though my son's spelling abilities seem to grow with his reading abilities I realize that may not always be the case. Or it may . . . but I want him to have strong skills AND he likes learning the rules :001_smile:. I thought we'd drop AAS but he says learning the rules does help him. It's SO hard to gauge the truth of that with an 8 year old!! I'm not comfortable dropping spelling entirely at his age because it DOES help with decoding big words! Reading becomes more challenging in 3rd/4th grade and I suspect that learning spelling the AAS way (maybe the Megawords way) would help him with that. I've wanted to use "just studied dictation" but admittedly I am not there. I'm wavering . . . wondering if Megawords is a happy medium.

 

Just thinking out loud. :001_smile:

[EKS]

Megawords was not a good fit for my natural speller because it has way more practice than he needs.

[Poke Salad Annie]

Megawords has been a big hit around here this year. I use it in conjunction with WRTR and Webster's Speller. Odd combination, I know, but they all serve to work together well.

[Kim in SouthGa]

I would recommend Spelling Workout for a natural speller. Short, easy, no parental involvement other than giving the weekly test, if you choose to do so. Has been perfect for my 12dd who is a natural speller.

 

MegaWords has been great for my 10ds who has struggled with spelling. I was very tempted to try AAS, but saw some posts about MegaWords being similar but for older children, so we went with it. Some days I have to spend about 10-15 minutes doing dictations, listening to him read the lists, etc. Most days he can do it himself. I really like it, and so does my son. And it seems to be helping, which is always a plus! :D

You definitely need the teacher's guide.

[abrightmom]

Megawords was not a good fit for my natural speller because it has way more practice than he needs.

So what did you do, if anything, with your natural speller? At what age did you decide Megawords was not a good fit?

 

I guess I'm wondering if 8 years old is too early to make a determination about my son's abilities. . .

[SophiaH]

A slight hijack, if I may, Katrina?

 

After what level of AAS would it be good to transition over to MW? Or does skill not really matter so much as just starting in 4th grade?

[lisabees]

Megawords was not a good fit for my natural speller because it has way more practice than he needs.

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

Even for my dyslexic son, I felt like it was busywork.

 

I recently stopped using Megawords (or anything) for my natural speller.

[....]

My 9 yro uses Megawords. She likes it and is a great speller. I think it's more spelling + vocab. The spelling lists are very, very long. I think I counted 75 words in one of the lists. I also think it is written for/targeted to about 5th grade (just my estimate).

 

We never used AAS. In fact, the only spelling my daughter did was BJU Spelling 2 and then she started Megawords.

[5LittleMonkeys]

Katrina,

 

Dd11 is a struggling speller and needs improvement in reading fluency and comprehension. She also has trouble with rote memorization so Megawords works really well for her. I will give you some quotes and examples from Megawords book 1 to give you a better idea of what the target audience is.

 

"Megawords offers an individualized program of word recognition, spelling, meaning, and fluency instruction of multisyllabic words that will provide students with tools for increased independence in reading, comprehension, and writing."

 

That was taken from pg. VI of the TM.

 

The steps involved for each word list are as follows:

 

1. Working with one-syllable words and word parts

2. Work with the combined word parts

3. Work with the whole word

4. Work with the words in context

5. Monitor progress to increase reading and spelling accuracy

6. Monitor progress to build reading proficiency

 

 

Here, in paraphrase, is the teacher instruction for word list 2 for practice page 2A:

 

* Tell child that one kind of syllable is called a closed syllable (VC).

Explain that they need to remember these 3 things:

1. It has only one vowel.

2. The vowel is short.

3. It ends in a consonant.

* Review short vowel sounds if needed.

* Display closed-syllable words, at, big, and must. Explain that these are examples of closed syllables that are words.

For each word, let child to point out the vowel, say the sound of the vowel, point out the final consonant, and then read the whole word aloud.

Tell child to read the text in the box on the top of 2A. Then complete the page.

For Activity 2, dictate these words. (1.win; 2.cut; 3.best;4.flip; 5.rant; 6.rock)(note from me...these are syllables for words in the word list)

 

This program is much more than just spelling and I think it might frustrate a natural speller with normal to high reading comprehension. My oldest is a natural speller and she gets more out of a vocabulary program. She is exposed to a huge variety of words and learns how to spell them as she learns the vocabulary. She doesn't need to learn the spelling rules or memorize spelling lists.

 

I've heard here too, that some with natural spellers just start a spelling notebook where the child writes down all of the spelling rules on dividers and then just adds words behind each divider that the child misspells on a regular basis in his own work. Many times with natural spellers it is just a matter of them correcting the spelling a few times and then the correct spelling is planted in their long term memory.

 

I hope that helps in your decision. If you have any other questions let me know and I will try to help.:001_smile:

[Dina in Oklahoma]

Katrina ~

Let me share a bit of background first. DD now 12 was in three different private schools and always aced spelling. She would simply look at the list the morning of the test. It wasn't until we brought her home and really focused on writing that I noticed she couldn't spell. At first I was baffled because she knew all the sounds for each of the letters and could figure out the pronunciation of many difficult words. Also,she read on an eighth grade level in second grade.

So, we bought AAS about mid year and went to work. (We tried Rod and Staff but she fought it.) Level one was just a review but I choose to start at the beginning. Ideally we would have finished up level two last year as well but due to health problems we didn't. I wanted to ensure she truly understood the rules so I decided to add in MW. After a short while I realized her problem was not learning the rules but applying them in real life situations. At times if she was reading aloud or if I dictated a word she didn't know she would freeze.

Now if she gets stuck spelling or pronouncing a word I redirect her to the rules and question her through it. For example, when we encounter science words she doesn't know. She doesn't always like going through the process but it is becoming a habit and her spelling is improving. We keep a small composition book to record any words she doesn’t know the meaning or pronunciation of. I also purchased Spelling Wisdom to use for dictation. I love that it includes the 6,000 most frequently used words in the English language. So, hopefully she will learn to spell through both rules and sight! I feel very strongly about her learning and applying the rules and we will continue AAS through level 6.

Sorry to be so long winded. :blushing:

 

Best wishes,

 

Dina

[abrightmom]

Katrina,

 

Dd11 is a struggling speller and needs improvement in reading fluency and comprehension. She also has trouble with rote memorization so Megawords works really well for her. I will give you some quotes and examples from Megawords book 1 to give you a better idea of what the target audience is.

 

 

 

That was taken from pg. VI of the TM.

 

The steps involved for each word list are as follows:

 

1. Working with one-syllable words and word parts

2. Work with the combined word parts

3. Work with the whole word

4. Work with the words in context

5. Monitor progress to increase reading and spelling accuracy

6. Monitor progress to build reading proficiency

 

 

Here, in paraphrase, is the teacher instruction for word list 2 for practice page 2A:

 

* Tell child that one kind of syllable is called a closed syllable (VC).

Explain that they need to remember these 3 things:

1. It has only one vowel.

2. The vowel is short.

3. It ends in a consonant.

* Review short vowel sounds if needed.

* Display closed-syllable words, at, big, and must. Explain that these are examples of closed syllables that are words.

For each word, let child to point out the vowel, say the sound of the vowel, point out the final consonant, and then read the whole word aloud.

Tell child to read the text in the box on the top of 2A. Then complete the page.

For Activity 2, dictate these words. (1.win; 2.cut; 3.best;4.flip; 5.rant; 6.rock)(note from me...these are syllables for words in the word list)

 

This program is much more than just spelling and I think it might frustrate a natural speller with normal to high reading comprehension. My oldest is a natural speller and she gets more out of a vocabulary program. She is exposed to a huge variety of words and learns how to spell them as she learns the vocabulary. She doesn't need to learn the spelling rules or memorize spelling lists.

 

I've heard here too, that some with natural spellers just start a spelling notebook where the child writes down all of the spelling rules on dividers and then just adds words behind each divider that the child misspells on a regular basis in his own work. Many times with natural spellers it is just a matter of them correcting the spelling a few times and then the correct spelling is planted in their long term memory.

 

I hope that helps in your decision. If you have any other questions let me know and I will try to help.:001_smile:

Aime, This WAS very helpful! Thanks for taking the time. It IS more thorough and incremental than I'd realized. It seems EASIER to accelerate through AAS than to use Megawords . . . :001_smile: You are right about "natural spellers" and that is why studied dictation (it is highly regarded in the Heart of Dakota curriculum which we are using) is so appealing. Many Moms that I've spoken to who use HOD are converts to studied dictation. Many see their children's spelling abilities going up, up, up. I am finding it hard to set aside the structured approach to learning spelling though!

 

And, I'm not 100% positive I have a natural speller but I'm ALMOST positive :D. I guess he seems young still . . .

 

Katrina ~

Let me share a bit of background first. DD now 12 was in three different private schools and always aced spelling. She would simply look at the list the morning of the test. It wasn't until we brought her home and really focused on writing that I noticed she couldn't spell. At first I was baffled because she knew all the sounds for each of the letters and could figure out the pronunciation of many difficult words. Also,she read on an eighth grade level in second grade.

So, we bought AAS about mid year and went to work. (We tried Rod and Staff but she fought it.) Level one was just a review but I choose to start at the beginning. Ideally we would have finished up level two last year as well but due to health problems we didn't. I wanted to ensure she truly understood the rules so I decided to add in MW. After a short while I realized her problem was not learning the rules but applying them in real life situations. At times if she was reading aloud or if I dictated a word she didn't know she would freeze.

Now if she gets stuck spelling or pronouncing a word I redirect her to the rules and question her through it. For example, when we encounter science words she doesn't know. She doesn't always like going through the process but it is becoming a habit and her spelling is improving. We keep a small composition book to record any words she doesn’t know the meaning or pronunciation of. I also purchased Spelling Wisdom to use for dictation. I love that it includes the 6,000 most frequently used words in the English language. So, hopefully she will learn to spell through both rules and sight! I feel very strongly about her learning and applying the rules and we will continue AAS through level 6.

Sorry to be so long winded. :blushing:

 

Best wishes,

 

Dina

Thanks for sharing the story! Yet another example that shows how well studied dictation works! I love your approach and that you are using so much dictation alongside AAS. **That is my biggest concern with my DS. . . spelling in context. I may just continue with AAS despite the label "natural speller". He is NOT frustrated by the program and he's happy to do it. He enjoys it and delights in throwing words in jail though it seems so easy for him. Maybe AAS is programming his brain because he tells me the rules help him to spell! :lol:

 

I'm going looney tunes with this whole spelling thing!

 

Thanks for your comments, suggestions and stories. It does REALLY help when other contribute! I appreciate you all so much. :)

Edited March 3, 2011 by abrightmom

[abrightmom]

A slight hijack, if I may, Katrina?

 

After what level of AAS would it be good to transition over to MW? Or does skill not really matter so much as just starting in 4th grade?

 

Heather,

 

I am an unashamed hijacker :001_smile:. Carry on!!!

[Mom0012]

:iagree::iagree:

 

Even for my dyslexic son, I felt like it was busywork.

 

I recently stopped using Megawords (or anything) for my natural speller.

 

Kai and Lisa -

 

Okay, this really makes me think this isn't the right program for my daughter. I was actually interested in using it for her not so much for spelling, but to take some time to study multisyllable words, prefixes and suffixes to give my daughter's reading a boost. Fourth grade seems like a good time to do that.

 

She actually reads very well and has no problems with SL's Core 4 readers even though she is in 3rd grade, but I think a little exposure to the things I mentioned would really benefit most children and we're not using a reading program other than the SL readers.

 

I almost wonder if doing something like Rewards Intermediate one day a week would be the way to go? Or maybe it isn't necessary to spend time on this for your typical child? My older one has needed more explicit instruction in some areas and my younger one just skates right through, so sometimes I feel like I'm not doing everything I should for her.

 

Thanks!

Lisa

[Mom0012]

This program is much more than just spelling and I think it might frustrate a natural speller with normal to high reading comprehension. My oldest is a natural speller and she gets more out of a vocabulary program. She is exposed to a huge variety of words and learns how to spell them as she learns the vocabulary. She doesn't need to learn the spelling rules or memorize spelling lists.

 

I've heard here too, that some with natural spellers just start a spelling notebook where the child writes down all of the spelling rules on dividers and then just adds words behind each divider that the child misspells on a regular basis in his own work. Many times with natural spellers it is just a matter of them correcting the spelling a few times and then the correct spelling is planted in their long term memory.

 

 

Thanks for sharing this. Maybe a vocabulary program would be better for a natural speller. My natural spelller "naturally" started a little spelling notebook on her own of words she has spelled wrong.:) So maybe we are on the right track already.

 

Lisa

[Poke Salad Annie]

 

Okay, this really makes me think this isn't the right program for my daughter. I was actually interested in using it for her not so much for spelling, but to take some time to study multisyllable words, prefixes and suffixes to give my daughter's reading a boost. Fourth grade seems like a good time to do that.

 

 

This is exactly what Megawords covers. Book One explores multi-syllable words, and Book Two covers prefixes and suffixes. Granted, this could be overkill for your child, but if you want to use a program that does cover these things, Megawords would be a great option. I will add here that I don't receive any money from recommending the Megawords program, as this has been a point of discussion lately. In fact, almost everything I use is either a vintage book (50's or early 60's), or is in the public domain for free use.

[EKS]

So what did you do, if anything, with your natural speller? At what age did you decide Megawords was not a good fit?

 

I guess I'm wondering if 8 years old is too early to make a determination about my son's abilities. . .

 

I decided at age 8. We did Spelling Power for a while and he got through level G, which supposedly is for 8th graders (I don't believe the grade level designations in the program though). We recently moved on to just doing a vocabulary program. So he learns to spell the words as he learns their meanings. He seems to like it better.

[EKS]

I almost wonder if doing something like Rewards Intermediate one day a week would be the way to go?

 

 

 

This is exactly what I was going to suggest when I read the first part of your post. Only, instead of one day per week, I'd do it daily (or at a minimum 3x/week) until it's done.

[Mom0012]

This is exactly what I was going to suggest when I read the first part of your post. Only, instead of one day per week, I'd do it daily (or at a minimum 3x/week) until it's done.

 

Thanks! I guess because I think of Rewards Intermediate as a remedial program and my daughter is reading well, it didn't occur to me before. But, it looks like it would accomplish what I want to cover with her and in a much more efficient way than Megawords. I will definitely have to give that some thought.

 

Lisa

[Mom0012]

This is exactly what Megawords covers. Book One explores multi-syllable words, and Book Two covers prefixes and suffixes. Granted, this could be overkill for your child, but if you want to use a program that does cover these things, Megawords would be a great option. I will add here that I don't receive any money from recommending the Megawords program, as this has been a point of discussion lately. In fact, almost everything I use is either a vintage book (50's or early 60's), or is in the public domain for free use.

 

I guess I am just going to have to get my hands on a copy of this book so I can take a closer look and see if it would be overkill or not.

 

Lisa

[EKS]

Thanks! I guess because I think of Rewards Intermediate as a remedial program and my daughter is reading well, it didn't occur to me before. But, it looks like it would accomplish what I want to cover with her and in a much more efficient way than Megawords. I will definitely have to give that some thought.

 

Lisa

 

It is a remedial program, but I used it with my son when he was reading on a 4th grade level (well before 4th grade) with great results. I used REWARDS Secondary with him just this year, again with great results. I think even good readers can benefit from explicit instruction in decoding multisyllabic words.

[Mom0012]

It is a remedial program, but I used it with my son when he was reading on a 4th grade level (well before 4th grade) with great results. I used REWARDS Secondary with him just this year, again with great results. I think even good readers can benefit from explicit instruction in decoding multisyllabic words.

 

See, this is exactly what I am thinking! Thanks for saying that.

 

Lisa

[lisabees]

It is a remedial program, but I used it with my son when he was reading on a 4th grade level (well before 4th grade) with great results. I used REWARDS Secondary with him just this year, again with great results. I think even good readers can benefit from explicit instruction in decoding multisyllabic words.

 

:iagree: REWARDS and Spelling Through Morphographs were a HUGE help to my dyslexic son last year. I was actually going to dig out REWARDS out for dd8 today! Glad to hear it works for a good reader as well.

 

I agree with Kai - do it every day. It won't take long at all! :001_smile:

[abrightmom]

It is a remedial program, but I used it with my son when he was reading on a 4th grade level (well before 4th grade) with great results. I used REWARDS Secondary with him just this year, again with great results. I think even good readers can benefit from explicit instruction in decoding multisyllabic words.

 

Kai,

 

I just looked for Rewards Intermediate on the web and found this?? http://store.cambiumlearning.com/cs/Satellite?c=CLG_Product_C&childpagename=Store%2FStore_Layout&cid=1277940958264&pagename=Store_Wrapper&rendermode=previewnoinsite

 

Can we use the student workbook by itself? Is there a better place to pick this up? Thanks for your help! :001_smile:

[abrightmom]

:iagree: REWARDS and Spelling Through Morphographs were a HUGE help to my dyslexic son last year. I was actually going to dig out REWARDS out for dd8 today! Glad to hear it works for a good reader as well.

 

I agree with Kai - do it every day. It won't take long at all! :001_smile:

 

Lisa,

 

I'll ask you the same question I asked Kai :001_smile:. Where did you buy Rewards? I'm on the hunt and found it here http://store.cambiumlearning.com/cs/Satellite?c=CLG_Product_C&childpagename=Store%2FStore_Layout&cid=1277940958264&pagename=Store_Wrapper&rendermode=previewnoinsite

 

Did you use the workbook only or purchase some teacher materials? Thanks so much for your help.:001_smile:

[EKS]

Kai,

 

I just looked for Rewards Intermediate on the web and found this?? http://store.cambiumlearning.com/cs/Satellite?c=CLG_Product_C&childpagename=Store%2FStore_Layout&cid=1277940958264&pagename=Store_Wrapper&rendermode=previewnoinsite

 

Can we use the student workbook by itself? Is there a better place to pick this up? Thanks for your help! :001_smile:

 

You must have both the teacher's manual and the workbook to do the program. If you just get the workbook you will not know how to use it without the teacher's manual. Sometimes you can find them used.