What would you use for a 7th grader with poor spelling?

[Quiver0f10]

We were using SWR and he was doing fine with it and would get the words right when I would test him, yet during his regular writing or school work he would continually spell them wrong. I needed a break this year so we are doing a workbook program and it's pointless. He gets all the words wrong on the test and in his regular work.

 

Do I switch back to SWR? is there something else out there that might work better for him? He really needs to learn and know ( and use) the rules.

 

Thanks!

[sagira]

Many people say Spelling Power has worked for them. I wouldn't usually recommend it for someone with a 7th grader, as it's expensive and meant to be used from 3rd to 12th grades. However, you may have other children that could use it as well.

 

Here's a review by SWB: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/O00SpellingPower.html

[tvaleri]

Hey Jean-

 

Thought I'd weigh in on your issue since I can identify with it :) My dd who is 14 struggles with spelling as well. After trying every program under the sun I purchased Phonetic Zoo for her. She liked the fact it only took 15 minutes a day to work on spelling. I liked seeing improvement in her work and hearing her say the program had helped her :)

 

PZ uses visual, auditory and written components to ingrain correct spelling sequencing of words into the kids brains. Furthermore, Mr. Pudewa has an excellent talk on Spelling and the Brain. He states that spelling is the random retrieval of sequentially stored information. If the information is stored in incorrect sequence, poor spelling results.

 

HTH,

Teresa

[Alenee]

He really needs to learn and know ( and use) the rules.

 

 

 

I think you answered your own question here. If he doesn't know the spelling rules, he isn't going to succeed. I'd take time to drill the spelling rules with him. Then I'd make sure he slowed down during dictation, noting the spelling rules in each word. When you dictate, are you dictating to him w/o writing it on the board, then having him dictate back to you as you write his dictation on the board? When I wasn't doing it this way, it was hit or miss with the girls. Now that I'm doing it, the girls are getting consistently better.

[Quiver0f10]

I think you answered your own question here. If he doesn't know the spelling rules, he isn't going to succeed. I'd take time to drill the spelling rules with him. Then I'd make sure he slowed down during dictation, noting the spelling rules in each word. When you dictate, are you dictating to him w/o writing it on the board, then having him dictate back to you as you write his dictation on the board? When I wasn't doing it this way, it was hit or miss with the girls. Now that I'm doing it, the girls are getting consistently better.

 

 

I wasn't doing this. Maybe that would work for him. Thanks!

[Quiver0f10]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Bula Mama]

Don't know if you're still looking for anything but my 13yo is a poor speller. She started reading very easily very young so I realize now that I didn't give her the benefit of a complete phonics program and it's showing up now in her spelling!

 

We've been using Sequential Spelling for Adults for her for the past couple of months and I see improvement already. Since it teaches in word groups I can tell that she's starting to break words down more to spell them, etc. And the fact that it's 'for adults' is making her feel like she's not doing remedial work!

[Julieofsardis]

I haven't seen this mentioned in a while, but it is very complete and adaptable to older students. The basic principals taught are very similar to AAS. There are workbooks that go with the program, but you do not necessarily need those. The book includes dictation ordered by the rules that are taught.

 

Just a thought. If you want more info let me know.

 

Julie

[Sahamamama]

...during his regular writing or school work he would continually spell them wrong... He gets all the words wrong on the test and in his regular work.

 

He really needs to learn and know ( and use) the rules.

 

The fact that your son "studies" a word but misspells it for both tests and in his regular work is a clue that his study is not working for him. I agree that he needs to learn and apply "the rules," but in my experience a 7th grader who has not gotten these rules "yet" needs more -- he needs to develop his visual memory of what a properly spelled word looks like.

 

One thing you must NOT do is to give him workbooks with incorrectly spelled words! These misspellings will get into his brain and be stuck. For example, my nephew was exposed to this type of spelling nonsense:

 

Circle the correct word:

 

mauy manny menny many ynam

 

Is it any wonder that to this day (6th grade) he can NOT spell "many?" Get your son AWAY from this type of program.

 

I can't recommend Spelling Power highly enough! Some people say that it's "expensive," but I disagree. It's about $65 for the whole thing new, plus shipping. Well worth it, especially since I see that you have several other children who could use the program (2nd-12th), both older and younger. Like I said, I can't recommend this enough.

 

First, you get the materials. Second, you watch the Quick Start video (short). Third, skim through the book to learn the sections. Fourth, read some of Beverly's research. It is seriously interesting, if you want to understand why some children struggle with spelling, especially transferring spelling to everyday written work.

 

Try this program and see if it works. You get a full refund if you send it back, and you have a WHOLE STINKING YEAR to try it out! What could beat that?

 

When I was tutoring my nephew, we used it and the whole program really helped him. Then my sister went off on one of her mental loopy tirades again (long story, won't bore you), and Mark disappeared for a while. Sad, sad, sad boy. I thought, "Great, here I went and sank $70 into this thing, and Mark is gone." So I emailed Castlemoyle to explain, and they said it was okay to send it all back for a full refund. Beverly's husband was SO INCREDIBLY KIND AND NICE, you can't find nicer people than these to work with. In the end, I kept the program, because in a few years I will use it with MY children, all the way through to the end! That's how impressed I am with the learning/study system.

 

Now, I said all that to say, no system is perfect, and you might find some aspects of SP that irritate the bee-jeebies out of you (like spelling errors? :tongue_smilie:really funny, that one). BUT the program teaches you (Mom) how to do spelling simply and effectively in 15-20 minutes a day (once you get the hang of it). The study system teaches your son to only imprint the correct spelling of the word. You test, check, and correct words immediately, so the correct spellings are reinforced AND the mistakes teach him right then and there.

 

You can pull words from his writing into his "list," until he masters those. There is a Word-Flow list that rechecks for mastery of word groups. The word groupings/rules are a bit weird sometimes, but my advice is to teach around what feels a bit "off." The dictionary skills section in the back is excellent, every teacher should read it and every student (7th & up) should learn/work through it.

 

I hope this helps! Spelling Power! :D

[Sahamamama]

And one more suggestion for free:

 

:D

 

http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-All-Their-Tricks/dp/0880621494

 

The ABCs and All Their Tricks, by M. Bishop

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you for the suggestions! I will be looking into each one.

[Quiver0f10]

I haven't seen this mentioned in a while, but it is very complete and adaptable to older students. The basic principals taught are very similar to AAS. There are workbooks that go with the program, but you do not necessarily need those. The book includes dictation ordered by the rules that are taught.

 

Just a thought. If you want more info let me know.

 

Julie

 

Do you have a link for How to Teach Spelling ? Thanks!

[Lizzie in Ma]

Once a week or so. I love that program.

[threetreasurs]

I also like the Calvert Spelling CD's for ease of use.

 

But I don't think you need to panic yet<g>. I have had 1 natural speller and 2 not so natural<g>. For some reason, it took until the 8th grade for the kids who struggled more with spelling to mature enough to be able to spell well when working on first drafts or when writing off the cuff. :)

[jg_puppy]

Do you have a link for How to Teach Spelling ? Thanks!

 

http://www.epsbooks.com/dynamic/catalog/series.asp?subject=71S&subjectdesc=Spelling+%26+Grammar&series=1847M

 

Rainbow Resource or Christian Book might have some sample pages. I am trying this program with my 8 year old this year along with Spelling Plus. I haven't been using it very long, but I did notice that my dd was trying to spell a word and thought about one of the rules we recently learned and then spelled the word correctly.

 

Jan

[laughing lioness]

I didn't see Sequential Spelling listed. My 14 yo is finally "getting" spelling and can now recognize when he has mis-spelled a word. It lists words in families so for those global learners who need connections first it is a great method.

As an IEW lover I have to mention Phonetic Zoo. I've heard terrific things about it finally being the turn-around for poor high school spellers.

[ElizabethB]

You could try my free online spelling lessons, they have most of the spelling rules.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Spelling/spellinglessonsl.html

 

I also have a list of free and cheap spelling resources with words organized by spelling pattern, there is also a link to a good site with spelling rules:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Spelling/spellingforsucce.html

[Carol in Cal.]

I was toying with a learning disability diagnosis, her spelling was SO bad.

 

The audio component and also the rules basis but not oppressive focus on the rules were the aspects of this program that made it work for her. She is definately an audio learner.

 

I also made her do copywork long after others would have stopped. This forced her to look carefully at each word to spell it correctly--something which I don't think she was doing before. Now she is 12 and she is a pretty good speller. I honestly never thought that I would be able to say that about her.

[Momof2kids]

Here's the link for what we like.

http://www.susancanthony.com/Books/sp.html

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you everyone!