Writing Road to Reading-how do you implement?

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[WahM]

I feel the best program for a given family is whatever helps the homeschool parent teach their child what they need to teach. At the end of the day that is what matters!

 

I agree which is why I post the comment. And I said, " that uses a similar method" because the poster mentioned LOE. I don't think that type of method is needed if another program works better. Each family is different and we all have our own preferences, obviously.

[nature girl]

But Spalding (Spalding is the method; WRTR is the manual) doesn't teach writing before reading. It teaches children to read by teaching them to write and spell simultaneously.

 

Most children aren't ready to read before they are 5, at which time you can certainly do Spalding. :-)

 

I think that's what I and One of the Jennifers was getting at, though. If a child already knows how to read at a young age, does it make sense to go through the bulk of WRTR? I realize I'm simplifying the concept behind the whole program, and perhaps for a child already reading well, teaching to read the phonograms can be glossed over, and (once the child is old enough to write automatically and learn spelling) Spalding would be great at teaching and firming up spelling rules...But don't most good spelling programs do that?

 

I think what I was looking for when I purchased Foundations was a way to increase fluency with more complex words, with learning spelling rules as an added bonus. I'm coming to realize, though, that at least for us, the only thing helping to build fluency is frequent practice.

[Guest]

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[Guest]

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[Hunter]

Thank you Hunter! You have always been very friendly. I appreciate it :001_smile: .

 

I wouldn't say that I am back though. More like stopping by. We ended up getting a diagnosis on both our boys just over a year ago. My oldest was diagnosed at the top of the spectrum (Asperger's) and my youngest just below his level. My oldest was not offered any services as he is 2e and excelling in his schoolwork. My youngest (also 2e) was offered further testing with a recommendation for ABA. At that point I just decided I was going to work with him at home. So... now I am "teacher-mom" (I prefer calling myself their coach), playmate-mom, and therapist-mom. It's exhausting and does not leave time for much else ;) .

 

Good coming across you though :001_smile: !

 

:grouphug:

[Hunter]

Hunter, you made me chuckle and nod my head in agreement at the same time ;) .

 

 

 

Boxes and spreadsheets make me happy!  :001_smile:

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[arliemaria]

Free Spalding Flashcards

http://www.husd.org/cms/lib07/AZ01001450/Centricity/Domain/2663/Spalding%20Phonogram%20Cards%20Packet.pdf

 

Phonics is a hobby of mine. I sometimes skip meals and hand-wash my clothes just to fund my phonics curricula purchases. I'm sick that way.

 

O-G is ONE way to do phonics. Hegge and Kirk based curricula are another way, that I sometimes find more effective.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CCYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedweb.pylusd.org%2Fecho%2Fportal%2Fpublic%2Fgetfile.aspx%3Fun%3Dlbegin%26fileid%3D19991&ei=ocG9U7jDMMyxyAS3j4KAAQ&usg=AFQjCNG8IUaj4vyE_wGT3b6rFmZa-G9ELw&bvm=bv.70138588,d.aWw

 

Sometimes I want to be a Spalding Geek, and I don't even know why; it just seems to be the ultimate way to be a phonics geek. But when it comes time to get busy with a student and I look into those eager eyes and want to make sure I use the most effective thing possible for THAT student, I often find myself sighing AGAIN and pulling out a Blumenfeld book: The free Home Primer, How to Tutor, or either edition of Alpha-Phonics.

 

I don't regret any of my O-G studies, and am currently using my eBook copy of LOE (Logic of English) for now, but if I had 5 minutes to choose the ONE book I had to use with ALL students for the next 20 years, I'd probably grab the revised Alpha-Phonics. Blumenfeld stuff just WORKS, and works IMMEDIATELY, with no stress or fewer tears than anything else. Lesson 3, where the student copies their first 2 sentences–in cursive if using the suggested cursive first method–is where I sometimes get hugged by the student.

http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=54721

 

If you want to try and combine the Hegge and Kirk method and the O-G phonograms, Don Potter has written some O-G supplements for the revised Alpha-Phonics.

http://www.donpotter.net/reading_clinic.html

This was a helpful pdf for me.  I just printed it and read through it all.  I like how they explain both the Oral and Written Reviews that should be done daily.  That is helpful for giving me a procedure to follow.  How should the phonogram cards be assembled?  I have them printed.  Should the alpha symbol (for lack of a technical term) be on the front of an index card and the pronunciation on the back?

 

Immediate feedback I assume would be watching the child do the work and correcting him/her as soon as they have made a mistake and delayed would be after they have completed writing all of his tested phonograms.  Am I correct?

[arliemaria]

Free Spalding Flashcards

http://www.husd.org/cms/lib07/AZ01001450/Centricity/Domain/2663/Spalding%20Phonogram%20Cards%20Packet.pdf

 

Phonics is a hobby of mine. I sometimes skip meals and hand-wash my clothes just to fund my phonics curricula purchases. I'm sick that way.

 

O-G is ONE way to do phonics. Hegge and Kirk based curricula are another way, that I sometimes find more effective.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CCYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedweb.pylusd.org%2Fecho%2Fportal%2Fpublic%2Fgetfile.aspx%3Fun%3Dlbegin%26fileid%3D19991&ei=ocG9U7jDMMyxyAS3j4KAAQ&usg=AFQjCNG8IUaj4vyE_wGT3b6rFmZa-G9ELw&bvm=bv.70138588,d.aWw

 

Sometimes I want to be a Spalding Geek, and I don't even know why; it just seems to be the ultimate way to be a phonics geek. But when it comes time to get busy with a student and I look into those eager eyes and want to make sure I use the most effective thing possible for THAT student, I often find myself sighing AGAIN and pulling out a Blumenfeld book: The free Home Primer, How to Tutor, or either edition of Alpha-Phonics.

 

I don't regret any of my O-G studies, and am currently using my eBook copy of LOE (Logic of English) for now, but if I had 5 minutes to choose the ONE book I had to use with ALL students for the next 20 years, I'd probably grab the revised Alpha-Phonics. Blumenfeld stuff just WORKS, and works IMMEDIATELY, with no stress or fewer tears than anything else. Lesson 3, where the student copies their first 2 sentences–in cursive if using the suggested cursive first method–is where I sometimes get hugged by the student.

http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=54721

 

If you want to try and combine the Hegge and Kirk method and the O-G phonograms, Don Potter has written some O-G supplements for the revised Alpha-Phonics.

http://www.donpotter.net/reading_clinic.html

Forgive me for hijacking this discussion and becoming OCD a bit.  I just am trying to truly understand and work out the method in my mind.  So from reading some on this site, I assume I need first work on total recall of the alphabet including fluency in writing the alphabet before I begin Oral Phongram Review and Written Phonogram Review.  Am I at least on the right track here?

[Hunter]

This was a helpful pdf for me. I just printed it and read through it all. I like how they explain both the Oral and Written Reviews that should be done daily. That is helpful for giving me a procedure to follow. How should the phonogram cards be assembled? I have them printed. Should the alpha symbol (for lack of a technical term) be on the front of an index card and the pronunciation on the back?

 

Immediate feedback I assume would be watching the child do the work and correcting him/her as soon as they have made a mistake and delayed would be after they have completed writing all of his tested phonograms. Am I correct?

You fold and tape the free Spalding flashcards, so that the phonogram is on one side and the sound(s) on the other side.

[Hunter]

Forgive me for hijacking this discussion and becoming OCD a bit. I just am trying to truly understand and work out the method in my mind. So from reading some on this site, I assume I need first work on total recall of the alphabet including fluency in writing the alphabet before I begin Oral Phongram Review and Written Phonogram Review. Am I at least on the right track here?

If you are talking about a Hegge and Kirk or Blumenfeld book, I do NOT master the alphabet first. I jump right into lesson one and the sounds of a, m, n.

[carriede]

Just wanted to chime in to say...

 

I wanted to do Spalding with 5yo K'er. It truly did take 3 FULL READINGS COVER TO COVER TAKING NOTES to understand the method and its implementation. It sounds like a lot of work, and I suppose it certainly isn't open and go... But I feel at home with the method, DS5 is doing great (only 8 phonograms in, but still), and were looking forward to continuing.

 

So glad I found Spalding now and not later! Thank you, Ellie and Hunter!

 

Materials I own: 4th Ed WRTR, phonogram cards, 5pk clock face cards, and writing paper I made in Word

[Ellie]

Just wanted to chime in to say...

 

I wanted to do Spalding with 5yo K'er. It truly did take 3 FULL READINGS COVER TO COVER TAKING NOTES to understand the method and its implementation. It sounds like a lot of work, and I suppose it certainly isn't open and go... But I feel at home with the method, DS5 is doing great (only 8 phonograms in, but still), and were looking forward to continuing.

 

So glad I found Spalding now and not later! Thank you, Ellie and Hunter!

 

Materials I own: 4th Ed WRTR, phonogram cards, 5pk clock face cards, and writing paper I made in Word

 

:thumbup:

 

Now that you've done your studying, Spalding is open and go. :-)

[Guest rockstarmama]

So I'm brand new here and after reading this thread, I just ordered WRTR. I hope you good folks haven't led me astray ;) Thanks for all the great info. I have three homeschoolers this year - K, 1, and 2 - moving into a more structured way of homeschooling because my children are enjoying it and benefiting from it. Anyway, thanks!

[Hunter]

So I'm brand new here and after reading this thread, I just ordered WRTR. I hope you good folks haven't led me astray ;) Thanks for all the great info. I have three homeschoolers this year - K, 1, and 2 - moving into a more structured way of homeschooling because my children are enjoying it and benefiting from it. Anyway, thanks!

Welcome to the forum! :party: :grouphug:

[DesertBlossom]

Okay, I've read through the book once. Only two more times to go. However, I promised DS6 we'd start "spelling" today. He knows a lot of the phonograms already. He can write all the letters, though he does need to work on correct letter formation for a few of them. I know I still need to keep reading, but since he was demanding we do something, I sat him down with a piece of paper and started quizzing him on the phonograms. I said the sounds and he wrote them. He got through about 10 of them and was lured away by the sound of legos in the other room. However, later in the day he was FURIOUS at me because we never did spelling. He wants to be writing words. He is reading pretty well already, so he's capable of it. But the book says he's got to get through a certain number of phonograms before beginning his spelling notebook. 

 

Anyway... it's been a crazy day.

[Hunter]

Okay, I've read through the book once. Only two more times to go. However, I promised DS6 we'd start "spelling" today. He knows a lot of the phonograms already. He can write all the letters, though he does need to work on correct letter formation for a few of them. I know I still need to keep reading, but since he was demanding we do something, I sat him down with a piece of paper and started quizzing him on the phonograms. I said the sounds and he wrote them. He got through about 10 of them and was lured away by the sound of legos in the other room. However, later in the day he was FURIOUS at me because we never did spelling. He wants to be writing words. He is reading pretty well already, so he's capable of it. But the book says he's got to get through a certain number of phonograms before beginning his spelling notebook.

 

Anyway... it's been a crazy day.

I never taught all those phonograms before teaching some words. If he has done "m" and "e", you can have him write "me".

[Ellie]

Okay, I've read through the book once. Only two more times to go. However, I promised DS6 we'd start "spelling" today. He knows a lot of the phonograms already. He can write all the letters, though he does need to work on correct letter formation for a few of them. I know I still need to keep reading, but since he was demanding we do something, I sat him down with a piece of paper and started quizzing him on the phonograms. I said the sounds and he wrote them. He got through about 10 of them and was lured away by the sound of legos in the other room. However, later in the day he was FURIOUS at me because we never did spelling. He wants to be writing words. He is reading pretty well already, so he's capable of it. But the book says he's got to get through a certain number of phonograms before beginning his spelling notebook. 

 

Anyway... it's been a crazy day.

 

Yes, he does need to know the first 45 phonograms. Point that out to him, and perhaps it will be an incentive to not letting Legos lure him away, lol. If you teach four a day, he'll be ready in no time. :-)

[Ellie]

I never taught all those phonograms before teaching some words. If he has done "m" and "e", you can have him write "me".

 

Ah, Hunter...but you aren't a Spalding geek, lol.

[Hunter]

Ah, Hunter...but you aren't a Spalding geek, lol.

 

Yes, I'm a phonics geek, not a Spalding geek. :)

 

Sometimes I teach just the first few lessons from a Blumefeld text, until the entire alphabet has been covered, or just the consonants and short a. Then switch over to the WRTR frequency list, introducing the phonograms as needed. Lesson 3 of the Blumenfeld texts allows the student to write their first sentence even though the entire alphabet hasn't been taught yet.

 

So, I teach SENTENCES with just the phonograms a, m, n, s, t, x, h. Sam sat. Sam has an ax. I add d and w. Dan sat. Dad has wax. And 10 more sentences are added including interrogative sentences. Now I let a student camp out here for awhile, practicing their handwriting, drawing pictures, and talking about as much grammar as they can absorb, while drilling drilling drilling just these phonograms.

 

When I just drill a large number of phonograms, out of context, some students feel panicked and like they will never learn to read and spell and write. Words and sentences give context and hope.

 

The first 14 lessons of Revised Alpha-Phonics covers the consonants and short a. Lessons 15-27 cover the rest of the short vowels and a few of the most common double consonant phonograms. Lesson 38 introduces 2 syllable words, and lesson 40 introduces the "a in all" which is the first time the Don potter and Spalding phonograms differ. If I'm going to switch from starting with AP and then finishing with WRTR, I switch at 14, 27, 37, or 39. If I'm doing Cursive first, I stick with AP longer than if I'm teaching manuscript first.

 

I don't remember Romalda saying that there was an important reason to drill the phonograms out of context of words and sentences. I haven't found a good reason to do so.

[DesertBlossom]

Yes, he does need to know the first 45 phonograms. Point that out to him, and perhaps it will be an incentive to not letting Legos lure him away, lol. If you teach four a day, he'll be ready in no time. :-)

 

So, it says they aren't writing the first few pages of their spelling notebook until 2nd grade. DS would be in kinder, though he's almost 6. So do I write the first pages in his notebook?  Or do you just wait to write them when he's older?  And how does this work in a homeschool setting?  In PS, my kids would get a brand new notebook at the beginning of each year and write those first few pages again.  Do you just keep going? 

 

I know, I know. I must keep reading. But my reading retention apparently is terrible at the moment. Three days of homeschooling with 5 kids ages 8 and under has been physically and emotionally exhausting. And the Ker is just not being patient with me. *sigh*

[Walking-Iris]

I'm a WRTR newbie,but i just wanted to throw into this conversation a practical way for the OP to get started without getting overwhelmed by spelling notebooks and OG spinoffs etc.

 

I started using WRTR 4th edition (found cheap used on Amazon) near the end of this past school year.

 

The phonograms are in the book. I simply cut those pages out of the middle of the book and then organized the phonogram cards into lessons. I paper clipped a bundle to start with, then a next bundle, then a next.I moved ones to review to the front of the box. I had already been doing phonics lessons with my ds but we weren't progressing so I wanted to try Spalding. I started from the beginning. He obviously already knew most of the first phonograms (alphabet etc) and could easily handwrite them. So we moved pretty quickly through and didn't need to review much from the beginning. But I had him practice the handwriting and tell me the sounds regardless. I did however write a few words down for him to practice reading while he learned the particular phonogram he was working on. I wanted him to see those phonograms in context. 

 

Then we started the Ayres list. We will pick it back up next week when we end our summer break. There are various instructions in how many words to give each day in the manual, I gave as many each day that my ds seemed able to do. 5-10 words were his limit before the wiggles started. I'm not really terribly concerned with how many words he can spell in one sitting. If he can do 10 to 15 I'm happy with that. Words he had a hard time reading or spelling I marked with a check and we reviewed as needed. I continued to have him read aloud some of the lessons in OPGTR (which we had been doing and he hated!). He's begun to read the OPGTR primer better now that he's had the writing/spelling practice. Visual reading alone was not enough for him. 

 

There's also a list of books in the back of WRTR to read. I started him on those and have been trying to find others of the same quality for him to practice. Mostly Dr Seuss style Beginner Books and he can now manage some of the I Can Read books (Little Bear etc). He still doesn't have great fluency or a lot of stamina,but I do feel that the spelling lists have helped tremendously. I also have him practice important sight words. I have some phonics readers of various publishers. They have their place in helping the beginning reader.

 

I haven't even touched the spelling notebook yet, and I just completely decided I didn't care for the marking system. YMMV.

 

This coming year I hope to finish WRTR. I only plan on going through it once, and hopefully he will be ready to start a regular spelling program this year. I still feel he needs more for phonics that are not workbook based busywork, so I will add The Wand to our year.

 

But he is reading more, writing on his own, and making progress.

 

For  3-4 year old child. I would simply focus on the first phonograms (alphabet etc) and really work on the handwriting skills, capital and lowercase. I really push learning to write lower case at young ages since that is what they will be reading. You can use Montessori moveable alphabets like the one found on Montessori Print Shop to help them build simple CVC words.

 

My one complaint about WRTR (at least the 4th edition) is how disjointed it is. You really do hav eto read it with a pen in hand. And then basically re write the thing in a lesson plan game plan. It repeats instructions over and over and I find the writing very inconsistent and scattered. But once you get to the main point behind all of that and make a game plan for yourself, I found the phonograms and Ayres list were all I needed really. 

[Ellie]

So, it says they aren't writing the first few pages of their spelling notebook until 2nd grade. DS would be in kinder, though he's almost 6. So do I write the first pages in his notebook?  Or do you just wait to write them when he's older?  And how does this work in a homeschool setting?  In PS, my kids would get a brand new notebook at the beginning of each year and write those first few pages again.  Do you just keep going? 

 

I know, I know. I must keep reading. But my reading retention apparently is terrible at the moment. Three days of homeschooling with 5 kids ages 8 and under has been physically and emotionally exhausting. And the Ker is just not being patient with me. *sigh*

 

He doesn't do a spelling notebook. Children under 8yo/3rd grade can write their spelling words on loose-leaf paper. If they do use a spelling notebook then no, the rule pages are not written in there. You can make posters of them if you want.

 

FTR, the authors assume that children who are 6 before school starts are in first grade, not kindergarten, so that should be your rule of thumb on when to do things with him. :-)

[Ellie]

I'm a WRTR newbie,but i just wanted to throw into this conversation a practical way for the OP to get started without getting overwhelmed by spelling notebooks and OG spinoffs etc.

 

I started using WRTR 4th edition (found cheap used on Amazon) near the end of this past school year.

 

The phonograms are in the book. I simply cut those pages out of the middle of the book and then organized the phonogram cards into lessons. I paper clipped a bundle to start with, then a next bundle, then a next.I moved ones to review to the front of the box. I had already been doing phonics lessons with my ds but we weren't progressing so I wanted to try Spalding. I started from the beginning. He obviously already knew most of the first phonograms (alphabet etc) and could easily handwrite them. So we moved pretty quickly through and didn't need to review much from the beginning. But I had him practice the handwriting and tell me the sounds regardless. I did however write a few words down for him to practice reading while he learned the particular phonogram he was working on. I wanted him to see those phonograms in context. 

 

Then we started the Ayres list. We will pick it back up next week when we end our summer break. There are various instructions in how many words to give each day in the manual, I gave as many each day that my ds seemed able to do. 5-10 words were his limit before the wiggles started. I'm not really terribly concerned with how many words he can spell in one sitting. If he can do 10 to 15 I'm happy with that. Words he had a hard time reading or spelling I marked with a check and we reviewed as needed. I continued to have him read aloud some of the lessons in OPGTR (which we had been doing and he hated!). He's begun to read the OPGTR primer better now that he's had the writing/spelling practice. Visual reading alone was not enough for him. 

 

There's also a list of books in the back of WRTR to read. I started him on those and have been trying to find others of the same quality for him to practice. Mostly Dr Seuss style Beginner Books and he can now manage some of the I Can Read books (Little Bear etc). He still doesn't have great fluency or a lot of stamina,but I do feel that the spelling lists have helped tremendously. I also have him practice important sight words. I have some phonics readers of various publishers. They have their place in helping the beginning reader.

 

I haven't even touched the spelling notebook yet, and I just completely decided I didn't care for the marking system. YMMV.

 

This coming year I hope to finish WRTR. I only plan on going through it once, and hopefully he will be ready to start a regular spelling program this year. I still feel he needs more for phonics that are not workbook based busywork, so I will add The Wand to our year.

 

But he is reading more, writing on his own, and making progress.

 

For  3-4 year old child. I would simply focus on the first phonograms (alphabet etc) and really work on the handwriting skills, capital and lowercase. I really push learning to write lower case at young ages since that is what they will be reading. You can use Montessori moveable alphabets like the one found on Montessori Print Shop to help them build simple CVC words.

 

My one complaint about WRTR (at least the 4th edition) is how disjointed it is. You really do hav eto read it with a pen in hand. And then basically re write the thing in a lesson plan game plan. It repeats instructions over and over and I find the writing very inconsistent and scattered. But once you get to the main point behind all of that and make a game plan for yourself, I found the phonograms and Ayres list were all I needed really. 

 

The manual isn't really "disjointed;" it's just arranged on a need-to-know basis. For example, when you're learning about how to teach the single-letter phonograms, you don't need to know yet about how to teach the rule pages in the spelling notebook. Some of the instructions are included in the spelling list itself (which is why I nag encourage people to read the whole manual, cover to cover, before they try teaching. :-) And I have not noticed that instructions are repeated "over and over." To what are you referring?

 

When we teach the words in the spelling list, we are not merely having them spell words as many words as they are able to spell at one time. We are teaching each and every word, analyzing it for phonograms, syllables, applicable rules, penmanship, and so on.

 

In the editions up to the fourth, the books in the appendix are recommended after children finish specific sections of the Extended Ayres List. I don't think the fifth and sixth editions say that.

 

Millions of children learn to read and spell who have never heard of Spalding. :-) But if you want *Spalding* to work, you need to do *Spalding.* It sounds as if you're just using the manual for a reference, which is fine. :-) It will be helpful next year to say it just that way, that you were using it as a reference, not that you were doing Spalding (the method is Spalding; the manual is WRTR). Your experiences using it as a reference will be different from folks who are teaching Spalding. :-)

 

[Hunter]

Has anyone completed their own spelling notebook for the 5th or 6th edition? I know a lot of us have finished a 4th edition notebook? It's been awhile since I did my 4th edition notebook. I'm thinking of starting a 6th edition notebook. The editions are a bit different and with my memory loss issues, I think the reinforcement would be good. Who knows. Maybe this time around I'll decide to TEACH Spalding instead of using it as a reference. :)

 

I just REALLY wish WRTR was an eBook!!!

 

 

[DesertBlossom]

He doesn't do a spelling notebook. Children under 8yo/3rd grade can write their spelling words on loose-leaf paper. If they do use a spelling notebook then no, the rule pages are not written in there. You can make posters of them if you want.

 

FTR, the authors assume that children who are 6 before school starts are in first grade, not kindergarten, so that should be your rule of thumb on when to do things with him. :-)

 

He is 6 in September, so should be in K, just among the oldest in his grade. And for the past year has been begging to learn to read. I didn't want to teach him because then what would he have done in kindergarten? :P But I finally caved and started using the SWR flashcards and he probably knows 30-40+ phonograms, at least. I really need to to quiz him to find out for sure. Well, with the few phonograms he knows plus sheer determination, he's reading pretty well. So that boosted my confidence and I decided to homeschool him after all. I  would have encouraged him to keep going with his quiz this morning except the 15 month old was climbing all over us on top of the kitchen table and the 4 year old was screaming at me because the lines he was making weren't straight.  When I sent the 4 year old to play with legos, DS6 had to follow and I was too frazzled at the point to object. 

 

I think I need to lower my expectations for homeschool even more. :P

[Hunter]

Okay, I'm all done with that experiment. I will not be completing a 6th edition notebook. Spalding people took stupid pills after Romalda died.

 

The 6th "spelling/vocabulary" list isn't even an extended Ayres list. There are pros and cons to that, but you cannot use the free public domain spelling tests with it.

 

The 6th list does not include the instructions of when to add words to the spelling rules notebook pages.

 

There are no notes before each lettered section of the spelling list.

 

The 6th instructions refer you to those expensive and bulky teacher guides at almost every paragraph. It's really annoying, especially if you have them and know there is nothing there to look at. And the books are so awkward to hold and full of white space.

 

Shame on them if they are being greedy. If they are really that stupid that's just sad.

 

And dropping Romalda's gh phonogram to pick up the Riggs gu phonogram just bugs me.

 

I do not think Romalda would approve of the new Spalding. I just don't. I laughed at the videos. I think she would have thought they were funny at all. Romalda, if you are out there and can read this, :grouphug:

[Snow]

Hunter, I believe you said you watched the LOE teacher training videos from Denise Eide, right? Would you say the way she breaks down the words into syllables and sounds (really, the actual teaching part) is Spalding-esque? Pretty close? Or not so much?

 

Hope that's not sidetracking too much.

[Hunter]

It's been awhile, and I don't think I finished them. Yes, I think it's close, or just as good, or maybe better.

 

LOE is not finished–is my biggest gripe. And it's EXPENSIVE. And I don't think there are notebook pages like in WRTR 4th. Yes, the 6th shows sample pages, but the instructions are less than stellar. So, I can no longer say LOE is lacking the notebook pages of WRTR 6th.

 

Yes, we can still get WRTR 4th, but really WRTR has ceased to exist as we know it. It's the same with Saxon. Saxon is getting further and further away from what the 1st and 2nd editions were. I'm not brand loyal, when the brand changes, when the original author dies. I think in general a lot of products are only as good as the last edition the original author wrote.

[arliemaria]

What is not completed from LOE?

[Snow]

It's been awhile, and I don't think I finished them. Yes, I think it's close, or just as good, or maybe better.

 

LOE is not finished–is my biggest gripe. And it's EXPENSIVE. And I don't think there are notebook pages like in WRTR 4th. Yes, the 6th shows sample pages, but the instructions are less than stellar. So, I can no longer say LOE is lacking the notebook pages of WRTR 6th.

 

Yes, we can still get WRTR 4th, but really WRTR has ceased to exist as we know it. It's the same with Saxon. Saxon is getting further and further away from what the 1st and 2nd editions were. I'm not brand loyal, when the brand changes, when the original author dies. I think in general a lot of products are only as good as the last edition the original author wrote.

Thanks Hunter!

[wehave8]

Romalda Spalding writes a bit about it, and I have observed similar things, but it appears that is is difficult for a student to write in cursive until they are spelling in syllables instead of phonograms.

 

The Blumenfeld books in particular are good about teaching reading and spelling in patterns. It's easier for the student to practice cursive by writing the words in the tables, rather than from a frequency list.

 

I'm no expert. Romalda didn't write much about what she seemed to know a lot about.

 

I refuse to teach cursive first with an O-G frequency list. I refuse. Especially with at risk students, who have all sorts of brain issues that make multitasking and thinking ahead difficult.

 

If a student is dead set on cursive, as a developmental milestone they missed and feel like they need to learn NOW, I will teach it with a Blumenfeld book. But I think Romalda Spalding is the expert on handwriting. Her instructions in WRTR 4th make all kinds of sense.

 

I read that cursive would help with the 'flow' of writing phonograms in spelling words , so I did cursive first with ds10.  He is my struggling student in spelling and reading.  Ds9 started writing phonograms in manuscript, but now writes his spelling words (in syllables) in cursive and does very well in spelling and reading.  I know with the struggling ds10 there are other issues (every child is so different!), but what you are saying about learning isolated phonograms in manuscript first makes sense, and I wonder if it could be a contributing factor.  Interesting!

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[Hunter]

LOE Essentials only covers a limited number of very easy words. It is not a complete frequency word spelling list. Maybe some day there will be a book 2, but the author seems focused on the Foundations curriculum rather than finishing Essentials.

 

There are supplementary lists for LOE Essentials, but they are not marked and divided by syllables. The author says it's so easy there is no need for her to do it for you. Also the words chosen for the supplementary lists don't make sense to me.

[DesertBlossom]

Yup, in our case now that he is reading I can backtrack and work on the phonograms. Teaching them in isolation now that he is already reading will make more sense to him. I was already doing that, taking the opportunity to teach him all the sounds during reading, along with some of the spelling rules, but have not done it using THE METHOD :). Anyway, I was looking over some resources I had saved up and stumbled on the below. It is from an old thread and I will link the thread also since I will not take credit for work I did not do ;) . I like! I wonder why I forgot I had it! Anyway, here's the link to the old thread. It is post number 7. I hope the original poster does not mind that I have dredged it up!

 

I could kiss you! That is exactly what I need!

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[Walking-Iris]

The manual isn't really "disjointed;" it's just arranged on a need-to-know basis. For example, when you're learning about how to teach the single-letter phonograms, you don't need to know yet about how to teach the rule pages in the spelling notebook. Some of the instructions are included in the spelling list itself (which is why I nag encourage people to read the whole manual, cover to cover, before they try teaching. :-) And I have not noticed that instructions are repeated "over and over." To what are you referring?

 

When we teach the words in the spelling list, we are not merely having them spell words as many words as they are able to spell at one time. We are teaching each and every word, analyzing it for phonograms, syllables, applicable rules, penmanship, and so on.

 

In the editions up to the fourth, the books in the appendix are recommended after children finish specific sections of the Extended Ayres List. I don't think the fifth and sixth editions say that.

 

Millions of children learn to read and spell who have never heard of Spalding. :-) But if you want *Spalding* to work, you need to do *Spalding.* It sounds as if you're just using the manual for a reference, which is fine. :-) It will be helpful next year to say it just that way, that you were using it as a reference, not that you were doing Spalding (the method is Spalding; the manual is WRTR). Your experiences using it as a reference will be different from folks who are teaching Spalding. :-)

 

 

Okay?  :huh:

[Hunter]

Okay?  :huh:

 

:grouphug: :lol:

 

I've been reading and scratching my head today, too, about a few things. Then I look at the 6th, Riggs, SWR, and run right back to the WRTR 4th, not because it's perfect, but because –Wow!–the others are worse as a WHOLE.

[Hunter]

There is no "tch" in WRTR 4th. I forgot about that. Romalda's explanation about why it's better to "think to spell" "t" plus "ch" makes sense though. And I often say the "t" anyway.

[Hunter]

I'm not sure which edition of WRTR this spelling assessment was designed for, or if it matters.

https://misdelar.wikispaces.com/file/view/spelling%20assessment.pdf/441994714/spelling%20assessment.pdf

 

Here is the main site the assessment is from.

http://misdelar.wikispaces.com/MISD%C2%A0Spelling

[lots of little ducklings]

I've been gone too long, I had not read about this before! Thank you for pointing this out Ellie. This is something that may interest me with my youngest.

 

The readers worked beautifully with my reluctant reader. When we started using them, he had completed 100Ez and memorized all the WRTR phonograms, but was overwhelmed by "normal" literature. Other readers we tried were too easy, too boring, or in some cases full of unpredictably challenging words. For DS, the Spalding series has provided a perfect bridge to literature. We are almost through the second series, and he enjoys even the non-fiction (which he initially declared "boring" but then couldn't wait to read again.).

 

I begin a reading lesson by listing 8-10 words from the book on the chalkboard, specifically choosing words with phonograms that still stump him or that demonstrate a rule (or irregularity) I want to highlight. Together we mark the syllables, and then the phonograms, for each word -- just as we would in a spelling notebook. Then it's off to the couch to read, and because he's been pre-exposed to the difficult words, he's more likely to meet with success on his own.

 

Depending on the difficulty of the book, we usually only work on 1/3 to 1/2 of the book in a sitting.

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[homeschoolkitty]

I did Cursive First which has a sample planner on how to teach SWR, which was most helpful. Now they are coming out with lesson plans!!!! I can't wait to get them.

 

I think all the curricula spoken about here needed something like that that was simple and not as expensive as LoE.

[wehave8]

I did Cursive First which has a sample planner on how to teach SWR, which was most helpful. Now they are coming out with lesson plans!!!! I can't wait to get them.

 

I think all the curricula spoken about here needed something like that that was simple and not as expensive as LoE.

The Lesson Plans are GREAT!

I helped field-test them for 2 years.  They lay out a very easy-to-follow plan.  You will love them!

 

Pam