Baseballmom Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I have tried several things for spelling, yet I have never found a spelling program I like. It seems to me that everything out there is either too teacher intensive or have no teacher involvement except to give the test. Maybe my goals for spelling are mixed up, but it just seems like a waste of time to study for the test and then not use the words correctly in writing. I have e-mailed the people at All About Spelling but I haven't heard back from them. What is your favorite spelling program for middle school age kids and why? Thank you, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 For both my kids we dropped a formal spelling program by 5th or 6th grade. Prior to that we used Spelling Power, and prior to that one we used Spelling Workout so I hear ya when you say either teacher intense or study for the test. When I dropped spelling it wasn't because my kids were great spellers, although the each tested well above grade level on the IOWA, but they were making the same mistakes over and over in their writing. For instance whith (with), wat (what), witch (which) were (where), were their common spelling mistakes. I changed my approach to help them learn to spell. After they wrote something, anything, I encouraged / required that they read the piece over again. They were both able to ID the misspelled words! This is an important writing step, proofreading to catch spelling errors, punctuation errors,.... So I did everything I could to encourage and require that the re-read what they wrote. When they couldn't see their misspelled words I would tell them that I could see 3 misspelled words and they were required to find them. If they still couldn't find them then I would narrow down for them where the words were. Finally they would find them and write them correctly. Every once in awhile I would post on their own bulletin board the correct spelling for words they were missing. This helped them to focus on the correct spelling. I also added Editor in Chief to their day, 15 min/day, for them to practice their proofreading skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseballmom Posted January 20, 2008 Author Share Posted January 20, 2008 I keep thinking he needs a formal spelling program because he still needs alot of work, but you have encouraged my to give the more natural approach a try. I guess as long as he can tell a word is spelled wrong he is already a step ahead. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I think there are people who use All About Spelling with kids ages 10-12. I'll bump this for you and see if anyone responds. I think How To Teach Spelling uses a similar methodology as AAS (O-G). It also takes mom-time, though. Phonetic Zoo may be similar and can be done independently, they say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Spellography - fun program designed for middle schoolers. Teaches the rules and word history and is fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Spellography - fun program designed for middle schoolers. Teaches the rules and word history and is fun. Thanks for telling us about this, jcooperetc! Is it the Sopris West curriculum? Where can you buy it for less than $200? How do you use it in your homeschool and with what ages? How much time does it take? Are there dvds? http://store.cambiumlearning.com/ProgramPage.aspx?parentId=019005495&functionID=009000008 Video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 From my online list, Pollard's Advanced Speller (last 2/3 of book) and "Spelling made Simple" by Ross are both around the middle school level: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Spelling/spellingforsucce.html Pollard is free, the Ross book is $10.36 at Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Yes, it is the Sopris book. You can buy the Teacher's Resource Guide from Sopris but for everything else they want a public school purchase order. The Guide is FULL of information, has all of the word lists and exercises, but no copies of workbook pages. I had to scrounge around the internet to find book stores that had copies of the workbooks. Amazon does not have them for sale. There are three workbooks and three teachers manuals. I have only been using it for a little while - found it after reading a magazine article link from a teaching blog. I use it with a 4/5th and 6/7th, pretty much how the program is spelled out (ha) in the Teacher's Resource Guide. The resource guide says you can use it with as young as 3rd graders. The $200 is for a complete classroom set. How do you use it in your homeschool and with what ages? How much time does it take? Are there dvds? It takes less than 1/2 an hour per lesson, but it is very easy to adapt to your circumstances and use as much or as little as you want as often or as seldom as you would like. You can just do one exercise a day or a full lesson a couple times a week (although that would be a LOT of information). Don't have or use the DVD's. The Youtube video is pretty typical of how it works, though in real life in a one on one situation it is less dry. I have learned a lot about how and why words are spelled a certain way. It is a very why oriented program. Alibris has some copies of the workbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 HTTS is in my sig. It is very much like AAS, but for older kids. If you get the teacher manual you can do it very easily with an older one. I have had trouble learning how to implement it with a younger one. There are dictation phrases and sentences included for every lesson. You can go at your own pace. I got the TM and two workbooks (there are 4 total for grades 1-12) for less than $20 at half.com and paperbackswap.com. Level 4 includes some vocabulary as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaof2andtwins Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I use AAS with my 9 yo twins. They are in 4th grade. I am also planning to have my nearly 15 yo go through it because he needs it. My oldest daughter just does not need a formal spelling program, so I dropped it with her after 5th grade. Jennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I love All About Spelling. It does have dictation sentences, so you do do a bit more applying of the words. Though it is a teacher intensive program. I just do it for shorter periods of time. Given there are only going to be 6 level I figure if it takes a while it will be fine. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I use AAS with my 9 yo twins. They are in 4th grade. I am also planning to have my nearly 15 yo go through it because he needs it. My oldest daughter just does not need a formal spelling program, so I dropped it with her after 5th grade. Jennie So your 15 yo won't feel insulted with AAS? What level are your 9yos on? Ds9 isn't a natural speller and I'd like to take him through an O-G program that really teaches the rules, etc. How much time each day do you spend on it? (I'd rather something less teacher-intensive, but even more, I want my kid to be a good speller:o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 You can use AAS with older students, you just need to modify a bit how you do it. Here's an article about it from the site: http://www.all-about-spelling.com/teaching-spelling-to-older-students.html I've used lots of programs before finding AAS last year, but it's been the best thing to help my son (12 this week). I wonder if your email didn't go through for some reason, you could try emailing AAS again. Or ask on their message board, The ChatterBee. I hope you find what will help your son! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaof2andtwins Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 So your 15 yo won't feel insulted with AAS? What level are your 9yos on? Ds9 isn't a natural speller and I'd like to take him through an O-G program that really teaches the rules, etc. How much time each day do you spend on it? (I'd rather something less teacher-intensive, but even more, I want my kid to be a good speller:o) Well, when I mentioned it to him he did make some comment about it being for little kids. I think that is because he sees his sisters using it and to him they are little kids. I told him that he is missing something that this program can teach, and if he will just bear with me it will help him. He seemed to accept that. My 9 yo twins are both in level 2, but one of them is on Step 6 and the other just finished Step 12. I expect she will finish level 2 by the end of the year. I cover a step per week with the 9 yos. Jennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstin Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I know this thread is old, but I'm researching spelling curriculums and need some feed back. I was reading that All About Spelling is NOT teacher intensive , is simple, and can be done in just 10ish minutes a day. Is this true? I need something very straightforward and not intensive. Can anyone help me out with this? Thanks a bunch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I know this thread is old, but I'm researching spelling curriculums and need some feed back. I was reading that All About Spelling is NOT teacher intensive , is simple, and can be done in just 10ish minutes a day. Is this true? I need something very straightforward and not intensive. Can anyone help me out with this? Thanks a bunch! Hi Kirstin! (I know you!:lol: ) It IS teacher intensive in that the student can't do it by himself. However, it's all laid out for you and is very pick up and go. It CAN be done in about 10 minutes per day, or you can extend it...it all depends on how much time you want to spend on it really. The levels are set up into steps, and how long it takes you to get through a step depends on how much time you spend per day on it and how quickly the child gets it. So if you only have 10 minutes per day, then just spend 10 minutes per day.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I know this thread is old, but I'm researching spelling curriculums and need some feed back. I was reading that All About Spelling is NOT teacher intensive , is simple, and can be done in just 10ish minutes a day. Is this true? I need something very straightforward and not intensive. Can anyone help me out with this? Thanks a bunch! You can spend as much time as you want--I usually set a timer & do 15 minutes for my 5th grader & 20 with my 7th grader. Wherever you leave off one day, you can pick back up there the next, so in that way it's easy. You'll need to be with your student the whole time, but there's virtually no teacher prep (other than cutting out letter tiles initially, and separating the cards, and then gathering supplies each day--white board, markers, erasers, book, card box, a folder for the few pages you'll want to keep track of. I keep our supplies together in a box so it's easy to grab.) I find it very open & go. Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 You can spend as much time as you want--I usually set a timer & do 15 minutes for my 5th grader & 20 with my 7th grader. Wherever you leave off one day, you can pick back up there the next, so in that way it's easy. You'll need to be with your student the whole time, but there's virtually no teacher prep (other than cutting out letter tiles initially, and separating the cards, and then gathering supplies each day--white board, markers, erasers, book, card box, a folder for the few pages you'll want to keep track of. I keep our supplies together in a box so it's easy to grab.) I find it very open & go. Merry :-) That even makes it sound harder than it is. :D ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 That even makes it sound harder than it is. :D;) LOL, I was thinking that as I wrote it! Sounds complicated, isn't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 (edited) I have tried several things for spelling, yet I have never found a spelling program I like. It seems to me that everything out there is either too teacher intensive or have no teacher involvement except to give the test. Maybe my goals for spelling are mixed up, but it just seems like a waste of time to study for the test and then not use the words correctly in writing. I have e-mailed the people at All About Spelling but I haven't heard back from them. What is your favorite spelling program for middle school age kids and why? Thank you, I disagree with those that say that AAS is appropriate for older kids that simply need basic spelling review (in other words, no major LDs). Most older kids learn information at a much faster pace than younger kids......they all ready know how to read, they understand how words work, etc. They need to learn how phonics/spelling/rules work together and don't work (multiple exceptions, multiple phonogram options, etc) How To Teach Spelling is a fraction of the cost (serious fraction.....the TM is all you need and costs something like 20 or 30 and will last through 12th grade). It includes all the rules, word lists, spiraled dictation, etc. It is teacher intensive, but no different than AAS which also requires direct teaching. In the lower levels, AAS uses very simple words in connection to rules. HTTS (How To Teach Spelling) includes words for 1-12 for each rule. The TE does not break them down according to grade level, but it isn't that difficult to judge which words are appropriate for your student. For older students that need more than simple review, I recommend Apples and Pears spelling from Sound Foundations (it is designed for dyslexics). It isn't quite as babyish as AAS. HTH Edited August 10, 2009 by 8FillTheHeart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyJ Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I'll be using All About Spelling with my 9-year-old this year. Haven't started yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest krausekl Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Hi. I'm a 4th grade teacher and have some exceptionally poor spellers in my class. I have all of the children create their own word lists, but that's just not enough - those with real problems need more. I was thinking of purchasing the ALL ABOUT SPELLING program to use with a small group of poor spellers - but it's quite expensive, and I want to make sure it will be useful (and also what I REALLY need before I buy it). Would you recommend using it in a regular public school classroom? I currently have 26 kids, and won't be able to provide much one-on-one time. Can it be used easily in a small group setting, or is it more of a one-on-one tutorial type of a program? After reading all the posts here, it sounds like it would be hard to do with more than one kid, and might embarrass the children if it seems too babyish. Just want to make sure................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 (edited) I think there are people who use All About Spelling with kids ages 10-12. I'm using AAS with a 13yo. It's not optimal because he's always telling me how it's babyish but at least it's getting the job done. Edited January 31, 2010 by EKS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I think there are people who use All About Spelling with kids ages 10-12. I'll bump this for you and see if anyone responds. I think How To Teach Spelling uses a similar methodology as AAS (O-G). It also takes mom-time, though. Phonetic Zoo may be similar and can be done independently, they say. I am using AAS with Sweet Pea who is 12, 6th grade spelling at a 7th grade level and a natural speller. I focus on the content instead of the words. We are doing at least two lessons a week, sometimes more. She does all the dictation. While it is easy for her and she doesn't get the words wrong she has learned a ton about syllables. My plan for her is to get her through AAS as quickly as possible, then move her to Megawords for reinforcement of all she just learned. After that I doubt she will need to cover spelling ever again. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamd Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I just started AAS this year for my 10 yr old and he loves it and he is learning to read better because he can sound out the words. I have dropped any other spelling, not sure if that is a mistake yet but I see great progress with AAS and anything he enjoys and wants to do is a plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Hi. I'm a 4th grade teacher and have some exceptionally poor spellers in my class. I have all of the children create their own word lists, but that's just not enough - those with real problems need more. I was thinking of purchasing the ALL ABOUT SPELLING program to use with a small group of poor spellers - but it's quite expensive, and I want to make sure it will be useful (and also what I REALLY need before I buy it). Would you recommend using it in a regular public school classroom? I currently have 26 kids, and won't be able to provide much one-on-one time. Can it be used easily in a small group setting, or is it more of a one-on-one tutorial type of a program? After reading all the posts here, it sounds like it would be hard to do with more than one kid, and might embarrass the children if it seems too babyish. Just want to make sure................ I have only seen the online copies of AAS, so I'm not sure how it would work with a group. My recommendation would be Spelling Plus and Spelling Dictation, you should easily be able to adapt that to teach that to a group and it's fairly cheap, plus it focuses on the most frequent 1,000 words in English, so you'll be working on the most important words to know. From the review: Do you want to see improved spelling in your students’ writing? Research shows that 90% of English text consists of just 1000 words. This book focuses on teaching the most commonly used and misspelled words and ensuring that students of all ability levels receive intense instruction on core words. The book is divided into four main parts; Incredible English, Spelling and Teaching, Recommended Teaching Techniques, and Spelling Lists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted November 4, 2021 Share Posted November 4, 2021 Reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenecho Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 Honestly, All About Spelling IS my favorite spelling program for middle school kids. But my middle school kid still needs it. Has yours gotten past it? Maybe something more on Greek and Latin roots would be the next step. I know they cover that in AAS but I don't know how much they cover (we're not there yet...my son who has dyslexia has had to go slow, especially now that he's back in school and I'm just doing this on the side). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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