Convince to me to get (or NOT get) AAS. . .pretty please

[Mommy to monkeys]

I have an upcoming third grader. He had mostly been doing just copywork as he had struggled with writing, so I thought his spelling was just peachy.

WRONG!:001_huh:

I started him on doing daily journal entries with writing prompts. He has really taken off in his writing. His grammar is actually quite good, but his spelling is ATROCIOUS!

None of the other things I have scheduled are super teacher intensive, and he's pretty dilligent, so things get completed quickly. I feel like I can make some TIME for spelling if it will help.

How much time does AAS take? What level would you recommend starting an 8 1/2 year old at?

Any other super awesome recommendations? This looks FUN.:D

[debbielong]

...but its effectiveness will depend on why your son's spelling needs help. AAS gave me and my 9-year-old exactly what he needed:

 

1. It forces the student to differentiate the sounds in a word.

2 It teaches common rules and includes easy-to-use flashcards for review.

 

I love it. We started with level one even though he spelling was far above that level. I just wanted to start the "system" with easy words so that once the words get hard, the system is already in place. It took us about two months, but we didn't do spelling every day. My goal is to do levels two, three, and four this year, so that by fall 2012, he'll be at grade level in spelling.

[boscopup]

:iagree:

 

My son is going through AAS and doing very well with it. He wasn't spelling well before because he hadn't had much phonics instruction (taught himself to read and was reading very well pretty early on). He does really well with rules and such (though AAS uses multiple strategies - not just rules). We have flown through levels 1 and 2, but are slowing down in level 3. We're now doing a step in 2 days, and it will quickly become 3 days or more very soon!

 

Other programs to look at that are also good: WRTR (Spalding), SWR (Spalding spinoff), HTTS (somewhat similar to AAS, but not scripted), Apples & Pears (uses morphemes)

[SnMomof7]

Well, my daughter's spelling wasn't very good before we used AAS. It only takes 15 minutes a day, and you will see REAL results (we certainly have). It is SO easy to use because it is just open and go, and it is scripted. I would start at the beginning. I am remediating my DH and we even started with level one because he needed to learn to segment sounds - breaking up words into sounds etc. He has already learned a lot about how spelling works (he was taught by sight words and it never clicked for him), so I think starting at the beginning is great - just go a bit faster if warranted.

 

AAS IS fun, especially if you let your guy write on the white board (my daughter thinks that is a BLAST). She loves spelling now :). I say, "Go for it!" I don't think you'd regret it :).

[Mommy to monkeys]

:iagree:

 

My son is going through AAS and doing very well with it. He wasn't spelling well before because he hadn't had much phonics instruction (taught himself to read and was reading very well pretty early on). He does really well with rules and such (though AAS uses multiple strategies - not just rules). We have flown through levels 1 and 2, but are slowing down in level 3. We're now doing a step in 2 days, and it will quickly become 3 days or more very soon!

 

Other programs to look at that are also good: WRTR (Spalding), SWR (Spalding spinoff), HTTS (somewhat similar to AAS, but not scripted), Apples & Pears (uses morphemes)

 

I seem to remember looking at Spalding and my eyes glazing over.:eek:

I'm not familiar with HTTS or Apples & Pears. . .so I'm going to play with google.:lol:

[boscopup]

I had the same reaction to WRTR! AAS is super simple. You don't need training to use it. :)

[MerryAtHope]

AAS only takes 15-20 minutes per day--you can set a timer & just pick up wherever you left off. I started my kids at the end of 3rd & 5th grades & tried to start with Level 2--but then I realized that even though they knew the words from Level 1, they didn't know all the concepts & had some gaps. So we went back & filled those in. There's a test of sorts in the FAQ that can help you decide whether to start in 1 or 2. For us it's been highly effective, it lets me customize the review to their needs (and we do a lot of review here), and move through the levels fairly quickly--my dd has done levels 1-4 and some of 5 in 3 years (she's finishing 6th grade now) and my son is ahead of that pace--he's done 1-5 and some of 6. The incremental presentation of concepts, the 4 types of spelling strategies taught, the focus on only effective rules and not those that don't hold true most of the time, the built in dictation and writing stations have all improved their spelling in their outside writing too. WE still focus lots on editing skills (first drafts are better but not perfect, LOL! but they can catch most mistakes with editing now if I have them go back through). But every year I see the skills coming together more.

 

Hope you find what will help your son! Merry :-)

[LynnG in Arizona]

I seem to remember looking at Spalding and my eyes glazing over.:eek:

I'm not familiar with HTTS or Apples & Pears. . .so I'm going to play with google.:lol:

 

All Spalding programs have always made by eyes glaze over . . . no matter how many times I really try to like them . . . but I do love AAS. :) They are very sneaky in making their Spalding-style learning do-able and even fun. The scripting works beautifully. Best of all (for me at least), there is no marking. (I still have nightmarish memories of having to mark words when I was in first grade, and I practically break out in hives to this day if I come across a program that requires marking.)

 

Somehow AAS has us all learning the different sounds of the letters pretty much painlessly, without marking . . . I love it! Very effective, and very open and go (after the initial set up of the tiles, which does take maybe 1-2 hours).

 

HTH.

[Tess in the Burbs]

Get it. I started my son at 8 in level 1. He did it in a month, same for level 2.

He's done 3 too and aced spelling on the IOWA test. Finishing up 4 next week. It works and it's quick and painless :)

[Mommy to monkeys]

All Spalding programs have always made by eyes glaze over . . . no matter how many times I really try to like them . . . but I do love AAS. :) They are very sneaky in making their Spalding-style learning do-able and even fun. The scripting works beautifully. Best of all (for me at least), there is no marking. (I still have nightmarish memories of having to mark words when I was in first grade, and I practically break out in hives to this day if I come across a program that requires marking.)

 

Somehow AAS has us all learning the different sounds of the letters pretty much painlessly, without marking . . . I love it! Very effective, and very open and go (after the initial set up of the tiles, which does take maybe 1-2 hours).

 

HTH.

 

Yes! I almost HATE marking wrong spellings in his journal! He's such a perfectionist, and he doesn't like missing ANYTHING on ANYTHING!

 

I'm going to sound like a total dork here, but I actually look forward to the couple hours it takes to set things up. . .I love curriculum organization, and I think I'm in good company here at the hive.;)

[Mommy to monkeys]

Get it. I started my son at 8 in level 1. He did it in a month, same for level 2.

He's done 3 too and aced spelling on the IOWA test. Finishing up 4 next week. It works and it's quick and painless :)

 

LOL. Tess, that's exactly what I was needing to hear: somebody just telling me to get it.:D

 

I looked at How to Spell and Apples and Pears, and they do look good, but do not look as fun for the kid as AAS. I actually really like that it's NOT a workbook. The more I look at it, the more I like it.:001_smile: