IF you have made you own spelling program please help

[lori in tx]

I am thinking of doing this with my will be in 6th grade next year, is spelling is terrible. I really want to tailor to his needs and use the Fry's list. MY question is what do you do every week, what is your routine. For example do Monday pretest and copy the words or what kinda of thing do you do?
thanks
lori

[happy2homeschool]

We use the spelling words out of Spelling Workout but I made up my own schedule.

On Monday my kids take a pre-test, make corrections (each incorrect word is written 3x), and we discuss the spelling rules/prefixes/suffixes. On Tuesday they write each word 3 times and then they usually do a page in Spelling Workout, but not always. On Wednesday they write the definitions for the words (I pick approx. 15 of their words) and they use the words in sentences (done verbally). On Thursday they write ten sentences, each sentence with a spelling word, and each sentence must be a certain number of words (10 words for my 5th grader). On Friday they take the test.

This has worked well for us because my kids like to do spelling/vocabulary every day. The part of the week that they like best is the verbal or written sentences -- both of my boys do it at the same time and they compete to see who can come up with the most entertaining or interesting sentences.

Good luck.:)

[MIch elle]

I drill one column at a time orally and mark the ones incorrect. My ds then studies those words and I retest them everyday until correct. We then move to the next column of words and repeat. I would do this every year at the beginning of the school yr. - yes, starting at column one. I would only have them write the words if they wanted to and if they argued with me and said they did spell it correct and I hear them incorrectly.

Then the rest of the school we would do another spelling program (R&S, Phonetic Zoo, SWO, Calvert cd, etc).

[happy2homeschool]

Sorry! Ignore my post above. I wasn't paying attention. :001_rolleyes: Now I realize you were asking about Fry's list.

[Lori D.]

1. We use Megawords, doing 1 page a day, as a supplement to individualized spelling. It has helped my struggling speller *tremendously*!!

Below is how we do our individualized spelling. Hope something there helps! It takes me about 15-20 minutes the weekend before to prepare a list and any worksheets. Then spelling takes us 10-15 minutes a day. Best of luck! Warmly, Lori D.



- While I don't use Fry's, each week I make a list of about 15-20 words, based around a vowel pattern (for example "eu" and "ew" words). I try to include homophones, and both root words (such as "new") and words with prefixes/endings/suffixes (such as "renewal"). (I use "The ABCs and All Their Tricks", and "Natural Speller" to come up with word lists, adding in words from Megawords as they fit, but Fry's would work just as well.)

- Then we practice the list in a variety of ways throughout the week for 4 days, and test on the 5th day. (If you only were to do one technique, I would say that oral spelling is the method that really helps cement the sequential order of the letters for each word into the child's mind.) Ways we practice the words:


WRITING (daily, 4x/week; takes him 4-5 minutes)
I make up a worksheet a day, practicing the words in various ways:

- I write the list of words as in a column, with the words all using one vowel pattern together and a little separate from all the words using the other vowel pattern(s). He copies each word twice in columns next to my column.
- I mix the words together. He sorts and lists the words in columns under the appropriate heading (ex: under the "eu" words heading, he would write spelling words such as feud, feudal, Europe, pneumonia, etc.; under the "ew" words heading, he would write spelling words such as "new", "knew", "renewal", "nephew", etc.)
- I have him write the words by syllables, one syllable per column, like this:
nephew = neph / ew
renewal = re / new / al
- I make a worksheet in which he works with words, adding prefixes, endings, suffixes (ex: feud --> feuding or feudless); dividing into syllables; or matching up homophones with definitions.
- I write a list of definitions and then a series of blank lines to indicate how many letters are in that spelling word which matches the definition, and he fills in the words.


ORALLY (daily 4x/week, takes us 4-5 minutes)
I say the spelling word all together, then spell it out loud (by syllables if it is a long word), then toss him a beanie toy. Then he says the word, spells it out loud correctly to me, and then tosses the beanie back. Tossing the beanie keeps him mentally focused and prepared for listening, and then for his turn. If he misspells, I *immediately* correct by saying and spelling it several times correctly to him and have him repeat correctly so the incorrect spelling doesn't have time to imprint on his brain.

The first 1-2 days, we have the list right in front of him so he can look at the words, and look at each letter in correct order and say each letter in correct order. Then we move towards not having the list, and then by the end of the week, I say the word, but he spells it first and then I repeat it to him.


WORK WITH WORDS (1-2x/week; 10 minutes)
I do this at the beginning of the week. Work with the words on a whiteboard, using 2 colors of markers to help visually highlight vowel patterns; root word/endings (and any changes to the root, such as "drop the "e" and add -ing"); syllables; tricky letter sounds/spellings; differences in homophones (make a little "story" to help see the difference between homophones; ex: "new" and "knew" -- make the "k" of "knew" into a little stick figure pointing to his head "he KNEW how to know facts!" -- and a visual "story" to help remember that new (meaning opposite of old) doesn't have the silent k at the beginning: "old and new are opposites and each is spelled with 3 letters"; or, "new is so brand new, he hasn't had time to add any extra letters to himself like "knew" has.")


TOUCH
I used this method when he was younger; he doesn't seem to need this anymore, but if you want to incorporate it, go for it! It doesn't take more than 5 minutes.
- Have the word in front of him; he says the word, then spells it out loud letter by letter; as he says each letter he either draws that letter with his fingertip in a tray of sand or cornmeal -- or, draws the letter with his fingertip on a tabletop (make each letter BIG, using whole arm to make the motion).


WRITE/THINK/SPELL (1-2x/week; 10 minutes)
Dictation of short sentences with spelling words in each really helps him put together all the skills of thinking, writing, and spelling simultaneously. We do this mid-week/towards end of the week, AFTER he has a level of comfort and understanding of how to spell the words.

I dictate 5 short sentences (1 at a time, slowly, while he writes the sentence), each sentence with 2-3 spelling words in it. My son often spells each word aloud as he writes it, which really helps him focus. He often catches his own errors by doing this.

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

Copy each word 3 times everday, discuss spelling rules that apply/definitions if necessary/syllables.

Pretest Thursday - a perfect pretest means NO test on Friday. :D

[Lorna]

I adapt Karen Ciavo's form for my son every two weeks. I use the words he has spelled wrong (or asked me how to spell) in his previous weeks work and/or new words from his English Prep Book.
The sheets are typed up over the weekend.
It has twelve words (and sometimes a rule) and a pretty picture.
I then type nine sentences using those words. I go on the Baldwin Project and search for sentences using the words from books he enjoys and has read recently.

Day One: He copies out the spelling words and the sentences in his best hand writing.

Day Two: He writes the words on flashcards and learns them. I test him out loud

Day Three: I use the sentences as dictation this time

Day Four: He has a written spelling test. If he gets any wrong then I ask him to make a sentence using the word.

The following week I test him on his words again.

[lori in tx]

I adapt Karen Ciavo's form for my son every two weeks. I use the words he has spelled wrong (or asked me how to spell) in his previous weeks work and/or new words from his English Prep Book.
The sheets are typed up over the weekend.
It has twelve words (and sometimes a rule) and a pretty picture.
I then type nine sentences using those words. I go on the Baldwin Project and search for sentences using the words from books he enjoys and has read recently.

Day One: He copies out the spelling words and the sentences in his best hand writing.

Day Two: He writes the words on flashcards and learns them. I test him out loud

Day Three: I use the sentences as dictation this time

Day Four: He has a written spelling test. If he gets any wrong then I ask him to make a sentence using the word.

The following week I test him on his words again.

Lorna
this looks great. Where is the forms you referred to? Do you only do spelling every other week? I really like this how long have you been doing this? Does it seem to be working?
thanks so much
lori

[Lorna]

Lorna
this looks great. Where is the forms you referred to? Do you only do spelling every other week? I really like this how long have you been doing this? Does it seem to be working?
thanks so much
lori

Sorry I took so long getting back to you!
I use this spelling Worksheet from Karen's site (http://homepage.mac.com/rivendellpress/FileSharing44.html) (because it is attractive) and then add in my own words and sentences. I haven't been doing this long but it is working extremely well. I liked the efficiency of Spelling Power and having him only learn the words he didn't know but he hates to get anything wrong and so that really didn't work for him. He doesn't know I collect words. I write down words he asks me or words he gets wrong.
I know it is working because he always scores 100% in his tests and is not repeating his mistakes. Bearing in mind these are words he obviously finds the most tricky I am very happy with the results.
I do it every second week because it is quite time-consuming for him and I also need so time to collect new words.