Spelling help needed'

[lionfamily1999]

Ds has always gotten the bottom end of average as a spelling score on his standardized tests. This year he scored 13% :( We have continued with Spelling Workout to no avail and to be fair last year was our worst hsing year ever.

 

What can we do? Spelling rules are not sticking. His spelling is atrocious. Please help.

 

Silver bullet anyone?

[Sue G in PA]

:bigear: Bc my ds14 is a horrible speller. I'm so frustrated. Dh says spell check will be his friend. :glare: I don't want him to rely on that! I'm contemplating using WRTR with him if he would listen and try to learn. He doesn't really care...that's the main problem.

[lionfamily1999]

Ds was pretty upset by his spelling score. I thought SWO was good enough, low average at least passes.

[MomatHWTK]

How does he learn best in other subjects? Also, do you want solutions targeted toward getting him to be a better speller overall or get a better score? (I think getting a better score would be the easier of the two.)

[lionfamily1999]

He is "above average" in everything else.

 

I would rather he become a competent speller... at least mediocre. His spelling really is horrible. I thought he was doing alright, his spelling tests were all B or C grades.

[crimsonkelley]

I have been very happy with All About Spelling. We went through alot of programs and it is the only one that has worked. With that said, he's still not a great speller. However, he is MUCH better after using this program.

 

Best of luck!

[Dana]

I have been very happy with All About Spelling. We went through a lot of programs and it is the only one that has worked. With that said, he's still not a great speller. However, he is MUCH better after using this program.

 

Best of luck!

 

:iagree:

 

I used SWO in 1st and 2nd grade. My son did fine on the tests each week but retained absolutely NOTHING. His spelling has improved significantly with AAS. He is learning spelling rules. Sometimes he still doesn't apply them... (I'm frustrated with this week's errors, but I'm also thinking he may be hitting a growth spurt since his brain sure isn't here.)

 

AAS is teacher intensive, but 15-20 minutes a day is plenty. Retention is better and the why is stressed. If you do switch, I would recommend starting at Level 1. Move quickly, but I think going in order does give the foundation. Level 7 is coming out at the end of July and it sounds like there may be a discount for buying the set (although that may be really expensive...)

[lionfamily1999]

:iagree:

 

I used SWO in 1st and 2nd grade. My son did fine on the tests each week but retained absolutely NOTHING. His spelling has improved significantly with AAS. He is learning spelling rules. Sometimes he still doesn't apply them... (I'm frustrated with this week's errors, but I'm also thinking he may be hitting a growth spurt since his brain sure isn't here.)

 

AAS is teacher intensive, but 15-20 minutes a day is plenty. Retention is better and the why is stressed. If you do switch, I would recommend starting at Level 1. Move quickly, but I think going in order does give the foundation. Level 7 is coming out at the end of July and it sounds like there may be a discount for buying the set (although that may be really expensive...)

 

Thank you.

[mrs.m]

Which son are you asking about? I'm guessing your 11 yo? I would not use AAS for an 11 yo. It's too simplistic and won't offer any challenges. And it's too expensive to move through levels 1-3 as quickly as your DS probaby will. It starts at the very beginning. I like it and use it for my 7 yo. but I would not have used it for my 11 yo last year. (I did ask her to teach a few lessons which is a sneaky way to review ;) )

 

I would consider something that moves faster or possibly a different approach since the rules aren't sticking. So, I think either Spelling Plus, Phonetic Zoo, OR Sequential Spelling. Sequential Spelling takes a different approach and works really well on some kids. Spelling Plus is very simplistic and might not go far enough but you can move through it quickly for very little cost.

[PeterPan]

I like the hands-on of AAS and used it with my dd after we did vision therapy (VT) and needed a good, thorough review to see things afresh. We had done SWR for years and needed a BREAK, lol. So anything in that family of SWR, WRTR, AAS is good. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. If he were my student, I'd teach him with SWR using the AAS manipulatives, but that's because I already know the method. When you want open and go, AAS is divine.

 

Logic of English is the new kid on the block. Similar methodology, no manips (love the AAS manips), but it has the virtue of putting it all in one book. You're probably going to go through multiple levels of AAS in one year with your dc. That said, I think AAS would be easier to use for you. I love, love, love the magnets for it.

 

Just as an aside, you're going to need to pair this understanding approach (AAS, whatever) with more practice. I have found dictation very helpful with my dd. Just plain writing more helps. Yes actually email with the spellcheck turned on helps. When they email (and you check them before they hit send), they get to see the CONSEQUENCE of their spelling. It really turned on my dd to why she might WANT to spell well and conversely how EMBARRASSING it was or what it showed you about others when they sent emails that WEREN'T spelled well. The other thing you can do though is harness HOW he's thinking about the spelling. Some kids respond well to a visualization method like Freed describes in "Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World." You might get it from the library and see what sticks. There are also learning modality inventories online. Definitely check out the Freed book. With what you're saying, it might give you some ideas.

[TippyCanoe]

.

[Dolphin]

Have you heard of Phonetic Zoo? I just started it with my ds who is turning 10 this month. (I am assuming that you are talking about your 11 year old not 5:001_smile:)

 

Here is a review I have been writing about it. It might work for your ds. If he is upset with the score, PZ is something that he can do mostly independently.

[fluffybunny]

Have you heard of Phonetic Zoo?

 

 

I was just looking at that last night. Thank you so much for the review.

[kareng]

I like the hands-on of AAS and used it with my dd after we did vision therapy (VT) and needed a good, thorough review to see things afresh. We had done SWR for years and needed a BREAK, lol. So anything in that family of SWR, WRTR, AAS is good. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. If he were my student, I'd teach him with SWR using the AAS manipulatives, but that's because I already know the method. When you want open and go, AAS is divine.

 

You're probably going to go through multiple levels of AAS in one year with your dc. That said, I think AAS would be easier to use for you. I love, love, love the magnets for it.

 

Oh Elizabeth, I've been using Spelling Power with my dd. I know it's helped some but I have been thinking for some time that something that breaks words down more would help. I know you said that you can use the AAS manips with another program but would it work with Spelling Power I ask because I am not really familiar with their program. And would you always recommend beginning at level 1 with AAS?

[lillehei]

Someone on the Hive recommended The ABCs and All Their Tricks: http://www.amazon.com/The-ABCs-All-Their-Tricks/dp/0880621400/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340373504&sr=8-1&keywords=the+abcs+and+all+their+tricks to use with Spelling Power or any other program. It has helped me a lot because it has the "rules" like AAS does and I can use it for reference. It isn't a workbook or curriculum, just a nifty book for the English speller.

 

My 11 yo has been doing AAS and just felt it was too babyish. My 9 yo was having trouble with AAS from the beginning. This year we are going to try Learning Language Arts Through Literature. I have Spelling Power as back up to supplement as needed. But now that I have read the ABCs and All Their Tricks, I feel much more comfortable teaching the "rules" and exceptions.

[kareng]

I have checked out what others recommended but I keep coming back to the manipulative tiles of AAS. And I love that it's Orton-Gillingham based. I think both of those would be an incredible plus for my dd's dyslexia. I love/hate scripted curricula. It gives me a jumping off place but I hate feeling like I'm acting in a play :-) I don't know if anyone gets that. But my question is: if I used AAS, would I begin at Level 1? Is there any kind of assessment provided?

[Alessandra]

:lurk5:

 

On RR, it looks as though Sequential Spelling is being discontinued. Does anyone know about this?

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?subject=8&category=1876

Edited June 22, 2012 by Alessandra

[abbeyej]

:lurk5:

 

On RR, it looks as though Sequential Spelling is being discontinued. Does anyone know about this?

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?subject=8&category=1876

 

It's just that it's been revised and the old versions are selling out.

[abbeyej]

I would use Sequential Spelling -- probably the "Adult" book, given his age.

[Alessandra]

It's just that it's been revised and the old versions are selling out.

 

Oh, thank you. I am just beginning the process of looking at spelling & Sequential Spelling sounded good.

[Lori D.]

Silver bullet anyone?

 

 

Not the answer you are probably hoping for, BUT, having a DS with mild LDs (abstract math topics, writing, and spelling), i can say from experience that there is NO program that does it for you if it is a problem area. However, pinpointing WHAT the specific problem for that student is, AND then coming alongside and spending a lot of one-on-one time working on that area can really help. I would not recommend going with a mostly solo or workbook program.

 

For example, you may need to first do some research to see if DS is a visual-spatial learner (VSL), or a weak auditory-sequential learner (and spelling is completely sequential -- i.e., certain letters in only one correct order), or has mild "stealth dyslexia". If he is struggling for a specific reason, then you will better know which program/techniques will connect for DS. For example if your student is a weak auditory-sequential learner, Andrew Pudewa's Spelling and the Brain lecture might help *you* start piecing together what's going on.

 

 

Programs:

- Megawords (teaches vowel patterns and syllabication rules to break words into smaller "bites" for spelling attack)

- Sequential Spelling (designed for dyslexics; starts with very small word and adds on prefixes, compounds, endings, suffixes, etc. to build up to longer words)

- Phonetic Zoo (phonetic pattern families; strengths weak auditory-sequential)**

- Apples Daily Spelling Drill (for middle school students; a spelling rule per lesson)**

- Spelling Through Morphographs (somewhat of a sight-word memorization based spelling program for extreme visual learners or students with LDs)

ETA: Apples & Pears (focus on hearing all sounds in the word and memorization, via morphemes (interchangeable building blocks), spelling rules, and dictation)

 

 

ETA: ** = I add these two hesitantly, only because some people who have had a spelling struggle said this "clicked" for their student -- the potential problem I see with them is one is a workbook program and the other is an audio CD/headset program which a parent is likely to just hand to the student and have the student do mostly solo -- the methods may "click" for some students, but if the student has an underlying problem or needs a specialized approach to transferring the words to long-term memory, then these programs are NOT going to be your best bet.

 

 

Spelling Practice techniques:

- whiteboard (practice adding endings, vowel patterns, homophones, etc., using colors and little pictures to create memorable "stories" that will stick in a visual-spatial learner's memory)

- out loud back and forth spelling (you spell to student, he spells to you; strengths weak auditory-sequential learning)

- dictation of short sentence with 2-3 spelling words in it (strengthens ability to hear/write/think/spell simultaneously)

 

 

Techniques to try (if your DS is a visual-spatial learner):

- Dianne Craft's visual spelling methods

- Right Brain Children in a Left Brain World (Freed) somewhat similar visual spelling methods

 

 

Other Resources:

- The ABCs and All Their Tricks (useful resource for creating your own individualized spelling; organized by vowel patterns and phonetics; each has a list of words for which increase in complexity so you can choose the words that best fit the student's vocabulary level)

 

BEST of luck in finding what helps! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited June 23, 2012 by Lori D.

[Lori D.]

I thought SWO was good enough

 

 

Just a comment about Spelling Workout: SWO can be a good program -- but ONLY if it is a good match with the student's learning style -- usually students who are already natural spellers.

 

My struggling speller absolutely did not connect with SWO, and my average speller gained nothing from SWO -- he scored at exactly the same grade level after an entire year of SWO. :(

 

A few problems I see with SWO

- no patterns and rules to the word list (in the earlier levels)

- student is working virtually solo with no parent mentoring/teaching

- "drill and kill" or writing spelling words repeatedly is not how many students learn to spell as the repetition does not work to transfer the correct spellings into their long-term memories

 

 

Just our experience! Warmly, Lori D.

[8filltheheart]

Ds has always gotten the bottom end of average as a spelling score on his standardized tests. This year he scored 13% :( We have continued with Spelling Workout to no avail and to be fair last year was our worst hsing year ever.

 

What can we do? Spelling rules are not sticking. His spelling is atrocious. Please help.

 

Silver bullet anyone?

 

No silver bullet, unfortunately. I have 2 sons that fall into this category. In 8th grade our oldest scored in the top % in almost every category and then his spelling was in the 3rd %ile. :tongue_smilie: Our youngest ds, now a rising 11th grader, is very similar to our oldest.

 

What worked and what didn't? OG methodology did not work w/either one. Our oldest was taught via Spalding and How to TEach Spelling. In high school we switched to Phonetic Zoo (disasterous and expensive.) Our youngest was taught via HTTS w/ markings and AAS. (another disasterous and expensive mistake)

 

What i learned about my kids is that they know all the phonics rules. However, these 2 are math/science males and they expect to apply rules and have them work systematically. You cannot rule your way into spelling once you hit words around 5th grade level. Rules are only fairly consistent w/low level words. Once you hit words w/multiple phonograph options, you have to know which one is correct. Period. It has to be memorized. So you have to find a method that specifically gets the correct phonogram into their long-term memory.

 

What finally helped? Apples and Pears Spelling's morphograph approach. (Spelling through Morphographs is similar). My youngest ds's spelling is still atrocious. I won't pretend otherwise, but it is vastly improved over what it was. He is still doing spelling daily now that he finished A&P and is using HTTS to keep reviewing words.

 

(Apples and Pears is completely viewable online. Ds worked though the end of level, where he placed, all the way through level D. Spelling through Morphographs is more like a single program that merges all of A&P into a single volume. I bought it and never used it b/c it was below ds after A&P. I still have StM sitting on my shelf unused if it is something you want to consider......but I would personally recommend looking at A&P b/c it is very easy to implement/user friendly.)

 

ETA: I want to add that I agree completely w/Lori. I work directly 1-on-1 w/my ds on spelling. This is not something that can be simply handed to them.

 

HTH

Edited June 23, 2012 by 8FillTheHeart

[LivingHope]

Here is a recent thread where I posted links to Google Books for free vintage spellers that I am using with my children (see post #14):

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=400460&page=2

[Embassy]

I recently had my visual-spatial learner tested. Spelling is difficult for him. The examiner recommended a program like Sequential Spelling. I'm only about 20 days into it, but so far it seems like it is working.

[SkateLeft]

As others have suggested, I think there's some experimentation involved to find what works.

 

My ds (11, going into 6th grade) is an very advanced math student, reads on grade level, but has always scored in the very bottom percentiles for spelling. As a result, he can't write, though his fine motor skills are good. I don't believe he has an LD. The problem is that he doesn't see the words in his mind at all. I have a very strong visual memory so it's tough for me to teach a kid who doesn't. He can do complex math in his head, but can't spell to save his life. It's bizarre.

 

We tried Sequential Spelling last year. At the end of the year testing, he hadn't made any demonstrable progress. Sequential Spelling requires at least some visual memory capabilities and it clearly wasn't working for him.

 

I bought AAS, and I think it would work, but it was a lot of prep. My youngest son has special needs, and I found juggling the tiles and cards more time consuming than I wanted. I would definitely consider it a viable option.

 

In the spring, I bought Logic of English. He's been doing really well with it, and his confidence is improving with the little successes. For an older child, it's possible to move quickly through things, and I'm hoping that by working intensively with LOE over the summer, that we'll have improvement by the fall. It's a good fit for a kid that lacks visual memory, and the lessons have additional reinforcement activities flagged with icons for learning styles. I wish I'd read the Uncovering the Logic of English book a few years ago. I probably could have covered a lot of this stuff along the way without buying a curriculum to remediate spelling.

[kareng]

The problem is that he doesn't see the words in his mind at all. I have a very strong visual memory so it's tough for me to teach a kid who doesn't.

 

We tried Sequential Spelling last year.Sequential Spelling requires at least some visual memory capabilities and it clearly wasn't working for him.

 

I bought AAS, and I think it would work, but it was a lot of prep.

 

In the spring, I bought Logic of English. He's been doing really well with it, and his confidence is improving with the little successes. For an older child, it's possible to move quickly through things, and I'm hoping that by working intensively with LOE over the summer, that we'll have improvement by the fall. It's a good fit for a kid that lacks visual memory, and the lessons have additional reinforcement activities flagged with icons for learning styles. I wish I'd read the Uncovering the Logic of English book a few years ago. I probably could have covered a lot of this stuff along the way without buying a curriculum to remediate spelling.

 

SailMom, my dd has very little visual memory as well and mine is strong so I can totally relate to what you are saying. We tried Sequential Spelling and it didn't work for her at all, similar to your son's experience.

 

Is your son mostly working through Logic of English on his own?

 

And my main question for you and anyone else is this:

Will Logic of English work with one who has dyslexia?

[my2boysteacher]

I really like Apples & Pears, and Logic of English for my struggling speller. Both have worked wonders after his vision therapy. I prefer LOE because it teaches the phonograms and spelling rules. The game book is a lot of fun, too.

[my2boysteacher]

 

And my main question for you and anyone else is this:

Will Logic of English work with one who has dyslexia?

 

It is working wonders for my son, whom we strongly suspect has dyslexia. I would definitely recommend it. Also, there is a forum on the LOE website which the author of the book frequents to answer questions.

[kareng]

What do you need to do The Logic of English? I looked at their website and the teacher's manual and student workbook is $120. Do you need Uncovering The Logic of English and all the flashcards and games? I don't want to get caught up in not purchasing something that would be helpful but it's just so hard to know before you try something. And it's not that my dd isn't worth every penny, it's just that it's getter harder to get those pennies together :-)

[my2boysteacher]

What do you need to do The Logic of English? I looked at their website and the teacher's manual and student workbook is $120. Do you need Uncovering The Logic of English and all the flashcards and games? I don't want to get caught up in not purchasing something that would be helpful but it's just so hard to know before you try something. And it's not that my dd isn't worth every penny, it's just that it's getter harder to get those pennies together :-)

 

You only really need the TM and student workbook. You could make your own flashcards since the phonograms and spelling rules are all spelled out clearly in the TM. The game book is not necessary, nor is the spelling journal, but they are both nice to have. Rainbow Resource also carries LOE now.

[Ellie]

 

Spalding. (Spalding is the method; WRTR is the manual.)

[lionfamily1999]

I have gone through so many links my head is spinning :). I am being more hands-on and we have started using a few things you all recommended as well as looking at root words. I am hoping that with all this and lots more writing we will see some improvement. For those who asked or mentioned his writing and reading skills, he tests above grade level consistently in those subjects (shrug) no problems outside of spelling.

I like the hands-on of AAS and used it with my dd after we did vision therapy (VT) and needed a good, thorough review to see things afresh. We had done SWR for years and needed a BREAK, lol. So anything in that family of SWR, WRTR, AAS is good. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. If he were my student, I'd teach him with SWR using the AAS manipulatives, but that's because I already know the method. When you want open and go, AAS is divine.

 

Just plain writing more helps. Yes actually email with the spellcheck turned on helps. When they email (and you check them before they hit send), they get to see the CONSEQUENCE of their spelling. It really turned on my dd to why she might WANT to spell well and conversely how EMBARRASSING it was or what it showed you about others when they sent emails that WEREN'T spelled well. The other thing you can do though is harness HOW he's thinking about the spelling. Some kids respond well to a visualization method like Freed describes in "Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World." You might get it from the library and see what sticks. There are also learning modality inventories online. Definitely check out the Freed book. With what you're saying, it might give you some ideas.

Thank you.

 

 

Otherwise, keep working from different angles: spell check is a friend, copywork can still help in adolescence, and sometimes kids who are right-brained, big-picture thinkers simply take longer to "click" with spelling and punctuation. The blog by the author of the forthcoming book The Right Side of Normal has a fascinating chart that compares at what ages different academic things are solidifying in the brains of left vs. right-brained kids (to phrase it rather simplistically). Spelling and writing skills mature differently for each, and for right-brained kids, the time is somewhere between ages 11-13, or even a year or two later. This is what I found true for my dd, and what other moms have found for kids with delayed writing abilities. The good thing is that the ability to develop with spelling doesn't stop when you hit a certain age. Dd improved phenomenally in adolescence, especially once I found the right way to work with her wiring.]

What makes this difficult for me is that everything else is average or higher. It is just spelling that stops him.

 

Not the answer you are probably hoping for, BUT, having a DS with mild LDs (abstract math topics, writing, and spelling), i can say from experience that there is NO program that does it for you if it is a problem area. However, pinpointing WHAT the specific problem for that student is, AND then coming alongside and spending a lot of one-on-one time working on that area can really help. I would not recommend going with a mostly solo or workbook program.

 

BEST of luck in finding what helps! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Thank you.

 

No silver bullet, unfortunately. I have 2 sons that fall into this category. In 8th grade our oldest scored in the top % in almost every category and then his spelling was in the 3rd %ile. :tongue_smilie: Our youngest ds, now a rising 11th grader, is very similar to our oldest.

 

What worked and what didn't? OG methodology did not work w/either one. Our oldest was taught via Spalding and How to TEach Spelling. In high school we switched to Phonetic Zoo (disasterous and expensive.) Our youngest was taught via HTTS w/ markings and AAS. (another disasterous and expensive mistake)

 

What i learned about my kids is that they know all the phonics rules. However, these 2 are math/science males and they expect to apply rules and have them work systematically. You cannot rule your way into spelling once you hit words around 5th grade level. Rules are only fairly consistent w/low level words. Once you hit words w/multiple phonograph options, you have to know which one is correct. Period. It has to be memorized. So you have to find a method that specifically gets the correct phonogram into their long-term memory.

 

ETA: I want to add that I agree completely w/Lori. I work directly 1-on-1 w/my ds on spelling. This is not something that can be simply handed to them.

 

HTH

Perhaps that is the problem. Ds is very rule oriented. He likes things to work according to a set plan and spelling doesn't.

[6wishes]

Not the answer you are probably hoping for, BUT, having a DS with mild LDs (abstract math topics, writing, and spelling), i can say from experience that there is NO program that does it for you if it is a problem area. However, pinpointing WHAT the specific problem for that student is, AND then coming alongside and spending a lot of one-on-one time working on that area can really help. I would not recommend going with a mostly solo or workbook program.

 

For example, you may need to first do some research to see if DS is a visual-spatial learner (VSL), or a weak auditory-sequential learner (and spelling is completely sequential -- i.e., certain letters in only one correct order), or has mild "stealth dyslexia". If he is struggling for a specific reason, then you will better know which program/techniques will connect for DS. For example if your student is a weak auditory-sequential learner, Andrew Pudewa's Spelling and the Brain lecture might help *you* start piecing together what's going on.

 

 

Programs:

- Megawords (teaches vowel patterns and syllabication rules to break words into smaller "bites" for spelling attack)

- Sequential Spelling (designed for dyslexics; starts with very small word and adds on prefixes, compounds, endings, suffixes, etc. to build up to longer words)

- Phonetic Zoo (phonetic pattern families; strengths weak auditory-sequential)**

- Apples Daily Spelling Drill (for middle school students; a spelling rule per lesson)**

- Spelling Through Morphographs (somewhat of a sight-word memorization based spelling program for extreme visual learners or students with LDs)

ETA: Apples & Pears (focus on hearing all sounds in the word and memorization, via morphemes (interchangeable building blocks), spelling rules, and dictation)

 

 

ETA: ** = I add these two hesitantly, only because some people who have had a spelling struggle said this "clicked" for their student -- the potential problem I see with them is one is a workbook program and the other is an audio CD/headset program which a parent is likely to just hand to the student and have the student do mostly solo -- the methods may "click" for some students, but if the student has an underlying problem or needs a specialized approach to transferring the words to long-term memory, then these programs are NOT going to be your best bet.

 

 

Spelling Practice techniques:

- whiteboard (practice adding endings, vowel patterns, homophones, etc., using colors and little pictures to create memorable "stories" that will stick in a visual-spatial learner's memory)

- out loud back and forth spelling (you spell to student, he spells to you; strengths weak auditory-sequential learning)

- dictation of short sentence with 2-3 spelling words in it (strengthens ability to hear/write/think/spell simultaneously)

 

 

Techniques to try (if your DS is a visual-spatial learner):

- Dianne Craft's visual spelling methods

- Right Brain Children in a Left Brain World (Freed) somewhat similar visual spelling methods

 

 

Other Resources:

- The ABCs and All Their Tricks (useful resource for creating your own individualized spelling; organized by vowel patterns and phonetics; each has a list of words for which increase in complexity so you can choose the words that best fit the student's vocabulary level)

 

BEST of luck in finding what helps! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

Wow! Thank you so much for this post! I was researching Phonetic Zoo and reading through this thread, and this has really made me stop and think aout what kind of learners I have. Is there a specific book that would be helpful to determine that? I went and read on the links you posted, but wondered if there was a good book or something to determine learning style that you would recommend? Thanks!

[Lori D.]

[is there a] good book or something to determine learning style that you would recommend? Thanks!

 

 

 

Here is a quick "check list" to the 4 types of learning styles (how you best take in information) and the 2 brain hemisphere dominance types (how you best process that information once you take it in). Both of these are important to consider in determining what programs are a good fit for a student.

 

If your student has a very strong learning style (like being strongly left- or right-handed), you want their first exposure to the new material to come in the way that it is easiest and most natural for them to take it in. Then come back around and present with supplement from a different learning style to help them strengthen those other learning style "muscles" (because the world is not going to cater to their learning style! :tongue_smilie:).

 

There are several methods of looking at learning styles; one lists 3 styles; one lists 4 styles; one lists 7 styles. Here they are:

 

3 learning styles (most widely referred to method in homeschooling circles):

- visual (seeing it)

- auditory (hearing it)

- kinesthetic (doing it; hands-on and body movement)

 

4 learning styles:

- the 3 above plus: tactile (feeling/touching)

(OR, the VARK system of 4 learning styles is visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinesthetic)

 

7 learning styles (which looks like it somewhat lists brain dominances and personality types as learning styles):

- visual (spatial) -- pictures, images, and spatial understanding

- aural (auditory-musical) -- sound and music

- verbal (linguistic) -- written/spoken words

- physical (kinesthetic) -- body, hands and sense of touch

- logical (mathematical) -- logic, reasoning and systems

- social (interpersonal) -- learn in groups/with other people

- solitary (intrapersonal) -- work alone/self-study

 

Most students are a blend, often favoring one learning style over another, but also having traits from the other learning styles mixed in. Again, it's like being left- or right-handed; for some things we prefer and automatically use one hand over the other, but for other tasks we may favor using the non-dominant hand; and a small number of people are ambidexterous -- that would probably be those students who do NOT have a strong learning style preference -- they absorb material well no matter what style it is presented to them. So don't panic if nothing "pops out" at you about one of your students from the check list I linked above. With that student, you can focus of finding materials they most enjoy using, and that you enjoy teaching. :)

 

 

Brain dominance has to do with how a student thinks about the material and puts it together to make sense with what has come before. The best way to think of this is, does the student process by:

 

- parts-to-whole

(one sequential step at a time, adding them together, and then, voila! -- they get the "big picture" of the concept)

 

or

 

- whole-to-parts

(intuitively gets the pattern, the answer, or the big picture, without having gone through the individual steps or parts first; after "clicking" to the big picture first, they *then* start seeing the parts or steps and how they fit into the big picture)

 

 

Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing the Right Curriculum and Approach for Your Child's Learning Style gives a checklist to determine which of 4 learning style areas your student falls into:

 

- Wiggly Willy

- Sociable Sue

- Paula Perfect

- Competent Carl

 

See her checklist of traits for each of the four learning styles and the preferred teaching method for each. Just an FYI: while I think these are great general groupings of traits, our DSs were really a mix of two different traits, and they worked best once I figured out which aspects from the two different "preferred methods" list worked for them, in order to find the unique "blend" in curriculum and style of teaching/learning that worked best here.

 

The book ranks each curriculum by 14 criteria:

(1) Multi-sensory/hands-on

(2)structure/rules-oriented

(3) logical/analytical learners

(4) social activity

(5) amount of parent instruction

(6) independent study vs. one-on-one

(7) amount of writing

(8) prep time

(9) grade level specific vs. multi-level

(10) ease of use for teacher

(11) necessity for teacher's manual

(12) supportive of Charlotte Mason's philosophy

(13) supportive of classical education

(14) religious affiliations

 

 

Here are some links to more involved and detailed learning style theories:

What's Your Learning Style

Learning Styles Online

Institute for Learning Styles

 

 

Linda Silverman's book "Upside Down Brilliance" focuses on the brain dominance aspect and connects the learning style to the brain dominance to come up with two major types of learners, and then goes on to focus on the VSL. (Most Aspberger's, ADD/ADHD, distracted learners, artistic/creative, "out-of-the-box" thinkers, and hands-on learners fall into the VSL category.)

 

- Visual-Spatial Learner ("right brain" learner)

right brain hemisphere dominance in processing information, and highly visual (and possibly kinesthetic) in taking in information

 

- Auditory-Sequential Learner ("left brain" learner)

left brain hemisphere dominance in processing information, and highly auditory in taking in information

 

 

I know that's a lot of info to absorb, but the area of learning style is quite vast, and there are many variations on it. Hopefully something here will connect for you and help you decide what direction to move in as far as learning styles. BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

Edited August 11, 2012 by Lori D.

[6wishes]

Thanks again for the great links. I read (and copied) the list that you put out there, and will spend some time on Cathy Duffy's sight. One question I have is, do you have kids with LD's, or do you just do this to figure out the right curriculum based off of their learning style? Meaning, I guess, how can one know if the problems are due to their learning style not matching up with the way it's presented in that particular curriculum vs. possibly dealing with an actual LD with your child so no matter the curriculum you may have issues? This is kind of where I'm sitting right now, and don't want to spend a bunch of money as the woman from the original posting said (on expensive curriculum) if I'm really dealing with a LD..does this make sense :tongue_smilie:?

[Lori D.]

do you have kids with LD's, or do you just do this to figure out the right curriculum based off of their learning style? Meaning, I guess, how can one know if the problems are due to their learning style not matching up with the way it's presented in that particular curriculum vs. possibly dealing with an actual LD with your child so no matter the curriculum you may have issues?

 

 

That is a very good question, and it can be quite difficult to sort out the different "threads" of that tangle. ;)

 

I have one of each -- one DS with mild LDs and one without.

 

Older DS has no LDs, and was fairly easy to figure out what his learning style is -- he is strongly auditory (has always loved read-alouds and having me read directions/explain/lecture for teaching), but doesn't mind visual when it is a documentary or movie type of visual (because there is audio as part of it). In Cathy Duffy terms, he is a cross between Perfect Paula and Competent Carl. In Linda Silverman terms, he is an auditory-sequential learner (definitely does best with a parts-to-whole program).

 

It took me about 2 years of watching him to see what specifically worked about one program vs. another to narrow exactly what about each program was the best fit for this DS. Personality-wise this DS has more Perfect Paula traits (follows rules; likes structure and organization; narrow comfort zone...), but academically prefers more of the Competent Carl preferred learning methods (student-teacher discussions; problem-solving; efficiency...). This DS is pretty flexible and can do most kinds of programs, it's just some are a much more enjoyable fit for him than others.

 

 

Younger DS has mild LDs (mild "stealth" dyslexia; struggles with writing, spelling and abstract math topics). It took a good 4 years for me to figure out what exactly were the disability/problem areas AND to start matching up programs that would fit for him.

 

The Cathy Duffy book came out several years after I had finally dialed in what was going on with this DS, so, alas, I had fewer resources for figuring things out -- much of my help came from 2 different local homeschooling moms with DSs with LDs and gleaning from their research and looking at what they had used and asking what worked/didn't work and why.

 

On top of the learning style and mild LD tangle, younger DS also has an *extremely* strong-willed personality and when younger was very impulsive with a short attention-span, so attitude/personality *strongly* played into the tangle as well. He was about 5th-6th grade (age 11-12yo) before he started to gain some brain maturity in those areas, as well as overall attitude/emotion maturity so things finally began to get better at that point, with each year after that seeing him click another notch forward in progress and development.

 

 

My take on the LD vs. learning style questions you raise (based on my experience with this DS, and seeing homeschooling friends with children with various LDs) -- if the program addresses the LD, it usually is going to fit with the learning style as well. From my reading/research for our DS, a huge percentage of the students with an LD fall into that visual-spatial learner (VSL) category, so programs designed for right-brain learners, visual learners, kinesthetic learners, whole-to-parts learners, etc. not only help with the LD, but are also geared for the learning style of the student who frequently has LDs.

 

One other thing to do -- if you suspect an LD, DO go for a diagnoses, which will help rule out or confirm an LD. This is hugely helpful with narrowing down what curriculum AND teaching (student/teacher interaction) style will be of help or not:

 

- poor vision (needs glasses)

- poor hearing (hearing impairment)

- vision tracking issue

- auditory processing issue

- list of various LDs (and symptoms)

 

 

 

Back to learning style and picking a program... I found it very helpful to look at each thing we were already using or had tried in the past and list what exactly worked and what didn't. It also helped to read about what others had used that worked or didn't work -- and why -- if they had a specific type of learner. For example, this past thread on "if you have a visual spatial learner, which curriculum works best?" would be helpful if you realize you have a VSL, or suspect that -- you can compare with the experience of others.

 

 

Hope something there helps! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited August 11, 2012 by Lori D.

[Lori D.]

how can one know if the problems are due to their learning style not matching up with the way it's presented in that particular curriculum vs. possibly dealing with an actual LD

 

 

I don't think I answered this; at least for us, discovering that DS had LDs was a process. We started homeschooling DS in 1st grade. Grade 1 and 2 we worked on the attitude issues, and I was trying various curriculum to see what seemed to work for both DSs since we were brand new at homeschooling. That is a really young age to try and tell, as children in K-2nd have such widely varying rates of development.

 

 

Grade 3 (about age 9)

I was seeing some real problems emerge, when I figured things should be starting to settle down:

 

- handwriting: awkward pencil grip; tired easily; floating letters; shaky letters -- but could draw well

- writing: continuing letter and number reversals; could not write more than a 3-4 word sentence -- but could dictate/narrate while I wrote for him wonderful paragraphs with very advanced vocabulary

- spelling: leaving out all vowels when trying to spell, and completely jumbling the letter order

- reading: finally at age 9 gained fluency

- math: delayed grasping of simple calculations and the more abstract math concepts -- but very advanced with geometry and other visual-spatial math concepts

- science: often could come up with the connections of what was happening in the hands-on experiments and intuitively grasped the principle of what was going on

- logic/critical thinking: super at puzzle-solving and coming up with answers intuitively

 

 

Grade 4-5

- handwriting: continued to float letters; wrote some letters as capitals and others as lowercase; cursive was like a foreign language -- copying each letter as though he were copying a piece of art rather than seeing/understanding each as a letter

- spelling: no advancement

- math: still could not memorize math facts; still continued to do a long form of multiplication rather than the traditional method; could not "get" division -- BUT, understood tessalations and turning 2-D and 3-D shapes around in his mind, etc.

 

 

By the end of grade 2 I knew we were dealing with more than just attitude and delayed learning ability development -- it was very evident, comparing him with fellow homeschoolers, and with the work his older sibling had done in grades 1 and 2.

 

By the end of grade 4, having used 4 math programs and 4 spelling programs, I was able to figure out which aspects of each worked/didn't work. By this time we had also had him tested ("borderline dyslexia" diagnoses), and I was spending a lot of time each year continuing to read/research to refine how I was teaching him to match up with his strong VSL tendencies. (In contrast, areas where he did NOT have an LD, we just continued to use whatever program or method we had started out with that worked for him and he continued to learn at a regular pace.)

 

By grade 6 we were beginning to see some small steps in brain maturity and attitude maturity. By the end of that year he was almost back up to grade-level math (he had been 2.5 grade levels below). We began to do our own spelling, using elements from all the past spelling programs and techniques that seemed to help. He began to "click" just a little with spelling right after he turned 12yo.

 

By about grade 10-11 he finally developed a slow but neat printing for his handwriting -- cursive will never be part of his future even though we worked on it for at least 3 years solid. Using a computer/keyboard helped him immensely in getting his thoughts down for writing, though his spelling and run-on sentences and lack of punctuation may me cringe; he will just have to always make editing a very important second step in writing anything. For math, we ended up having to do Algebra 1 and 2 each twice, even using the most visual math program that connected for him (Math-U-See); but he made it through, and well enough to score on the Community College assessment test for dual enrollment at the College Algebra level!

 

 

As you can see, if you are looking at a true LD, it starts to become obvious between grades 3-5, no matter how many or few programs you've used:

- delays in grasping concepts and/or abilities

- "falls further behind" each year from the average student at that grade level

- continues to struggle with "simple" or basic academics (letter sounds, letter formation, spelling of 3 and 4 letter words, foundational math concepts, etc.)

- may struggle with remembering more than 2-3 things in a list or sequence

- poor fine motor or gross motor skills

- depending on the LD, there may be subtle physical signs (rubbing eyes for vision problems; walking on balls of feet with heels never touching or "pouching" food in the cheeks for cerebral palsy; odd gait and poor coordination for Aspberger's; etc.)

- very advanced in some areas

- ability to hyper-focus/concentrate when interested in something

 

 

Notice that there are positives, or great strengths or "gifted" areas that can also be a sign that there may be an LD in another area.

 

 

Here, here, here, and here are links to checklists for signs of learning disabilities in children.

 

 

Again, I'm probably totally overwhelming you, but hope something there is of help. BEST of luck as you research and find what works for your DC! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited August 11, 2012 by Lori D.

[6wishes]

Thank you again for all of your help and links!! I'm thinking the best route for right now is to have them tested and see if they fall under the LD category (the oldest one I'm wondering for ADHD, the second for some dyslexia). Then, I feel like once I know the outcome of that it would be easier to choose the curriculum route? I actually have all of our curriculum this year but was wondering about something different for spelling for my oldest, and I was already wandering down the path of possible LD for my second. So, I know there may be even more tweaking to what I'm currently using. But, they seem to be right at the age you reference being able to tell better if it's an LD issue vs. curriculum issue. I really do appreciate all your help and time you've put into these last few messages!