Spelling..What's a good age to start

[TeaCookiesBears]

I Know people start teaching different subjects a different ages but I was wondering if anyone could give any suggestion on a good age and how to go about it.

 

Here is what I have come up with so far. I wanted to buy AAS (not in budget now) Webster's Speller or McGuffey's Speller since they are free. I have looked at ElizabethB website and loved it but if I am not mistaken she stated that is is for 2nd grade on up but 1st graders have done well too. I would also like to mention that I am in the process of teaching dd5 reading and I noticed that she does well with reading when we do word families.

 

I feel like dd5 is ready for spelling since she is always spelling the few words she knows but I am afraid of pushing to hard or start off wrong. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.:001_smile:

[Amy Jo]

Get a few sets of the magnetic fridge letters. I have 6 sets (to go with Webster's Speller). Get the kids their own set so they don't make a mess of yours. I put mine in 2 small craft organizers, 1 letter per compartment.

 

Now you can spell without any handwriting. Do a search for Elizabeth's thread on using Webster's Speller for Kindergarten.

 

You can also just get the Writing Road to Reading, it is much cheaper than AAS. I also like Ruth Beechick's methods, and her book (The Three Rs) is very inexpensive & might give you some ideas. It includes a chart of phonograms.

 

As to when, I like the start early approach (assuming you can overcome the handwriting issues). It helps a LOT with reading for some kids, like my eldest, who took a long time to learn to blend sounds.

[kalanamak]

I used SWR, loosely, and I started at 5. I used it to teach *reading* however, and didn't move to a dedicated spelling program until kiddo was off the early readers level 1.

[Kathryn]

I think it depends on the type of program you're using and the child. We are using All About Spelling and started this year (first grade), after he'd completed first grade phonics instruction. It's worked well for us. I don't think DS would have been able to do it as well at the same time he was learning to read. As a matter of fact, we ditched the spelling components of the programs we were using for phonics (Sonlight, ETC, and SSRW).

[TeaCookiesBears]

Thanks for the reply. I found the ElizabethB posting of using webster for grade K. I wish I had found it earlier because I went to her other site and that's where I confused myself.

 

I do have magnetic letters that she plays with along with the scrabble letters to try to spell words. I have used them here and there when we worked on rhyming word families gently.

 

I will also give Ruth Beechick's, writing road to reading and swr books a look too.

 

Thanks :).

 

 

[TeaCookiesBears]

I think it depends on the type of program you're using and the child. We are using All About Spelling and started this year (first grade), after he'd completed first grade phonics instruction. It's worked well for us. I don't think DS would have been able to do it as well at the same time he was learning to read. As a matter of fact, we ditched the spelling components of the programs we were using for phonics (Sonlight, ETC, and SSRW).

 

I thought about waiting until dd5 was in 1st grade and received more reading and phonics under her belt before I began teaching formal spelling but I found by accident using word families to help her read that I noticed she spelled them to help herself read better (at least that's what it looks like she does). I thought that formal spelling did not begin until after children have learned to read a bit but because she is always trying to spell I began to wonder if waiting later is the right thing to do.

 

Right now we are using ETC and Abeka (k4 Writing Tablet to teach handwriting) and until 5 min ago found out dh has been using "Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons" to help dd5 read with light spelling.

[chepyl]

I started spelling plus with my son at 5.

[TheAutumnOak]

I am doing Spelling Workout Level A with my first grader...We intend to go through the series, so we started now...

[Kathleen.]

I thought I would wait until first grade with my 5yo, but when I see how she can easily read word families and knows how to spell these words - why not teach her to spell. I got AAS initially for my 7yo and she whipped through the first book. We're going through two quickly as well. Her grade (2) is at least around Level 3.

 

I never thought my 5yo would be ready for spelling. She's working her way through Level 1. AAS Level 1 (the first half) covers all the words she's already reading - short vowels.

 

Just buy the teacher's manual if you're interested in AAS. The extras are easy to make and the manual has all the info in it.

[TeaCookiesBears]

I thought I would wait until first grade with my 5yo, but when I see how she can easily read word families and knows how to spell these words - why not teach her to spell. I got AAS initially for my 7yo and she whipped through the first book. We're going through two quickly as well. Her grade (2) is at least around Level 3.

 

I never thought my 5yo would be ready for spelling. She's working her way through Level 1. AAS Level 1 (the first half) covers all the words she's already reading - short vowels.

 

Just buy the teacher's manual if you're interested in AAS. The extras are easy to make and the manual has all the info in it.

 

Cool!! that makes it a little easier to maybe fit it into the budget.