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A good spelling program for behind 8th grader?


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This is our first year homeschooling DS, who is in 8th grade. The elementary school that he went to didn't teach spelling, rather they allowed them to spell words however they thought they should be spelled, and they would teach them the proper way later on. They explained the reasoning behind it, but I can't remember at the moment.

 

Well, we moved to a different state in the middle of 6th grade, before he was taught the proper way. Therefore, now in 8th grade, he is WAY behind in knowing how to spell. I would say he is only at a 4th grade level, or so, but it is hard to judge b/c there are some words he knows how to spell, but there are some simple words that he doesn't. Does that make sense??

 

I would really like to catch him up, but I don't know where to start. I just have a hard time believing that he will be able to get into college if he can't even spell words like "bread". If he can't spell well enough to put together a legible application, how will he ever be accepted?

 

Can anyone suggest a good spelling program or curriculum? I'd prefer something that goes a little more in depth than just plain memorization. Maybe also something that has a placement test or something along those lines, so I know exactly what level to start out on. Does something like that exist? Has anyone else dealt with this before??

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We really like the Spelling Workout series (recommended in WTM). There are several workbooks, starting with "A" and going through "H" (we're only up to E). Each one has 36 lessons that are 4 pages long, each focusing on a particular spelling rule. We take 3 days to go through a lesson, doing 2 pages each the first two days and a test the third day. Your 8th grader could probably jump in at 'C' and do a lesson in 2 days, effectively getting through the whole program in 2 years and be totally caught up. They're on Amazon for like $12 each.

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i like apples spelling for older students. it is geared toward junior high and high school students needing basic phonics reviews. there is a sample you can look at as well. hth.

 

The only concern I have with a program made for older students is that they generally expect the student to know how to spell basic words, and they work on more advanced words. Any word over 4 or 5 letters long, DS has trouble spelling it. At that point, he just spells it the way it sounds. I need to start with the basics, but beyond learning to spell dog and cat, etc. Does that make sense?

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Spelling Power is for kids grades 4-adult. they have pretests and thier whole system is based on only studying the words you dont know. i bought an older version used on amazon and i think there have been a few listed for sale here recently. its convenient to have all the words in one book so once you get in a groove, you can just move through at your own pace.

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I am using Sequential Spelling with my ds9 and dd7. My ds9 is a struggling reader while dd7 is a bit ahead (so they are on approx. the same level although she much better fluency). Anyway, both are doing well. I like how it uses "patterns". Some kids so really well with spelling taught this way. I am considering using it with my ds11 and ds14 as well b/c both have difficulty spelling basic words. It might be worth a try. The words don't follow a typical grade level so there are tough words introduced very early on (might make an older child feel less "behind", kwim?).

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Spalding. You will need to study the manual (Writing Road to Reading) quite a bit before beginning to teach; and it will seem very simple when y'all first start, but I am convinced that you will see 2-3 (or more) spelling grade levels of improvement in a year. I know this because I've done it. :)

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I like Spelling Plus http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Spelling+Plus%3A+1000+Words+Toward+Spelling+Suc/014528/1266704271-576109.

 

It's one book (with 1000 words) that includes levels that start at the very beginning (at, the) and end with words like exaggerate and embarrass. The words come from lists of the most commonly used words in the English language. I like that it doesn't use difficult words that the child is unlikely to ever use again. She compiled the lists using several different resources (commonly misspelled words, most used words in writing, Dolch lists, etc.) You can buy the dictation book which covers all the words in dictation sentences and paragraphs for each level. The sentences continue to use previous words from earlier lists as review. You can give him a pretest to determine where to start instruction. She does say that the different levels cover words that should be mastered by the end of 6th grade, but if your child is way behind his peers, this should be a quick way for him to learn the words he'll use most often in writing.

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In your situation, I would do the placement tests for Sequential Spelling. It has a different sequence than any spelling program I've seen, so it seems there are easy and hard words in each level. Here's the link for the pre-test, but they say most students should start with level one. http://avko.org/free/Rough%20Placement%20Test%20for%20SS.pdf

 

You can also try the first lesson to get an idea for the program.

http://avko.org/Samples/SSH/301.pdf

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The only concern I have with a program made for older students is that they generally expect the student to know how to spell basic words, and they work on more advanced words. Any word over 4 or 5 letters long, DS has trouble spelling it. At that point, he just spells it the way it sounds. I need to start with the basics, but beyond learning to spell dog and cat, etc. Does that make sense?

Yes, it makes sense. You might look at Seeing Stars by Lindamood Bell (it's a special ed program used for teaching both reading and spelling based on both phonics and common words.) A cheaper alternative is get a list of the 500 (or 1000) most common words and then simply quiz your child to create individual spelling lists of 10-20 words that he doesn't know. Until he can spell the word correctly, keep it on the list.

 

Individual spelling lists can also be made based on a child's written work too. But to start, I suggest getting through a long list of common words, followed by the same technique using lists of commonly misspelled words.

 

And...it doesn't sound like this is the problem but if his spelling doesn't just chose the wrong letters that make the same sounds but if he misses sounds within longer words he's trying to spell, you might want to go back and double check his phonics abilities.

Edited by merry gardens
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You could take a look at How to Teach Spelling, maybe starting in Level 2 (for 2nd-3rd grade) if you think he is spelling at a 4th grade level. It starts out fairly simple but gets pretty meaty. He might be able to go thru it quickly (a semester?) and then start on Level 3, which is for 4th-6th grade. There are 3 sight word lists in Level 2, and 5 sight word lists in Level 3 (the first 3 are reviews of the lists in Level 2 and the 4th and 5th are additional lists). The workbooks don't have grade levels listed on them so he wouldn't know that Level 2 is supposedly for 2nd-3rd graders. I have a lot more info on my blog at http://dougcarla.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/how-to-teach-spelling-review/ This program uses dictation instead of "tests" to see if the student is getting the concepts presented. My dc don't know what spelling tests are. :)

 

I have a spreadsheet (linked on my blog) that lists all the topics covered in Levels 1-3 (I haven't purchased Level 4 yet). You can see that each level reviews the previous level and adds a little more detail. IMO, there is a bigger jump between Levels 2 and 3 than between 1 and 2, which is why I would suggest starting at Level 2 to have a more gentle start.

 

HTTS has a goodly amount of syllabication at the beginning of Levels 2 and 3, but you could get additional syllable instruction thru Megawords 1 if you think he needs that.

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  • 1 year later...
Guest libbylibby

Hello! I know I am like a year late to this post but I am having the same issue with my son. I was wondering if you found any suggestions that worked for you. I'm very worried more so now because I am afraid we will have to put the boys back into public school and know the spelling, among other things, is going to be an issue. I just don't want it to lower his confidence. Thank you all for being here!

libby

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You could take a look at How to Teach Spelling, maybe starting in Level 2 (for 2nd-3rd grade) if you think he is spelling at a 4th grade level. It starts out fairly simple but gets pretty meaty. He might be able to go thru it quickly (a semester?) and then start on Level 3, which is for 4th-6th grade. There are 3 sight word lists in Level 2, and 5 sight word lists in Level 3 (the first 3 are reviews of the lists in Level 2 and the 4th and 5th are additional lists). The workbooks don't have grade levels listed on them so he wouldn't know that Level 2 is supposedly for 2nd-3rd graders. I have a lot more info on my blog at http://dougcarla.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/how-to-teach-spelling-review/ This program uses dictation instead of "tests" to see if the student is getting the concepts presented. My dc don't know what spelling tests are. :)

 

I have a spreadsheet (linked on my blog) that lists all the topics covered in Levels 1-3 (I haven't purchased Level 4 yet). You can see that each level reviews the previous level and adds a little more detail. IMO, there is a bigger jump between Levels 2 and 3 than between 1 and 2, which is why I would suggest starting at Level 2 to have a more gentle start.

 

HTTS has a goodly amount of syllabication at the beginning of Levels 2 and 3, but you could get additional syllable instruction thru Megawords 1 if you think he needs that.

Thanks for that review and spreadsheet! We may use this after LOE.

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Hello! I know I am like a year late to this post but I am having the same issue with my son. I was wondering if you found any suggestions that worked for you. I'm very worried more so now because I am afraid we will have to put the boys back into public school and know the spelling, among other things, is going to be an issue. I just don't want it to lower his confidence. Thank you all for being here!

libby

You might look at both Sequential Spelling and Spaulding.   Also, you might find ElizabethB somewhere on these boards and see if her program would help you.  It is accessible on-line.  All About Spelling might be another option but it is expensive.

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  • 1 month later...

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