Not pulling off SWR, what about AAS? Can it be used for teaching how to read?

[MommyInTraining]

I planned on using SWR with my 6yo who is learning to read and my 9yo for spelling. The baby is 5 months old now and we are still just learning the phonograms. My wishful thinking is not getting us very far :rolleyes: and I just can't see me finding the time to prepare for SWR in the near future. I also have a 4yo and 2 yo. So, I am looking for something that virtually takes no prep time. I really wanted to use SWR. I have all of the material and do feel like it is a superior program. However, the school year is slipping away and I need something that is already put together for me. I was thinking of trying to play catch up with MFW 1st grade for my 6 yo and Spelling Power for my 9yo. But, those don't follow the philosophy of SWR that I am so intrigued with. So, I was going to look into TATRAS for my 6yo. However, now I am wondering about All About Spelling. Is the philosphy similiar to SWR? And, can I use it to teach reading to my 6yo or is it just for spelling?

Thanks!

Terri in WA

[Alana in Canada]

Have you seen the teaching schedule on page 226 in Spell to Write and Read--the red book?

It's all laid out for you, what to do when. Take a binder, divide it up into :lists, Quizzes, Tests and Backlog

That's your "Learning Log."

Don't give up. By the time you reserch, select and learn to implement a new program you could be on list 6 instead.

It's an amazing program. Have you seen OH Elizabeth's Quick and Dirty Guide to getting started? You could do it in an afternoon.

http://www.lulu.com/content/364293

hth.

[Jean in IN]

but I second this advise. If you really like this SWR, don't give up. The schedule in the back is very good in helping you get started.

We've been using it for 5 years now and my best advise is to just keep moving. Don't get bogged down with missed words or feeling like you have to master each list before moving on.
You will repeat much of what you are doing next year, and then the next year. My oldest is in 5th grade and I was ready to give up too, because he wasn't spelling way above grade level like I thought he should be. and he was a year behind the schedule SWR had. But just this year is his spelling has just taken off! I'm so glad I never gave up.

Hang in there. Have you seen the yahoogroup? It's a great place to ask questions and get encouragement
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpellToWriteAndRead/

Jean

[Closeacademy]

We went through the lists to around H three times with my oldest before reading kicked in. I would take her so far and then go back to the beginning again.

This year with both I decided to do something different. We are just concentrating on the phonograms and the spelling rules. Once reading is fluent then we will start the lists again.

Basically, I am "introducing" a phonogram or spelling rule twice a week. I make up a silly sentence about it and draw some visual clues to help remember the sounds. Then I post them on the wall so my dc can see it. Then the other days of the week we review the sounds/rules with flashcards and I bring out a sheet of paper and we try to think of all the words we know with that sound in it and then we put it in a book for them.

I think the most important thing with children under 3rd grade that you are trying to teach to read is to just learn the sounds for the phonograms and play with words when you have time.

Good Luck.:)

[OhElizabeth]

Terri, You've had a lot going on! I didn't realize you recently had a baby, and you have so many littles on top of this! SWR is like a jet taking off, where it takes lots of thrust at first, but just glides along so smoothly when you get the hang of it. There's nothing wrong with AAS. It's not going to solve the problem for your older. I guess I'm wondering though, have you had a chance to read through things, start your own log, etc? Once you get how it works yourself, SWR is REALLY easy to teach, honest. Did you ever look at my getting started guide? If you have it, pull it out and work through it. Then give your oldest a diagnostic and take the plunge. You're going to be FINE! Even teaching imperfectly is better than nothing. Do you have any of the SWR videos? They're another great way to get up and going fast. Some people need to see the big picture before it makes sense.

I want to join the chorus of people saying not to sweat about your 6 yo. It was about this time of year when reading started to click for my dd in K5, and that was when I had been teaching her diligently all summer, fall, and winter! You can't make it click before it clicks. Now s/he is a bit older and will take to it like a duck to water. Just take the plunge. And it's going to be easier, I think, to do both with the same program, because the one can drill the other.

[8FillTheHeart]

I agree with taking the relaxed approach. We are in the middle of a major move (I am surrounded by 100s of unpacked boxes) and a very nasty stomach bugs is working its way through the kids (double yuck!!) Doing school with my 6 yo is so far down my priority list that it actually isn't even on it!! ;)

To answer your other question, I would not use AAS to teach reading. AAS progresses through spelling very slowly. Kids progress through the reading process at a much more rapid pace. I believe children will be at a disadvantage if their reading level is limited to AAS's approach. (good for spelling though. :))

[Tami]

I think you would do well with a simple, effective approach to reading. Teaching reading does not need to be complicated.

Some pick up and go primers:

Hooked On Phonics (Sam's has these cheap!)
Abeka Handbook for Reading
Alpha Phonics


You can still add your phonogram flashcards to any program. At our house we simply use a primer, flashcards, copywork, a nd Games for Reading by Peggy Kaye.

: )
Tami

[debbiec]

So, if I already have a "reader" but who still needs to improve reading/decoding skills and work on spelling more ~ would AAS work. I have been VERY interested SWR, but I cannnot find any samples on line, and I have read the Spalding book which seems more than what I want to do or need. Thoughts? I'm still trying to sort out the major differences between SWR and AAS other than SWR includes writing and reading and AAS is mainly a spelling program. But just comparing the spelling components, how would they compare?

[susie in tx]

I'm using AAS to teach reading. I tried SWR, but all of the books and the lists, even with OhE's guide didn't help me. AAS does not teach exactly the same as SWR. Word families are used. However, it does teach with visuals and phonograms.

My 9 yo has used AAS as a spelling program.

My 6 yo has used it as part of her reading program. I had intended to use it completely, but there have been some road bumps in the way. She learned the first 26 phonograms well. Then, she learned how to read simple words. She was ready for more, or so I thought. I taught her the word "the". And we picked up Bob books for a while. She loved it. After a while, we went back to the AAS and started the dreaded blending. It's been hard. I used a syllabication game I learned in either the Wise Guide or SWR. We jumped, we did all sorts of things to help the blending. We wrote more, instead of less. LOL It's been an adventure. Now, we're back to working hard at blending, but moving forward in AAS, instead of staying at the blending. She can learn the spelling rules, but she has trouble with the blending. I found an easy Abeka reader, and we read that. We do FLL. We don't use AAS every day. I try to get to it at least twice a week. I am pretty sure we would be moving more quickly if I were able to get to it more often, but that doesn't always happen.

I think you can use SWR or AAS or any myriad of programs to teach your children to read. One may seem easier than another. It all just depends on your teaching style, how much time you have, and how the child responds.

All the best,

[siloam]

Terri,

You can just continue working on the phonograms. What we do here:

I borrowed an idea from a sister program, Cursive First, and made letter cards out of sand (take a 4x4 piece of cardboard, write a letter in glue and cover it with sand). All my girls trace these or write in sand with their finger the alphabet while saying their phonogram sounds daily. My oldest just does cursive while the other's do manuscript. That is all my younger 2 are doing. :D

My older two I gave a diagnostic test and then started them in the list where they got the first word wrong. Because I don't have the time to work with words they already know I just given them the words as if it were a normal spelling test (10 a day-including missed words), and any they get wrong we mark up. From there I have them cover any they got wrong daily till they can spell them right three days in a row. From there we cover them a week later, and after that a month out. If they get it right then I consider it mastered and if they get it wrong at any point we go back to three days in a row.

Nope it isn't the "right" way, but it is working. Both girls are testing a grade ahead of their school grade. We didn't even start covering the spelling rules till this year (we started SWR Jan 2007).

Given you already have money invested in SWR I just thought that maybe you could find a way to make it work for you.

Blessings,

Heather