Spelling curriculum and integration with other LA.

[Hottater]

I just need some confirmation here. I was researching spelling methods and trying to find the best fit. But trying to apply WTM suggestions is leaving me feeling overwhelmed with Language Arts. My son is now mid year into 2nd grade. Feeling like a curriculum junkie :drool5: .

 

Explode the Code review- Thought it was a great series. We followed OPGTTR and whatever dipthongs they introduced-- or phonics they would go with, we did the same in ETC. For Ex. th words, we'd find whichever book had th in OPGTTR and do the exercises in ETC. I dropped ETC because the sentences were too hard for him at the time (k'er) to read and respond with the written and because someone told me it was just reinforcing phonics, not spelling per se. At the time, it was a lot of writing for my K'er. He got up to book 5 though.

 

Spelling workout Book A review - I like how it was laid out, because it covered dictionary practice, proofreading, rhyming, vocab comprehension, writing, and provided some rules. I wasn't understanding how the word lay out was of benefit to my son in the long run, because the lists put words together in odd ways. Ex = words beginning with v, y,z, qu The list words were van, zoo, you , queen, zip and very. The visuals on the page were great for my son, but he had too much writing for his grade (early 1st grade at the time, we dropped it because cursive, WWE 1, grammar, and reading took precedence).

 

Then I saw Sequential Spelling (It was free from a friend, and my portfolio reviewer said I needed to help him do it- I previously dropped spelling in favor of concentrating on Reading, Cursive, grammar, and WWE 1 during 1st grade), my son finished (Ordinary Parent's Guide to teaching reading and now is in 2nd grade.) So I thought he was ready. He got 14 out of 20 words correct on his first spelling test after Lesson 40. He doesn't take 15 minutes to do a lesson like the book says, it's more like 30-45 minutes and this is teacher intensive on my part. (He sometimes stops at 15 words) I have to use a timer, and set it to one minute after each word on the list or he won't focus. I will draw on my ipad (chalkboard app) instead of the whiteboard. SS doesn't provide the other things like in Spelling Workout, but he's able to spell complicated words through word families and patterns. No rules. He and I like rules, so I was considering purchasing Uncovering the Logic of English to tell him the rule that associated to particular words he had problems with. We use Writing with Ease 2 and FLL 2 and Abeka readers at the moment. It is taking a very long time for us. So I ask maybe we should change curriculum? He only got through lesson 40 and we started in September 2012.

 

Spelling Power - I have the 365 activity cards,and the thick spelling list book but the rules aren't logical to me as to the why or how they should be applied when we would be stuck on a spelling.

 

So far, this week, I will be continuing with SS and possibly purchasing ULOE unless I get other feedback from people. I have a 4.5 year old and a 2 year old that are totally testing my patience. Would love an open and go curriculum that isn't teacher intensive for my DS 7 yr old. Should I switch back to Spelling workout and force independence? I feel like it's going to take forever which ever curriculum I employ, as he gets distracted easy with the youngers. I am trying to get a feel for if I should employ something that is all inclusive come 3rd grade, because my K'er will be a handful-- or if I should continue breaking out all the subjects in LA like the WTM suggestions that I follow.

WWE takes 45 minutes, FLL (grammar) is 10-15 minutes, Reading is in 1 hour increments 2 times a week (he read all of a Frog and Toad book in one sitting) . Spelling 45 minutes. The LA seems too time consuming.

[Heidi]

Why is WWE taking 45 min.? It normally takes about 10. Are you doing only one lesson a day?

 

What if he read every day for 20 min?

 

Spelling shouldn't take 45 min. either. Why is he taking so long? If it is teacher-intensive, and you don't want teacher-intensive, R&S spelling is pretty independent. I don't know anything about SS.

[Ellie]

I would expect a 7yo to still not be spelling perfectly.

 

I would not expect a 7yo to work very independently on just about anything.

 

45 minutes on WWE for a 7yo seems like a very long time. Maybe I'm must not familiar enough with it.

 

You have used a bunch of different things in a very short period of time. Possibly one reason you aren't see the results you hoped for is that you haven't used anything long enough.

[MerryAtHope]

Sequential Spelling and Spelling Power are for 3rd grade and up last I checked, so that could be part of why they are taking so long. For 2nd grade, I would go back to basics in your planning. First, decide how much overall time you are willing to devote to LA, set your priorities (first, second, third etc...), and then see how you might fit them into the time you have. Here's the process I go through to plan LA. I haven't used WWE, but I do think 45 minutes is too long for a 2nd grader, and would either adapt it or cut lessons in half, or find other ways to shorten the time (or, I would use something else and save it for later). 60-90 minutes total is plenty for LA (plus additional time for reading aloud to him), so start with your top priorities and see how it all fits.

 

Merry :-)

[Hottater]

Most of the books I've used were for several months of use before I dropped them, so it's not like I tried them for 2 weeks and expected quick results. Most were used for 6 months or more. Spelling power- I have, and looked at and didn't use yet. (the Quick start portion isn't quick..)

 

 

WWE 2 - 45 minutes is because He doesn't listen and pay full attention. I repeat the stories like 3 times before he answers right. And, he takes forever to write down a sentence. (Even with spelling mistakes) He stalls all the time, repeats questions all the time, and just sits there.

[Walking-Iris]

Are you in the 1st book.?I have always used SS as our spelling program and I used the 1st book with my oldest in his 1st grade year. It's not graded, it's leveled, so there's nothing saying SS is for 3rd grade. You can start it whenever. And there's no rule saying finish a book in a year. Book 1 took us 2 years to finish. My 4th grader is in book 3. And that's about right. That seems strange until you think about it. Those lists of words get complicated fast. It's an advanced program. If he missed 14 words, then that's 14 spelling patterns he did not learn. You would then go back to those lists (days) that included those 14 words and teach it all over again. (Just for fun I dug out my ds's old 1st grade SeqSpell. Is your ds having trouble remembering to double up before adding ing or drop a y and add ies? Those were the big ones for my ds. No worries. That's normal at that age and will get better with age and practice.) It can be teacher intensive at first, because it's not a test, you as a teacher are meant to teach them how to spell. I remember when we started I would write down every.single.word in those lists on our white board (or chalkboard) in color blocks. Every single time. Every single word. Also if you're using the revised books the words that are bolded are the important ones to know. If he can spell those you can rest easy. There are rules in SeqSpell. There's a handy list of them in the back of your teacher guide. A child is not meant to learn how to spell "thinning" without learning the double consonant rule. Or "puppies" without learning the drop a y and add ies for plural rule. But the thing is---rules can only take you so far. And that's the beauty of SeqSpell imho. Because there are moments when knowing how to spell has nothing to do with a memorized rule.

 

I don't understand why you would need to set a timer after each word. The child is learning how to spell not complete a facts practice test. That seems very anti Sequential Spelling philosophy imo. If he's too unfocused then figure out what in this process is boring him. He doesn't have to spell each word by himself. You can teach it to him and he can copy your spelling and then in the next day's lesson you can ask him if he can spell that root word and then you show him how to add the suffix or prefix etc to make a different word. Can he spell one of the words in a compound and then you spell the other and then he sees how they fit? Can you spell one homophone and see if he can guess the other? Can he write with three different colors? Use letter tiles etc? Also if you're using the revised student workbook---don't even bother with the extra activity. Do it the next day, or not at all. Depending on how important you think it is.

 

In 4th grade, now I can run my dishwasher and call out words and my kid can do a SS list in 5 minutes. I sit down and actively teach him when it's a new concept. But in the beginning it was very hands on to get him to understand how spelling worked.

 

I also use WWE and it shouldn't be taking that long. One day you're just reading a bit of a story and talking about it. The next some copywork. If dictations are still too hard don't do it yet. Give them as copywork, or just see if he can write one clause of the sentence, and then the next and so on. There's no rule. WWE isn't graded either, it's leveled. The books you are using have no finish by 3rd grade rule attached. You could even drop the FLL and do some other grammar for 3rd grade.

[Ellie]

WWE 2 - 45 minutes is because He doesn't listen and pay full attention. I repeat the stories like 3 times before he answers right. And, he takes forever to write down a sentence. (Even with spelling mistakes) He stalls all the time, repeats questions all the time, and just sits there.

 

I would think that he just isn't ready for that yet, and it would be the first thing I'd drop.

 

I'd go with Spelling Workout or Spelling by Sound and Stucture (R&S) and call it a day.

 

Or I'd do LOE (ok, I prefer Spalding, but you mentioned LOE so I'll just go with that, lol) and drop the other stuff--all of the other stuff.

[Walking-Iris]

Most of the books I've used were for several months of use before I dropped them, so it's not like I tried them for 2 weeks and expected quick results. Most were used for 6 months or more. Spelling power- I have, and looked at and didn't use yet. (the Quick start portion isn't quick..)

 

 

WWE 2 - 45 minutes is because He doesn't listen and pay full attention. I repeat the stories like 3 times before he answers right. And, he takes forever to write down a sentence. (Even with spelling mistakes) He stalls all the time, repeats questions all the time, and just sits there.

 

 

Then I would say WWE 2 is too advanced for him. Those are some pretty advanced read alouds selections. If he's zoning out and not listening, then the reading/listening comprehension may be too high for him. WWE isn't 2nd grade, it's the 2nd level in the program. Loads of people use WWE with older kids. We didn't start WWE until last year mid 3rd grade. And my 4th grader still works on some of the skills in WWE 2 at times. I think there's a video of SWB called Dictation With Dan where she's going back to work on WWE with a much older student---5th or 6th grade maybe? Maybe just drop it and read some books he likes and just ask for informal narrations. No need to make a right /wrong about it. Just simply have a back and forth conversation about the books. Let his thoughts and ideas about it come out without a correct answer being involved. If he feels the questions are a "test" of some sort he needs to pass, his interest is going to shut down. But if he's having a snuggly read aloud and a conversation with his Mom---he may perk up and then his narrations will be more spontaneous and natural.

[mom31257]

Another vote for R&S spelling! We've been using 4th grade for 2 weeks, and I really, really like it. It is clearly written to the student. Ds is doing one page a day. There are 4 pages per lesson, so on the 5th day, I'm giving him dictation sentences. The TM includes 2 sentences made from the review words of each list, but I'm making my own with several of the list words. I think I'm going to put them in my TM and resell it so that I can share them others.

[Hottater]

Writing with ease 1 - we did the whole book, so, my thinking, is maybe I need to pre-read difficult words to define them? I do critique his penmanship too, for spelling and wwe2, that could be cause for the time issue.

 

SS -I time my son so that he can get focused. It does say to do it quickly in the teacher's manual. I don't see how it contradicts. It's there for me too, cause my 2 DD s will distract him and me too so it is there to keep us both on track.

 

Afraid of r&s for some reason. Do you find it uses Orton gillingham rules? And is it rule based first or word family or random word lists that build on one another? Does it incorporate definitions or dictionary use?

 

Walking iris- yes ss1 and he does do very well on the first day of the set of four days, before all the suffixes are added not at 15 minutes yet. But day 3&4 are taking 45 minutes. Also FLL is working fine 10-15 minutes is all I'm spending. It's just the writing intensive parts, which shouldn't be an issue, because he's done cursive, print and all of wwe1. Thanks for your comments on spelling and wwe2. Ss - I didn't see the rules in the back of my tm. I will look! He keeps on saying you don't need the explanations because kids should just get the patterning, so I assumed that he never listed them. All I saw at the bottom were homonym lists. I will check when I get home!

[Walking-Iris]

 

Walking iris- yes ss1 and he does do very well on the first day of the set of four days, before all the suffixes are added not at 15 minutes yet. But day 3&4 are taking 45 minutes. Also FLL is working fine 10-15 minutes is all I'm spending. It's just the writing intensive parts, which shouldn't be an issue, because he's done cursive, print and all of wwe1. Thanks for your comments on spelling and wwe2. Ss - I didn't see the rules in the back of my tm. I will look! He keeps on saying you don't need the explanations because kids should just get the patterning, so I assumed that he never listed them. All I saw at the bottom were homonym lists. I will check when I get home!

 

 

If you need to use a timer to organize your time, I can understand that. Loads of people do that. We'll work on this subject for x amount of minutes and then we'll move on. That makes sense.

 

But I see nothing in SS that says a student ought to finish a list in 15 minutes. There's no reason at all to push a child to gain mastery in spelling so that they can do a spelling list in 15 minutes. In the guide it simply says "Lesson Time: 15-20 minutes" That's not a rule to aim for, it's just simply an idea of about how long this usually takes to finish a lesson. But like I said in the early grades, when children are just learning how to spell, read, and write---it can take longer because they are learning. As kids get older they get faster because they have some foundation to build on. Their handwriting is nearly automatic, they are proficient readers. In 1st and 2nd grade, they are still learning all of those skills.

 

The guide says "Spelling rules are not specifically taught. They are learned as part of the lesson." It doesn't mean don't teach rules. It means that the rules are learned while experiencing learning how to spell. Some other spelling programs attempt to teach rules and even have children memorize them, with little ditties and rhymes etc. That isn't in SS. But there are rules to spelling. That can't be denied. They're listed in the back of the book (if you're using the revised book). SS simply teaches spelling in a more phonetically appropriate way.

 

If he struggles when it's time to add an ending or beginning to the word, I would suggest breaking the word into parts. Make sure he understands the sounds he hears in "un" or"mis" or "re' or "ing" and "ed"---make sure he understands what they mean, the grammar of them. Let him spell the root word---teach him what a root word is---and then explain the prefix and suffix. Ask him to tell you the sounds in the prefix and spell that and then you supply the root. Make contraction cards so he can see would not becomes wouldn't. Let him physically mark out that o and see the words contract. language arts are integrated. Spelling separated from phonics separated from grammar just never works imo.

 

Personally I also see no reason to ask a child this young to write in cursive. My oldest ds can write cursive, but he prints his spelling lists and nearly everything else. I certainly didn't ask him to be proficient in cursive in the 2nd grade. That's the age he was learning cursive. Occasionally I'll ask him to write one or two words or something he is writing in cursive to practice the skill. But IMHO, just drop the cursive.

 

If he's struggling with writing he could just be tired. Let him orally spell the words to you sometimes. I sometimes do a list spelling bee style.

[boscopup]

Afraid of r&s for some reason. Do you find it uses Orton gillingham rules? And is it rule based first or word family or random word lists that build on one another? Does it incorporate definitions or dictionary use?

 

 

It's not exactly O-G rules, but the rules are VERY similar. It also teaches syllabication and all that. It's very heavily phonics based. The grade 2 book is a bit more random and light on the phonics, because they expect the child to still be doing "phonics" via their grade 2 Phonics program. Grade 3 spelling starts more phonics, and grade 4 gets VERY heavy into it (we just started this level). My son did 2.5 levels of AAS, and R&S has been a great replacement for AAS (he didn't really need an O-G program).

 

The word lists in grades 3 and up are usually based on certain patterns or rules. For example, there might be words with all consonant blends at the end. Or there may be words with the /ow/ sound spelled in different ways.

 

I haven't seen definitions yet, but I know the upper grades get heavy into vocab. Dictionary use is taught, starting in the grade 4 book. In the grade 3 book, Part C is all alphabetizing words. In the grade 4 book, they learn to build words and such, and then there is a "Dictionary Practice" section in some lessons. I don't really expect a 2nd grader to be using a dictionary. I think the introduction in grade 4 is appropriate.

[Wheres Toto]

Judging by your signature, your son is a very young second grader, the same age as my son. I think some of the previous responses might be correct and you need to adjust the levels for what you are doing. Around here, if he went to public school my son would have been red-shirted at the schools request and would only be in first grade.

 

At home he is working on a 3rd grade level in some things but there are other things he isn't ready for. He definitely couldn't handle proficiency in cursive. We are still working very slowly through HWT 2nd grade and that is hard for him. I often do the writing for him in other programs (like math) because he can handle the computation, just not the writing. I have tentative plans to start WWE1 with him next year because he's definitely not ready for the copywork or narration at this point. The amount of writing you are talking about would definitely extend our days by quite a bit, without really accomplishing any more actual learning.

[Hottater]

Dottieanna29- my son is past cursive. He's already done a reason for handwriting all the way through cursive c. And we are on week 18 of WWE2 with him. I can't use other's leveling by age it seems, but just modify the approach of lessons, because we started a year early in homeschooling, so to stop, would mean going backwards or review until we're blue in the face. My son does all the writing in his MUS gamma book. So we can't compare totally.

 

Isn't the next step proficiency though?

 

Walking Iris- Ss- Timer is for both. One minute per word, and for me when dd distracts me. I usually tell him to try to write the word in one minute, if he gets it wrong, I show him on the chalk board app to copy it, using colored prefixes/suffixes. If he doesn't copy it in one minute (goofing off) then he gets an x has to write it three times and gets 3 minutes to do that. I know that 45 minutes is excessive, so if it gets that long, I stop and continue on another day. Most times for day 1 and 2 it's 30 minutes or less. I really appreciate the input on syllabic breakdown and practical grammar infusion. I forget to "teach it differently" And integrate the grammar with phonics somewhat. LOVE your ideas. You are speaking my language! By the way, I don't think I have the revised edition, and don't have the cash to get that Patterns of English spelling book, is that really necessary?

 

Boscopup- He's already done OPGTTR. So, phonics has already been done through reading. But I've seen that spelling rules and reading rules are similar but not totally the same, am I correct or wrong in this? Eg.,Homophones, homographs, and homonyms show that in some cases? I don't know, but something tells me that plunking him in grade 2 or the first part of grade 3 of R&S would be too simple and not challenging enough. I should see if there are samples.

 

 

 

 

[MerryAtHope]

It's not graded, it's leveled, so there's nothing saying SS is for 3rd grade.

 

You're right that it's not on the book. I was remembering recommendations from Cathy Duffy (who says it can be for all ages but recommends waiting until 3rd or 4th grade, and then lessons will be in the 15-20 minute range). Sonlight also first includes it in 3rd grade. Not to say that it can't be adapted of course!

[Walking-Iris]

I don't have the Patterns book. It's totally not necessary. It's more of a reference book really. I really don't understand where pp are getting that the SS spelling needs to be done in any particular time? I guess I missed that particular suggestion. I've used the original and the revised SS books (it's been our only spelling program for going on 4 years) and I don't recall seeing anything saying that words need to be spelled in a certain time frame. YMMV but I'm typically anti making kids do things to beat a clock. That just discourages some kids imho.

[scrapbabe]

There are rules in SeqSpell. There's a handy list of them in the back of your teacher guide. A child is not meant to learn how to spell "thinning" without learning the double consonant rule. Or "puppies" without learning the drop a y and add ies for plural rule. But the thing is---rules can only take you so far. And that's the beauty of SeqSpell imho. Because there are moments when knowing how to spell has nothing to do with a memorized rule.

 

 

I hate to hijack here, but where is this handy list of rules in SS? I've never seen a list with rules. It sure would be handy.

 

[Walking-Iris]

In the Teacher's Guide---very last page.

[Ellie]

Boscopup- He's already done OPGTTR. So, phonics has already been done through reading. But I've seen that spelling rules and reading rules are similar but not totally the same, am I correct or wrong in this? Eg.,Homophones, homographs, and homonyms show that in some cases? I don't know, but something tells me that plunking him in grade 2 or the first part of grade 3 of R&S would be too simple and not challenging enough. I should see if there are samples.

 

Phonics and spelling are not the same. A child who has been taught to read with phonics can still be a poor speller, although children who are very visual tend to have better spelling skills, because they remember seeing words. Learning things like i before e except after c and when it says a as in neighbor and weigh are things you learn in spelling, not in phonics.

 

Spalding and its spin-offs/look-alikes teach children to read by teaching them to spell; there's no clear delineation between phonics and spelling. It makes sense to me to do it this way, but it isn't the only way.

[Hottater]

I hate to hijack here, but where is this handy list of rules in SS? I've never seen a list with rules. It sure would be handy.

 

 

I dont have it in my book either, it must not be the revised edition! LOL No wonder i am at a loss! I just got forwarded a spelling rules sheet from a friend. I don't know how comprehensive the list is. Is there a complete spelling rules list/book that supplements the SS good without me having to plunk down $75.00 (Does the patterns book contain all the spelling rules)?

 

 

Walking Iris - Beating the clock for my kid is much better than him stalling out/drawing things out, passive petering out type of behavior. But only if it's done in a certain way? Where emphasis isn't placed on it as a huge penalty. (I have to learn how to incorporate it through most things.) His MO - He tries to stall so long, so as to think that he can get out doing of most homework, cause he thinks I won't be after him. He tries to make me feel bad for doing any homework, as if it's punishment sometimes. I told him that people do work, it's a necessary thing. I need a better explanation of how to help him understand it's fun, so that learning isn't a drag. Timing the spelling this week was an actual motivator for him. I timed last night and we were on lesson 42 and he clocked in at 23 minutes for all 25 words! He's getting better! And, he was all smiles. I also changed it up so that the sentences i used the words in were more funny than usual. He didn't get any wrong. Maybe it's my change of my attitude that was needed? and to not think that it was a mandatory 10-15 minutes for spelling. I just knew that 45 was a bit long... So maybe I need to adapt with better explanations of spelling rules instead of getting frustrated, and cut the list short for the day if he isn't getting the concept, and practice more on the particular words that he gets wrong, if it is a spelling rule driven thing. And in fact, when he did get it wrong, it was: which to use c or K at the beginning of the word, doubling the consonant for a short vowel. But he only missed 6 problems on the 40th lesson evaluation, so 70% correct isn't so bad. The other issue with grammar infusion with the words in spelling, is that it would be undocumented, and I wouldn't know that I covered it, or if it was review. I am totally a sequential person. If I can't check off lesson xyz being done, I won't remember if we covered it. I don't think I could drop FLL. I do drop all the dictation or extra writing exercises in FLL. I use WWE2 so that I know he has a better sense of Reading comprehension and writing. I make him do one sentence in WWE in cursive every so often so that he maintains the practice of it. His spelling words are always printed.

 

I guess my other timing issue is the WWE2. So, maybe I should limit the number of sentences he writes or help him shorten the sentence in summarization? I want the sentences to come from him though. He's having issues putting thoughts on paper as his sentences become run on and long, it's gradual and slow full of spelling errors. Maybe I shouldn't correct him so often and just leave correction till the end. So that he doesn't get mad that he doesn't get it right the first time. And just sit there staring, and not comprehending? I guess my prep work of having to go through the hard words first needs to be had. It timed shorter when I explained the Pied piper/ week 17 definitions to him before hand, not just the ones that were given, but also ones that he wouldn't have understood at his age. I guess not all things are totally open and go. And, not all things should be black and white answers.

 

This is where timing gets hairy. This is what's been the norm, which seems too much for a 2nd grader: 45 min WWE, 30-45 min SS, 10-15 FLL, 20 min Reading. So LA is winding up to be approx 1 hr 45 minutes minimum- 2 hours 5 minutes maximum, a day. That doesn't include history, science, art or piano lessons. So I was hoping to limit this somehow. You all think I should cut WWE2? Or, just cut a tad on spelling and a tad on WWE, so it averages out? And, if I did, I think SS will get better as we progress, but WWE I think will get harder.

 

Editted 1/24 9:57 p.m.

[scrapbabe]

In the Teacher's Guide---very last page.

 

 

Guess I need to get the revised edition, 'cause it ain't in my book.

[Walking-Iris]

http://www.rainbowre...0bb928d3d67f1c2

 

If you have this book---no there's no rules list. And it's only a frequently occurring rules list btw.

 

 

http://www.rainbowre...0bb928d3d67f1c2

 

 

If you have this book...it's revised. Easy way to know if you've got a revised book? Is the paper thin newsprint type or thicker regular paper. The thinner paper is revised, regular paper, original. And revised books have all the homeschooling reviews on the back cover. The revised student workbook also has extra vocab and dictionary skills work and various games. The original student response book was merely a white book with the three blank lists and an inspirational saying on the bottom.

[Hottater]

Yep, the first one is the one I have :( Any free all encompassing spelling rules lists out there? That way I don't have to buy 2 revised editions? I have SS1 and SS2 non revised editions given to me from friends, and the big motivator for using this to start with, was that I didn't have to pay for this program, and the next levels are relatively cheap compared to other's I've seen.

 

As you can see, I get really scared to start something new. Being a grass is greener curriculum junkie, I am afraid to start something new cause I've been burned by homeschool fair OOOhhh's and Ahhhs, plunking down $$ for curriculum I didn't use or I probably won't use. I am too lazy to sell it back, because I have 2 dd's yet to do any curriculum. If they don't work well with the curriculum that I'd have already used with DS 1 - I'd still have options. It's always better to use the same curriculum, (for me if I can) cause my learning curve for homeschool materials and how to teach out of them is more proficient the 2nd or 3rd time around. I find it becomes less of a lesson planning chore.

[scrapbabe]

http://www.rainbowre...0bb928d3d67f1c2

 

If you have this book---no there's no rules list. And it's only a frequently occurring rules list btw.

 

 

So does it cover all the rules presented in the book, or just some of them?

[Walking-Iris]

The frequently occurring rules. I would say just look online for rules if you want all of them and want to use your older book. The revised book has updated and changed some of the word lists, but an older book would work just as well. SS isn't about teaching rules. Rules can only take you so far. And plenty of people can't spell anything because they can't remember some witty saying they supposedly learned in school. They are there to help guide the teacher in helping a child understand about "changing the babies not the boys" etc. Not something to memorize. That's just my opinion.

[Hottater]

Walking iris- I know it's not about the rules, but if I have them, he and I would have a better understanding how to memorize the spellings when the heteronyms and other words frequent things happen that I can't readily explain. He uses phonics to spell a lot . (Duv instead of dove) etc. even though glove shove love were presented earlier. Like if it's not stuck in the word family group, he needs to attach the rule or definition before he can spell it. C and k got me for the longest time, still does. There has to be a more comprehensive list out there. He is memorizing patterns with SS, don't get me wrong, just need something to back it up when he makes the same mistakes several times (doubling a consonant when it's a short vowel word before adding a suffix, etc.)

 

[Walking-Iris]

http://thespellingblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/reason-for-love-and-dove-above-done.html

 

 

 

http://grammar.about.com/od/words/tp/spellrules.htm

 

 

There are a ton of online articles and websites for spelling rules and help so you have a ready explanation for some things.

[Hottater]

I found some rules, but not a full one. Anyone have a better site that has more encompassing rules? Or a book choc full of them?

[Tess in the Burbs]

We did AAS. Yes, it's teacher intensive but it was worth it. I was glad to be done but my kids are pretty good spellers. We went to R&S Spelling this year(I picked a level I thought was challenging but not too hard). I love R&S Spelling. I wish I had found it earlier. And it's pretty independent. Very good in the way it has them work with the words.

[Hottater]

Ok, I am stuck again, I decided to try out Spelling power and the rule number 10 is ridiculous about long U School isn't a long u sound. I feel like I am starting to go back to square 1. My son just took the long term retention test and spelled play pllay, school- sklle, goes - gowes. This is after using the teacher's guide (yes I read the encyclopedic quick start guide (which is NOT quick)of the way to teach my kid and explaining their rules- which are arbitrary and don't make sense with certain phonograms. Help - at my wit's end doing spelling workout, sequential spelling and now spelling power. My son has done ALL of OPGTTR. So, he knows all his phonics... HELP! I skimmed through uncovering the logic of english, having problems with application as a spelling program.  

[My3girls]

Our LA goes like this... WWE2 (10-15 min), FLL2 (10-15 min), SpellWell (15-20 min), and ETC (15-20 min), so about an hourish. Dd7 is naturally better speller than dd8, but they are both making progress.

 

 

Word bingo or tic-tac-toe is a favorite. They have to write the words in the spaces themselves, and they have to be spelled right to win.

[MerryAtHope]

Ok, I am stuck again, I decided to try out Spelling power and the rule number 10 is ridiculous about long U School isn't a long u sound. I feel like I am starting to go back to square 1. My son just took the long term retention test and spelled play pllay, school- sklle, goes - gowes. This is after using the teacher's guide (yes I read the encyclopedic quick start guide (which is NOT quick)of the way to teach my kid and explaining their rules- which are arbitrary and don't make sense with certain phonograms. Help - at my wit's end doing spelling workout, sequential spelling and now spelling power. My son has done ALL of OPGTTR. So, he knows all his phonics... HELP! I skimmed through uncovering the logic of english, having problems with application as a spelling program.  

 

We tried most of those as well, and also struggled (After using one of these, my son spelled ask "aic" because he thought the C could serve as both /s/ and /k/ sounds in the same word, and that words just sometimes throw in an extra vowel just because. In our case, we needed a more incremental approach, and All About Spelling worked well here. I'd take a look at that. It walks kids through the patterns one at a time, and covers 4 main spelling strategies and how to use them.