Does spelling through dictation really work?

[KIN]

I'm thinking of doing something different with my oldest next year, after using SWR since K. Would a program like Spelling Wisdom work with using SWR markings somehow??? Would this be any less time consuming than SWR? I'll have 3 in some time consuming curricula next year - SWR & RightStart math and I'm looking to ease up on something!

[arcara]

I'm guessing that if she's a good speller, that the strong base that she has from SWR would see her though.

 

I'm mainly just giving you a bump! :001_smile:

[mamato4girls]

We are currently using Spelling Wisdom, and loving it!

[LindaOz]

I use dictation for spelling with all my children and find it excellent. In the past I have used spelling programs and have gradually moved to the point where none of them are using a spelling program, and I don't know now if my younger children ever will.

 

I give my dc a passage either from something they are reading, from LLATL or Spelling Wisdom. They study it, practice words they think they need to learn, then come to me for dictation. I usually have them spell a few words orally that I want to check them on, then read the passage step by step for them to write down. We then go over the passage together and make corrections (if any) discussing what was wrong with the word and why it is spelled the way it is. I have them practise a mis-spelled word and then re-write it in the passage correctly.

 

I also keep a 'spelling journal' with a list for each child where I write words they have mis-spelled in dictations or in other work. At their dictation time, I will also dictate words from this list. Once a word has been spelled correctly three times in a row (at separate dictation times) it gets crossed off the list. I really do find this effective, and even my weakest speller started to improve when I started on more dictation with her. She is now steadily improving with no spelling program.

 

I think that it is good to have some sort of spelling rules guide so that you can refer to it when necessary. It may also be helpful to look at groups of words with similar spelling patterns when one particular word is spelled wrongly. With my K'er, I choose a letter grouping like 'igh' and dictate words to her using that pattern eg: sigh, night, etc and she writes them down. She loves this and is learning to spell well.

 

Anyway, this is probably way more that you asked for, but I really like this method of spelling development.

 

HTH

Linda

[Lori D.]

We've found that dictating about 5 short sentences (each with about 3 with spelling words in them) is one of several very helpful tools we use each week with our son (now 9th grade) who struggles with spelling. We do this exercise more towards the end of the week, once he is pretty confident with the list of spelling words.

 

The benefit of this technique (as I see it) is practicing simultaneous thinking/writing/spelling. Each of those skills is processed in a different part of the brain, each in its own timetable. It is still very difficult for my struggling speller to combine doing all three skills at once. We have used this dictation exercise to practice his spelling words for the past 3 years, and we are *just* now beginning to see the benefit of it carrying over into helping his *writing* (another area of tremendous struggle for him).

 

Unless you have an advanced early elementary student, I don't think I would recommend doing dictation/spelling exercises (or any formal spelling program) with students under third grade, as most young students don't tend to have developed maturity in all three of those areas of the brain in order to accomplish the task of dictation -- I imagine this could end as an exercise in frustration and tears all around. (: 0 However, those early grades are great for practicing copywork, handwriting, phonics, exposure to "Dolch words" (common sight words), and *possibly* very gentle spelling patterns. : )

 

Just my 2 cents worth, take it or leave it. : ) BEST of luck, whatever you go with! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Bula Mama]

We do copywork and then when the dc is ready dictation. I started this when my oldest was in 5th grade and I saw a LOT of progress in her spelling by the end of that year. We've used Spelling Wisdom quite a bit!

[Stacia]

We're trying Spelling Wisdom for the first time this year & are really liking it. I really like this plan/system for learning to spell too (rather than randomly memorizing words or rules).

[PeterPan]

Have you thought about dictating the sentences from the Wise Guide? Works great for us, and then you don't need to buy anything else. I also like the spiraling sentences from the dication book for Spelling Plus. If you do dictation 2-3 days a week, your oldest can do a workbook or the calvert spelling cd's the other days. I got my dd Spelling Works! by Jim Halverson for this year, and it's a nice change of pace for us, sort of takes the place of the SWR rules pages, giving practice in prefixes, suffixes, etc.

[Ummto4]

For a reasonably good spellers, yes.

 

I am a reasonably good speller. My private English tutor(English is my second language) in Indonesia used prepared dictation to teach me spelling from 3rd thru 9th grade. Back then, I didn't know any English phonic rule. But I did know Indonesian phonics (more like Latin phonics).

 

What we did was this:

- Read a few pages of English story and translate orally.

- Assign a particular page to be studied for 5 mins.

- Dictate.

-Correct and re-write.

 

I guess you can do that with Spelling Wisdom. It's meant to be used for prepared dictation anyway. Many moms use it as follows:

- first day: copywork and discuss difficult words.

- second day: dictation.

 

However, since your dc has graduated from SWR and supposedly has mastered college-level spelling words, then I guess you can just dictate sentences from Spelling Wisdom WITHOUT preparation. Prepared dictation is only for those (I guess) who use dictation as a primary spelling program. If your dc gets those correct, then there's no need to mark the word. IT's too time consuming to do so. If your dc got some wrong, then discuss the spelling of the wrong words.

 

The pros of Spelling Wisdom is the sentences and passages used are of good quality. However, I don't know whether it's spiral and provide enough review of previously used spelling words.

 

Spelling Plus is very good in providing spiral sentence dictation using the most frequently used words for 1st-6th grader. Their sentences, though, are quite simple.

 

Or of course you can always review SWR words and make up your own sentences.

 

So basically my suggestion is just do sentence dictation. When your dc got that correct, then move on. If not, discuss the words, and correct them.

Edited October 26, 2008 by mom2moon2

[rafiki]

.

[Linda...inOwasso]

Hmm... you ask if it works. No, it absolutely won't teach a child to spell a word they don't already know how to spell. What dictation does, IMHO, is provide you (the teacher) with the most accurate assessment of which words your child really knows.

 

From dictation, you can assess the following:

 

1. If your child knows how to spell the word.

2. If your child knows homophones.

3. If your child understands contractions.

4. If your child knows capitalization rules.

5. If your child understands the meaning of the word.

 

I love dictation and think there are numerous positive benefits. But, we use it as an assessment tool, rather than a teaching tool. I dictate first, then we correct together and I teach her how to spell any words she missed.... explain the spelling rule, etc... Then, I re-dictate and she practices only words she misses. Then, I use the sentences in Spelling Plus to assess her application of the words.

 

It works like a charm here, but just dictating the words isn't the end of it. You still have to take the time to teach the spelling.

[Kimber]

It does work, if you do dictation the Charlotte Mason way. She practiced studied dictation. She had the children look at the selection first, and then she discussed the words they didn't know how to spell. When we do this, it helps tremendously. Studied dictation does work because they children are learning it first, and then they are also taught to focus on the unknown words.

[PeterPan]

Just as an observation, I think different people have different expectations of what it means to do dictation. Yes, it can be almost like a test, where you do the entire sentence and then see if the dc got it correct. Or you can do a cm-style studied dictation. For my dd, studied dictation results in short-term visual memory and not much THINKING or retention. (In one eyeball, out the other, hehe.) So we do what I call group effort dictation. The idea is to spell it correctly the first time on paper, meaning ASKING is encouraged. When we started I would actually ask her about every single word, whether she knew how to spell it correctly or not. Finally her brain turned on and she realized she knew when she knew a word and when she didn't, meaning she could ASK when she didn't! And that was the magic for us of dictation, that she finally started thinking about when she knows a word and when she doesn't and asking for help or using a spelling dictionary when she needs it.

 

So for us, dictation has been the ultimate tool for a struggling speller, because it turned her brain on and made her think. But it's how we do it that's the magic, I think.

[Woodland_Mom]

 

Last year I used Spelling Workout, but did not notice any major spelling improvements in my son. We are now on lesson 14 in Spelling Plus and I can see great strides in his spelling abilities. I use dictation, but I do not use the Spelling Plus Dictation book that you can purchase to go with the spelling program.

 

Here's our routine:

 

Day 1: We discuss the spelling rule and look at each word on the list. He then practices each word with this method:

 

 

 

• Say the word, spell the word aloud

   

  
  

• Say the word, trace the word while spelling aloud

   

  
  

• Say the word, write the word while spelling aloud

   

  
  

 

Day 2: We discuss the spelling rule and then I give a pre-test. My son then grades his own test (which gives him added practice/exposure). He writes any missed words 5 times each.

 

Day 3: I dictate sentences to him containing the spelling words. I try to put as many spelling words in the sentence as possible. We check each sentence carefully for proper punctuation and spelling. If any words were mispelled, he writes them 5 times each.

 

Day 4: Test day. Any missed words are carried over to the following weeks lesson.

 

This format has helped us a great deal and I can see my ds really "thinking" about spelling when he does the dictation portion.