sdobis Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I am using this with my daughter this year. It is the only thing that has worked for her, and I have no idea why. It feels so simple. Do you think this is a whole-to-parts curriculum? The curricula that list a ton of spelling rules never helped her a lick. This isn't like that at all, yet it is translating in her daily writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I'm glad you're experiencing success! It helped here too, and with a child who knew the rules backward and forward and still couldn't spell. I think it helped him imprint the words into his visual memory somehow. The chunking into morphemes seemed key here--tearing apart and putting the words back together. I think maybe it, along with all the other passes at the word in different ways, helped him to notice and retain the visual. That's just a supposition. I do know it worked in a way nothing did before or has since. He completed all four levels, and I wish there was just one more for him to do! It certainly doesn't hurt that the three (four? I can't remember now) rules they teach always work and are truly useful. A lot of a proper spelling is being able to "see" the word in your mind. I think Apples and Pears taps into that somehow, or at least I am sure it did here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I think the reason it helped my kids is bc it focuses on multiple pathways to imprint the spelling. Word searches/visual discrimination exercises, morphemes, patterns, all with lots of repetition. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I think the reason it helped my kids is bc it focuses on multiple pathways to imprint the spelling. Word searches/visual discrimination exercises, morphemes, patterns, all with lots of repetition.I agree. In particular with mine the constant repetition was key. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knittingout Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 A lot of a proper spelling is being able to "see" the word in your mind. I think Apples and Pears taps into that somehow, or at least I am sure it did here. This is what made me pick a&p as the curriculum we use. There is also the whole line of thinking of teaching spelling the way 'good' or 'natural' spellers learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I don't know... I think in addition to what 8Fill said, was the fact that it had SO MUCH practice. My dd needs to see/do/hear spelling a word many many many many times before it clicks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItoLina Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I am not sure either. It does seem so simple. We are having the same experience here, though. It's the only thing that has made any difference in my son's ability to spell, so we are sticking with it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdobis Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 Thanks for the responses. I recommend it to anyone that has a struggling speller. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 (edited) I'm so so so grateful for Apples and Pears. I thought my oldest would never learn to spell. We are almost done with D and it has made such a huge improvement. She's not perfect by any means, but she's pretty good. ETA: We tried AAS, LoE Essentials and Sequential Spelling before landing on A&P. When I think of all the money I have spent on spelling... :crying: Edited April 10, 2016 by ZaraBellesMom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Do you think level D is really worth it? My dd and I would like to stop now that level C is finished but I worry that maybe that last level is important ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 ETA : we tried rOd and Staff, Phonics Made Plain, and Sequential Spelling. Only A&P made any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtomom Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 (edited) Do you think level D is really worth it? My dd and I would like to stop now that level C is finished but I worry that maybe that last level is important ... My son did make further progress with D. I do remember feeling it was harder than the other levels about half way through. Edited April 10, 2016 by mtomom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BooksandBoys Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 I just ordered Apples and Pears for my second grader who, despite reading at a 4th grade level, cannot spell anything more complicated than a CVC word, and often mixes those up too. Thank you all for sharing your opinions. I hope this works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Hopefully you'll see some results! My dd is finished with level C now and she wrote a letter to her great grandma and only spelled 4 words wrong out of an entire page! It was awesome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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