Spelling curriculum?

[Mommy22alyns]

What spelling curriculum has worked best for your accelerated learners? I figured I'd ask over here since the answer could end up very different. I've learned the hard way with Saxon for math - if I'd had this resource earlier I might have gone with a different one!

We're finishing up SWO A right now and I don't feel like it actually teaches enough spelling. I want Becca to learn spelling rules. I think she has some natural speller in her, but I don't want to just depend on that. I'm considering All About Spelling - I like what I've seen on their website and sample lessons. Does this go quickly enough? Has anyone just started at level 2?

I've heard a lot about Spelling Power too, but I'm hesitant about it because I've heard it's incremental like Saxon... definitely not for us.

[Firefly65]

I have found that the best resource for spelling is not a program, per se, but a book that gives you all the spelling and phonics rules with lists of words demonstrating each rule. It's called The ABC's and All Their Tricks: The Complete Reference Book of Phonics and Spelling by Margaret M. Bishop. With this book you can tailor your spelling program to your child's needs. When you correct your child's writing and find spelling errors, you can look to this book to explain the rules and find words that follow the same rules. This way you aren't boring your child with weekly lists of words with rules that they already "get".

Spelling Power is a good program that we have used, but I really like The ABC's and All Their Tricks best. It's cheaper, too. ;)

[Firefly65]

Ooo! I found someone who has examples of worksheets she has created for use with The ABC's and All Their Tricks!

http://homepage.mac.com/rivendellpress/FileSharing44.html

You could create your own, if you feel so inspired, but you could do it much simpler, too. Here is a post from Lori D. that explains how she used the book for her spelling program. Depending on how bright your child is you might not need to do all of this, but I thought you might like to read her ideas:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showpost.php?p=245739&postcount=5

Hope this helps you out! God bless!

[3blessingmom]

Spell to Write and Read teaches the spelling rules and phonograms, and the pace is set by your dc. The words are not grouped in word families, but in order of frequency (Ayers list) which requires dc to think logically about how to spell...as opposed to knowing that all words this week rhyme with ____ . The list goes up to collegiate level words, yet starts with two and three letter words so most dc will fit in there somewhere:tongue_smilie: There are diagnostic tests in the tm to help you learn where your dc needs to be.