jgoodal08 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I am going insane trying to decide on spelling curriculum...I don't believe it!!! I've narrowed it down to 3 haha r&s, spelling power or AAS? my son is in 3rd grade...coming out of public school. his spelling is bad...maybe be because he has needed some speech help. I think its important to understand the rules rather than just memorize lists. please help put my mind at ease Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallorie Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I would definitely say no to Spelling Power. It's a simple program made complicated by wordy instructions, I think it would frustrate you and not be a good fit for your description of your son. AAS is good, everyone starts at level 1. Look at the program, see if your son would like manipulating the tiles, it has multi-sensory options to it. R&S is my favorite of the three. If your ds has poor spelling, and you want him to learn the rules I would buy R&S 2nd grade along with their phonics package. It's user-friendly, good price, works great and not frustrating for the kiddos. Don't worry about it not being grade level, you want him to learn to spell. Mind at ease. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgoodal08 Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 why do you suggest the phonics as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) AAS! Go search AAS threads and you will see why.... Rod and Staff makes me want to jump off a cliff. Seriously! I tried it with one of my kids and made me want to scream. Slow, boring---My kid hated it and didn;t learn anything and begged me to not torture her with it ever again. It will probably be Hake and/or Analytical Grammar. Unfortunately until something comes out better for high school grammar we will be back at looking at Rod and Staff. Hopefully it is less painful at that point. Edited August 1, 2012 by happycc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallorie Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I suggest the phonics as well because you said that your son needed speech help, and that his spelling is poor. Kids who mispronounce words tend to be poor at spelling. One of my ds was a late talker/ speech therapy kid; working with phonics was good for him. Many, many people adore AAS on this board, and the majority report good results. I used level 1 and 2 myself with my daughter. The system has a bit of a set-up, there are letter tiles you cut out and put magnets on the back and use them on a large dry-erase board. Some people use cookie sheets or just don't even use the magnets, ymmv. There are cards you go through daily, rules to memorize and then short spelling lists. My dd knew all the words in both levels,and knew capitalization and such, so it was just about getting the rules down for her. I got tired of the cost and keeping track of all the stuff, overall I found it to be a long process that my dd didn't need. R&S...for the most part is solid curriculum that is really boring, I will agree with that. Those who use it, like the simplicity of it, that it is solid, get it done and move on to other things. I have tried their math and english and have found other things we like better. The spelling, however, has been a breath of fresh air. It's simple, quick and painless, and it is really good. It doesn't cost a lot of money, you only have the workbook and TM to keep track of, gets it done so we can move on to subjects we'd rather study. My middle kid struggles with spelling, and I am actually starting him on R&S a year behind this fall. I have found it very easy to get caught up in the hype of certain curriculum on this board, and have bought a lot of curriculum that I could have done without. The websites for both AAS and R&S are good, both have samples. I would highly recommend looking both over and take your ds's personality into consideration for which method he would want to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I'd also recommend good phonics instruction for the same reason as the PP. R&S Spelling has phonics starting in grade 3, 4 has even more. We used AAS first, but found that R&S actually gets done, and their spelling program is quick and painless, yet thorough. Some kids need AAS or another O-G type program, but many don't. Happycc appears to have been talking about R&S English in her post. That is a different set of books. I can't imagine using R&S English straight through (we use bits and pieces of it, but mostly use KISS, which takes you through all levels of grammar). The spelling is not like the English. Spelling is a workbook where you work with the words and learn the phonics involved in their spelling. Later, they switch to textbook format (grade 6 maybe?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialkmom Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) Not trying to hijack, but I've got a 2nd grader and I'm looking at AAS or R&S for spelling. I did AAS1 last year. It was pretty easy for my ds. We ended up streamlining it because it took longer than it needed to. Also, I'm not sure how teacher intensive I want spelling to be with our other subjects. I did like the content for AAS. Anyway, R&S spelling looks good too and a little more independent. Would you recommend grade 3 if my ds isn't doing their phonics, or start with 2? Also, the TM would be necessary? I didn't see spelling rules in the workbook. ETA : my ds is more of a natural speller. Edited August 1, 2012 by specialkmom add info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 about Rod and Staff spelling option. It is nice to learn more about different options even though it may not work for my kids at this time. It helps to see other curriculums and realize that what you are using is the best for YOUR kids at this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Not trying to hijack, but I've got a 2nd grader and I'm looking at AAS or R&S for spelling. I did AAS1 last year. It was pretty easy for my ds. We ended up streamlining it because it took longer than it needed to. Also, I'm not sure how teacher intensive I want spelling to be with our other subjects. I did like the content for AAS. Anyway, R&S spelling looks good too and a little more independent. Would you recommend grade 3 if my ds isn't doing their phonics, or start with 2? Also, the TM would be necessary? I didn't see spelling rules in the workbook. ETA : my ds is more of a natural speller. I'd start in grade 3. I did that with my son, and he's not a natural speller. If you have done phonics for reading, you should be fine without the extra phonics. The spelling at level 3 includes phonics. The info is in the student workbook, usually as an exercise, not always explicitly stated. I use the TM to give tests. I think in grade 4 it starts throwing in some dictation? We're not there yet. The TM is cheap, so I get it, though it could be done without. Occasionally there is a question where I need to look up the answer or figure out what a picture is, but that's rare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I have both AAS and Spelling Power. I definitely, definitely prefer AAS - any book that asks me to read the instructions 3 times for weeks...well...too complicated (Spelling Power). The rules also aren't as clearly demonstrated and displayed as they are in AAS. I love how AAS is pretty much scripted, open and go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Mom Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I'd suggest either R&S Phonics 2 or R&S Spelling 3. Take a look at the samples to determine the best fit. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I would definitely say no to Spelling Power. It's a simple program made complicated by wordy instructions, I think it would frustrate you and not be a good fit for your description of your son. I agree that SP is probably not right if kiddo is 8 and a poor speller, but I disagree with the wordy instructions. SP is for after phonics are down pat, and Mom does need to know the spelling rules herself. After the very wordy and in desperate need of an editor SWR, SP was a walk in the park. Really, everything made sense, and one one hour read, plus about 30 minutes of neatly copying the "look" tips and reordering them slightly, I've never had more prep than opening the book and starting to speak. I couldn't bear AAS. Too slow, and kiddo was unable to deal with the magnet letters. I was constantly having to get them straightened up, and they just begged for vroom vroom noises when he moved them. Obviously YMMV, and your child might well thrive. If I started now, I would be considering LOE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbakos Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 but found that R&S actually gets done, and their spelling program is quick and painless, yet thorough. This is good to know because it's exactly what I'm looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 This is good to know because it's exactly what I'm looking for. Just FYI, if a child struggles with spelling you might find NOTHING is quick and painless. I went through 6 before finding SP, and it is fairly quick but still not painless. It is the least painful, for us. The take home message, IMO, is 1) know the rules yourself (ULOE has them well stated) and 2) don't buy far ahead, because you might well end up changing programs. Don't see one program not working as a failure on your part (or your kids) or a reason hopelessness. Keep trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbakos Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 (edited) Just FYI, if a child struggles with spelling you might find NOTHING is quick and painless. I went through 6 before finding SP, and it is fairly quick but still not painless. It is the least painful, for us. The take home message, IMO, is 1) know the rules yourself (ULOE has them well stated) and 2) don't buy far ahead, because you might well end up changing programs. Don't see one program not working as a failure on your part (or your kids) or a reason hopelessness. Keep trying. Thanks for the advice. :) Spelling comes quite easily for my dd. She used Spelling Workout this past year and just doesn't like the layout of the workbook. (i.e the writing section at the end of each lesson - we totally skipped because we already have a writing progam and the unscrambling of letters to get your list words were annoying to her as well.) What I've been reading about R&S is that it's simple -to the point- and thorough and the samples look good so we'll try it out and see how it goes. We'll be using R&S 4. Edited August 3, 2012 by lbakos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear23 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I use Spelling Power with my children. It's our second year going into it. At first I had to get the hang of it and now it's pretty easy going. I have three so I go in rotations so two are doing something spelling related while I am working with one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFM Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 My son who we also just took out of PS has a horrible time spelling, I loved the idea of Rod and Staff because it did seem simple and painless, however, it did not translate with my son and I wasn't feeling it. I love the idea of Spelling Power but my son did not have a firm grasp on phonics so I felt he needed more than Spelling Power was offering, so we started with AAS 3 then promptly decided we would start with the lower levels. YAY, something is working. It seems to be sinking in and he seems to be retaining it, we have been using it since March of this year, so far so good. I still hold on to Spelling Power because I feel the older he gets the more the tiles might become annoying and I think once he has a firm grasp on phonics it will help him spell easier, I felt like SP was more for a natural speller, just my take on it. You have to go with what works for you but it seems AAS is a hit around here and I was VERY skeptical to say the least. I even got the package and looked at my DH and said, "YEAH RIGHT? I am NOT going to do all of this." Famous last words, it's working, yay. Although, I should add that my son shows signs of mild dyslexia. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I have a natural speller and had her do Spelling Power last year. It didn;t amount to much. Her spelling didn;t improve from before. So just a few weeks ago she went through AAS 2 in two weeks and now we are going through AA3. She said, "Mom why doesn't school teach it this way? Everything makes sense now." I like AAS because as I am going through the program with all three of the kids and thankfully slowly, I am finally learning my spelling rules along with them. I am not the type of person where you can give me a book and I will read through it and learn all the spelling rules and then remember it. I have to review it often just like my kids. So AAS breaks it down with plenty of review for BOTH the kids and ME! It is allowing me to digest the rules along with the kids. So it is painful and arduous but a necessity and I believe will pay off in the long run. Oh by the way, there is a local sign on our main street and it says "Comming soon." Based on that sign she thought that was how "coming" was spelled until we covered the suffix rules and she said "Wow! I feel sorry for those adults who didn;t learn how to spell the way I am learning it." I told her that is why it is important to learn the rules because sometimes you might see a word spelled incorrectly and then it is ingrained in your brain. Two of my kids will be doing the spelling bee this year. I am excited and they are excited because they say they are great spellers now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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