Need a good spelling program that isn't AAS...

[persephone43]

It was just too teacher intensive, complicated and ds 12 is too old for the tiles. It looked great but it didn't work for us. I want something that will still teach spelling rules but that is more open and go - something he can do mostly independently, and that will also go over commonly misspelled words.

 

He is generally a poor speller -although he can memorize a list of words long enough to pass a test. We frequently go over words he has misspelled, but he soon forgets if he is not directly being tested on them...in book reports, school worksheets, text messages, emails, etc.

 

Suggestions?

[edeemarie]

I would first suggest Writing Road to Reading. It does have a learning curve (which I believe is most easily overcome with the 4th edition) but once you understand the method it really is open and go.

 

If you are looking for something more independent that doesn't have a learning curve I would suggest IEW's Phonetic Zoo. They have a placement test here to find out which level to buy. If you are willing to read the words you can buy the cards without the CDs.

[SilverMoon]

Rod and Staff's Spelling by Sound and Structure 6. He'll likely memorize the words quickly, but don't let him out of any lesson until he's completed the work for it. The exercises are the strength of this series, and have the children working directly with the spelling rules. By the end of the lesson they know why the word is spelled that way, rather than having just memorized it.

 

This book can be done largely independently by the DC. You'll need to call the words for the final test (I do a mid-week practice test too).

 

I said book 6 specifically because that's their final year of strong phonetic teaching. The 7 and 8 books are focused on root based vocabulary and only work on the phonetic spelling one day a week.

[Dolphin]

We LOVE Phonetic Zoo here. I have written an extensive review of it.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/397302-my-ongoing-review-on-phonetic-zoo/page__hl__+phonetic%20+zoo#entry4676481

[Katie Jean]

We like Phonetic Zoo as well as Spelling Power. I let my kids pick which one they use. (4 kids 4 diff opinions) The olders like SP so they can do it together-littles like PZ so they can do it "by themselves".

[boscopup]

R&S Spelling is somewhat similar to AAS in what it teaches, but it's completely independent and in workbook form. It is Christian though, if that's a problem.

 

How to Teach Spelling (with workbook "How to Spell") is another one that is similar to AAS in what it teaches (this program is actually OG based like AAS) but in workbook form. I don't think it's AS independent as R&S is, but it's more independent than AAS.

 

I would not recommend WRTR if you're trying to get away from teacher intensive. It's just as teacher intensive as AAS.

[scrapbabe]

Well...for what its worth...I'm in the same boat and I think we're going to use Apples and Pears. If you do a search on the boards there are some good reviews.

[Mom in High Heels]

I second (or third) Phonetic Zoo. It is pretty much student led. It has improved Indy's spelling so much in less than a year.

[boscopup]

Well...for what its worth...I'm in the same boat and I think we're going to use Apples and Pears. If you do a search on the boards there are some good reviews.

 

Apples and Pears is excellent, but it is NOT independent at all. It's just as teacher intensive as AAS and WRTR - the teacher must sit there and dictate what the child does the whole time (similar to FLL for grammar). So just a heads up if you're looking for independent as the OP is. :)

[Clarkd]

How to Teach Spelling/How to Spell also gets my vote.

[Hunter]

I have found most spelling programs to be ineffective. The only ones I have found worth attempting are explicit phonics programs that are teacher intensive.

 

I like Alpha-Phonics if I'm also teaching cursive at the same time; Don Potter had a lot of supplements sprinkled all over his website. I like WRTR 4th edition if I'm teaching manuscript or not dealing with handwriting issues at all.

 

If I were overwhelmed and was just going to hand a child spelling to check off the box that I had done so, I would be sure to pick something cheap and quick, because as I said, spelling instruction is usually entirely ineffective.

 

When a child/student is not a natural speller, and has a full logic or rhetoric schedule, a mom needs to decide whether to pull back and remediate, or just settle for poor spelling. It's not being a bad mom to push ahead and accept poor spelling. My personal preference is abandon the logic and rhetoric materials and attempt spelling remediation, but that isn't necessarily the right choice for all moms/teachers and children/students.

 

What I strongly advise against is wasting time and money on middle of road curricula that that take more time and money than the cheapest and easiest choices, but don't provide any better results.

[persephone43]

Thank you for all of the replies! A lot to consider...although I will say that I'm leaning towards Phonetic Zoo at this point. I've heard it mentioned for awhile but never really "looked" at it until now. My biggest fear here is the cost if it doesn't work.

 

So for those that use PZ, am I to understand that in each lesson a spelling rule is taught alongside a word list using that particular rule? And then the child is supposed to master that rule before progressing to the next level or rule? And then the personal list chapters are words you take from the child's other schoolwork that he has misspelled? Thanks in advance!

[CatholicMom]

Phonetic Zoo sounds like a good choice. There is also Spelling Workout if he can tolerate working independently in a workbook. there is some review and you might have to drill the words sometimes, but it's not *essential* that you're involved every day like for AAS.

[Dolphin]

Thank you for all of the replies! A lot to consider...although I will say that I'm leaning towards Phonetic Zoo at this point. I've heard it mentioned for awhile but never really "looked" at it until now. My biggest fear here is the cost if it doesn't work.

 

So for those that use PZ, am I to understand that in each lesson a spelling rule is taught alongside a word list using that particular rule? And then the child is supposed to master that rule before progressing to the next level or rule? And then the personal list chapters are words you take from the child's other schoolwork that he has misspelled? Thanks in advance!

 

 

You really do not have to worry about that. IEW has an amazing return policy. If you do not like it FOR ANY REASON, return it, no questions asked.

 

So, there is a little jingle on a card that they get at the start of each lesson. They master their word list before them move on. I take words for the personal lists from his work, mostly grammar and writing. We only are doing every other that way. There is a card to do it every 5th lesson, but it takes us about 10 lessons before I have 10-15 words on a card.

 

I am about to do an update as he just did another assessment.

[Hedgehogs4]

My DS 11 is really enjoying Phonetic Zoo. We used AAS two years ago to patch up his spelling which was atrocious. It worked. He now actually likes PZ, and it is completely independent. It applies the same principles of learning phongrams and exceptions. ETA I should point out that despite the name "phonetic zoo" it is not written for little kids. The illustrations are pen-ink type and the zoo theme comes from the spelling rules being based on animal names that have that particular phonogram or rule used in their spelling. It is very appropriate for students through middle and even high school if they needed some spelling remediation.