When is it ok to give up on spelling curriculum

[HRAAB]

I'm ready to toss the spelling books for my 12 yr old dd and just address it in her everyday work. Over the years we have used Spelling Power, Spelling Workout, and currently Sequential Spelling. We also do copywork/dictation 2-3 times a week. It's just been in the year or so that her reading has taken off, and along with that, her writing has really improved, but not her spelling. Well, truthfully there has been some little improvement I've noticed, but it's still just bad. I have not seen a justifiable return on the amount of time we've spent with spelling programs. I would still continue to use dictation and help her correct her written school work. I do not correct the spelling on her personal writing; she would just be defeated.

 

When is it ok to say I've done my best and we're quitting spelling programs?

[ElizabethB]

:grouphug:

 

I would continue to work on spelling for another year but focus on the most common 1,000 words, which account for 90% of any running text.

 

I would get Spelling Plus and Spelling Dictation, but you may need to practice the words in a more multi-sensory way to make them stick.

 

http://www.susancanthony.com/books/sp.html

 

The dictation book helps make sure the words are transferring into normal writing.

 

http://www.susancanthony.com/books/db.html

 

 

[Mom-ninja.]

I feel your pain. I finally came to the decision to take some time off from spelling, and then we are starting over. I use AAS and it was made clear to me that I need to do lots lots lots more review than I have been. So, basically this past year feels like it was a waste as he retained nothing.

 

Deep breath. Let it go. And we'll start again. Sometimes our kids don't progress the way we want them to do they? How dare they? ;)

 

Do you think you want to switch again? I thought about switching, but honestly when I look around AAS seems to have all the components he needs.

[Critterfixer]

I've also come to the conclusion that I'm not doing enough review with Spelling. Still looking at various programs, but it really seems to have come down to the review thing.

I'm trying to figure out what that is going to look like at this point, but really, when I looked at it, review, review, review is what I need to do.

[Ecclecticmum]

Perhaps just getting something like Natural Speller by Kathryn Stout? That way you have a book and ideas on hand, and after a break, can slowly try addressing if from a different point of view.

 

What does *she* like? When I have a problem area my daughter hates, I use what she likes to either find something suitable, or create something. If she likes drawing, I would find a creative way to include drawing in her spelling, if she likes crafts, ditto. Or may be some sort of game based activity (like scrabble, scattegories? (I can't think if thats the one I am thinking of) or a handmade game). If she loves the computer, use something like Spelling City or another online "fun" spelling program.

 

Luckily my daughter thrives on challenges and games, so I find it easy (so far) to introduce spelling.

[HRAAB]

Thanks for the different suggestions. I've never heard of Spelling Plus - I'll take a look at that. I know about Natural Speller, but I hadn't thought about it with her because she is definitely not a natural speller. :laugh: She probably needs a break, and I need to step back and re-think this and find some other options. I agree review important. Guess I won't give up yet.

[Ecclecticmum]

I know about Natural Speller, but I hadn't thought about it with her because she is definitely not a natural speller. :laugh:

 

The name is a bit of a misnomer. From what I have heard its actually quite good with remedial students and slow learners. Its a multi-sensory curricula, here's the description from the site:

 

The only book you will ever need to teach spelling. Teaching strategies include additional tips for use with the learning disabled, and word lists are organized by both sight and sound patterns. Build vocabulary skills with Latin and Greek roots and word lists, and by using the spelling rules to add prefixes and suffixes to root words. Choose from among the suggested activities to include practice with grammar, dictionary, and composition skills. Phonic, spelling, and punctuation rules are listed for easy reference. Word lists are divided by grade, 1 through 8. However, this method is easily adapted for older students or adults who need remedial work. Because of its multi-sensory and simplified approach to spelling, and because each child can work at his own pace, this program is ideal for students with learning disabilities. Placed second in the 1999 Practical Homeschooling Reader Awards, placed third in 2001, and received an Honorable Mention in 2005.

[PollyOR]

Just throwing this out there ... At 12yo my dd (now 17yo) decided to write a book. Her spelling was so poor that even spell check didn't work for her. Finally she let me sit down and go through some of her document with her. Once she saw the words corrected and used them over and over again in her creative writing, spelling started to click for her.

 

I'm using very direct instruction (Logic of English) with my now 11yo. I believe the author said you need to practice a word approximately 40 times. I too realized that we haven't been doing enough review.

 

You can see an example of how LOE is taught here:

[JDoe]

When is it ok to say I've done my best and we're quitting spelling programs?

 

 

Just a thought: if you simply move to doing the work on a computer you will still get some spelling feedback (correction) while typing, and let's face it neither nice handwriting nor spelling is as critically important as it used to be thanks to computers. Might be an option.

 

Further you will presumably also help develop typing skills which will still be pretty important for some time to come (although I suspect that touch screens and voice input will become the the norm when the technology has advanced some more)

[HRAAB]

Don't give up.

 

I would strongly encourage you to correct her spelling on EVERYTHING she writes. Seeing words misspelled cements them in her brain that way continuing the pattern of misspelling. Always correct spelling, always. It is more defeatest not to be able to spell and thus be limited in your ablility to communicate in writing exactly what you want to convey. (And that comes from my 65 yr old Dad's personal experience.)

 

 

All her assigned writing is corrected for spelling, grammar, mechanics, etc. What I don't correct is her personal writing. She has probably 4 to 5 stories she's working on outside of school all on her own. This is something she has just started doing in the last year or so, and she enjoys it so much. She tells me the story lines, explains her characters, has me read them so we can discuss them. If I corrected them for spelling, she would quit writing. Her writing (content, sentence structure, vocabulary) has improved by leaps and bounds through these stories, and that is spilling over into her assigned writing. Those I won't touch unless she asks me which she has occasionally. Otherwise, all school work is corrected as well as anything that leaves the house.

 

I'm going to look at all the suggestions and work on different review methods. While we're dropping the spelling curriculum over the summer, I think we'll still do dictation a couple times a week plus she writes letters to friends/family, so there'll be opportunity to continue working on her spelling.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

eta: Oops. I also wanted to mention that she has been taught all the phonograms and did have a strong base in phonics. My oldest dd was taught using WRTR and has never been a good speller. Both of them, rather than struggling with reading, simply didn't like it. They would rather being doing something than sitting still reading. What got this dd going with reading was finding a series that she fell in love with, and since then, she usually has a book in hand. That's also when she started writing on her own. I should have mentioned that in my OP.

[Hunter]

:grouphug:

 

I would continue to work on spelling for another year but focus on the most common 1,000 words, which account for 90% of any running text.

 

I would get Spelling Plus and Spelling Dictation, but you may need to practice the words in a more multi-sensory way to make them stick.

 

http://www.susancant...m/books/sp.html

 

The dictation book helps make sure the words are transferring into normal writing.

 

http://www.susancant...m/books/db.html

 

 

:iagree: