Questions for SWR users...

[Sarahjeffords]

Hey there! I have a copy of Teaching Reading at Home and School and have been doing some research on the SWR method. I was wondering, for those of you who have used it...

 

1. Did you use it as directed to teach spelling then reading as an outflow of spelling or did you teach your child to read using something else and then use SWR more as a spelling curriculum?

 

2. In the book I have it seems to indicate not starting the program until 1st grade. Have you successfully used the program with a K5 student?

 

Thanks in advance for your responses I really appreciate it! :)

[Ellie]

Hey there! I have a copy of Teaching Reading at Home and School and have been doing some research on the SWR method. I was wondering, for those of you who have used it...

 

1. Did you use it as directed to teach spelling then reading as an outflow of spelling or did you teach your child to read using something else and then use SWR more as a spelling curriculum?

 

2. In the book I have it seems to indicate not starting the program until 1st grade. Have you successfully used the program with a K5 student?

 

Thanks in advance for your responses I really appreciate it! :)

 

Not SWR, but Spalding; SWR is a Spalding spin-off, so...

 

1. The first focus of Spalding and its spin-offs is teaching children to read by teaching them to spell. But you can certainly do Spalding/SWR with children who already know how to read but their spelling needs help. For myself, starting from the beginning with a child who does not yet read, it's Spalding all the way.

 

2. Children younger than 6 (because "first grade" translates to children who are 6ish) can be done, but not generally much younger than 5yo, because of the developmental skills involved. You can do some things with younger children, such as making sure they hold their writing implements properly, helping them learn to write circles beginning at 2 on the clock, vertical lines from top to bottom horizontal lines in the direction that we read and write (i.e., left to right), and using letter sounds instead of letter names when they want to know how to write something (which some children will want to do).

[CadenceSophia]

My two children who can read and the third who is begging to read were not at all ready to write at the same time as learning to read. We just use SWR for spelling and handwriting.

 

Do you have the SWR books yet? FYI, the "guide" book is insanely crazy and the most poorly laid out piece of "curriculum" I have ever seen. I briefly entertained the idea of re-writing it and sending it back to her at one point. If you already understand how to teach an OG program, you can pull a few tips and use the W.I.S.E guide for spelling pretty well, but if you are hoping to learn how to teach from the program I am certain there are better out there.

[Sarahjeffords]

All I have is Teaching Reading at Home and School which is basically and older version of the SWR manual (I think). It does seem a little confusing at points but overall I think I get what she is saying and understand it. Of course I don't have the other essential element which is the WISE Guide. My little guys is only 4 so no matter what my goal is to spend all next year building phonemic awareness and I don't plan on teaching him to read until the following year but I am liking the SWR/Spaulding method and I don't want to teach him anything now that will cause confusion later. I also ordered the 4th edition of Writing Road to Reading. I have also been looking at Reading Lessons Through Literature which is very similar to SWR I think (but an easier open and go type of format). Anyways, I know I still have lots of time before beginning any of these but I like to feel very prepared (as much as I can be anyway  :lol: )

[RootAnn]

Hey there! I have a copy of Teaching Reading at Home and School and have been doing some research on the SWR method. I was wondering, for those of you who have used it...

 

1. Did you use it as directed to teach spelling then reading as an outflow of spelling or did you teach your child to read using something else and then use SWR more as a spelling curriculum?

 

2. In the book I have it seems to indicate not starting the program until 1st grade. Have you successfully used the program with a K5 student?

 

Thanks in advance for your responses I really appreciate it! :)

 

I started my kids on 'how to read' with another method first, then move into SWR.

I've started 5 year olds on SWR very gently - but only my kids who were ready to write. The rest didn't start until after they'd mostly mastered cursive - which I teach 2nd semester of K year. So, they usually start in 1st sometime.

[CadenceSophia]

All I have is Teaching Reading at Home and School which is basically and older version of the SWR manual (I think). It does seem a little confusing at points but overall I think I get what she is saying and understand it. Of course I don't have the other essential element which is the WISE Guide.

Ah gotcha. I haven't seen that book so I can't make a comparison. Buying the wise guide won't do you any good right now. It really isn't more than a list of words with the OG spelling rules listed by them. You would basically just be diy'ing the reading instruction part and if you want to do that, there are a million sources of words and free lessons. In and of itself, I think it would be a very poor choice for teaching reading to a kindergartener.

 

It is really not hard to transition reading programs if you cover the basics in one that isn't OG and then switch. I started both my kids in 100EZ, failed both times (too much repetition for one, not enough for the other), used most of OPGR, then SWR when they were ready to write. Was very easy. :)

[Ellie]

All I have is Teaching Reading at Home and School which is basically and older version of the SWR manual (I think). It does seem a little confusing at points but overall I think I get what she is saying and understand it. Of course I don't have the other essential element which is the WISE Guide. My little guys is only 4 so no matter what my goal is to spend all next year building phonemic awareness and I don't plan on teaching him to read until the following year but I am liking the SWR/Spaulding method and I don't want to teach him anything now that will cause confusion later. I also ordered the 4th edition of Writing Road to Reading. I have also been looking at Reading Lessons Through Literature which is very similar to SWR I think (but an easier open and go type of format). Anyways, I know I still have lots of time before beginning any of these but I like to feel very prepared (as much as I can be anyway  :lol: )

 

SWR is not Spalding (notice the spelling). Spalding came first; Mrs. Sanseri used to be a Spalding teacher, then decided to write her own book. I prefer Spalding over SWR, if for no other reason than the fact that you only need the manual (Writing Road to Reading; most of us like the fourth edition the best) and a set of flash cards. :-) I don't think SWR made any improvements over the Spalding Method.

[wehave8]

1. Did you use it as directed to teach spelling then reading as an outflow of spelling or did you teach your child to read using something else and then use SWR more as a spelling curriculum?  Taught SWR to teach spelling and reading followed.  We did not use anything else to teach reading.

 

2. In the book I have it seems to indicate not starting the program until 1st grade. Have you successfully used the program with a K5 student?  Ours started before K5 with success.  They just didn't write in their Learning Log until they were ready.

 

(FWIW, I USED WRTR with our older 5 dc, and I am using SWR with our 3 youngest.  I think Wanda Sanseri DID make improvements over Spalding's.)

[SoCal_Bear]

Yes, I used it just before mine turned 5. However, there were several factors as to why. He could already read well and could write. So, SWR was used to teach cursive and spelling. We still use it for spelling.