All about Spelling & WRTR

[mamamindy]

I have been on the fence about spelling for my 1st grader for a while. I keep going back and forth between WRTR and AAS. I think I'm going to go for AAS since it has a smaller teacher learning curve. Right? (I feel just the homeschooling adventure itself has been a learning curve!) Also, because we have used the OPGTR (for both my K & 1st) with success so I don't need the WRTR to help me to teach them to read. I was thinking I'd wait and use Rod and Staff Spelling next year, but my 1st grader is constantly asking me how to spell things. When would I start this with my Ker? She's reading, but not halfway through the OPGTR yet.

 

ETA: If I wanted to use Rod & Staff Spelling, would there be any harm in starting now (in 1st) since she's reading well?

Edited October 13, 2012 by mamamindy

[boscopup]

AAS has less of a learning curve for sure.

 

I'd either do a couple levels of AAS and then switch to R&S or just start R&S 2 now and see how it goes. :)

[KristenR]

We started AAS when my oldest was a little more than halfway through OPGTR. We LOVE AAS. I did a blog post on here and showed how we utilize an oil drip pan as our spelling board. I had a few other posts which discussed AAS but one of my more recent ones outlined a day's lesson with it. Hopefully you'll find it useful.

[Ellie]

I have been on the fence about spelling for my 1st grader for a while. I keep going back and forth between WRTR and AAS. I think I'm going to go for AAS since it has a smaller teacher learning curve. Right? (I feel just the homeschooling adventure itself has been a learning curve!) Also, because we have used the OPGTR (for both my K & 1st) with success so I don't need the WRTR to help me to teach them to read. I was thinking I'd wait and use Rod and Staff Spelling next year, but my 1st grader is constantly asking me how to spell things. When would I start this with my Ker? She's reading, but not halfway through the OPGTR yet.

 

ETA: If I wanted to use Rod & Staff Spelling, would there be any harm in starting now (in 1st) since she's reading well?

Spalding is far more comprehensive than AAS. The learning curve isn't as high as you might think. You could start your 5yo along with your 6yo--it's always a plus when you can teach your dc together :D. You can add a little more with your older dc when she's ready, but you'll still only have one manual (Spalding is the method; WRTR is the manual) and one set of flash cards.

[mamamindy]

I still have so many questions. Using Spalding (or AAS, I'm guessing) is a different way to teach reading, correct? Because both my girls are reading, the 1st gder is just much further along than the K'er. So Spalding/AAS would be to teach them spelling? Is Spalding also grammar & writing, a whole language arts program? Is it better to teach reading this way than in a strictly phonics way? Also, my K'er is just not writing much yet. She's still working on her uppercase letters in HWT. (She doesn't have great fine motor skills.) Would this hamper us in WRTR? Would/should I still teach my son to read using a phonics method and then just backtrack with a Spalding method when he's writing? (He's only three, but I can see him being ready to read in a year or little more.)

 

Thank you for entertaining my questions. I would like to be able to check out/borrow WRTR, but our library doesn't have a copy. I don't want to give myself/my kids more than we're ready for, either.

[nukeswife]

I have found AAS very easy to use. I've bought WRTR multiple times and trying to read it and figure out how to implement it always gives me headaches. If you're kids are reading, I don't think you really need another program that would teach reading.

 

I like that I can open my AAS book and it tells me exactly what to do. I didn't get that from WRTR.

 

I know many out there love WRTR, but if it's something that requires a class or reading the book multiple times to figure out how to teach it, that's more time than I'm willing to spend.

 

As a bonus for your Ker that isn't writing well yet, you can do AAS totally orally, and with the tiles instead of them having to write the words out, until they are more able to write. Sure you could do that with WRTR, but you'd have to buy some sort of letter tiles or make your own to go with it and then WRTR has the whole labeling thing which AAS doesn't use.

Edited October 14, 2012 by nukeswife

[Ellie]

I still have so many questions. Using Spalding (or AAS, I'm guessing) is a different way to teach reading, correct?

Spalding teaches children to read by teaching them to spell. It includes handwriting, capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing.

 

I am not an AAS expert. :)

 

Because both my girls are reading, the 1st gder is just much further along than the K'er. So Spalding/AAS would be to teach them spelling?

 

Spalding would teach them to spell, and in the process, fill in any gaps they may have in their decoding skills.

 

Is Spalding also grammar & writing, a whole language arts program?

It can be, but it doesn't have to be.

 

Is it better to teach reading this way than in a strictly phonics way?

Some people think so. Others don't. The Spalding Method makes sense to *me.*

Also, my K'er is just not writing much yet. She's still working on her uppercase letters in HWT. (She doesn't have great fine motor skills.) Would this hamper us in WRTR?

She doesn't have to be writing yet. Spalding would cover that (although Spalding does NOT teach upper case first).

 

Would/should I still teach my son to read using a phonics method and then just backtrack with a Spalding method when he's writing? (He's only three, but I can see him being ready to read in a year or little more.)

I think you're putting too much emphasis on phonics versus Spalding. :) There's no reason to do some other method to teach your ds to read and then do Spalding, but if you want to do it that way, you can.

 

And there's only one Spalding Method. AAS is not Spalding. SWR is not Spalding. I can only address Spalding. :)

[mamamindy]

I have found AAS very easy to use. I've bought WRTR multiple times and trying to read it and figure out how to implement it always gives me headaches. If you're kids are reading, I don't think you really need another program that would teach reading.

 

 

Thank you!

 

 

I think you're putting too much emphasis on phonics versus Spalding. :)

There's no reason to do some other method to teach your ds to read and then do Spalding, but if you want to do it that way, you can.

Yep, I am/was confused. Thanks for clarifying. :)

 

And there's only one Spalding Method. AAS is not Spalding. SWR is not Spalding. I can only address Spalding. :)

 

This helps, too. I was thinking there were several different versions/ways of using the Spalding method in these other publications like SWR, AAS, and some others. I was confused. I'm getting it. ;)

 

Is the WRTR book something that would help me understand the English language better? And another question: what age do you typically start using this? Thank you so much for the time you've taken to answer my questions!

[Ellie]

This helps, too. I was thinking there were several different versions/ways of using the Spalding method in these other publications like SWR, AAS, and some others. I was confused. I'm getting it. ;)

Good. :)

 

Is the WRTR book something that would help me understand the English language better?

It would help you understand reading and spelling better. :)

 

And another question: what age do you typically start using this?

Officially? Usually when dc are 5 or 6.

 

Thank you so much for the time you've taken to answer my questions!

YW. :)