shukriyya Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Do you feel the need to use a program like AAS or do you feel the job is getting adequately done with a list type program such as SWS, SWO etc.? Dc is a natural speller, reads several levels above grade level but we've never formally studied the spelling rules. Now I'm wondering whether we should go back and do them a la AAS or whether dc's natural proclivities will allow us to move right into dictation along the lines of Spelling Wisdom. I think SW would bring more enjoyment than our current currics. of SWO or SWS. Thoughts, experience, ideas...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I don't how much wisdom I have. But I don't do a program like AAS with my natural reader/speller. We use R&S a grade level ahead. It is a 'list" program in that there is a list of words to study. But they spend the week doing work with the rules and vocab of the words and then test the last day. My dd does it all independently during the week. My dd could handle harder words than the grade level ahead, but I like that it keeps her going over the phonics/spelling rules. I do add dictation for her on my own. It is not included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I use Spelling Power with my "natural" speller; however, she does overhear me teaching her younger brother the rules in AAS. She's always a smart aleck in pointing out the exceptions to the rules. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 SWO. And I really only use it to make me feel better, and because she asks for spelling. Really though, it's more beneficial for us to keep track of any words she misspells and use those as spelling words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perogi Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I'm interested in the answers to this question. I'm doing AAS with my natural speller and while she's enjoying it I sometimes wonder if it's overkill. I've considered switching to something else once we get past the first few levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perogi Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I use Spelling Power with my "natural" speller; however, she does overhear me teaching her younger brother the rules in AAS. She's always a smart aleck in pointing out the exceptions to the rules. :lol: The exceptions drive me nuts - makes me wonder seriously about the value of teaches the rules in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I used Spelling Power until this year when I decided to just use her own writings for spelling lessons...haven't needed to correct any spelling yet. She had done up to level J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I had some really good advice my first year of homeschooling, from a veteran, about spelling. She said, If your child's spelling is improving each year on its own, don't even bother with a spelling program. Just tackle spelling if it doesn't improve on its own. So with my "natural" speller, we never did spelling. She just improved on her own, through extensive reading, and today at 15 spells better than most adults do. With dd8, though, she wasn't improving on her own so I taught spelling as a separate subject. For her, I constructed lists using words that she consistently struggled with and words structurally similar to those. That seems to have done the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgr Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I had some really good advice my first year of homeschooling, from a veteran, about spelling. She said, If your child's spelling is improving each year on its own, don't even bother with a spelling program. Just tackle spelling if it doesn't improve on its own. So with my "natural" speller, we never did spelling. She just improved on her own, through extensive reading, and today at 15 spells better than most adults do. With dd8, though, she wasn't improving on her own so I taught spelling as a separate subject. For her, I constructed lists using words that she consistently struggled with and words structurally similar to those. That seems to have done the trick. :iagree: This is the advice I got when I posed the question. We've got Spelling Wisdom (to make me feel more secure ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I started DD8 with SWR, so she learned the rules early on. Then I discovered that she was a natural speller, so I dropped spelling instruction as a separate subject. Now, if she misspells a word, I just point out the word and have her analyze the correct spelling according to the rules. That seems to be enough. She still misspells the occasional word, but overall she spells well enough that we both have better uses of our time than doing a spelling program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 With my natural spellers, I don't use a program. They test once a year, and if they're above 'grade level', they can opt out. I just correct their spelling in their writing. My one who really has to work on spelling uses Spelling Power. She's about 2 years behind grade level (about 2 years ahead in most other areas, go figure). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuckoomamma Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We don't do a spelling program at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) So far I have one natural speller and one who *needs* a program. I do AAS with the one who needs it. If we didn't use it, she'd still be getting stuck spelling simple words. I'd never use AAS with my natural speller: it'd be a waste of time. Oh yeah... and he doesn't exactly have the "mommy-pleaser" personality. (It would be a parenting disaster!) Edited October 7, 2011 by zaichiki what was that word again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohsmom23 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We are using Rod & Staff at a grade level up. It's still super easy for her, but she really enjoys it so we keep doing it. We also do dictation so she gets practice spelling more difficult words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquinas Academy Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I use Spelling Wisdom with my natural spellers (and non-natural ones as well). They enjoy the dictations and don't get bored learning about things they already know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 DS8 and DD are natural spellers and I switched them both to Spelling Power this year after (1) feeling like AAS was overkill for them and (2) realizing that the time commitment of teaching it to three kids would be way out of proportion with its benefit. Also, AAS words weren't challenging enough for DS8, who was ready to move on to harder words faster than he could memorize the rules. Everyone loves Spelling Power, especially me. :D I am keeping my AAS books in case DS5 needs them, but for now we're happily speeding through spelling. It did occur to me that I could do without a program altogether but it only takes about 10 minutes a day and the kids actually like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We use Spelling Power and the Dictation book. We work through it quickly to learn the rules. We will also work through the spelling notebook in TWRTR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorCalMom Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) We stopped using a formal program for dd in 3rd grade. It was just busywork and a waste of her time. We switched this year to CLE LA and spelling is included. She does the workbook exercises, but we don't do any written testing. I will occasionally have her spell orally for me. I also check her spelling in her writing or when she has to list derivatives from her vocabulary roots program. Edited October 7, 2011 by cowgirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Hmm, it seems like a lot of you use Spelling Power which looks like quite a formal spelling program. On the one hand I feel like dc should have the rules but otoh spelling comes naturally so I don't know whether we need a program at all. The advice about watching to see that skills are improving from year to year seems down to earth and sensible. I'm leaning towards Spelling Wisdom with some SWS or SWO thrown in occasionally for good measure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Hmm, it seems like a lot of you use Spelling Power which looks like quite a formal spelling program. On the one hand I feel like dc should have the rules but otoh spelling comes naturally so I don't know whether we need a program at all. The advice about watching to see that skills are improving from year to year seems down to earth and sensible. I'm leaning towards Spelling Wisdom with some SWS or SWO thrown in occasionally for good measure. I chose Spelling Power instead of dropping spelling altogether because my kids like it. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, it made me twitchy and nervous to drop it as a subject. Poor spelling is a big pet peeve of mine. Spelling Power is as formal as you want to make it. It's methodical, tells me what to do every day, and gets finished in about 5-10 minutes. For me, that was a great trade off for my peace of mind. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Thanks, AVA. Like you, I'm not interested in dropping spelling. DC enjoys it and being a natural speller myself, I'm irked by poor spelling. I'm interested to see how everyone is working with their natural spellers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We just used lists pulled off the internet. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I don't how much wisdom I have. But I don't do a program like AAS with my natural reader/speller. We use R&S a grade level ahead. It is a 'list" program in that there is a list of words to study. But they spend the week doing work with the rules and vocab of the words and then test the last day. My dd does it all independently during the week. My dd could handle harder words than the grade level ahead, but I like that it keeps her going over the phonics/spelling rules. I do add dictation for her on my own. It is not included. :iagree: I do R&S with my natural speller at one higher grade level. She does it all on her own and it doesn't take long. I don't even give her the spelling test. She so tediously always makes 100%. However, we do do dictation. She does quite well with that still but it's not as easy as the list particularly since she must also get the punctuation and word order correct. Her biggest challenge thus far has been learning how to slow down and proofread what she wrote so she can fix it before the final check. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Hmm, it seems like a lot of you use Spelling Power which looks like quite a formal spelling program. On the one hand I feel like dc should have the rules but otoh spelling comes naturally so I don't know whether we need a program at all. The advice about watching to see that skills are improving from year to year seems down to earth and sensible. I'm leaning towards Spelling Wisdom with some SWS or SWO thrown in occasionally for good measure. I don't have DD do any of the exercises in SP, just the lists. It takes maybe 10-15 minutes per day. I didn't do a formal spelling program until 3rd, and that was because she specifically requested to do one. She has an interest in doing spelling bees, so I'm having her finish up SP and then switch to Hexco products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Don't use AAS. I tried it with my dc last year for the same reasons. (not all of them are natural spellers, but none of them have difficulties in this area and they all need to learn the rules.) We got about 2/3 through level 1. THe words were just too easy. They all could have spelled them all going in, but did need to learn the rules. So, the words didn't help them remember the rule, since they already knew it. And, they could think of 10 exceptions to the rule that I didn't know how to answer. (Plus I just couldn't see how the time and $ cost was worth the little benefit we were reaping.) We're using Spelling Power this year and it's working much better. I don't think I'm using exactly as written. I just read them the rule before we start that list. But they are all learning it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbielong Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 AAS for non-natural spellers (awesome!), vocabulary for naturals. That is what we did. No regrets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Marcia Henry's Words. It combines root study with spelling. http://www.proedinc.com/customer/productView.aspx?id=989 I also make sure my daughter knows the rules that apply if she misses a word. Here is a post with some links to good lists of rules, and also at the bottom of my how to tutor page I have spelling and syllable division rules. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77560 http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/howtotutor.html I also like the book "Natural Speller" if combined with rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Thanks, Elizabeth, these look helpful. I'm reminded of the movie about the National Spelling Bee, can't remember the title, but the kids were all memorizing roots of words and word origins to help them spell words they hadn't encountered before. This would be an interesting approach to take for the later grade levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Thanks, Elizabeth, these look helpful. I'm reminded of the movie about the National Spelling Bee, can't remember the title, but the kids were all memorizing roots of words and word origins to help them spell words they hadn't encountered before. This would be an interesting approach to take for the later grade levels. You're welcome! Yes, spelling is highly correlated with language of origin. My phonics lesson 27 covers this, here are some charts from this lesson: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/Resources/WordOrigin.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycalling Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 We used the free spelling program from BigIQKids.com and are now (4th/5th) doing Megawords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 FWIW I had a natural speller and I did nada, nil, nothing, glad I made that choice, gave us time to focus on other areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 We do the spelling in CLE. It basically involves a short list of words and writing them once a day. DD seems to write it once or twice and be able to spell it correctly from them on. CLE does introduce the spelling rules, but is nowhere near as involved as AAS. I looked at AAS and thought it looked so good... but I am glad we are using that time on areas that need them or are more fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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