Spelling Trouble

[AllBoys]

My son is using a second grade spelling workbook and is having a very difficult time. He can easily get half of the words wrong, over and over again. He is reading really well, reading all kinds of books, well past chapter books. I am not sure what to do, but torturing him with the workbook doesn't seem to be the answer. Does anyone have any advice? I don't know how someone can read so well and have no idea how to spell. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks

[Amber in AUS]

You don't say how old he is. What sort of phonics instruction did he get? Do you do copywork at all? Is it just the spelling list words he gets wrong or does he spell wrong in his everyday writing too?

 

Might help to get an answer if you give a little more info.

[bethben]

I had the same problem. Ds was reading 2-3 levels beyond his grade, but his spelling was HORRIBLE! We switched to All about spelling. It's very easy to do (15 min or less a day) and has dictation built in it of words they should already know (great review!). Ds has improved GREATLY. I am not changing a thing. It works for us.

Beth

[Ottakee]

Check out Apples and Pears spelling http://www.prometheantrust.org/soundfoundationsbooks.htm This is a very effective program that really TEACHES spelling, not just drill it like many other programs.

[ElizabethB]

I have a page with a lot of free and cheap spelling resources:

 

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

 

I like the philosophy in the Gayle Graham books, you just learn words you personally misspell, and you actively find a category/rule for them. You could make up your own notebook, too, but the workbook is cheap and fun.

 

I was a good reader and a poor speller until I over-learned all the phonics basics and phonics rules while tutoring students. Now, I spell fairly well, but not as good as my Dad, who learned phonics from the start. (I got a little phonics in K, then whole word in 1st grade.)

[cillakat]

My son is using a second grade spelling workbook and is having a very difficult time. He can easily get half of the words wrong, over and over again. He is reading really well, reading all kinds of books, well past chapter books. I am not sure what to do, but torturing him with the workbook doesn't seem to be the answer. Does anyone have any advice? I don't know how someone can read so well and have no idea how to spell. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks

 

Moving to _All About Spelling_ would probably serve you both very very well.

 

:)

katherine

[AllBoys]

Amber,

 

He is almost 8, and he has done Explode the Code. We really have not done much copywork and I am not sure how this works exactly. Do I write it first on the whiteboard? Pretty much anything he writes he asks how to spell each word. Hope this is enough information. I have been wondering if I should just back off on the spelling and it may come later, or try one of the recommendations here, but they look intensive. I bought writing road to reading and we all gave up after a very short time, mostly because it was confusing to implement and I didn't give it enough time. I looked at Spelling Mastery and the computer part looks fun but I could not see all the parts of an actual lesson. Has anyone used this who can tell me more about it? Thanks for everyone's responses!

[arcara]

Another vote for All About Spelling!

 

My dd also had trouble with spelling despite good phonics instruction and being a good reader. We used a workbook approach for 3 years, and it just didn't work for her. We switched to AAS this past summer, and it's been great! Zero prep for me (after cutting apart all the cards and tiles in the beginning), nothing confusing to teach it, and it has lots of built-in review. Learning the rules has been great for my dd. She's learning to think about what she's spelling instead of just writing down 'something' for no reason!

 

Good luck in your search!

[inashoe]

I can relate ! ds is a fantastic reader - always been well above grade level. But he just cannot spell. Simply horrific ! I have been through many spelling programs, and ditched them all. Like you, I also wonder how a child can be such a good reader but not able to spell.

 

We are now using Phonetic Zoo from IEW http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/index.php?q=catalog/spelling

This is the first program that I think I might actually stick to !

 

It does one spelling family at a time.

Gives a rhyme to help the child remember the spelling rule.

Then 15 words are done in one lesson for that spelling rule.

The words are "read" aloud to him on a CD - lessons can be downloaded onto an iPod or computer - which frees me up.

After the student has written all 15 words down, the CD then spells each one back - the student then has to write down the words as they are spelled back. So the student marks his own work - he might have written "c-a-u-s" but now gets immediate feedback as he writes correctly "c-a-u-s-e". this immediate feedback very helpful. Much better than me marking his words as wrong, and he then shrugging his shoulders and saying oh ok.

 

The student only passes onto the next lesson once they have spelled all 15 words 100% correctly two days in a row.

 

My two middle kids are natural spellers and are moving quickly through the lessons. ds is way behind them, plodding along at his own pace. He likes this program, says that he is learning. I only see improvement in the word families covered - he is not yet showing any improvement with word families not yet covered.

[MariaTX]

Phonetic Zoo gets my 'thumbs up'. My son (now in 11th grade) was a horrible speller, but a very good reader with very high comprehension.

 

We started to use Phonetic Zoo when he got to Jr. Hi. (wished I had found it sooner). His spelling finally is up to speed. I think wearing headphones to do the lessons helped greatly. It kept him focused.

 

HTH,

 

Maria