rachelpants Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 (edited) I'm making my way through the 6th edition of WRTR. I looked at a sample lesson from the Kindy teachers guide at the Spalding website yesterday. It made me just want to buy the T.G. and go with Spalding for everything rather than just for spelling and reading. I like the idea of having everything (L.A.) planned for me. Does anyone have experience with this that can chime in? I have no idea what I am doing....lol...DS (almost 6) is my first child and this would be our first experience homeschooling.....ANY advice is welcome here :) EDIT TO ADD: So, I guress what I'm *really* wondering is if Spalding's complete LA Curriculum is as good as anything else that is out there....better, worse? How does one decide?? Edited July 13, 2012 by rachelpants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Most of us do just the spelling lesson (which is where handwriting, capitalization and punctuation, simple writing, and actually learning to read happen). Doing Spalding, at home, for everything would be tricky, as it is very teacher-directed. This works in a classroom, of course :) but at home...not so much. It *could* work; it's just that most of us don't teach like that, KWIM? But you could do just the spelling lesson with a 5yo without making the decision about the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelpants Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 (edited) Thank you for your help, Ellie. It is good to try and put all of this into perspective. I realize that Kindy is mostly writing, spelling, reading, lots of great read-alouds and some very light introduction to other L.A. subjects. I’m so worried that I will miss something by not following a “script” that I have to admit relief when I looked at the TG sample, LOL. I read the daily lesson and thought, “Well, *I* could do *that*” :tongue_smilie: I’m hoping to not jump around with curriculums much and I’m also trying to plan ahead a little into future grades….which is why using scripted Spalding through the TG’s is appealing to me. Something integrated, all in one-place appeals as well. So, am I better off to stick with Spalding for writing, spelling, and reading and then add separate grammar, composition, literature, comprehension etc curriculums later on? I worry about choosing the right curriculums. I don’t want to choose something “inferior” to something else lol. Edited July 13, 2012 by rachelpants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BriannaG Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I know there is one other HS mom that has done Integrated Spalding...you'd have to search the Spalding/WRTR threads...she lists it in her siggie and she mentioned it in a thread. I'm going to attempt this year, but I have a fall back plan in place mostly because of dealing with my middle child who has Sensory Integration Disorder. I am using the 1st grade guide because it was just easier for me with my circumstances, rather than write up the plans myself. I will be having breaks/interruptions in our teaching so I think of everything in "chunks" rather than going through everything like it would be in a classroom. I totally understand wanting a script to follow, especially when just starting. I did that on a couple of things. I don't plan to use Spalding for grammar after 2/3rd grade. We're basically writing the 4 types of sentences, and using parts of speech...to target extra practice on spelling words. DD absolutely loves this part and often dictates extra sentences and stories to me. Basically, after using it for a year and rereading the book again, a bunch of light bulbs went off for me on things I can do better, or had been forgetting, and the whole integrated thing made sense. So, since I used it to teach my dd to read, I wanted to continue rather than change methods. She's working on multisyllable words and increasing her fluency and since we're still working on speech/auditory issues I think Spalding is still the best for her at this time. Oh, for Kindy we just did the spelling and sentences without a teachers guide and I made plenty of mistakes and she still learned to read. Those guides are definitely written for teachers, but I have picked up a lot of useful information and am glad I got it for this year to do the integrated lessons. You'll get the flow of it once you see it, although the thing is big. You can order the guide and check out the flow of the lessons plans if you want to use Spalding for everything. You have 30 days to return items and I have had absolutely no trouble returning an item or getting a credit...just get a return authorization number. Oh, there is an online course for home schoolers, and you'd need the guide for that supposedly....the class might make you feel better...or you can just do it the old fashioned way with lots of rereading of the manual and asking questions then just doing it. Okay, enough rambling for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelpants Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 . I don't plan to use Spalding for grammar after 2/3rd grade. We're basically writing the 4 types of sentences, and using parts of speech...to target extra practice on spelling words. DD absolutely loves this part and often dictates extra sentences and stories to me. Thank you so much for your response! ...so very helpful.:) I do plan on doing the online course. This is me every time I pull out WRTR :confused::confused:, LOL. I prefer step-by step instructions rather than jumping around a book trying to piece it all together. I'm hoping the course will help with that. Can you tell me more about your decision to use something else for grammar after 2/3?? Thanks so much for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BriannaG Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Well...I'm drooling over MCT but dd isn't old enough just yet. I haven't seen the higher level teacher guides and I don't feel comfortable teaching /reviewing all of grammar on my own. At this level, playing with spelling words and parts of speech to make sentences is something I'm comfortable with. For more advanced concepts/sentences I'll need help. I'm still deciding on grammar for the upper grades. She does better with application and loves analzying things. She loves workbooks but I have to be careful because she can figure out the pattern and then doesn't really learn. I've made it to looking at Kiss Grammar which is free but the webpage is confusing, MCT and Daily Grammar. Basically, it is figuring out what is going to work for both of us and our situation. I'll evaluate more towards the end of the year. I've learned not to get too far ahead. I know she wants to do more work and go faster, but I've been dragging my feet because of her age. So, basically, I haven't figured out what I'll use yet. And, I'm trying to listen to the wisdom of those who've gone been there done that already with their kids. Not that that gives you much info on the grammar side and my decision process. Since you're going to take the class that should get you up and running much faster. I decided not to do it since I'd read WRTR uh...lets just say more than 5 times-lol! Also, just using it helped me figure it out. Yeah that :confused::confused: feeling will ease up once you start teaching and getting the flow. Sometimes, you just gotta start and this ask questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I got some great help here on the boards a few months ago. I decided to use what I believe is a WRTR off-shoot called Phonics for Reading and Spelling by Bonnie Dettmer. I was taught via the Spalding method, but for some reason couldn't make a plan based on WRTR - every time I read it, I didn't know where to start! To me, Phonics for Reading and Spelling is more organized. It has a very clear flow-chart of which phonograms to teach when, and when to start the spelling lists. I plan to find something else for writing and grammar later on. So far, my almost-5yo daughter is doing great. She's on the young side for the "writing" part, but she's pretty good at her fine motor control and we do no more than a line of writing a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Thank you so much for your response! ...so very helpful.:) I do plan on doing the online course. This is me every time I pull out WRTR :confused::confused:, LOL. I prefer step-by step instructions rather than jumping around a book trying to piece it all together. I'm hoping the course will help with that. The step-by-step instructions are there. If you want the spelling lesson, you look in that section and ignore the rest. Once you start, you're not "jumping around" at all. You're going to teach the first 45 phonograms; scripts for the first 26, and you're only going to have your manual open to those pages. After that, you'll only need the phonogram cards, because you just keep doing the same thing that you did with the first 26. You're going to do daily drills by dictating the phonograms, and by "flashing" them; instructions for that, and you don't have to look at the manual each time. When your dc knows the first 45, you'll begin teach the words in the Extended Ayres List, while continuing to teach and drill the phonograms. Scripts for those, too. And you won't need to flip anywhere other than the chapter you're in, because you're already an old hand at teaching and drilling the phonograms. Your dc won't be doing the spelling notebook. You'll write the rule pages on big chart paper, for reference only. Directions for that, too. :) See? Easy peasy. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelpants Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 Ellie, you should write the easy peasy instructions in the forward to the next edition :) You really do make it sound accessible to me. Thank you everyone for all of the suggestions!!! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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