anna.mullenax Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 For first grade. I am going to be introducing spelling this year to my oldest child. We have done no work on spelling yet, other than helping her sound out how to spell certain things as she writes. I know there are some involved and complicated spelling programs out there but I really want to just start simple and cheap :) Then if problems come up, I can try something else next year. My thinking is, maybe spelling doesn't need to be complicated for her. I know every kid is different, etc etc...but I grew up with just regular old spelling lists and studying them and doing practice tests at home, etc, and it worked fine. My thought is once she is a better reader I will be able to see if she picks up spelling naturally or not but until then I don't want to spend much money at all on this. I am thinking of "Spelling Workout". I guess I just want someone to tell me its ok! Because I have a voice in my head telling me "you're homeschooling her so you can give her the BEST you can provide. So why not figure out the BEST, most engaging spelling program and start that from square one?" and on the other shoulder "spelling doesn't always need a ton of focus, or to be something fun & wonderful, she just needs to come out of school able to spell". :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 In my experience, Spelling Workout is right for few learners. If your child is a natural speller, SW is unnecessary busy work. If your child is NOT a natural speller, SW won't be enough to fix the issue. My first three girls were natural spellers, but I made (some of) them do SW because it was recommended in WTM. When I tossed it (after realizing they didn't need it), it made zero difference in their ability to spell well in their casual and academic writing. I regret the time we wasted on it, wishing we had, instead, done a vocabulary book or just more reading/reading aloud. My 4th child was a strong reader by first grade, but her spelling was not on par with her reading level. I began AAS mid-1st grade. Later testing revealed she has a SLD in written expression (which, for her, means she can't spell). She is responding very well to the targeted help of AAS. It would have been overkill for my natural spellers, but is just right for her. Of course, this is just my experience. YMMV. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 Well, cost does not necessarily equal excellence. For example, I am certain that somebody is going to pop up in about twenty minutes to earnestly explain that Spalding is the best spelling + reading curriculum around. I don't know if I'd go quite that far, but it is pretty good and also really inexpensive. Somebody else will show up about ten minutes after that and say, gently (possibly using the word gently) that spelling is not necessary in the first grade, not that they mean doing natural spelling (egads) but that you can just wait a little. This is also a valid viewpoint, and even cheaper than Spalding :) A third person will show up to snark - hey, I arrived early! Snark is free! (And at the middle of a long day, boy, do I need to snark my little head off. Neither my family nor my pets appreciate my comedy, though.) But seriously, my advice is midway between "Spalding" and "Seriously, you don't need to start in first grade if you don't want to, and you definitely shouldn't stress this". 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 I think it depends largely on what you are doing for reading and handwriting. They are very intertwined at the early ages. If you are using a good synthetic phonics program, swo or just wait is probably fine. If you are doing lots of sight words and "balanced literacy" or perhaps she just picked up reading without phonics, then a spelling with a heavy phonics emphasis might be a better place to start. Beyond that, consider how much total writing your student has. AAS $$$, reading lessons through literature $$, or writing road to reading $ would be good for phonics+spelling. AAS could be done with less writing and is probably the most open and go. With WRTR you will invest time instead of money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamamoose Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 Well personally, I like Spelling workout because i doubles as a vocabulary, and yes it's busy work but it's mostly work they can do on their own and encourages independence. You don't have to do the tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 I've done lots of different things, but I think you're right that at some point you just try something, see what happens, then try a different way. There are lots of ways to do things. Since what you asked for was just some typical spelling list kinda stuff, how about... Building Spelling Skills� Grade 1 - Teacher's Edition� E-book | Evan-Moor Or any of the Carson Dellosa gr 1 options Books Spectrum Spelling Workbook Grade 1 / Ages 6–7 $11.99 Print $11.99 eBook Spelling and Writing for Beginners Workbook Grade 1 | Carson-Dellosa Publishing This one breaks that bank at $3. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixpix5 Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 (edited) Simple and inexpensive is totally fine! You could use words from her phonics...whatever word families or sounds she is working on or download the most commonly used words list and go from there. Have her write them, trace them in shaving cream, paint them with pudding, build words with tiles...sidewalk chalk spelling is a blast! Seriously, you will be shocked at what a great and cheap spelling program that turns out to be ;) Edited June 11, 2017 by nixpix5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finlandia Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 I think your plan is ok. 😊 I started my oldest with AAS about halfway through first grade (because we had a new baby at the beginning of the school year, so we kept things really simple then). It's a great program, but was way more involved than what she needed. She's a fairly natural speller, so she just didn't need all the steps that AAS includes (and we skipped a lot of them). So I dropped the formal spelling program and now just address spelling in the context of copywork. This works for her but obviously wouldn't work for a lot of kids (it certainly wouldn't have worked for me!) If you find that she needs more direct spelling instruction you can always add it at any time during the year. It's not like you have to wait a whole year to start something if you don't start at the beginning of first grade. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 I wonder this too. I am a good speller (dont judge my typing on my phone) DH is an excellent speller. I won spelling bees at my school. We both just memorized lists of words and were both natural spellers. Ds just finished up k so no spelling yet, but he can already spell a lot of things, so I'm not a bit concerned about spelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fralala Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 I think you're onto something, and not just for spelling! With that said, I am only commenting to say that I have had the same experience with Spelling Workout as fourisenough. Miserable busywork. All children are different and it won't put you out a lot to try, but because you asked about that program in particular, I did want to add my opinion. I follow many recommendations from TWTM enthusiastically, but that one just did not work for us. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knitgrl Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 We tried Spelling Workout because it was recommended in TWTM. Dd is a horrible speller. She was able to do the pages in the workbook perfectly, but retained absolutely nothing outside of the spelling book. We switched to AAS, without using the tiles, and her retention is much better. That said, she is the first child I have homeschooled. After hanging out on the forum, I think the next go round, I would be inclined to put spelling off until the kid is done with phonics and is reading well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthie in MS Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 You can absolutely start simple and inexpensive. There are so many ways to go about it. Simple and inexpensive is totally fine! You could use words from her phonics...whatever word families or sounds she is working on or download the most commonly used words list and go from there. Have her write them, trace them in shaving cream, paint them with pudding, build words with tiles...sidewalk chalk spelling is a blast! Seriously, you will be shocked at what a great and cheap spelling program that turns out to be ;) This suggestion is cheap and really great! You could also buy a book with all the spelling lists that you could ever need like Spelling Power or Natural Speller. What I like to do with my dd10 is use a spelling list from Natural Speller and write words on a 4x6 index card and paper clip it to her weekly activity page in a wide ruled notebook. I make up the activities on the weekend (takes me about 10 minutes) and she can complete them in about 10 minutes every day. Just to give you a sampling of what you can do: * Write each word (1 or 2 times) * Write a sentence with each word * Make a word search puzzle * ABC order * Write the definition * Match the word to the synonym/antonym * Have her type the words on a WORD document and paste it to the page * Separate the nouns from the verbs * Add prefixes and suffixes * Separate syllables I know this is more for an older child but this is just to open up the possibilities that you can do with this simple format. OR you can take that same list and apply it to Spelling City. Kids who like doing their work on the computer appreciate this option. You could choose from the free spelling programs from this list. Check out my spelling pintrest board of spelling activities. I am devoted to making homeschooling cheap and fun. My oldest dd uses Spelling Workout. It's a workbook, it's boring and dull but she loves it. It goes along with her workbooky, get-r-done attitude. Oh well, it works. You have to use what works with each child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Rod and Staff is simple, thorough, effective, and cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Rod and Staff is simple, thorough, effective, and cheap.But doesn't it start at 2nd grade? I've seen mixed reviews on first and second grade. Do you use those and like them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Borrow Ruth Beechick's The Three R's from the library before you buy anything. The spelling instructions are applicable past the K-3 level. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Free extended Ayres Scale list without all the extra stuff. http://donpotter.net/pdf/ayres-1957_fluency.pdf Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airforcefamily Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 (edited) We used spelling workout and it worked fine. Then I felt guilty about it and we went whole hog into aas. No one liked it. I didn't like teaching it. It was overly complicated and way too expensive. I'd use it if I felt it was really needed but now we're back to basic workbooks and it's great. We're currently using the building spelling skills books. Edited June 13, 2017 by airforcefamily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 I've used the on-paper version of Sequential Spelling and am happy with it, it is very cheap, simple, and not time consuming. I didn't use it in first - I tried for one dd but I found her handwriting was still too slow, so we stuck to copywork that year, which targets both spelling and handwriting. I do think it's ideal to go with as simple and cheap as you can get away with, because that leaves more time and money for other things. Spelling isn't really what I want to be spending the few hours I work with a grade one student on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 In my opinion, first is a bit early for spelling unless your child is desperately wanting to write and frustrated by spelling. I think first grade spelling should consist primarily of understanding the concept that letters represent sounds and we put those sounds/letters together to form words. In second, if the child can spell cvc words naturally, good. If they can't, that's a good time to start a more involved program like AAS. Then in 3rd/4th, when they start using many larger and more difficult words, work a list based program unless they struggle. I've used Sequential Spelling and Rod & Staff. I teach spelling rules as they are relevant too when they ask me about a particular word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 (edited) dp Edited June 13, 2017 by abacus2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 (edited) Essentials of Spelling is a vintage 1919 curriculum that starts at Grade 2 and provides a very short list of words that are listed as a review of first grade. I find this list handy. https://archive.org/stream/essentialsspell00suzzgoog#page/n17/mode/1up In the vintage Eclectic Manual of Methods, McGuffey didn't start spelling until the 4th reader. There is a noticeable switch in how new words are presented in the middle of the 3rd reader. And before the original McGuffey readers of the 1830's most students were taught to READ with a speller and readers were rare or nonexistent. So in about 50 years things flip flopped. And then later with Ayer switched to frequency lists. There have been some widely different ideas about teaching spelling over time and now many of us seem to agree to disagree. :lol: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited June 13, 2017 by Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Many of us, on a budget, have just used this free K-6 list by the author of Spelling Plus. http://www.susancanthony.com/ws/_pdf/splhnd.pdf Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixpix5 Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Many of us, on a budget, have just used this free K-6 list by the author of Spelling Plus. http://www.susancanthony.com/ws/_pdf/splhnd.pdf Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk This is hands down the best free list I have ever seen. I didn't know this existed. Once again, thank you Hunter for being a freaking amazing wealth of resources and insight! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 15, 2017 Share Posted June 15, 2017 But doesn't it start at 2nd grade? I've seen mixed reviews on first and second grade. Do you use those and like them? Many of us use it a grade ahead so Book 2 in 1st, book 3 in 2nd, etc.. I don't start spelling until the kid is reading well, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 15, 2017 Share Posted June 15, 2017 This free vintage spelling book for grade 1-3 is adorable. Lots of pictures of chubby children and their pets and toys. New-World Speller by Wohlfarth and Rogers 1911 https://books.google.com/books?id=P69DAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcitedMama Posted June 15, 2017 Share Posted June 15, 2017 I hadn't intended to start spelling so early, I think it was K here, that seemed early to me, but AAR recommended that spelling begin after AAR1 so that's what I did with AAS. I'm glad we did. AAS is very systematic and teaches that rules to cement good spelling. I know in school I just had a spelling list and no instruction behind it. AAS is great because it teaches so the child can retain the rules to actually use. It's also been great for beginning copywork. It was hard for DS in the beginning to retain the sentence to write out. The TM is reusable so if this is for your oldest you could retain it for your next and it's really very affordable. It's also very easy to use because it's scripted and the lessons don't take very long. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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