Apples and Pears Spelling?

[momtofive]

I'm looking this over right now for a few of my kids. We've done lists, workbooks, copywork, dictation, and even recently used AAS. None of these methods on their own, have helped my dc learn to spell correctly in their written work. Apples and Pears Spelling seems to incorporate several of these concepts.

 

Can someone whose had some experience using this program share a little about how it works, and their thoughts on it?

 

Thanks! :)

[Chelli]

Here's my review: http://www.theplantedtrees.com/2013/01/virtual-curriculum-fair-2013-apples-and.html

 

We love it! It teaches spelling the way I spell, and I'm a very good speller.

[Momling]

It's been working really well for my 4th grader. I think she benefits from the one on one, and the direct, gentle spiral.

[momtofive]

Wow, Chelli, what a great review! :D It's just what I've been searching for. Very well done!

 

This program makes so much sense to me. I think a spelling program that can incorporate these skills in a manageable way is fantastic. Thank you so much for linking me to your review!

 

Momling, thanks so much for sharing how well its working for you, too! ;)

[freesia]

Apples and Pears works really well here. My older dd was an extremely poor speller. She started with A in second grade and is now in D. My younger ds is doing B in third grade. We do 1/2 a lesson 4 times a week. She is in fifth grade now and is spelling really well. It did not happen overnight by any means. I love the constant review of words. There is absolutely no sense of learning how to spell a word and never seeing it again. They all come back in one form or another--and there are many variations of ways the program works with words. I also love that there is sentence dictation.

 

Every 10 lessons there is a mastery test. If you do not pass at a certain level, you repeat the past 10 lessons. DD had to do it quite a few times, but it was never a big stress. And it worked!

 

Can you tell how much I love this program???????????? Well, honestly, I do find it intensive and dull. LOL I would rather spend the time helping a child who has trouble with math. But I love,love, love its structure and the results that we have had. My kids do not like the program, but that is bc spelling is just not easy for them and they don't like to work at it. As I said, we only do 1/2 a lesson--about 10-15 minutes--a day. Any more would cause them to dread spelling I am sure.

 

If you have natural spellers, it is overkill. If you don't, it is worth the work.

[SkateLeft]

Chelli's review was the one that sold me on trying it this year.

 

Originally, I bought it for my 2nd grader, but then I went ahead and picked it up for my 7th grader too. He was using Phonetic Zoo and doing well enough, but I didn't feel he was making any progress. He used LOE last year, and that was great. He's come a very long way in the last year, but we just seemed to be marking time with Phonetic Zoo.

 

I'm really happy with Apples and Pears. I wish I'd found it years ago, because I think it's exactly what my older ds needed. Both of the boys enjoy spelling, or at least don't complain about doing it. I really like how it introduces the morphemes and practices them over and over without seeming repetitive. The variety of activities keeps them engaged, and the dictation stretches them too.

[pollo_la]

Great review. We really like Apples and Pears too! :-)

[Mom-ninja.]

I switched to A & P after hitting a wall with AAS. We worked in the book for awhile, and my ds liked it. However, he was not retaining. Even with the constant review he was still making spelling errors in other writing outside the workbook.

 

We are now back doing AAS. So we'll see how it goes. I can always try A&P again.

[FO4UR]

It was written for dyslexic students, capitalizing on visualization and morphemic patterns.  

 

My 8yo is nearly finished with Book B and she is a very confident little speller/writer.  (The kids ask her to write for their clubs b/c she's "The Good Writer.")  Part of her success is she is bright and was born with a pencil in her hand.  Part of it is that A&P is such a natural way to learn to spell.  It's maybe 10 minutes every day (We do one page per day.) and highly effective.

 

My 11yo is dyslexic. I've tried quite a few things on him.  A&P works.  It is writing intensive though, and we started and stopped a few times.  I had him repeat Book A after going back to Orton-Gillingham methods AGAIN...and finding it fruitless AGAIN...  Once he was really reading, I decided to put full focus on writing next, and chose A&P Book A for the 2nd time.  It's been good for him, and he's retaining.  He's able to complete writing assignments in other subjects, for example.  

 

 

Each level (lesson) culminates in 4 dictation sentences.  Before starting Book A, the student should be physically able to write 4 sentences from copywork within 10 minutes. (jmho)  The lessons prepare the dictations *well,* so I don't worry about the switch from copywork to dictation, but the amount of writing needs to be manageable.  I also recommend starting with a student who reads fluently on a 4th grade level.  If you have a little one who is not reading fluently yet, just wait on A&P.  

 

 

Each book has about 60 levels. If you spread out the levels and do one page per day, each book will last about an average school year.  An older student could do a level per day and accelerate through.  I'd recommend placing down, if placement is a question.  Even when the words seem easy, writing from dictation is more challenging than just learning words.

 

 

The kids do not jump for joy at the sight of spelling lessons....but they are quick and effective.

[sbgrace]

I used a great rule and phonogram based program. My son knew his phonograms. He knew all the rules. He still couldn't spell well at all!  We were just spinning wheels.

 

Apples and Pears just works here. It has turned him into a decent speller. I am not sure why it works so well, though I've thought about it.  I think the morpheme chunking works. The repetition/spiral nature of the program is key I think. Because of that, he can visualize words, and this was the weak spot before (is it fruit or froot? both are phonetically correct....you have to know what it looks like to select the right phonogram). The other thing that tripped him up was the idea that the rule he learned works "usually" or "often". In that case, the rule is a guide and, again, you're relying on your visual memory for spelling. Apples and Pears teaches, as far as I can tell, just three rules-three very useful rules that always work. And they are practiced over and over.

 

Someone up thread mentioned they are a natural speller and spell this way. You know, I hadn't thought of it before but I think it's true of me too.

 

We're well into book 3 now. I am actually using it with my weak speller and his natural spelling twin. This is only because I didn't want to purchase another program, and the twin needed the work on dictation anyway. Neither child complains. The variety seems to make it tolerable. If someone is struggling, I just stop for the day. I am always happy to go backward if we start missing words. I started with a lesson per day in book 1, but we slowed as things got tougher. Now we usually do 1/2 a lesson a day.

 

I guess I don't really have anything to add that wasn't said. I kept wondering if I should switch, but I knew our program was good, so stuck with it longer than I should have. I kept thinking maybe it just needed to click in or he needed to mature or something. I wish I had started Apples and Pears earlier. I'm very happy with our progress, I just regret wasting money and time on the other program! And, because of that other program, it took a while for him to think of himself as a "good" speller.

[momtofive]

Thank you all so much for sharing how Apples and Pears Spelling has worked for you. That's just what I've been hoping to find out about it. You've all confirmed what I was thinking. My one dc really needs this, as most everything we've used so far has failed for him. I love the approach and will be ordering soon.

 

Thanks again! ;)