Cajun.Classical - a ? re: Studied Dictation for you (m)

[MelissaMinNC]

When do you start this with your children? Around 3rd grade, or later? And do you do nothing (or, is the idea to do nothing) for spelling instruction, other than copywork up until you start the dictation?

I've been really floundering with SWO - because I just can't see the point, really. Dd is a good reader (maybe 3rd-4th grade level?) and a good speller, but she doesn't love this program either; it feels like we could be doing something richer with our time. But, she's only 1st grade, so I'm not quite sure what we should be doing instead. Perhaps just reading more, or doing more copywork.

Ack, I just don't KNOW!

Thanks,
Melissa

[cajun.classical]

Melissa,

I'm happy to tell you all about it. We're about to start school here now. I'll post later during our lunch break.

[Linda in NM]

We didn't do formal spelling; we did some copywork, lots of oral narration, some written narration. We toyed with some spelling programs; he got 100% on all of them, but then made the same errors as before in his written work. Now that he's 13, and texting GIRLS, he wants to make sure he spells things correctly, and he's motivated to learn spelling rules. Ahem. :D

[MelissaMinNC]

I'm glad he is spelling out his words though. A ps teacher I know told me she has a terrible time with students turning in pieces of writing with text abbreviations in them - sk8 - or whatever. Ack!

So, anyway - what you're saying is....I just need to wait for the right motivation to come along! LOL.

Thanks,
Melissa

[Linda in NM]

It is pretty funny...I have friends who are totally anti-texting (and my son does use some abbreviations), but I've been asked to spell some pretty unusual words...I wonder what they're talking about! (Actually, I review his text messages occasionally, and they're pretty innocent--all about skiing <are there really two "is" together, mom?> and sports...)

[cajun.classical]

Ok, here I go. I have a natural speller (dd9) and one who struggles (ds 11). We started out with Spelling Workout, but it was just busy work for us. I saw no relationship between mastering spelling lists and spelling words correctly in compositions, so we dropped it. We did nothing other than copywork for a while. This past year I read Charlotte Mason's writings and was very intrigued with her use of dictation to teach spelling. Teaching words in context made a lot of sense to me. Then I read Lindafay's blog entry, which provided some real nuts and bolts about how to accomplish this. We started it this year with great success. My ds's spelling has vastly improved. When he writes essays now, his spelling is much better.

So, practically speaking, Studied Dictation begins in third grade and copywork would be used before that, just to practice really seeing the word and copying correctly. In third grade you'd start studied dictation, either using your own models or something like Spelling Wisdom or Simply Spelling. I like having the selections already picked out and arranged by grade. I had no idea what would be an appropriate length for a 3rd grader and a 5th grader. These two programs are also nice in that they include high frequency words--so you'll be covering the same sorts of words as in a spelling program but in context.

Some people use the dictation passages for copywork and then dictate at the end of the week. We don't. Charlotte Mason doesn't recommend mixing dictation and copywork. They study the passage for a few moments and visualize the correct spelling of the words and then I dictate one phrase at a time and I do not repeat. This was really tough at first for my ds--not a good listener--but he has greatly improved. Any misspelled words are instantly corrected. And that's it. Pretty simple really.

Hope that helps. For your first grader, I wouldn't push spelling too hard. Just keep plugging away at copywork and use that time alloted for spelling for something else.

I'm happy to answer any other questions.

[MelissaMinNC]

of course. :)

How often do you do this - is it an every day lesson, or once/week? If it's more than once/week, do you use the same passage, or a new passage each time?

I looked at the Simply Spelling samples online, and it seemed to use the same passage each day with a different type of exercise, and then dictation on day 5. Is that how you do it (with that or a different program)?

The more I think about it, the more at ease I am with going with my instinct and ditching SWO. I don't know why it's so hard to trust myself (newbie-itis?) but it's nice to see other people using methods that ring a bell with me successfully.

Thanks again,
Melissa

[cajun.classical]

Sorry, I guess I left that info out didn't I. We use Simply Spelling, but we do not use the passages for copywork as the book suggests. They do the daily exercises (stuff like breaking the more difficult words in syllables, paying attention to homynyns, word study-type stuff, very gentle) for about 2 minutes daily, maybe less. This is real low key. Then we dicatate at the end of the week. We spend more time on dictation day because they closely study the passage and visualize the more difficult words (close your eyes and see the word correctly spelled and then write it on the whiteboard. I instantly erase if they misspell it. CM argues that seeing the word spelled incorrectly can cause a child to get the wrong spelling stuck in his memory.) Then I dictate.

Is that a little more clear? My three year old is distracting me right now. So, we do one passage a week and we aim for mastery. If they really struggled with a passage, I might have them repeat it the next day. I personalize for their own needs. Any other questions?

Oh and let me encourage you to trust your instincts. No one curriculum or method will work for everyone. Go with your gut. You know your child!

[MelissaMinNC]

I'm really going to chew on this for awhile. (She won't be in 3rd grade for 2 more years anyway, LOL.) It all....just makes sense for me, and that's a good thing.

I have a 3yo also - they can be SO distracting, can't they? ;)

Thanks again, I really appreciate it!
Melissa