Has anyone switched from AAS to HTTS?

[curlygirlzx2]

I have no complaints about AAS other than the price. Has anyone switched from AAS to HTTS and were you happy you did? Thanks!

[ChrisB]

:bigear: I'd like to know this too.

[Jen500]

I am happier w/HTTS.

 

My dc needed more difficult words than were in AAS. I can customize each spelling lesson by choosing the word/dictation difficulty with HTTS.

 

I like a good TM, but I don't like scripted programs.

 

AAS was overkill for us w/all the components and book levels.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

:bigear:

[curlygirlzx2]

I am happier w/HTTS.

 

My dc needed more difficult words than were in AAS. I can customize each spelling lesson by choosing the word/dictation difficulty with HTTS.

 

I like a good TM, but I don't like scripted programs.

 

AAS was overkill for us w/all the components and book levels.

 

When did you make the switch? Did you finish a level first?

[8filltheheart]

I have no complaints about AAS other than the price. Has anyone switched from AAS to HTTS and were you happy you did? Thanks!

 

I own HTTS and used it many yrs ago. I stopped using it b/c it was too teacher intensive when I had 5 kids all over the place and I switched to Phonetic Zoo (another spelling program that didn't work here.)

 

I guess 4 (can't remember??) yrs ago I bought AAS. I bought it to remediate an older child. It was definitely inappropriate for my needs b/c the words were incredibly simplistic. My horrid speller knows all the spelling rules; he simply can't spell (I have written a book's worth of posts on how you can't rule your way into spelling beyond ~4th grade level words b/c too many options are phonetically correct.) Since AAS's words were definitely under that threshold, he already spelled those words correctly.

 

I attempted to use AAS with one of my younger kids, but even with her I found the words too easy. Again, she knows all the rules. (I teach my kids all the rules for reading b/c reading is about 95+% accurate based on the rules.) So the words in AAS were words that she basically knew how to spell w/o ever having used a spelling program. (She is a good speller.)

 

FWIW, I ended up using Apples and Pears (all 4 levels available) for my student that needed remediation and am now back to using HTTS with all of my kids. I now have kids that are more similar in ability and I combine them together.

 

HTTS is a fraction of the cost of AAS and the word lists, phrases, and sentences are far more comprehensive. THe sentences spiral through former spelling rules/words. Somewhere on the accelerated board I typed out examples.

[brendafromtenn]

HTTS is?

 

Brenda

[Hunter]

HTTS is?

 

Brenda

 

How To Teach Spelling and the How to Spell workbooks. I had all my Spelling curricula out yesterday. I need to get my act together and accomplish something.

 

My plan is to dive back into HTTS and supplement a bit with the Words Their Way lists at Spellcity.com and Sound Spelling.

 

HTTS seems to provide enough of the strengths of Spalding without as much of the confusion and work.

[mystika1]

I am happier w/HTTS.

 

My dc needed more difficult words than were in AAS. I can customize each spelling lesson by choosing the word/dictation difficulty with HTTS.

 

I like a good TM, but I don't like scripted programs.

 

AAS was overkill for us w/all the components and book levels.

:iagree:

[MyLittleBears]

We're switching to SWR. It seems to be more comprehensive earlier, rather than spreading the phonograms over multiple levels and you can't beat the price,especially for multiple children. I love the lack of bells and whistles. My kids are older so they don't need all that, plus, I love that I can teach all 3 of them together so it actually saves me time. Just my 2 cents!:D

Edited June 17, 2011 by MyLittleBears

[amyable]

I own HTTS and used it many yrs ago. I stopped using it b/c it was too teacher intensive when I had 5 kids all over the place and I switched to Phonetic Zoo (another spelling program that didn't work here.)

 

I guess 4 (can't remember??) yrs ago I bought AAS. I bought it to remediate an older child. It was definitely inappropriate for my needs b/c the words were incredibly simplistic. My horrid speller knows all the spelling rules; he simply can't spell (I have written a book's worth of posts on how you can't rule your way into spelling beyond ~4th grade level words b/c too many options are phonetically correct.) Since AAS's words were definitely under that threshold, he already spelled those words correctly.

 

I attempted to use AAS with one of my younger kids, but even with her I found the words too easy. Again, she knows all the rules. (I teach my kids all the rules for reading b/c reading is about 95+% accurate based on the rules.) So the words in AAS were words that she basically knew how to spell w/o ever having used a spelling program. (She is a good speller.)

 

FWIW, I ended up using Apples and Pears (all 4 levels available) for my student that needed remediation and am now back to using HTTS with all of my kids. I now have kids that are more similar in ability and I combine them together.

 

HTTS is a fraction of the cost of AAS and the word lists, phrases, and sentences are far more comprehensive. THe sentences spiral through former spelling rules/words. Somewhere on the accelerated board I typed out examples.

 

This is almost our exact experience.

 

And thanks for just the convincing I needed to get rid of the AAS that is on my shelf! (dusty! :lol:) Your detailed explanation made me realize just WHY it wasn't working for us and why I shouldn't save it for this child to try again later.

[boscopup]

We're switching to SWR. It seems to be more comprehensive earlier, rather than spreading the phonograms over multiple levels and you can't beat the price,especially for multiple children. I love the lack of bells and whistles. My kids are older so they don't need all that, plus, I love that I can teach all 3 of them together so it actually saves me time. Just my 2 cents!:D

 

HTTS is cheaper than SWR, and it also does more phonograms earlier than AAS does. That's how they get away with doing harder words early on - they've gone in a different order than AAS, plus they do these "sound sheets" up front (if you use the workbook).

[warneral]

To those that use HTTS, do you think it would be a good idea to create your own phonogram cards? I'm still waitning for mine to arrive in the mail so that I can plan how to use it :)

 

ETA that I look forward to using it and sharing our experiences. I considered AAS many times but my children are reading at the 3-4th grade level and didn't want to start at level 1. I also didn't think any of us would get much from working with the letter tiles. Finally, the cost and time involved in blowing through the first few levels with easy words they already know how to spell seemed like a waste to me :)

[Chelli]

To those that use HTTS, do you think it would be a good idea to create your own phonogram cards? I'm still waitning for mine to arrive in the mail so that I can plan how to use it :)

 

I made my own phonogram cards to go with the program. As we study the phonograms I just add them to our stack. I printed out the letter/phonogram on the front and then the sound/s it makes on the back. There is a key phrase for each phonogram EX: a says a as in apple. As you learn more sounds for a then you just add those into your review. I put all the sounds for each letter/phonogram on my cards already, but will only quiz them as we learn them (does that make sense?).

 

 

To the OP: We moved from AAS to HTTS and both dd and I are MUCH happier. AAS was too easy for dd and just too much stuff. Now that we are about a month into HTTS, I am finally able to understand the progression of the program. I have workbook 1 (for 1st grade) and workbook 2 (for 2nd/3rd grades). At the beginning of workbook 2 are three sound sheets that list all of the phonograms your child needs to learn. You just review the sounds on these sheets until they know them. The rest of the workbook cycles through different spelling words and introduces new phonograms and/or expands on previous teaching.

 

A large portion of workbook 2 is devoted to syllable rules/syllabication. Looking ahead to workbook 3 (for 4th-6th grade) and workbook 4 (7th-up) I notice that the way HTTS works is they build on the phonograms that are already learned by reviewing the rules and phonograms at higher and higher levels. For this reason, you could very easily start with workbook 2 or 3 because the phonograms that the child should know will be on the sounds sheets at the front (plus all the phonograms/rules are located in the TM so filling in gaps would not be difficult).

 

There is no way that I would take through 7th grade to do this program, though. You could easily finish the series by 4th or 5th grade (this is my plan) and move into another spelling program (Building Spelling Skills, etc.) or move on to a vocabulary/roots study and deal with spelling issues as the arise in your dc's writing. HTH.

[curlygirlzx2]

Can I start dd in HTTS 3 if she finished AA 2? Also do I need both the workbook and answer key?

[Jen500]

Can I start dd in HTTS 3 if she finished AA 2? Also do I need both the workbook and answer key?

 

HTTS (the teacher's book) covers grades k-12, so can be used for any grade.

The workbooks (How to Spell) are by grade levels, so I would choose according to her grade.

Is there even an answer key? If there is, you don't need it.

[warneral]

Thanks Chelli! It just arrived in today's mail! I bought through book depository so it took some time to ship.

 

I've looked through it and am a little perplexed, but I think having phonogram cards will definitely help. I look forward to reading it more carefully and then we'll probably wait until Fall since we are trying to do more "fun" learning this summer :D

[curlygirlzx2]

Thanks for your input everyone.

[boscopup]

Ok, I got HTTS in today! I got HTS workbook 3 yesterday, though if I were to use this this year, workbook 2 probably would have been more appropriate (apparently, workbook 2 is for grades 2-3, and workbook 3 is for grades 4-6, workbook 4 is for grades 7+).

 

I am cracking up at some of the sentences in this that *I* would probably misspell, and I'm a pretty good speller. :lol: I must say, I am very impressed.

 

That said, it isn't "fun" like AAS, though you could add some fun to it. I do like the workbook activities. They're straightforward - dividing or marking or copying words. The child copies the rule, etc. You don't have to use the workbooks, but first look at the TM kind of makes you go "Ack!", though I could probably figure it out, especially since I've used AAS. I think for a K-1st grade student, I'd probably recommend AAS still. For 2nd grade I'd be on the fence, leaning toward HTTS if they haven't done AAS already. For 3rd grade and up, I'd use HTTS for sure if just starting out with this type of method.

 

At the moment, my plan is to continue with AAS levels 3 and 4 since I have them, but I'll probably throw some HTTS in with it, then switch completely over to HTTS after AAS level 4, which would probably be toward the end of 2nd grade or beginning of 3rd grade.

 

Some dictation sentences I found humorous:

 

After learning au/aw for 3rd-12th graders, the first dictation sentence is:

 

The brown awning with the gaudy red stripe looked awful.

 

That just made me chuckle. :D

 

One in the middle of a list for 4th-12th graders after learning the ei/ie generalizations:

 

The surfeit of wheat was seized by fierce bandits, who were on their way to a foreign country.

 

I've never heard the word surfeit. :001_huh:

 

So yeah, this is definitely harder stuff than AAS ever seems to get into, and it does allow a child to move faster through the material, because you have it all right there and can go as far as the child needs. The phonograms are taught up front like Spalding and it's spinoffs do, but the rules/patterns are taught individually in their own sections, so you still have groups of like words (which I prefer - I know some people prefer the Spalding method of not having words grouped by pattern). It tells you roughly when to teach certain things, but doesn't say how far down the list to go for each grade level (though the workbook would help with that some).

 

I do wonder what would be the best way to keep up with where each child is. 8FillTheHeart? How do you keep up with which words/phrases/sentences each child has done? :lurk5:

[curlygirlzx2]

Bocscopup-Why are you on the fence for 2nd grade if the child hasn't used AAS? Do you think my dd could go into HTTS 3 if she has completed AAS 1 & 2?

[MyLittleBears]

We're switching to SWR. It seems to be more comprehensive earlier, rather than spreading the phonograms over multiple levels and you can't beat the price,especially for multiple children. I love the lack of bells and whistles. My kids are older so they don't need all that, plus, I love that I can teach all 3 of them together so it actually saves me time. Just my 2 cents!:D

 

Just want to add it also goes from k-12 without need to buy anything else besides a log book or marble notebook:D

 

Just got my copy this week and there is definately a learning curve, though!

Edited June 18, 2011 by MyLittleBears

[boscopup]

Bocscopup-Why are you on the fence for 2nd grade if the child hasn't used AAS? Do you think my dd could go into HTTS 3 if she has completed AAS 1 & 2?

 

I'd go with HTS 2, not 3. My son's in AAS 3 now, and I think HTS 2 would be a better fit probably (though I haven't seen HTS 2 - I just have HTS 3 here, and it's for grades 4-6, NOT grade 3).

 

I say I'm on the fence because 2nd graders are still young and like some fun, and HTTS is not as fun as AAS. You could add the fun to it, I'm sure. I haven't used this program yet, so it's hard to say for sure. This was just an initial look through the book opinion, which could change after using it. ;)

 

I think my son would still prefer AAS at this point, especially since he's been doing level 3 with the silent e book and all that (such a simple thing too - would be very easy to add to HTTS). Where he is, the words and sentences are difficult enough for him, so AAS being easier isn't a problem right now. He's getting challenged. He wasn't getting challenged in levels 1 and 2.

 

The scope and sequence of HTTS and AAS are very different. HTTS goes from beginning to end at each level, and you just add more within each section as you go along, and add more sections as the child gets older. So some things are taught in grades 1-12, some in grades 2-12, some grades 4-12, etc. It repeats itself though, so each year you're going over all the phonograms and rules again. So the two don't really line up, but I think you'd be fine starting in HTS 2 and just going through the book, adding extra words and such as you see fit. The groups of words are one big list, not broken up by grade. You just have to pick from the list what you want to do. It's not laid out nice and easy like AAS is. This program requires more thinking from mom. :lol:

[Annabel Lee]

Let's say a certain someone ;) used to buy way too much curricula, and that this certain someone has AAS through level 6 on the shelf. BUT, her kids are going into 3rd & 5th gr. and because they've also been doing SWO (and it gets done more frequently), they didn't get around to AAS like they were supposed to. To-be 5th grader is still working on AAS 2, even though when he does do it, he does more than 2 steps at a time. SWO just doesn't have the phonics AAS does, thus the combo.

Do they:

1) Just finish up AAS since it's already purchased; blowing through quickly as needed?

2) Toss both AAS & SWO and switch to HtTS to simplify?

3) other?

 

This unnamed someone would thank you for your kind suggestions, I'm sure.

[Chelli]

Let's say a certain someone ;) used to buy way too much curricula, and that this certain someone has AAS through level 6 on the shelf. BUT, her kids are going into 3rd & 5th gr. and because they've also been doing SWO (and it gets done more frequently), they didn't get around to AAS like they were supposed to. To-be 5th grader is still working on AAS 2, even though when he does do it, he does more than 2 steps at a time. SWO just doesn't have the phonics AAS does, thus the combo.

Do they:

1) Just finish up AAS since it's already purchased; blowing through quickly as needed?

2) Toss both AAS & SWO and switch to HtTS to simplify?

3) other?

 

This unnamed someone would thank you for your kind suggestions, I'm sure.

 

I would tell this certain someone to buy the HTTS TM only. Use the phonics/spelling rules that are presented in the TM as they appear in the SWO book. Add in the appropriate sentence and phrases to dictate from the HTTS TM for review of previously learned phonics/spelling rules. That is what I would tell said person to do. I would then suggest said person sell all of their AAS levels for a nice sum (unless there are youngers coming behind imaginary 3rd and 5th graders) and put money toward curriculum for next year :001_smile:

[Annabel Lee]

I would tell this certain someone to buy the HTTS TM only. Use the phonics/spelling rules that are presented in the TM as they appear in the SWO book. Add in the appropriate sentence and phrases to dictate from the HTTS TM for review of previously learned phonics/spelling rules. That is what I would tell said person to do. I would then suggest said person sell all of their AAS levels for a nice sum (unless there are youngers coming behind imaginary 3rd and 5th graders) and put money toward curriculum for next year :001_smile:

 

Oh dear. I thought that might be the sensible answer. When this hypothetical person thinks of selling something they haven't even used, they think of songs like "It's so hard... to say goodbye... to yesterday...", "Goodbye, Goodbye, Easier said than done, Goodbye...", and others. Ack. What a waste.

[crazyforlatin]

Yikes! Maybe this is the program I should have bought last year. I'm a big fan of AAS minus all tiles and extras, but the words are too easy. The rules are good and reinforce phonics, but DD is an advanced reader and a natural speller that at times it really seems awfully silly to be spelling the words in AAS3. I've been trying to pick up the pace and was planning just to finish AAS4-6 within a few months, just so that we can start learning some hard words.

 

I need a program that gives us all the rules upfront, and it sounds like HTS does this, I need a program that has challenging words, which HTS seems to do, and I need a program that doesn't ask us to teach the kids to mark a word with numbers. Will HTS do all this? So, I need something like AAS but more organized and more challenging.

 

I wrote on another posting that I could never switch from AAS, but now....

 

Is the teacher's manual really necessary? What's in it that isn't in the workbook?

Edited June 18, 2011 by crazyforlatin
after midnight posting errors

[boscopup]

I need a program that gives us all the rules upfront, and it sounds like HTS does this, I need a program that has challenging words, which HTS seems to do, and I need a program that doesn't ask us to teach the kids to mark a word with numbers. Will HTS does this? So, I need something like AAS but more organized and more challenging.

 

AAS is easier to use, since it's all laid out for you, but HTTS is very well organized. You do not mark with numbers. It does have you sometimes do some markings, but no numbers! An example would be the word "cape", it might have you put a line over the 'a' and cross out the 'e'. Or it will have you draw a line between letters to separate syllables. Or it might have you put an accent mark on a syllable.

 

I like some of AAS's rules a little better. I think they're worded for younger children and are a little easier to memorize. It's not hugely different though. They also renamed some of the syllables, like HTTS will use a "dipthong syllable", whereas AAS calls it a "vowel team syllable".

 

Is the teacher's manual really necessary? What's in it that isn't in the workbook?

Yes, the TM is necessary. The workbook is not (but is helpful). Most of the words and all of the dictation phrases/sentences are in the TM.

 

For the moment, I'm continuing with AAS (we've hit a slowdown somewhere around step 9 or 10... some of the early steps were 1 step/day still), but I'll add in HTTS where I feel like I need to. I have AAS level 4 already on the shelf, so I might as well use it. :)

[peacefully]

.

[boscopup]

I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissent here. I have AAS and HTTS. Ds is just 6, so the spelling words in AAS 3, while easy, seem appropriate. The "extras" in AAS are precisely what ds loves about our spelling lessons. He loves putting words in jail, he thinks it's a blast to label syllables, he thinks it's fun to go through the cards quickly to do our "speed" review. I love that AAS includes these extras that make spelling so enjoyable for a wiggly little boy. :D It is such a simple matter to find more challenging words for ds to practice while doing an AAS lesson. In fact, I have been referring to HTTS more lately to use some of their suggested words and dictation sentences, but ds would probably wilt and wither if we were to stop doing an AAS-style spelling lesson altogether.

 

Oh, I agree with you! :) This is exactly why I said AAS is more "fun", and I'd recommend it for a younger child, and it's why I'm "on the fence" for a 2nd grader. My son loves the little fun extras of AAS, and I agree that the words in level 3 are very appropriate for his age. Levels 1 and 2 were too easy (and I think they really should be combined), but level 3 is just right.

 

For those who are bored with AAS because it's too easy, I think HTTS is a good alternative. I'm not quite ready to jump ship on AAS, but after level 4, I might be. If I do jump ship, I'd continue to use some of the fun of AAS. I was surprised at how much my son liked the silent e book. It's no different from a spelling notebook, but it makes the kid a detective, which is fun. It's all about the packaging sometimes. :tongue_smilie:

[peacefully]

.

[Critterfixer]

Boy does this thread come in time! I've been chewing (unpleasantly) on the prospect of AAS for the second grade year. Last year we used SWO for spelling and that just wasn't cutting it. AAS sounded good on paper, but in practice I knew that it was going to be a real challenge with the tiles. I hate tiles. Both the boys hate tiles. The puppy; however, would LOVE tiles, if her consumption of crayons is anything to go by.:glare: Both of them do love flashcards, and we already made many for our phonics lessons, and I've got a great set of the large Abeka cards (from when my sister was small). Proof positive that a home-school Mom can't let go of curriculum, eh?:tongue_smilie:

 

HTTS sounds like it will fit the bill for us.

[warneral]

I felt that AAS didn't sound like a good fit for us since my kids are spelling bigger words, the tiles look like something that would distract, and the price to quickly blow through several levels for 2 kids in one year.

 

I received HTTS and 2 HTS level 2 workbooks. I'm pretty overwhelmed by it! I'm not sure how I would implement memorizing that many sounds and somehow having my children magically name all the ways to say "long A" for instance.

 

I'm not sure what I'll do to be truthful! I still have sequential spelling here and might give that a "go" first. Oy!

[Annabel Lee]

I've got a great set of the large Abeka cards (from when my sister was small). Proof positive that a home-school Mom can't let go of curriculum, eh?:tongue_smilie:

 

:lol: My Abeka math flashcards are from when my mom homeschooled me for 1st grade, circa 1980-something.

 

 

Boscopup, or anyone else w/ HtTS experience, I just read through the whole beginning part of the TM (it's been ignored on my shelf) and looked through the chapters. I get what they mean the teacher to do, but how on earth is a person to know where to start and stop for each lesson for each level? When it says "Teach this to 1st - 12th graders", do you teach ALL of that every year, adding the "Teach to 2nd-12th" the next year and so forth? It's so disorganized. Not that I can think of a better way to organize it and keep the book that small. I like this kind of format: "Week 1, day 1: review x, introduce x, practice it on these words and these sentences (spelled out right there on same page)" and so on. Do the workbooks at least break it down a little better?

 

Oh ya, sorry OP, I think I may have totally derailed this. Hopefully the convo. is helpful in some way.

[warneral]

My workbook 2 is similarly confusing but definitely more helpful. It is 72 pages and there are no lesson numbers notated. I truly feel a bit silly for being unable to describe what I see here. The first half of the book does not seem to be anything like the lesson description. The second half of the workbook looks more like what the HTTS manual says a lesson would look like.

[boscopup]

Note that I have NOT used it yet. ;)

 

It looks like you go through and teach everything every year, but only do a certain amount of words/phrases/sentences each year. So the first year you might do x number of words, then the next year you will go further into the list. At least, that's what I'm getting from the workbook 3 that I have here. It progresses through the topics, though in a different order than the TM.

 

It's definitely not user friendly like AAS is, and the lack of lessons or schedule does make it confusing! I guess that also makes it more flexible though.

 

For the sound sheets... I prefer the way AAS does the sounds. I think they're easier to remember. In step 1, AAS has you teach the phonograms that correspond to the individual letters of the alphabet. This is usually easy for kids except the vowels. So AAS would have you remember that 'a' says "/a/, /ay/, /ah/". For some sounds, AAS will teach part of a rule in the phonogram, for example, "'ai' is a 2 letter /ay/ that may NOT be used at the end of English words." So when dictating sounds, you read that definition and the student only has one choice. They aren't saying all the spellings of the /ay/ sound.

 

There are definitely parts of AAS that I like better, and then there are parts of HTTS that I like better. For HTTS, I think just going through the workbook bit by bit (however fast the kid needs) would be a good idea. It starts out with the sound sheets, though the TM says you can start syllabication and teaching the rules while still working on sounds. I suppose you could always do it in more of an AAS manner, working on the sound sheet for the main alphabet letters, then add in the new phonograms as you get to them? The only problem there is that some phonograms aren't specifically taught in different sections, but are sprinkled throughout the lists. The "ea" phonogram is a good example of that.

[8filltheheart]

:lol: My Abeka math flashcards are from when my mom homeschooled me for 1st grade, circa 1980-something.

 

 

Boscopup, or anyone else w/ HtTS experience, I just read through the whole beginning part of the TM (it's been ignored on my shelf) and looked through the chapters. I get what they mean the teacher to do, but how on earth is a person to know where to start and stop for each lesson for each level? When it says "Teach this to 1st - 12th graders", do you teach ALL of that every year, adding the "Teach to 2nd-12th" the next year and so forth? It's so disorganized. Not that I can think of a better way to organize it and keep the book that small. I like this kind of format: "Week 1, day 1: review x, introduce x, practice it on these words and these sentences (spelled out right there on same page)" and so on. Do the workbooks at least break it down a little better?

 

Oh ya, sorry OP, I think I may have totally derailed this. Hopefully the convo. is helpful in some way.

 

 

I'll try to address this and the how to use the beginning of the book as simply as I can. First, I don't "do" spelling with y kids until they have learned how to read. As they learn to read, they learn all of the phonogram sounds simply b/c that is how I teach. However, I do not think it is even necessary to go through and teach those to older kids that are fluent readers. Skip the first part of the book. The sounds will come up in the lessons and you can simply review the then.

 

For younger kids, I would start with sound sheet 1 words (I do not do the nonsense words in any of the lessons) Then I teach some of the the vowel a/o sounds on pg 10, and then move on to sounds of c on pg 13. Then I move on to the blends (I teach the sounds and have them go through many of the words orally and then skip to pg 20 and do the words for dictation)

 

Once you get to that pt in the book, it is pretty much the same format for every lesson forward. It is so much less confusing and straight forward. So, I would recommend going to that pt in the book and trying to understand how the lessons work from that pt and then going back to the earlier ones b/c it will make more sense.

 

I don't make spelling entertaining or fun. It is simply done. :tongue_smilie: So our system is they write the rule on the top of their page, we discuss the rule and I give them examples, etc. Then I call out the words that I think are appropriate for that child. My rising 4th grader is a great speller and the words I call out to her are almost the exact same as her older rising 7th and 10th grade siblings. The difference for her is the pace. I typically only call out 10-15 words or about 5 sentences/day for her whereas the older kids might have 15 sentences in a single day.

 

Oh, and as far as remembering what each child has done, I don't worry about it. As they cycle through from yr to yr, they have repeat words, but they also get the more difficult ones.

[8filltheheart]

BTW, I have an old, completely mutilated copy that I will mail someone if they want to see the program in person. I bought a new copy and I was going to throw this one in the trash but thought someone might want to look through it before they made the decision to order.

 

ETA: I have given this away.

Edited June 20, 2011 by 8FillTheHeart

[warneral]

Thanks for that info 8Fill! Do you think it is necessary for a child to be recite all of the combinations to make each sound? I am having a hard time thinking my kids would gain that level of recollection :)

[crazyforlatin]

So for one phonogram, HTTS will list all the words from grades 1-12 on one list? If that's the case, this is exactly what I need.

[mom24boys]

BTW, I have an old, completely mutilated copy that I will mail someone if they want to see the program in person. I bought a new copy and I was going to throw this one in the trash but thought someone might want to look through it before they made the decision to order.

 

A mutilated copy of HTTS? I'd be excited to get that! If you still have it, pm me...I'd be happy to pay for shipping. Thanks! :D

[8filltheheart]

Thanks for that info 8Fill! Do you think it is necessary for a child to be recite all of the combinations to make each sound? I am having a hard time thinking my kids would gain that level of recollection :)

 

For an older student I would not cover the sounds prior to starting spelling. I would cover them during the process of teaching future lessons.

 

For example, the 3 sounds of A are ah, ay, and short o. Older kids that know how to read already know this even if they aren't cognizant of it. And, most definitely they are aware of the 1st 2. So, when you come to words like father or ball, etc, simply discuss the sounds of A. You could have them write the sounds under the rule they are working on.

 

What it does mean is that you as the teacher do need to know the sounds and rules. I would recommend at minimum reading through those pages and becoming familiar with them or at least aware of them so that when you encounter them in the lessons, you know to bring them up.

 

For those with younger kids or those who like flashcards, you can order pre-made phonogram cards with the sounds on the back w/sample words from the Spalding Foundation.

[Annabel Lee]

Thanks for taking the time to share all that info, 8Fill! My boys are already pretty familiar with the Abeka phonics word-picture associations (a says /a/ as in apple, b says /b/ as in bell, etc.). I think that to have to go back & learn a new example word and picture for ea. sound would be a lot of unnecessary work, so I'm not sure how to handle that. I think your advice about folding the basic sounds in with later lessons for older students is what I'll use for them.

[Paddygirl]

Thanks for taking the time to share all that info, 8Fill! My boys are already pretty familiar with the Abeka phonics word-picture associations (a says /a/ as in apple, b says /b/ as in bell, etc.). I think that to have to go back & learn a new example word and picture for ea. sound would be a lot of unnecessary work, so I'm not sure how to handle that. I think your advice about folding the basic sounds in with later lessons for older students is what I'll use for them.

 

Actually, while there are words on the back of the phonogram cards, they are there for the teacher only- so that the teacher knows how to properly say the sounds. The words are not for the students. In fact, they discourage this, as it creates an additional step of remembering the proper sounds the phonograms make. In other words, no new sample words are learned.

 

HTH