Do I *HAVE* to do spelling next year?

[Hoggirl]

My ds will be in grade 6 next year. We are currently doing SWO Level G so only have one more book to go to complete the series as suggested in the WTM. However, it just seems like busywork to me. We will do LL 7 next year, and my understanding is that there is vocabularly in there. I realize spelling is not the same as vocabulary...I am just trying to decide if there is any benefit in doing either one "officially" next year. Okay. Let me be honest. Will someone PLEASE give me permission to omit spelling next year?!:D

[Alana in Canada]

You have my permission, for what it's worth!

I'm looking forward to your ds's Grade level/ability where we'll shift from a programme for spelling--to simply going over words we use in our writing. Integration! Hooray! We should have all the tools we need by then to make sense of things!

Vocabulary is great too--you could test the spelling of some of them once a week if you're worried about it...but it doesn't sound as if you are or need to be.
hth

[Wendy in ME]

I am not doing spelling with my 5th grader 11yo ds and have know plans to add any. He did it up until last year. He is such a natural speller that it just didn't seem like a good use of time for him. He makes very few errors and is not afraid to grab the dictionary to double check a word. He also never forgets a spelling once he has to look it up. If your dc is a great speller then I don't think it is needed as a stand alone class. JMO

[Beth in Central TX]

No, I would not continue a program that is just busywork. If it's not helping you meet a specific spelling or vocabulary goal, then I would let it go.

[WTMindy]

I dropped it this year because I just didn't feel like it was accomplishing anything. They could always get 100% on their tests, but it didn't seem to translate to their writing. So, I just take words that they miss (they tend to be pretty decent spellers) in their writing or dicatation and make them practice those words a few times.

[StephanieZ]

I seem to recall that when I was in highschool doing our SAT prep vocab intensive year that spelling the words was tested as well as the definitions.

I'd think that when my dc get to that point, that would be a reasonably useful thing to do. Perhaps a simple spelling test on the vocab words one day and then the vocab test the next day?

Of course, reviewing/correcting spelling of words they are using in their writing would continue to be valuable as well.

I'd also think it would be perfectly fine to take a year or longer completely off from spelling/vocab at this point as well. If I remember correctly, (during my own aggressively college-prep GT/AP educational adventure) I don't believe I was taught spelling-per-se for 7th through 10th grade. Then 11th grade was the killer SAT prep vocab, 25 big words a week, year and then 12th grade was back to no vocab/no spelling.

For my own plans in a year or two when my eldest gets there, I can't see why it isn't reasonable to drop that aspect of LA between 7th & 9th grade and then do SAT vocab prep in 10th &/or 11th grade (at least until they've completed their ACT/SAT tests.) I think most vocab is accrued "naturally" through reading widely and of course Latin (& other language) study is so helpful. I do see the value of a 1000 word or so SAT prep vocab study in the 12 mos preceding the test, but much beyond that it seems like busy work to me. I'd rather have them reading more than spending that time memorizing.

[Lorna]

We have are on level G of Spelling Workout and only really do it because dd finds it fun. She can spell very complex words now and can spell better than I can but she isn't perfect. I find it useful to collect the occasional spelling mistakes and once in a while test her on them. In variably she spells them right in a test but if not she focuses on them and learns them (Spelling Power style). I still think this is worth doing (perhaps I am a perfectionist!).

[Excelsior! Academy]

We've dropped spelling and haven't looked back. So you have my permission!:D

[cin]

My dd, 6 is an excellent speller so we dropped it and started wordly wise. To make it fun for her, I give her a test on Fridays.

[mom2abcd]

Dd came home for fourth grade. She had been the top speller in her grade, attending spelling bees, etc. The spelling programs we tried seemed like a waste of time so we dropped spelling altogether. Now in 6th, I can see that she's lost it a bit.

I wish we had used Apples Spelling Drill or Megawords or something more meaningful with less "busy work" than SWO. Just a page a day would have kept things fresh for her.

Our older dd is still a top speller, but she reads more quality books so maybe that's helped her.

[Tutor]

We're dropping it and just pulling vocab/ spelling words from their lit selections.