Indulge me, please. Another "what spelling program should we use" query.

[yellowperch]

AAS is has too many tiles and doodads. I've tried.

In spelling workout the world lists seem a little random.

My 2nd and 4th graders don't struggle with spelling and I need at least one or two less teacher-intensive subjects for them.

My dream spelling program would be progressive, rules and phonics-y and with lots of review built in (like AAS) but in workbook.

 

Suggestions?

[rwjx2khsmj]

I like Spelling Power but I have the dd12 and ds9 manage the program for each other. It's the same procedure every day and they like feeling like they are teaching each other.

[Momling]

Soaring with Spelling seems like something kids could do very independently. We're starting it soon.

[Caitilin]

We use Everyday Spelling from Pearson. We discovered it the year we did Calvert, and was the only real hit of the program.:lol: I think it would meet your criteria pretty well, and you can buy either hardback or consumable versions, in either standard or D'Nealian scripts. You can see it here.

Edited August 5, 2011 by Caitilin

[Embassy]

Rod and Staff spelling? It is phonic-y anyway :)

[Michelle My Bell]

I love AAS but a friend of mine had the same issue as you and is going with IEW's spelling program.

[Guest]

How To Teach Any Child To Spell and its companion student book, Tricks of the Trade.

R&S is also excellent.

MegaWords. All you need do is dictate some sounds every now and then.

 

I have tried all the other programs out there.

[chepyl]

I am enjoying Spelling Ply and the Dictation book that goes with it. My son spells well. There is no workbook, just writing and tracing the words each day. I am alternating a week on spelling list, a week of dictation for the list. It would get more teacher intensive if you increase the lists or create your own, but it tells you how to do it and includes extra word lists. The lists are arranged by rules.

[trishalinn]

I have a DS who is going into 3rd grade. We're using Phonetic Zoo (by IEW). Hoping it goes well. If it does, I won't have to put much time at all into teaching it which is what I need with my 2 year old and 2 month old twins!

[rocketgirl]

My daughter got to where she was "teaching" herself with Spelling Power. She was 10, I had just taken her out of 4th grade, in the middle of the year, and it solved our frustration with her ps Spelling. There she would get 100% on the Monday pretest, do busy spelling work during the week & take the Friday test on the same words! With Spelling Power she did about 2-3 groups per week: She studied the list first, took a test oral or written, then she practiced what she missed - usually 3 words average - but more on super tricky groups that popped up once in awhile. The I retested her on those "missed" words the next day. It is the first subject she is that independent with & we've been very happy with the program so far (using it for 1 1/2 years now).

Edited August 5, 2011 by rocketgirl

[Osmosis Mom]

I'd suggest Megawords. Pretty easy and lots of variety for the student. My kids love this program.

[whitestavern]

We are starting How to Teach Spelling this year, which is supposed to be very like AAS (based on the Orton-Gillingham approach) but seems fairly easy to use from what I've seen. It's also less costly.

[8filltheheart]

We are starting How to Teach Spelling this year, which is supposed to be very like AAS (based on the Orton-Gillingham approach) but seems fairly easy to use from what I've seen. It's also less costly.

 

Yes, you just described How to TEach Spelling's TM. It contains rules/words, spiral dictation through high school level spelling.

[Jay3fer]

I'll be a voice of dissent here because we just switched back to Explode the Code after I realized my daughter and I both hated Spelling Workout. Explode the Code only claims to be a phonics program, but I find that the extensive repetition, in so many different ways, gives my daughter a GREAT handle on spelling. She is very confident with her ETC words, and the wordlists aren't nearly so random because they are grouped by phonetic rules - another reason they're easy to remember. So I've decided that, with lots of reading and ETC, we don't need a spelling program, as such. :-)

[shanvan]

I use Megawords for my Ds (13) b/c it is not teacher intensive and does a good job of teaching rules and making him practice the spellings & rules daily. He is well above average in reading ability, but a horrible speller (It actually does happen--though I never believed it before teaching Ds). I do add a writing assignment to help transfer the spelling to actual use.

 

I have the same frustrations with AAS, but I still use it for Dd (9), however, I do not use the tiles or cards. I use the TE and a whiteboard plus my own reinforcement assignments either in a notebook, or with worksheets I make myself. It is time consuming, but I just didn't like anything else for her. I can understand why you wouldn't want to do what I do! I will probably move her into Megawords after AAS 3 or 4.

 

Of all the programs mentioned (I've tried them all) I think Megawords would work for your 4th grader. It has all of the whys behind each spelling and will teach rules, and is not teacher intensive.

 

How to Teach Spelling using the workbooks alongside the teacher's manual for your 2nd grader may be a good option. It's also going to teach spelling rules. I find the How To Teach Spelling manual to be time consuming as a teacher, which is why I suggested the workbooks. I know some use the manual without feeling it is time consuming.

 

Another good workbook option I didn't see mentioned is Zaner-Bloser's Spelling Connections.

 

Rod & Staff would be good if you look at it and decide you want to stick with it (though I don't like it for a 2nd grader).

 

Spelling Power or IEW Spelling might work if your kids are good spellers. They just don't have as many of the whys behind which phonograms are used (which is why I don't use it).

 

I personally don't care for Explode the Code as a spelling program, because it dose not teach the child to listen to sounds in the word, analyze and then spell. It teaches phonics, not spelling, though certainly beefing up phonics can help with spelling.

 

JMHO based on my own experiences.

 

Shannon

[ElizabethB]

Spelling Plus and Spelling Dictation followed by Megawords.

 

If you want to combine Spelling with root study, I like Marcia Henry's Words, it's not the best Spelling or the best root study, but it is very good at both and is the best I've seen for combining the two.