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restructure AAS2 or dump it?


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Well, we were in love with AAS but Button really really hates spelling right now. I was thinking of switching to Wheeler's Elementary Speller -- I think it would be right up Button's alley -- but thought maybe I ought to persist with AAS, and just restructure the lessons so that we read the words, imagine them with eyes closed, say them out loud and then copy and write them. Which I think Button would prefer to the AAS method.

 

??

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Are you doing it the AAS way right now - spelling words with tiles, then again on paper?

 

I did AAS at the white board. I used the tiles for new teaching only. Once the concept was taught, I had my son write the words on the white board. Then we'd do some sentences on the white board. That's it. It worked well for him, and he liked it. No paper/pencil writing involved, and I wasn't driven insane by exploding tiles. ;)

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We never really use the tiles, except when it's a new vowel team or something like that. Here's what we do:

 

-Quick review over cards, usually skipping the sound cards, except once a month or more often if needed.

 

-spell out loud 10 to 15 cards daily from previous lessons. I'll pick the first few out of the stack, go through them orally, have child spell orally, and if one or more is missed, it get's put in front for the next day. IF it's a really tough one, I might have my child write the word out a few times

 

-new lesson or words. I'll intro the new lesson, then have my child try to write the new words down on the white board. Any missed words get a light pencil mark and will be picked for the next day. I just go down the list of the words, phrases, and then sentences. (but not doing all every day, just straight down the list every day...I do 10 minutes, sometimes 15, for everything above, then quit).

 

I typically do 10 minutes on all of this, then stop wherever I'm at, so sometimes I get quite far on the words, sometimes I don't get past teaching the lesson. I do not have a certain time frame to get through the lesson, I just go until my child masters the material. I also do that review with the old cards every day.

 

I love doing it this way because my lessons stay short and sweet, yet I am covering everything and able to concentrate on missed words when necessary.

 

Alison

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Well, we were in love with AAS but Button really really hates spelling right now. I was thinking of switching to Wheeler's Elementary Speller -- I think it would be right up Button's alley -- but thought maybe I ought to persist with AAS, and just restructure the lessons so that we read the words, imagine them with eyes closed, say them out loud and then copy and write them. Which I think Button would prefer to the AAS method.

 

??

Here again, we only use the tiles to demonstrate concepts (with the older 3).

 

My youngest uses them, but he is disgraphic. Even then he only uses them the first day. The second day he writes the words, the third day he visualizes them (similar to what you describe but with changing them as well) and the four day he writes them on paper.

 

I don't see why you can't do what you are describing with AAS.

 

Heather

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Thanks for all the good feedback. I don't use the tiles, but our lesson structure has been : review rules; sometimes review sounds; review some old words; write 5 words, 2 phrases and 2 sentences. That's b/c AAS suggested (I thought, at least; frankly I've been skimming instructions lately :D) having the child write some phrases and sentences each day.

 

Looking at the schedules y'all sent has been so very helpful. I don't think there's any reason to make him do phrases and sentences every day, esp. 'cause hs insists on doing them first and words later which means more errors on the phrases and sentences. It seems like setting a 10- or 15- minute time limit, having Button read the new words with me and visualize/orally spell them, and finally working through the lessons in order doing all words first, then phrases, then sentences: this should be a much more satisfactory experience for us. I'm sure that plan will require tweaking but it's a good start.

 

thank you all so much!

Edited by serendipitous journey
clarity.
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Thanks for all the good feedback. I don't use the tiles, but our lesson structure has been : review rules; sometimes review sounds; review some old words; write 5 words, 2 phrases and 2 sentences. That's b/c AAS suggested (I thought, at least; frankly I've been skimming instructions lately :D) having the child write some phrases and sentences each day.

 

Looking at the schedules y'all sent has been so very helpful. I don't think there's any reason to make him do phrases and sentences every day, esp. 'cause hs insists on doing them first and words later which means more errors on the phrases and sentences. It seems like setting a 10- or 15- minute time limit, having Button read the new words with me and visualize/orally spell them, and finally working through the lessons in order doing all words first, then phrases, then sentences: this should be a much more satisfactory experience for us. I'm sure that plan will require tweaking but it's a good start.

 

thank you all so much!

 

Go with what you need. My oldest only covers the phonograms once a month, and only the newest sound cards once a week. She covers key cards once a week.

 

She is a really good speller so I have her teach me rules or she will just rely on visual memory. That got her up to a 7th grade spelling level, but then she stuck there for about 3 years, till I figured it was less about applying rules and more visual memory. Now that she applies the rules she is up to 9th grade spelling level.

 

Heather

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We usually get through each step in about 3 days unless it is a step where we have to review mastered cards. If it is a step with mastered cards we typically take a whole lesson to just review and do one word card from each previous step. Here is what we do and it is working very well:

 

Day 1: Review all cards behind review tabs. This is usually very quick as there are not many (if any) behind each tab. Teach the new concept as written.

 

Day 2: Review anything I circled that they didn't get correct the first day. Spell the words with tiles and then on paper into a little notebook they have. Do the more words section spelling bee style. This really helps with auditory learners and strengthens spelling skills for more visual types who really have to think about this.

 

Day 3: Review anything in the lesson still circled. Dictate phrases which they write on a whiteboard. Redo any they miss at the end. Dictate sentences which they write onto paper to save in their binder. Redo any they missed at the end. If any words come up that they misspelled that are not from the word cards then I write it into the next lesson for review.

 

This takes us about 15-20 minutes I would say and it makes every day different but still a predictable routine. I hope that helps!

 

stm4him

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