Spelling rules program

[SewingMom2many]

I still haven’t found a spelling program we are happy with and we've tried at least 4 that I can think of off-hand (see below). I really want my kids to learn the rules and not just spell things on a list and have a test at the end of the week.

 

I’m looking at Logic of English Essentials for our spelling curriculum next year but I see that it’s directed at kids in 3^rd grade and up. What about the kids who aren’t ready for 3^rd grade work yet but who are already reading well? Is there a program I can use as an introduction to the spelling rules before we get to Essentials? I see there is a LoE Foundations program but it looks like it’s much more than what we need – my kids know how to read, they just need to learn the spelling rules.

 

The grade levels of my kids next year will be K, 1, and 2 - any suggestions?

 

 

Here is what we've tried so far:

Spelling Workout

All About Spelling (way too many pieces for us)

McRuffy

Rod and Staff

We also have a subscription to spellingcity.com

[UrbanSue]

What about Writing Road to Reading which is the Spalding method? It teaches all the phonograms and spelling rules and you can start as soon as a child can "write" (tracing or drawing in rice is fine for really young kids). Older kids who can already read still start at the beginning but move more quickly.

 

Spalding has a reputation for a steep learning curve which you will quickly discover if you do a search here but the flip side is that those of us who are dedicated to it are very, very willing to give lots of advice and hand holding. It is very inexpensive, very open-and-go (once you figure it out) and non-consumable and works with any age.

 

Spalding has been around a long time and there are many editions of the WRTR manual and we have frequent, lively debates about which is the best. My personal opinion is that if you don't have anything, get a used 4th edition on Amazon. It looks like they go for $6 plus shipping right now.

[warneral]

Honestly, I wouldn't be starting spelling until 2nd grade. Focus just on your second grader(s).

 

You could use How To Teach Spelling plus a How To Spell workbook. If you've used AAS then you will understand how to teach the phonograms.

 

ETA I didn't comment on LOE b/c I had already been through 4-5 levels of AAS when it came out :)

[Tanikit]

If you already have All About Spelling then I would probably go back to that and skip the tiles and anything else that is too much for you. I have not personally used it, but from looking at it and also hearing from people who do use it, it would be the way I would go. I do something similar with my DD who is in kindergarten - basically I teach her a rule and then I give her a short dictation sentence using the rule and then as we move on I have been making sure the sentences spiral the older rules back in so that there is constant review. She has of course also learnt a few of the more common sight word spellings that are usually found in grade one spelling lists. This is basically what AAS does except without the tiles and I do not use phonogram cards either as my DD knows them already - if we are learning a specific phonogram sound I just write it on the whiteboard and leave it up for a few days while she does the first few sentences with that sound and then take it down when the sound is in review and we are on a new spelling rule/sound.

 

I do spend quite some time figuring out what to teach next but initially it was fairly simple: cvc words, then blends, ll, ff, ss after a short vowel, ck endings, ing and ed endings, c vs k, oo words and then silent e and other long vowels is what I have done so far along with some sight words.

[ElizabethB]

Spelling Plus. Easy, words arranged by rule and pattern, includes rules.

 

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

[queenie]

What about Writing Road to Reading which is the Spalding method? It teaches all the phonograms and spelling rules and you can start as soon as a child can "write" (tracing or drawing in rice is fine for really young kids). Older kids who can already read still start at the beginning but move more quickly.

 

Spalding has a reputation for a steep learning curve which you will quickly discover if you do a search here but the flip side is that those of us who are dedicated to it are very, very willing to give lots of advice and hand holding. It is very inexpensive, very open-and-go (once you figure it out) and non-consumable and works with any age.

 

Spalding has been around a long time and there are many editions of the WRTR manual and we have frequent, lively debates about which is the best. My personal opinion is that if you don't have anything, get a used 4th edition on Amazon. It looks like they go for $6 plus shipping right now.

 

 

Do you need the flashcards as well? If so, where do you get them? Thanks!

[UrbanSue]

Yes, you need them. If you get the 4th edition you can cut them out and laminate them. Or you can order them from Spalding which is what I did. They are inexpensive. But otherwise you just need paper and pencil. A notebook after third grade.

[Tracy]

The author of LOE used to be a trainer for Spell to Write and Read, which we have been using since before LOE came out. Spell to Write and Read is a much cheaper and more flexible program, though I understand not very different in philosophy. SWR is probably harder to get started, but I would rather buy a single program that I can use with all of my kids at all ages and abilities. And once you get started with SWR, it is entirely open-and-go.