So...apparently my daughter is learning nothing from Sequential Spellin

[...................]

It's so amazing how kids are different. My 5th grade son who really, really has struggled with spelling over the years is doing amazing with Sequential SPelling. He is soaring through every lesson, aced the assessment and is applying all this spelling to his writing.

 

My 3rd grade daughter is my NATURAL speller. She pretty much spells appropriately for her age, and picks up spelling fairly easily. She used Rod and Staff Spelling for 2nd grade last year and has retained all the words she learned from it.

 

However, she is completely clueless with Sequential Spelling. She doesn't seem to get that there's a pattern going on. She will spell 3 words with the "pattern" and then spell 3 words with the same pattern wrong...and wrong in 3 different ways. She is not dyslexic or Visual Spatial at all. She really has no trouble with spelling. SO I thought SS would just be a breeze for her. ANd she completely failed the assesments. LIke, as in, getting less than half correct. (But the words she liked, she got correct. For instance, she liked the word disgusting and spelled it perfectly though it was much harder than the words she got wrong.)

 

So...anyway...I need to find a workbook curriculum for her, with plenty of daily practice, under 20.00-ish that includes some teacher interaction, as my dd is a Sociable Sue. Color would also be nice.

[Hunter]

Does she know phonics?

 

I taught myself to read by memorization. I was a natural speller. I wasn't often presented with a phonics worksheet, but when I was I freaked, was unable to complete most of it even by doing phonics backwards from memorized words, and hid the paper.

 

I did well enough being left to memorize, but I stalled out at mid high school level spelling and stopped improving.

 

I'm learning phonics now and my spelling is instantly improving.

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Well she had 3 years of constant phonics instruction and review. She used pre-ETC, Adventures in Phonics, finished the entire book of Phonics Pathways, Abeka Letters and Sounds 2.

 

She does need work on long multisyllable words which we are working on, using the donpotter website stuff, and I plan to buy MegaWords.

 

So I don't know. I'll do a little quiz with her.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Calming Tea

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Oh my gosh!! My dd does not know phonics. I am going to freak out. How is she reading?? I tested her on about 15 basic phonograms and she could NOT read them!!! I don't know how I let this happen.

 

Thanks for asking your question Hunter. I didn't even consider this possibility. Obviously some phonics remediation is in order!

Edited August 27, 2012 by Calming Tea

[KathyBC]

:lol: I'm sorry, I know it's not funny, but deep breaths. Drink some calming tea. :D She's reading, she spells appropriately for her age. You've got this.

 

Megawords will be the perfect program to do next; it teaches decoding multi-syllable words along with spelling them. Until then, why not play this free game, where you and your dd get to sound out funny nonsense words, and sometimes real ones, using and reinforcing phonograms.

[...................]

Thanks Kathy! I had too much regular tea today. LOL

 

You just saved me from dumping 65.00 on AAS. I guess a phonics review is in order, and I will check out that game!! Thanks!!!

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OK, I ordered my old standby, MCP Plaid Phonics. I will be teaching her the lessons, not just throwing her the workbook. I'll add the game after she reviews a bit. ANd I ordered MCP SWO 3 ...I'll take a look when it gets here. It should be fine for her.

 

The real issue right now is to remediate phonics, and to then teach multi-syllable words..I'll use MEgawords for that. I can't seem to be consistent without a workbook in front of me.

[Hunter]

OK, I ordered my old standby, MCP Plaid Phonics. I will be teaching her the lessons, not just throwing her the workbook. I'll add the game after she reviews a bit. ANd I ordered MCP SWO 3 ...I'll take a look when it gets here. It should be fine for her.

 

The real issue right now is to remediate phonics, and to then teach multi-syllable words..I'll use MEgawords for that. I can't seem to be consistent without a workbook in front of me.

 

I do well with SEEING workbooks too. I'm very visual. I've really noticed this about myself lately.

 

The only reason she was able to stop using phonics to read, was because she has such a powerful memory. It's going to be okay :-)

 

I only guessed what she was doing because I could do that. I almost didn't say anything, in case I was wrong and you were offended. When presented systematically she will learn the phonics very quickly.

 

Good luck!

[MerryAtHope]

Oh my gosh!! My dd does not know phonics. I am going to freak out. How is she reading??

 

Some kids are experts at guessing from context (I actually found this both amazing and distressing in my own kids!). But this kind of reader will struggle more with things like non-fiction, and short passages (like test questions and instructions). Lists of unrelated words are especially difficult as well.

[KathyBC]

Thanks Kathy! I had too much regular tea today. LOL

 

You just saved me from dumping 65.00 on AAS. I guess a phonics review is in order, and I will check out that game!! Thanks!!!

 

See? If after review she needs more instruction, or if she's not yet ready for Megawords, you have plan B, which your sociable Sue would probably enjoy.