Spelling..........sigh

[Kelly1730]

Okay, I've come to terms with the fact that we need to change up our spelling, question is change to what? I hope you can help. I'll lay out our specifics and if anyone has ANY suggestions, I'm :bigear:

 

We used Rod and Staff in the early grades; used Soaring with Spelling the last two years. I was going to continue with SOS this year but am sorely convicted that it's really not helping us much. My boys (twins, 11 in July, rising 5th graders) love to read and read quite well but it's not transitioning over to their spelling. The write/draw cartoons daily and I see many spelling errors in them but hate to critique their "work" on a daily basis. I've read TWTM and am considering switching to Spelling Workout but wondered if anyone had any other suggestions for my not so natural spelling guys.

[Kalmia]

We have some serious spelling problems here too! Check out the Spalding Style curricula (Spalding, Logic of English, SWR--Spell to Write and Read), these integrate the phonograms with the spelling rules so that the child has a logical system for figuring out how to spell words rather than relying on memorization alone.

 

We are doing Logic of English right now and loving it for its open and go and thorough nature. However it is extremely expensive. The minimum you need (unless you want to copy the phonograms and rules onto cards yourself from the teacher's manual) is the student workbook, the teacher's manual, the basic phonogram cards, and the spelling rule cards. It is also sort of a front-loaded program. You will get all the phonograms and how they work with the rules going through the workbook, but there are no more workbooks (yet?) after the first one. I will then switch to SWR's spelling lists at that time because they go up to 12th grade.

 

Another option is dictation. This is supposed to help when kids do well on tests but it doesn't transfer over to their writing. I use dictation too, but I think it is best to do a Spalding-type program first. Spelling Wisdom (Simply Charlotte Mason) is a good dictation program.

[lillehei]

We have used several spelling programs for my 11 & 9 yo and we also have problems with their spelling transitioning into other subjects. We just got Spelling Power after using AAS for a year. I love AAS for the rules and such but my 11 yo felt it was babyish and it just wasn't working for my 9 yo. We haven't started SP yet but I was told by many to add this book: The ABC's and All Their Tricks http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0880621494/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i02

[Ellie]

Spalding. :) Over 50 years of proven success must mean it does something right. :)

[Ecclecticmum]

We're using AAR, soon to start AAS.

 

I have a younger child though (1st grade) and since she doesn't like too much bookwork, it suits her for the moment.

 

Perhaps try going to the separate sites and downloading the samples? You can print and compare them to see differences and figure out whats best.

 

My daughter uses GWG, when she gets bored of it, I usually just do something completely stupid (i do freelance voice acting) so for instance a couple of weeks ago we were on a lesson about fragments and sentences (again) so I put on a really, truly bad russian accent, started "yelling" at "fragments" and saying "how iz bad grammar!" by the end of the lesson she was laughing, and giggling, and got everything right. "Ze dark? ze dark what? Whoz in ze dark? What dark? why dark? I haz no idea whats going on, no body tell me!" etc. I figured out sometimes its not neccessarily the curriculum itself, but the way I am "handling" the lesson, if I'm bored, my body language tells so, and she starts get whingy.

 

Perhaps using other mediums on top of your current curriculum could be the way to go, anything from a "spelling project/comic" to a pretend spelling bee, to something like a compulsory few minutes every week on a site like this: http://www.spellingcity.com/

 

As I said, I am dealing with younger children, therefore my thought process leans towards that. I try to find out what my children like, so when they hit a wall with something, then try to approach it through the back door.

 

If they are doing these cartoons daily get them to do a separate one for spelling. "hey dude, is this how you spell conntinant" "What? NO, its spelt like this>> guy motions to his graffiti wall with the writing "continent"" etc (yes, I am aware that was extremely lame, its late here :lol: ) Get them to draw people instead of letters (people in the shape of "a" "p" "e" ) ask what the biggest word they know is, get them to include that word in their writing.

 

Anyway, enough babbling from me :leaving:

[Tracy]

We have some serious spelling problems here too! Check out the Spalding Style curricula (Spalding, Logic of English, SWR--Spell to Write and Read), these integrate the phonograms with the spelling rules so that the child has a logical system for figuring out how to spell words rather than relying on memorization alone.

 

 

 

:iagree: We use SWR, but any of these would be good (though I obviously prefer SWR). I would add AAS to this list, too.

[Sue G in PA]

Spalding method IS effective...for MOST students. ;) I'm finding that it isn't sticking with my ds9 who isn't a good reader, but is a better speller :confused: It seems crazy to me that he can spell a word that he cannot read. Anyway, we are trying Sequential Spelling along with WRTR (learning the phonograms can't hurt, I figure). Your comment about your boys writing our their own comics each day got me thinking though. I have "How to Teach Any Child to Spell" by Gail Graham and plan to use that with my older boys. Basically, you use your child's writing to find their spelling errors and categorize them into the correct "rule" and use their OWN spelling mistakes. Does that make sense? My 14yo is an atrocious speller. I'm hoping something like this will help him.

[kolamum]

We love Sequential Spelling, & our poor speller is doing really well with it.

[Wordfairy]

I'm going to sound really old school but Sing, Spell, Read and Write has kept it simple and fun for my rising 1st grader. As a matter of fact my rising 5th grader would sing along with all of his phonics songs and is spelling better just by listening in. DD and I both struggled with WRTR this year (I was so bored trying to teach this method) and the phonograms though helpful didn't really stick like they do when a tune is added. DS and I just used the workbooks and song CD. If we run into a word he hasn't seen he's been able to decode it with only a little assistance. Don't be sucked into spending $$$ on the "kits" the workbooks and CD are all you really need to get going.

[Kelly1730]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. I'll check them out and if anyone has something different that has worked for them, please chime in!

[speedmom4]

My younger ds is struggling with spelling. We are slowly working through AAS. I am looking for an online spelling game to supplement with. I haven't been successful finding anything. My ds loves to play computer games and probably could learn anything if he could do that for every subject.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks,

Elise in NC

[Joker]

My 10 yr dd, who is also a rising 5th grader, was a horrible speller until she started MegaWords this year. She could memorize words from other programs and ace tests, but it didn't carry over into her everyday writing until MegaWords. We've only done the first book so far but I can't believe how much better she is.

[martinswife]

We love Spelling Power. It only takes about 15 minutes a day!

[ChrissySC]

I did not read all of the posts, but ...

 

I have realized as of late that it isn't that they do not know phonics or that they are not able to break words into their syllabic sounds but rather that they do not have a visual connection.

 

What do I mean? I mean that they must imprint what the word looks like and how it feels to spell the word. This involves studying spelling versus memorizing spelling.

 

I implemented copywork specifically to address spelling using the dictation vintage books. I ordered Simply Spelling for studied dictation. While my approach is not all that different, I do use the resources loosely to accomplish what I feel is the core of the problem. This problem is that most sounds have more than one letter combination, or the word is so irregular that it fails to match any rule at all. For the most part, you need to study these words and similar words, which means saying them aloud, writing them down, using them as they are intended (in a sentence), and practicing unknown often through oral and written spelling.

 

All of the cutesy exercises have done nothing here for the academically expected evolution. I do not have a natural speller, which is rare. As children get older, phonics is for reading and not for spelling.

 

My only other suggestion would be to evaluate Megawords, another resource that I use hear because of it focuses on spelling a sound.

 

My 2 cents - HTH:lol: