lindsey Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'm not sure when to start spelling. I planned to this summer, but my kindergartner is still very much a beginning reader (he sounds things out pretty well [CVC words and some tougher ones, he also writes things out phonetically pretty well], and knows 40ish sight words). Do you start spelling in first grade regardless of reading level? I have AAS if that affects your opinion. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahM Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I normally start once phonics instruction has ended. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsey Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 I read through the first two AAS books (and can't find the first atm to see if they officially recommend something, lol) and just wasn't sure if some of the words were a little tough for him. Of course he has four more months to improve, too...and I guess we can move at whatever pace we need to. It was hard to imagine doing a lesson a day--is it pretty typical to take a couple of days to master a lesson? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Mine start spelling when they're reading well enough to put daily phonics instruction aside. The spelling then takes over further phonics instruction. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 My dc are usually a year behind in spelling. After one of my older children had difficulties with spelling, I just decided to wait an extra year to begin. So, for instance, my 2nd grader would be in the 1st grade spelling book. We do year-round school, so they eventually catch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcitedMama Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 (edited) AAS1 is very gentle and pretty simple for the most part, except perhaps compound words which are still simple but longer like bathtub, or when to double f, l and s. I had planned to start spelling in 1st but followed AAL's recommendation about starting it after finishing AAR 2 I think and I'm glad we did. It was so simple and easy for DS that he was annoyed with some of it, like why the last lesson is super easy words like he, she, the, etc. but there were much harder words in earlier lessons. I think it's helped solidify his reading by reminding him of rules like when c is soft and when vowels are long vs. short. My DS seems to be a natural reader so I think a reminder of the rules is a good thing. Plus with AAS it's super easy to speed up or slow down so I don't think there could be any problem with giving it a try. It seemed like so much of it was a reminder of what vowels say so it really is easy to start. If I had known how simple it was I would have added it in sooner. Forgot about your pacing question, in the beginning it was easily one lesson or more a day as again they were easy and focused on vowel sounds. Then at some point it moved into more words and phrases. At that point I broke it up over a day or two or three so he wasn't having to write too much. Even though he could do most of the words he would get irritated if there were too many. I think they recommended spelling with tiles but since he could do the words I turned it into handwriting practice with writing out the words and phrases. I circled any he missed and reviewed them at the next session until he mastered them. I think we generally stick to the recommended 15 minutes or less. Plus the lessons really stick so I don't feel any pressure if we miss it for awhile and then come back to it. Edited January 17, 2016 by ExcitedMama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahM Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I read through the first two AAS books (and can't find the first atm to see if they officially recommend something, lol) and just wasn't sure if some of the words were a little tough for him. Of course he has four more months to improve, too...and I guess we can move at whatever pace we need to. It was hard to imagine doing a lesson a day--is it pretty typical to take a couple of days to master a lesson? Normally a lesson is not intended to be completed in a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 It matters what is meant by spelling. The Eclectic Manual of Methods doesn't suggest starting the spelling book until the 4th McGuffey Reader. The 3rd Reader is half a book of phonics lessons, and then transitions to a half book of vocabulary lessons. The Speller is started after the student has adjusted to the transition. A lot of Ruth Beechick is a more modern edition of the Eclectic Manual of Methods. Her Three R's book teaches how to create informal spelling lessons. Whatever you do, don't waste time trying to teach logic level skills to a grammar stage child. Read TWTM or a website on grammar, logic, and rhetoric stages if you don't know what I mean. Measure curricula against these stages, if you believe in them. You can pay a ton of money for some really developmentally inappropriate curriculum. You can also pay a ton of money for curricula designed for learning disabilities your kids do not have. And the idea that LD curricula is great to force young ones to read and spell earlier falls flat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pehp Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I start once I have a reader strong enough to not need reading instruction. And I keep it very, very basic and low-key! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 (edited) If you need a free sight words list, Don Potter has a 1 page chart of the entire original Ayres list, and you can work your way through this over several years. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.donpotter.net/pdf/ayres_chart.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjr7dWC56_KAhUGWRoKHbqqAKkQFggeMAE&usg=AFQjCNHiS9Cu-A7_g1Kg-CKeABh-7TU4oA&sig2=p321sLGGreTK-yBXleyUog And then when the student is fully in the logic or rhetoric stage you can finish up with the first 60 or so rules-based lessons in Eldridge's Business Speller. https://books.google.com/books?id=dkXuAgAAQBAJ&pg=PR1&lpg=PR1&dq=business+speller+eldridge&source=bl&ots=InfshJUuh0&sig=R6Dcj639j0iJNPZmGcSCKVV6hD8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje08nj56_KAhWGVRoKHa_0B4AQ6AEIXTAS#v=onepage&q=business%20speller%20eldridge&f=false Edited January 17, 2016 by Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiara.I Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I introduced spelling lessons to my Grade 2 and my K at about the same time. The Grade 2 flew through them (and is still doing so in Grade 3.) The K did okay for a bit, and liked competing with his brother. But brother pulled too far ahead to catch up, and then he whined, complained, messed up words he used to know....And I decided "enough!" Starting in Grade 2 works fine. So we've put away spelling for now, and we'll pull it out again sometime next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReadingMama1214 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I'm not sure when to start spelling. I planned to this summer, but my kindergartner is still very much a beginning reader (he sounds things out pretty well [CVC words and some tougher ones, he also writes things out phonetically pretty well], and knows 40ish sight words). Do you start spelling in first grade regardless of reading level? I have AAS if that affects your opinion. :) I read that AAS1 is recommended after finishing All About Reading 1. So 2nd grade ish? Not sure when AAR1 is usually finished. We don't plan to do spelling until DD is more fluent. She still sounds out most words except for the few sight words she knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Unless I have taught a child to read with Spalding, which teaches children to read by teaching them to spell, I don't do a formal spelling until the dc is 9yo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I wouldn't push spelling lessons just yet. I would be working on visual memory and auditory skills. Place a word on a flashcard at the end of the hall. Ask him to run, flip the card, take a "mental picture", run back, close his eyes, and see the word in his head and spell it aloud. The act of holding the word in his head will help his spelling more than lessons. Playing Memory with word cards will work too. Play "Guess the word?" It starts with /sh/ and ends with /p/. (sheep) What if we took the word 'bug' (can you see it in your mind?) and deleted the 'u' and in its place put an 'a'? What word would that be? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 AAS is recommended after AAR 1, but I start it after AAR 2 usually. With ds that was midway through first grade. It will be sometime in 1st grade for younger dd as well. My last two kids continued phonics instruction into 2nd grade, and while the idea of waiting until then is wonderful, it wasn't practical for us-- AAS is gentle spelling. I wouldn't start spelling before 1st and I wouldn't start it until reading was taking off... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsey Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 I won't be in a hurry to start--thanks everyone. We aren't doing AAR but maybe I should pick it up, I hadn't thought about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I read through the first two AAS books (and can't find the first atm to see if they officially recommend something, lol) and just wasn't sure if some of the words were a little tough for him. Of course he has four more months to improve, too...and I guess we can move at whatever pace we need to. It was hard to imagine doing a lesson a day--is it pretty typical to take a couple of days to master a lesson? Most people don't do a lesson per day. AALP's recommendation is to work for about 20 minutes per day--start off with reviewing the cards for a few minutes each day and then pick up on the lesson wherever you left off previously. Here's a blog post about how much time for spelling. As far as what age, here's one on the right time to start AAS too. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutingmom Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 One day of our AAS lookes about like this (levels 1 and 2 so far).... 5 minutes aprox of writing phrases or sentences (a lesson or two behind), about 5 minutes of review, about 5-10 minutes of new instruction from the current lesson. It takes generally 3-5 days per lesson. I adjust those times as needed though... so if we are struggling, there is more review, and possibly reteaching, or adding in the 'more words' to the review. Or, if there is not much left to review, we do more new. I never do the "spell with tiles" and "spell on paper" on the same day either. Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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