6yo can read but can't spell...phonics???

[ShareBear]

I'm trying to make curriculum selections for my 6 y.o. for this fall semester which I hope to begin in Sept. (Prior to this we've been "unschooling.") I've got everything figured out (I think) except grammar/spelling/language arts.

 

He's been reading fluently since 4. I'm not sure if I can take credit for teaching him, or if you would call him self-taught. He spent a lot of time playing around on Starfall, and I read to him a lot, and we did go through the first quarter or third of Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons. From there he just took off on his own. My point is, there was no systematic phonics instruction. :)

 

Now he can and does read pretty much anything. His favorites are 5th/6th grade level fiction (like Eleanor Estes) and mid/upper elementary level science textbooks. He also enjoys writing on his "blog" (which is actually a Word document). He seems to have a pretty good feel for sentence construction, how to write a compelling story line, etc.

 

But...this kid can not spell! At all. He asks for my help with the simplest words. I can't relate to this because for me, reading and spelling went hand-in-hand. If I could read it, I could spell it.

 

So I need to teach this child to spell. I woul

[Tracy]

I was basically in the same boat last year. I settled on SWR. I think that any of the Spalding-related programs would be great for a gifted child. I like it because it teaches very detailed spelling rules, and it is a very flexible program. You get everything you need for K-12, so there is no angst over what level to buy. And if your dc suddenly "gets it" and jumps a few levels, you still have everything you need to meet your child where he is academically without the scramble. However, where you have a program with greater flexibility, you will always have a greater learning curve. So if you decide to go with it, give yourself some time to read through it before you use it and a lot of time teaching it before it will feel open-and-go.

[2smartones]

I personally like Sequential Spelling (and wish I'd had that method for myself when I was a child), HOWEVER! my kids and I are natural spellers, so I think that's why it has been a good fit for us. We're the type who do spelling just as a brush-up subject about 5-10 minutes per week if we remember to do it at all, and we've skipped a ton of stuff in the SS books. (Actually, we used the adult version most of the time.) For that reason, I'll recommend you stay away from it. I've had others tell me it doesn't work for their kids. Those I know who've needed a more phonics-based approach (even for early readers like yours) have told me they like All About Spelling best. I very briefly gave it a try (VERY briefly), but it wasn't for us. It seemed too tedious for our needs.

[Dana]

Those I know who've needed a more phonics-based approach (even for early readers like yours) have told me they like All About Spelling best. I very briefly gave it a try (VERY briefly), but it wasn't for us. It seemed too tedious for our needs.

 

:seeya:

 

That's us!

 

My son was a self-taught reader (although a bit later). But he absolutely refused to sound out words. All About Spelling has really worked well for him. I insisted on the tiles at the beginning to make the connection between one tile and one sound. When he mispronounces a word, we sometimes put it up on the board with the tiles and I have him sound it out. His only phonics experience has been with AAS. It's been a good fit for us. Hope you find something that works well for your son.