For AAS users

[Guest Cris]

I am trying to decide which spelling program to use with my Grade 2 son. He can read and decode at Grade 4 level right now but his spelling needs some workout.

Finding a suitable spelling program is harder than I thought.

After many days of searching I set my mind on AAS. I like that it calls for a little thinking while applying the learnt rules and also it looks like the lessons are not very long, which is good for my son who cannot stay still for more than 20 min.

 

Question for the AAS users:

Is there in the program any explanation for why we spell:

 

fence and not fenss (this would follow the Floss rule)

ghost and not gost

gold and not ghold

 

Thanks

 

:confused:

[hellen]

We're I level 2 and gold and fence were included. There is no rule for fence with a c instead of ss that I recall. My son actually misspelled that word last night. Once I told him the s was wrong he knew it was ce because it is the other way to make the s sound. The silent e is there to make c soft.

 

As for gold, gh isn't in this level so it didn't enter the picture. The word gold was there as part of long o with followed by two consonants. It may come up in a later level. There are a lot of words that just sort of need to be memorized. English i a hodge podge language. In level 2 there are lists of words to read for ee. There is no rule for using double e either as opposed to e-consonant-e.

 

I think AAS is an excellent program. The lessons are short like you mentioned, it's scripted which is nice for spelling but there is also a lot of customization.

[raceNzanesmom]

 

Question for the AAS users:

Is there in the program any explanation for why we spell:

 

fence and not fenss (this would follow the Floss rule)

ghost and not gost

gold and not ghold

 

Thanks

 

:confused:

 

We just started level 2. So far it includes notes in a box to explain how some words don't follow a rule and that it will be covered in a higher level. For example, English words don't end in i. It notes that words like ski and spaghetti don't follow the rule, why, and that it will be covered later. So, my guess, would be yes. You can always email AAS. They're good about replying.

[MerryAtHope]

Question for the AAS users:

Is there in the program any explanation for why we spell:

 

fence and not fenss (this would follow the Floss rule)

ghost and not gost

gold and not ghold

 

Thanks

 

:confused:

 

"fenss" would not follow the floss rule. The floss rule in AAS states that we often double F,L, and S after a single vowel in a one-syllable word. The SS in "fenss" would be after a consonant, not a vowel.

 

"gh" is a very rare pattern at the beginning of words, almost all words that begin with G will not have an accompanying H. I would treat "ghost" as an exception. Patterns like IGH and EIGH are a bit more common and are taught separately.

 

HTH! Merry :-)