SWR vs AAS

[Quiver0f10]

If you chose one over the other can you please share why you chose the one you did? If you have used both, could you please give a short review on which you prefer.

 

Thanks!

[PeterPan]

Hi Quiver! You were so helpful encouraging me with the baby (and waiting for the baby), maybe I can help you in return. Do you already own either of these? I can't remember, and obviously that makes a difference, as the cheapest one to use is the one you already own, lol. Is this for multiple dc or a particular dc with particular needs? AAS has the advantage of the hands-on presentation and being utterly spelled out and no-brainer. No brainer is good! SWR has the advantage of going farther and working for more kids at more levels once you learn the approach. Bummer is, from my perspective as a multi-year SWR user, SWR doesn't always have the implementation you need for a particular dc. So the theory is great, but the program itself might turn out to be a real drag to implement or a poor fit for a particular dc. May you be blessed with all dc who adore SWR and click well with it!

 

Things that made SWR not click for my dd?

-word lists didn't match what she wanted to use. They must have been based on frequency lists for adults, not little kids.

-words are taught in isolation. My dd turns out to be all about context, everything needing a story. She's a huge history buff, and everything needs context. To just learn a word doesn't work. Finally somebody told me to stop teaching words in isolation and start doing sentence dictation. It worked! I don't know if it would work for every kid, but it's amazing for her.

-the process can backfire and make kids feel dumb. Oh, I know it shouldn't, but it does for some kids. If you call out a word and they don't know it, then they're keenly aware they DON'T KNOW IT. And if you don't know how to spell it, then you don't know how to spell, right? My dd viewed the SWR dictation sessions as tests to reveal she couldn't spell. We switched to team effort sentence dictation from the Wise Guide, and the whole psychology of the approach changed. Not every kid is going to be like that, but some will.

 

I like the analytical approach of SWR. I like the rules cards from SWR and the phonogram cards directly from the Spalding company (better quality). But because my dd does better with sentence dictation rather than isolated word instruction like SWR specifies, I'm left with either using the sentences in the Wise Guide (which are amazing btw) or using something else. And if you're open to something else, I like the dictation resource book for Spelling Plus. It doesn't go as high for grade level, but the sentences spiral, the word lists are age-appropriate and useful, and it's very compatible with the analytical approach of SWR. So once you "get" SWR, you can easily take the whole approach and carry it over to something like Spelling Plus. And that's how I intend to teach my new little one coming up. I'll teach him to read with SWR, but then move him over to Spelling Plus dictation.

 

I'd get whichever program best meets the specific needs of your dc. If you have a local friend who uses SWR who could explain the approach to you, that would help you decide. And if you spent enough time looking at it, you'd probably be able to take it and move directly to Spelling Plus dictation using the rules and phonogram cards. But if you need the hands-on or want the totally spelled out (haha, no pun intended) instructions of AAS, do that. But that would only be if you have a specific need dc. For just teaching the hordes and masses, SWR or Spelling Plus would make more sense.

 

Clear as mud? Baby is up. :)

[mamaofredheads]

I have used both and AAS is soooo much easier to use IMO. The lesson plans are "pick up and go" with AAS, whereas SWR takes much more time on the part of the teacher. The TM for AAS is very professionally done and easy to follow. It's also all in one book, instead of flipping between SWR and Wise Guide. I also love the tactile approach with the magnet letters. It is forcing my ds who struggles with spelling to have to think about each letter as he pulls down the tile. He often missed a letter or letters in the past. My ds also sees that it is helping him improve his spelling. I love this program!!

 

Glenna

[MerryAtHope]

Have you read the article on the AAS site in the FAQ's? There's one comparing AAS and SWR.

 

I looked at SWR off & on for a few years, but the price tag and learning curve always led me to choose something else. I got AAS last spring & am so glad I did! I love that it's open & go, everything is laid out for you.

 

Merry :-)

[Sarah CB]

I tried for three years to get into the SWR groove. And I failed miserably. I wanted to use it because I really believe that it's a quality program that will achieve results. I just couldn't do it. I applaud those who can :D

 

I ended up trying out AAS and now I'm hooked. I had refused to seriously try anything else because I wanted to use the "best" there was. IMO, AAS is just as good as SWR - it's also much easier to use.

 

The drawbacks are that it will be more expensive over the long run because you'll need multiple levels. However, I'm willing to deal with that because it actually is getting used.

 

I wrote a couple of posts about SWR and AAS on my blog:

 

I've given up on SWR

 

Product Review: All About Spelling

[Ummto4]

I own both (AAS Lev I) and SWR. I've used both. AAS is basically an open-and-go program. With SWR, you have to know how to teach. But once you know it, SWR is easy peasy to implement. Like Elizabeth, I also supplement with SP dictation. Also, everytime my ds finishes a list, I ask him to make up original sentences based on that list, then if the sentences were within his ability to spell, I ask him to write them down. If not, I modify the sentences so that he can write them down.

 

All in all, I prefer SWR. Why ?

 

1. With SWR, you won't be done with a particular rule after a particular lesson. Say if you encounter the first rule of silent e in section D. You'll encounter it again in the subsequent sections, hence solidifying your understanding in this area. I found when I use AAS approach, my ds forgets the rule and its application quickly. That's because AAS classifies the words based on a particular spelling rule, hence the rule may not be repeated frequently enough in the subsequent lessons. So, you have to make sure you go through the rule and its application, even if it's not in the manual, often enough when you use AAS.

 

2. Cheap. If you want to spice it up with kinesthetic activities, why not order AAS tiles ? We use AAS tiles to illustrate a rule, especially if the rule is new. Tehere is also fun phonogram packet so that you can practice phonograms + rules in a fun way.

 

3. With AAS, all the rules and words are classified for you. In SWR, you and your student must piece together a note on rules and classify the words yourself. This is another good avenue to solidify children's understanding of the rule. YOu learn more when you make the notebook yourself.

 

4. Grammar and writing is integrated. We're on list G, and my ds starts to make his own sentences and I have him write them down. If the sentences are too difficult to spell, I modify them and have him to write them down. As for grammar, some of the list in the Wise Guide are designed to teach grammar. E.g. there's one list, I think is list C, which contains preposition. When we go through this list, I told my son about preposition, and we read a book about it. I also asked him to act out of the preposition. If you're into diagramming, SWR provides beginning lesson in diagramming somewhere (we're not there yet).

 

S. SWR not only teaches spelling, but it also widens your child's vocabulary if you chose to do the vocab enrichment activities in the Wise Guide. Wanda suggested multiple compound words (if you care to use all. I don't. I pick some though) based on spelling words and you'll find activities of building new words with prefixes and suffixes.

 

6. Apart from vocab, grammar, and writing enrichment, SWR contains other enrichent activities: building contraction, alphabetization, sentence mechanics, even ASL if you care to use it.

 

All in all, this is a spelling program with a plus. It's very cheap for its value, I think. But it's not an open and go curriculum. What you have to bring to the table is your ability to teach. This is why people get overwhelmed because you have to understand this program in order to teach it. But once you get past that, this program is invaluable.

 

HTH

[Sweetpeach]

I think SWR and AAS are very similiar in philosophy.

 

I understand more fully how SWR works now that I'm using AAS.

 

In fact, I may be able to return to SWR with my oldest son while my younger son works through the first few books.

 

My recommendation: AAS. It lays out spelling step by step, shows you which key cards to use, tells you what your child should have memorized etc etc. I can manage (even enjoy) spelling lessons now. SWR made my blood pressure rise, my head throb and surfaced all of my teacher insecurity.

 

I felt like I was blindfolded when using SWR; the lights came on all the way with AAS and I highly recommend it. It does move slowly . . . but builds skills in a very organized way.

 

HTH's,

T

[Ummto4]

Sweet peach, it's funny that now you understand SWR after you do AAS. That's what's happened to me too. After going through the first level of AAS by myself, I got my light-bulb moment. Then I looked through the scope and sequence of AAS up to level 3, and it started to even make more sense.

 

I then looked through my SWR and the Wise guide, and from that moment, realized how beautiful SWR is. So I decided to give SWR a try.

 

I agree that SWR guide is confusing. Wanda is an experienced teacher, but somehow she didn't write SWR clearly enough for most people to understand. But once you understood it, you can see the beauty and completeness of this approach. It's like having an LA unit study arranged around spelling. That's because with SWR you not only hit spelling. You also hit: beginning writing, beginning grammar, beginning vocab and other LA odds and ends.

[Sweetpeach]

Sweet peach, it's funny that now you understand SWR after you do AAS. That's what's happened to me too. After going through the first level of AAS by myself, I got my light-bulb moment. Then I looked through the scope and sequence of AAS up to level 3, and it started to even make more sense.

 

I then looked through my SWR and the Wise guide, and from that moment, realized how beautiful SWR is. So I decided to give SWR a try.

 

I agree that SWR guide is confusing. Wanda is an experienced teacher, but somehow she didn't write SWR clearly enough for most people to understand. But once you understood it, you can see the beauty and completeness of this approach. It's like having an LA unit study arranged around spelling. That's because with SWR you not only hit spelling. You also hit: beginning writing, beginning grammar, beginning vocab and other LA odds and ends.

 

Completely agree with you . . . I'm going to dig out SWR, retest my oldest and see how it looks to me after being awakened by AAS.

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you everyone! We have used SWR in the past and I really enjoyed it. I decided to switch to a workbook program this year because I was already overloaded with my son who has some LD. He takes a good amount of my time, so I wanted the other kids to be able to just open a workbook and go. It isn't working and it's a waste of time at this point.

 

I feel I have a good understanding of SWR, I just heard AAS is easier and was thinking that might help solve my time problem while still using the method I like.

 

I am leaning towards SWR only because I have used and liked it and I can use it longer without buying more levels.

[PeterPan]

Well Quiver, since you already understand SWR, I don't see how AAS saves you much time. And are you teaching multiple levels? Then that might make it more time-consuming. Have you looked at the sentence dictation for Spelling Plus? It's really great. I also like the calvert spelling cd's. For a workbook approach, granted it's only one thing, but Spelling Works! by Jim Halverson is golden for us this year. It's oop but not expensive on amazon etc. used. It's reproducible, so you could put all your say 3rd to junior highers into it for a year. (It's aimed at 4th-6th.) It covers all sorts of great things like prefixes, suffixes, etc., but with more sophisticated words. I'm quite happy with it. You could go very out of the box and have something independent like that for a couple days a week, review phonograms and rules one day a week, then do dictation (from Spelling Plus or literature or whatever you want) the other two days. Basically everybody would be doing the same thing that way, but it wouldn't be a big hassle or time-consuming for you.

[Quiver0f10]

Well Quiver, since you already understand SWR, I don't see how AAS saves you much time. And are you teaching multiple levels? Then that might make it more time-consuming. Have you looked at the sentence dictation for Spelling Plus? It's really great. I also like the calvert spelling cd's. For a workbook approach, granted it's only one thing, but Spelling Works! by Jim Halverson is golden for us this year. It's oop but not expensive on amazon etc. used. It's reproducible, so you could put all your say 3rd to junior highers into it for a year. (It's aimed at 4th-6th.) It covers all sorts of great things like prefixes, suffixes, etc., but with more sophisticated words. I'm quite happy with it. You could go very out of the box and have something independent like that for a couple days a week, review phonograms and rules one day a week, then do dictation (from Spelling Plus or literature or whatever you want) the other two days. Basically everybody would be doing the same thing that way, but it wouldn't be a big hassle or time-consuming for you.

 

 

Thanka again. I did look at SP yesterday, but I wish there were sample pages. I just don't think workbooks will work for my DS, he fills in the answers and then doesn't learn anything. He is just going through the motions to get it done, kwim? He did very well with SWR and I should have just kept plugging along LOL.

[PeterPan]

Are there sample pages on Rainbow or CBD or the author's website? BTW, the author has extra dictation sentences for free on her website.

[Quiver0f10]

Are there sample pages on Rainbow or CBD or the author's website? BTW, the author has extra dictation sentences for free on her website.

 

 

I will check out CBD, I didn't think of that. Thanks for the heads up :)