hollyh Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I thought AAS was going to be perfect for my wiggly 5yo....The tiles are driving me batty! :banghead::bang head: She plays with them, tries to move them with her head, chin, toes, etc. They all make sounds (none the ACTUAL sounds) and run into each other or dance across the board. We both are not enjoying it. We are on level 1 round step 15 and it hasn't challenged her yet. What are your thoughts. Is this just an issue of poor behavior that I need to deal with (I know part of it is, clearly) or is it that it is still too easy for her? Is it not a good fit? I'm struggling b/c I agree with the philosophy behind it but am struggling with implementation. Need guidance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferLynn Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Are you following the instructions closely? In the beginning, I did not always use the tiles or do it exactly as suggested. Especially in AAS1, we moved quickly and rarely used the tiles. We used them more in AAS2 & 3 with more vowel teams, etc. Again in AAS4 we only occasionally used the tiles for certain rules or concepts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 She's very young and clearly doesn't have the attention span yet for AAS. I would shelve it for now and try again when she's a bit older & more mature. I noticed a big improvement in my DS' attention span shortly after he turned 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I agree with Crimson Wife. She's young and it sounds like she may not have the attention span just yet. But also...let her play with the tiles! Not as part of her lesson, but just to play with them and move them around, etc. Then, when you are ready for your lessons with her, the tiles won't be so novel. DD uses the tiles to have conversations with each other, between spelling words. DS explodes his tiles. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I haven't used this cirriculum, but if she isn't challenged, that may be why you are having the problems you are having. Is it possible to jump ahead to where it would be more engaging for her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharilynn29 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 My dd loves to play with the tiles when spelling out a word, but it isn't too distracting. She's just very. Visual and likes to move the letters around and draw around them to give them houses and garages, etc. I now like to split up the spelling words into 3 groups: spelled with tiles, spelled with dry erase markers, speller out loud. This gives more variety. If your child knows the words, move quickly through the lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 My boys all made them explode, even the one with a great attention span (he was 6.5-7 when we used it). :lol: For my oldest, I nixed using the tiles for spelling words. We just used them for the lesson, and then he got a dry erase marker to write words on the board for spelling time. We also zipped through the levels until it started to challenge him some (level 3). I tried it with my 5 year old, and yeah, that just didn't work. I had to use something else for a while. And when we were at the white board, I just had to be patient because he's just 5. So when he wrote a 'B', the 'B' would be falling into a hole, and then he had to draw the hole. And a big 'E' was a scary 'E' that would be trying to eat the other letters. :lol: We're currently using Dancing Bears for reading, and we're starting WRTR this school year ("K"). Prewriting exercises are fun... :glare: I look forward to when he's ready for pencil and paper. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 This is why I love SWR. It has a similar approach to AAS with the phonograms and such, but it is much more adaptable to a young child that needs to be challenged but it still, well, young. She gets to write your words in a salt box or with sidewalk chalk or in shaving cream. You get all levels in one book, and all concepts are covered at all levels (spiral). So you don't have to worry about which level to buy. You just give a test and start where she tests at. And if she suddenly jumps ahead a level, you can just follow her without buying more materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyh Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 I'm using the program very closely to what it says. A lot of the descriptions of how other kids are playing with the tiles is similar to what I am experiencing. I think I will try what was suggested with spelling the words verbally or in other manners and see if we can get to a point where it challenges her... then see what happens... Thanks for thoughts.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 but not anymore. They did play with it at first a lot. I made it available for them to make words and move things around and such. Now it is just seen as a tool. Now for my preschooler....that is a different story. He loves to drop things on the magnet board to watch the tiles fly everywhere. This child will not be using AAS anytime soon. I have to keep my magnet board hidden inside a pillow case underneath our TV stand. You can give your daughter other letter tiles to play with..they have some that stick to the walls of your bathtub etc and just tell her that these AAS tiles are special and just used for spelling work and not for pretend play. Writing it out also helps keeps the tiles from being used as pretend play toys. I get really annoyed when the kids "waste" my time. Just my pet peeve. When they finally get some alone one to one time during school time with me I want them ready to work and learn. We will have other time to play around. Can you tell I am getting grouchy especially now that I am pregnant. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
precious4b Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 She's very young and clearly doesn't have the attention span yet for AAS. I would shelve it for now and try again when she's a bit older & more mature. I noticed a big improvement in my DS' attention span shortly after he turned 6. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I use a whiteboard and erase/write in instead of sliding the tiles in and out. They were so unwieldy and distracting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 My dd loves to play with the tiles when spelling out a word, but it isn't too distracting. She's just very. Visual and likes to move the letters around and draw around them to give them houses and garages, etc. I now like to split up the spelling words into 3 groups: spelled with tiles, spelled with dry erase markers, speller out loud. This gives more variety. If your child knows the words, move quickly through the lessons. This is almost exactly how I do it - and my son is very visual too. Of course, with the dry erase markers he has to draw pictures or make large bubble letters. On those days where we just don't have the time or I'm not in the mood, I do it orally. Otherwise I try to relax and just let it go. I do tell him we need to do spelling first, then he can play with the tiles however he wants. My son loves to act like the letters are creatures and talks about them "d has to go home so h can come visit" kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 My dd soon got frustrated using the tiles. At first she liked them. But, now she dreads pulling them down and worse....moving them back up for ever word. :banghead: Now she's started to just touch them to spell her word. When she touches the bottom of the tile they move a tiny bit, because of the magnet on the back, and make a tiny click against the board. This is fine with me because it's quicker and she doesn't have to constantly complain. So, we've been doing touch spelling with these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aconnolley Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I seem to remember someone mentioning the possibility of an app for All About Spelling that would take the place of the tiles. I have searched though and can't find anything like that, nor can I find the post that I am thinking of. Does anyone know if there is something like that out there or in the works? That would be really nice. :001_smile: Angela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandycreek91 Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 We also got rid of the tiles and just have personal (small) whiteboards for each kid. We also went through the program at a faster pace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 We never used the tiles. They drove me mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
precious4b Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Thanks for all the different ideas with AAS I'll be using it this year with one of mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeritasMama Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Your daughter is too young, formal spelling really doesn't need to begin until 1st grade, and you could wait even longer depending on the student. I love AAS, but it just wasn't a good fit for my boys. I am using Spell by Color, the free online workbook, for 2nd grade until I can find a better fit for my 8 yo. I also love SWR in theory, which we tried before AAS, but I couldn't get the lessons down to 15 minutes, and that is how long my boys will sit. With a 5yo, I would just back off and focus on phonics, reading, and handwriting for a year or two before starting formal spelling lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I have to keep my magnet board hidden inside a pillow case underneath our TV stand. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 (edited) Yup...seriously. The things we do when we have toddlers/preschoolers. Now the issue with the pillow case.. the tiles sometimes get stuck in there and the kids have to go digging in there or shaking it out. Just today my daughter said," Oooo that pillow case smells bad." I have a potty training son right now. I wonder if he might have had an accident on that pillowcase awhile ago. Anyways that pillowcase when straight to the wash room and a new one placed on the board right back under the TV stand. Dont you love it when the toddlers/preschoolers decide to walk. run on the board when you are giving a lesson. He also loves to throw things at it to make the letters scatter. Sigh! I might be expecting twins this Fall and I hope that I can get this older group of kids finished with AAS series before the twins become toddlers. Oh now wait a minute, I will be needing the AAS tiles for OPGTR for my soon to be 3yr. The chaos never ends! AAS can be a pain in the a** but it works for my kids. WHAT!!! I just looked on the website and there is a level 7....eeek when will it stop? Edited June 29, 2012 by happycc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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