AAS Question, pronounce for spelling?

[amiesmom]

I'm new to homeschooling this year, and still trying to get a feel for things. I'm using AAS level 2 with my DD, we did level 1 pretty quickly with no problems, and this level seems to be just were she needs to be at. So far I really like the program, as I was never actually taught how to spell, only given lists of words to memorize, I'm really learning a lot myself.

 

So we are on step 4 of level 2 and there are a couple of words that I am supposed to "pronounce for spelling", which I understand, but what I don't get is how she is supposed to know how to spell the words later on if she hears them not "pronounced for spelling"?

 

The two words were 'seven' and 'problem'. With seven I would pronounce it normally with an "in" ending and problem would sound more like an "um" ending. Is this just something she will hopefully memorize eventually, or are there rules for words like these that we'll get to later? (Or maybe I just don't pronounce things correctly!)

[Cosmos]

I'm new to homeschooling this year, and still trying to get a feel for things. I'm using AAS level 2 with my DD, we did level 1 pretty quickly with no problems, and this level seems to be just were she needs to be at. So far I really like the program, as I was never actually taught how to spell, only given lists of words to memorize, I'm really learning a lot myself.

 

So we are on step 4 of level 2 and there are a couple of words that I am supposed to "pronounce for spelling", which I understand, but what I don't get is how she is supposed to know how to spell the words later on if she hears them not "pronounced for spelling"?

 

The two words were 'seven' and 'problem'. With seven I would pronounce it normally with an "in" ending and problem would sound more like an "um" ending. Is this just something she will hopefully memorize eventually, or are there rules for words like these that we'll get to later? (Or maybe I just don't pronounce things correctly!)

 

When we did "pronounce for spelling" it was in conjunction with the normal pronunciation of the word, so the student learned to think of them together. In those examples, I'd say "seven" first normally. Then I'd say, "This is a word we need to pronounce for spelling. Say, 'sev-EN'," emphasizing the difference in the end syllable. I'd make sure he could say it both ways correctly. Next time we needed to spell that word, I might prompt my child to see if he could remember on his own -- "Do you remember how to pronounce this one for spelling?"

 

My son caught on to this idea very easily and found it easy to remember the "pronounce for spelling" pronunciations. I find it very intuitive myself and actually have used it for many years almost unconsciously to help me remember the spelling of some words.

[Farrar]

That also seemed very intuitive to me. That's how I remember words as well... I've been mispronouncing words in my head in the name of spelling for ages.

 

But it doesn't help me with the "in" vs. "en" stuff. Coming from the south, I've never been able to hear the difference unless someone overpronounces it.

[amiesmom]

When we did "pronounce for spelling" it was in conjunction with the normal pronunciation of the word, so the student learned to think of them together. In those examples, I'd say "seven" first normally. Then I'd say, "This is a word we need to pronounce for spelling. Say, 'sev-EN'," emphasizing the difference in the end syllable. I'd make sure he could say it both ways correctly. Next time we needed to spell that word, I might prompt my child to see if he could remember on his own -- "Do you remember how to pronounce this one for spelling?"

 

 

Thanks, I'll try it that way from now on. My problem in part is that I am a horrible speller, spelling has never come naturally to me at all, so in my mind it's just trying to remember a jumble of letters with rules that only sometimes work. My DD is pretty strong in Language Arts generally, so maybe it will be easier for her than it was for me :)

[pfamilygal]

That's weird. I naturally say "sev ehn" and "prob lehm".