All about Spelling users. How do you plan the lessons through the week?

[wyomom]

Apparently I am having issues with alot of curriculum this year. Vocab, startwrite and now AAS. LOL! Thank goodness I can come here for help. I don't know what I would do without these boards and everyone's wonderful advice.

 

I am using AAS level 1 with my 6yr old ds and AAS level4 with dd 5th grade. I am wondering though should I be spacing these lessons out over the course of a whole week per lesson doing different activities with the spelling words or a lesson a day?

 

So far we have been doing a lesson a day and ds has been able to spell all the new words in the list without any problem. We review the phonograms and key cards and move on to the next lesson the next day. DD has had problems remembering all the key cards for spelling rules, suffix rules and things like that but she knows all the phonograms and always knows the new spelling words in that lesson the first time around too so we move on to the next lesson with her as well. At this rate we do a lesson a day which seems too fast but they both know all the new words in the spelling lists.

 

Does anyone break these lessons down through the week into sections, reviewing the rules ect.... then a test at the end of the week on the spelling words?

 

How do you all teach this. Once again, I feel like I am using this program wrong. UGH! Then again if my dc know how to spell the words without any previous exposure it seems like we should move on and not bore them to tears with easy spelling words. This has always been my issue with spelling programs. They really need review and practice on the rules more than anything.

 

I have been contemplating using this program for teaching the rules and spelling workout for lessons during the week with their spelling lists. I don't know yet. Haven't quite figured this one out.

 

Those of you who use this program, how does your week look and do you spread the lessons out all week or do a lesson a day?

 

Thanks for the help!

[ELaurie]

but last year I reviewed phonograms, sound cards, spelling rules, and spelling words on Monday, introduced the new phonograms, sound cards, spelling rules, and spelling words, and reviewed any additional new material in the lesson. If it was a short lesson, I had ds spell the new words with letter tiles.

 

On Tuesday, I had him spell the words with letter tiles, or on a white board, and dictated a couple of phrases or sentances. If he need additional practice, I had him spell the extra words at the end of the lesson.

 

On Wednesday, he wrote his spelling words on paper, and continued to write phrases or sentances. On Thursday, I had him finish up the dictation.

 

This year, he seems to need less practice, so I tend to spread the lesson out over two or three days instead of four.

[mamaof2andtwins]

Apparently I am having issues with alot of curriculum this year. Vocab, startwrite and now AAS. LOL! Thank goodness I can come here for help. I don't know what I would do without these boards and everyone's wonderful advice.

 

I am using AAS level 1 with my 6yr old ds and AAS level4 with dd 5th grade. I am wondering though should I be spacing these lessons out over the course of a whole week per lesson doing different activities with the spelling words or a lesson a day?

 

Does anyone break these lessons down through the week into sections, reviewing the rules ect.... then a test at the end of the week on the spelling words?

 

How do you all teach this.

Those of you who use this program, how does your week look and do you spread the lessons out all week or do a lesson a day?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

I also have two children using two different levels of AAS. I struggled with implementing AAS at the beginning. I was doing a lesson a day.

 

This year I realized I had to do something different. I treat each step as a week's work. Here is how I break it down:

 

Monday: Introduce new material and spell with tiles.

Tuesday: Review cards and spell on paper.

Wednesday:Review cards and spell more words on paper

Thursday: Dictation of sentences or phrases.

 

If the new material is long then I will split Monday's work into two days, and we will have spelling five days instead of four.

 

I have found this system to be very workable. This means we are only spending 10-15 minutes per day on spelling. This is very managable for me and the girls. This week my more natural speller did two steps because one of the steps did not have new words. It was just introducing new material.

 

AAS is the most on target, appliable spelling program that we have ever used. I hope you can find success in using it with your children.

 

Jennie

[arcara]

 

Monday: Introduce new material and spell with tiles.

Tuesday: Review cards and spell on paper.

Wednesday:Review cards and spell more words on paper

Thursday: Dictation of sentences or phrases.

 

If the new material is long then I will split Monday's work into two days, and we will have spelling five days instead of four.

 

 

AAS is the most on target, appliable spelling program that we have ever used. I hope you can find success in using it with your children.

 

 

 

Our AAS week is like this. The only difference is that we spend only one day spelling the practice and extra practice words on a white board. My dd needs 2 days to do the 12 dictation sentences.

[wyomom]

Thank you for letting me take a look at your schedules. It helps alot to see how other families are implementing this program.

 

I was wondering, what do you do if you dc are getting the 10 list words right the first time around? Do you just review phonograms, key cards and move on to the next lesson?

 

Also, for the upper level AAS how many dictation sentences do you have your dc write out for each lesson? Do you have your dc go through all of them over the course of a week or just a few and then move on?

 

Thanks again!!

Edited December 20, 2008 by wyomom
left out the word WHAT after "I was wondering....."

[arcara]

Thank you for letting me take a look at your schedules. It helps alot to see how other families are implementing this program.

 

I was wondering, what do you do if you dc are getting the 10 list words right the first time around? Do you just review phonograms, key cards and move on to the next lesson?

 

Also, for the upper level AAS how many dictation sentences do you have your dc write out for each lesson? Do you have your dc go through all of them over the course of a week or just a few and then move on?

 

Thanks again!!

 

My girls (AAS 2 and 3) almost always get all 10 list words right the 1st time. To me, though, we're not just learning those 10 words. We're learning the rule or concept that those words follow. That's why we do all the Extra Practice words, too. I like to review them, mixed up with old words the next day. And, we do ALL of the dictation sentences and phrases. They review old words, not just the ones from that lesson. Doing this gets the full benefits of the program in my opinion. Also, I have a dd who needs lots of practice when it comes to spelling. I've found too many times that she can spell a word in a list, especially in a list of similar words, but when it comes to putting it all together in sentences, she has trouble.

[mamaof2andtwins]

My girls (AAS 2 and 3) almost always get all 10 list words right the 1st time. To me, though, we're not just learning those 10 words. We're learning the rule or concept that those words follow. That's why we do all the Extra Practice words, too. I like to review them, mixed up with old words the next day. And, we do ALL of the dictation sentences and phrases. They review old words, not just the ones from that lesson. Doing this gets the full benefits of the program in my opinion. Also, I have a dd who needs lots of practice when it comes to spelling. I've found too many times that she can spell a word in a list, especially in a list of similar words, but when it comes to putting it all together in sentences, she has trouble.

:iagree: Everything she said! These aren't word lists. They are concepts.

[MerryAtHope]

 

So far we have been doing a lesson a day and ds has been able to spell all the new words in the list without any problem. We review the phonograms and key cards and move on to the next lesson the next day. DD has had problems remembering all the key cards for spelling rules, suffix rules and things like that but she knows all the phonograms and always knows the new spelling words in that lesson the first time around too so we move on to the next lesson with her as well. At this rate we do a lesson a day which seems too fast but they both know all the new words in the spelling lists.

 

 

I don't think there's one "right" way to do it. How long does it take you and your kids to do a lesson? We spend between 15-20 minutes a day. At that rate it usually takes us 2-3 days to get through a lesson for my oldest (Level 3), and 3-4 days for my youngest (Level 2).

 

Another question--your kids get all of the words right the day they learn the lesson--is that because they already knew how to spell those words, or because they are a quick study on the rules? If those words are mixed in later--say 5-10 lessons later, would they still know them with no mistakes?

 

If your kids know them because they already understand how to spell them, then I would do the lessons as you are doing them--quickly, and only doing the main words w/o the extra words, and not all of the dictation.

 

However...the fact that your oldest has had trouble remembering the rules would make me wonder if she has internalized their concepts yet. If she hasn't, that would be a reason to do more/all of the words and all of the dictation. Dictation reviews previously learned words as well as weaving in the new ones, and is trickier because they can't just memorize a pattern to do the dictation--they have to think about many patterns as they write each word. The reason I would do more words in this case--1, because the "extra" words might contain one she didn't know yet, and 2, because I want my kids to thoroughly internalize the concepts, so that they can use them when they get to longer, harder words. They are laying a foundation for harder spelling words.

 

At the very least I'd say that it would be good to spend more time on the rule-cards. We spend several minutes each lesson going over cards. I mix up all of the cards, shuffle them, have them out of order, and just see how many they can get through. I want them to get the card right 2-3 times before I move it to mastered.

 

I also do that with word cards. If they get all of the words right the first day but there is any part of me that thinks they didn't already know them but might have just been a quick study, I have them at least spell the words orally before starting the next lesson. I have teased out a few tricky ones for them this way. But my kids struggle with spelling, and you may have some bright spellers on your hands who don't need as much review. In that case, just focus on reviewing any trouble-spots (rule-cards etc...) and move on at their pace.

 

For us a typical routine for my oldest would be:

 

Day 1--5 min. review cards, 10-12 minutes work on review & new teaching.

 

Day 2--3-5 min. review cards, 12-15 minutes work on any remaining new teaching, partial word lists, partial dictation. (sometimes we finish the lesson this day)

 

Day 3--(if needed) 3-5 min. review cards, 12-15 minutes finish words and dictation.

 

HTH some! Merry :-)

Edited December 21, 2008 by MerryAtHope