I need a spelling recommendation!!

[ustasmom]

We are crashing and burning on PZ. I never used it with a 3rd grader before and now I know why. :001_huh:

I need a workbook style program that will have her doing a page or set of exercises every day.

Thanks.

[A home for their hearts]

Spelling Workout or Spectrum Spelling?
These are both workbooks. I myself didn't like Spelling Workout, and I do have Spectrum Spelling but haven't used it yet. HTH!

[Pylegang]

I too have had a looooooooong and strange ordeal with spelling this year!

Last year we used Spelling Workout and liked it. It seemed to work and it was easy to use. I switched my 3rd grade son to Phonetic Zoo because he is an auditory learner. He liked it, but the word lists were too difficult.

I then switched to Spelling Plus. I like it, and it seems to be working for us well, but . . . it is a little too teacher intensive.

The logical thing would be for me to order Spelling Workout. In search of a program that was a little more meaty, I decided to try Rod and Staff Spelling. I ordered it yesterday and am looking forward to trying it.

Take a look at the R&S website they have nice samples available.

[jcooperetc]

We love Spelling Workout - staightforward lessons based on spelling rules. As part of the lesson they also learn what the words mean, rhyming, alphabetizing, editing, etc.

[joannqn]

I use Spectrum Spelling for my visual learner. It's basically one side of one page per day with a test on Friday. It takes almost no time at all and is really easy. It includes "words across curriculum" sections (ie. science words) and dictionary skills. If you find that the word lists are too easy, it's easy and inexpensive ($9.95) to just go up a grade.

[hsmom]

I love Sequential spelling! Now if you are looking for a good workbook type, that as you stated has her doing a worksheet daily I also love Spelling Connections (http://zaner-bloser.com/educator/products/spelling/index.aspx?id=224) by Zaner-Bloser. Also with this you have the option of adding in some online extra work at this site http://www.spellingconnectionsonline.com/game4.php. I think it is a very good program.

[katilac]

and haven't looked back, :001_smile:

I just pull words off various lists (you can find tons on google). If they can spell the word from the get-go, fine; it gets scratched off the list and they don't 'study' it. We also add in words that they misspell in their other work, and words that they want to learn.

day one, look at the word, spell it out loud, and copy it NEATLY (just once). next 3 days, look at and write/study the word in some manner - - maybe put them in ABC order, write on the whiteboard, & the new favorite is using the Flypen spelling games.

Test on day 5; any missed words (rare) stay on the list. Usually we also go through another 10 or 20 words on the list to see which ones they already know.

This is working very well for both my natural speller and my definitely-not-a-natural speller.

[Cadam]

Spelling workout.

[LindaOz]

We are doing something rather different for spelling this year. We are using Reed's Word Lessons which is a really OLD spelling lessons program found online here

http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&id=4PVfa9_KCKUC&dq=reed's+word+lessons&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=dsWh7laiOc&sig=q7Ae_obVRA3cASEKXpZGYFOg27A&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPP1,M1

I have my children write out their words each day and they do other activities with them during the week.

Day 1 - they write out the copywork sentences containing words (or other exercises used later in the program)
Day 2 and 4 - 3rd and 5th graders write five sentences using words from the list. 7th and 8th graders write a composition containing at least 5 words from the list. (Some of these turn out to be really good....)
Day 3 - pick out words they don't know the meaning to, look up definition and write them on index cards to learn. These become part of their vocab words.)
Day 5 - Test on weeks words and dictation sentences.

I'm finding this really good and my children are learning. I know it's an old program but I like the richness of vocabularly and word usage. I just print out a few pages at a time for them to have in their binders so they have the next lesson to go onto, and they can work ahead if they want.

Just another idea.
Linda

[Sue in St Pete]

Megawords is workbook style and easy to implement. It is not teacher intensive. You just have to dictate once in a while, test once in a while, and check their work.

You can read my review in this thread (http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64192&highlight=megawords).

[iamrachelle]

Check out Rod & Staff Spelling. We are using it this year for third grade and love it! There are usually 16 new words listed each week with three "review words". The lessons are divided up into three parts (A, B and C). You can do one section a day or spread the written work out over three days with a fourth day for review and test on the fifth day.

Section A is usually a vocabulary type exercise with the spelling list... fill in the blank. Section B is phonics (write the spelling word with /o/ spelled aw type questions. Part C is usually some sort of alphabetical work... listing the words in alphabetical order.

My DD likes to do all three sections on Monday, review orally (a la' spelling bee) and then take her written test on Thursday.

It's a versatile program, I like the vocabulary review and is pick up and go for me... NO prep work required. Plus, the words really seem to be sticking so it's working!! It's also really inexpensive. I have the TM and use it so I would definitely by both that and the student workbook.

HTH

[siloam]

We are crashing and burning on PZ. I never used it with a 3rd grader before and now I know why. :001_huh:

I need a workbook style program that will have her doing a page or set of exercises every day.

Thanks.


All About Spelling teaches all the rules, and is scripted. Very easy to use.

Heather

[maadrose]

I too really like AAS. I like that it teaches the rules and it's very similar to the phonics that I learned when in elementary school, so it's easy to teach. And it's very scripted. BUT something about it seems forced. My kids don't LOVE it. I'm afraid that even with the review box, etc. my kids still don't GET it. Most days I think they'd be glad to use a workbook. It's almost like they can spell the words for that day or during that lesson, but in real life they struggle. The review box doesn't work too well for us, b/c some days there are sooooo many cards behind the review divider that it bogs us down. I've slowed way down with my first grader, but have been doing a lesson (at least) per week with my 3rd grader. i think it's a little easy for her--level 3--but I like the dictation that they have her do...it's all words that she knows. Unlike the dictation that FLL 3 wants her to do...lots of unkown words there! Also she's just begun the writing station part, which has her make up her own sentences using certain words. It's a struggle for her, but she's doing OK with it. I want to keep using AAS, but they dislike it soooo much that it might be easier to just go back to workbooks for a while...then my delimma is which ones to use and what grade level to put her in????

[siloam]

I too really like AAS. I like that it teaches the rules and it's very similar to the phonics that I learned when in elementary school, so it's easy to teach. And it's very scripted. BUT something about it seems forced. My kids don't LOVE it. I'm afraid that even with the review box, etc. my kids still don't GET it. Most days I think they'd be glad to use a workbook. It's almost like they can spell the words for that day or during that lesson, but in real life they struggle. The review box doesn't work too well for us, b/c some days there are sooooo many cards behind the review divider that it bogs us down.

Can you break it down into pieces that work better for your kids? If needed do like MerryatHope does and set a timer? When the timer goes off STOP for the day-no matter how far you have or have not gotten to. :D

Now my 7yo does have an advantage in that I spent the whole last year having her draw her letters in sand while saying their sounds. She doesn't have to review those. It actually took my oldest two almost two years to memorize all the phonograms, but the know them cold now (and nope they didn't like it). If your children are struggling with just the phonograms I would pause the program and work on those for a while. Write them in sand, shaving cream, make them in clay or playdough (all while saying their sounds), write them in the air, something new each day till they solidify the sounds.

Of the rest of the cards I would limit how many you cover, if needed. With the spelling cards I have my 7yo dd quickly spell 10 aloud, then I have her read 10. We don't do the whole stack. I turn the top card backwards so I can see where the deck starts and when we get back to it I shuffle in the new cards and start over that way they all get covered. Then we do a portion of the lesson. She spells 10 words at most in the "lesson" and I do have her do the extra words, so it ends up taking a week to do a lesson easily. That is fine. It wouldn't bother me if it took longer. Fluency and mastery is the goal.

Also if their are certain words that give them trouble over and over again you can take a whole week to work on them, and use the methods above (playdough, sand, ect...) to have them make the words while saying their sounds and the corresponding spelling rules.

In the end if you really feel the need for a workbook I have been told that Megawords follows the same basic sequence, though it is for older children so I am not sure if it might be a little advanced for your 3rd grader. To be honest you don't have to do spelling with your 1st grader. You could just skip that for a while. I have also heard good things about Apples and Pears (a British company publishes it) and I know it also has quite a bit of dictation using the spelling words, from looking at the samples.

My 7yo is enjoying AAS, but my older two who are doing SWR (similar program with phonograms and such) shout with joy when they get a day off. Yet they both spell a year ahead of grade level, so something is working. Thus we keep plugging away....

Heather

[KDBask]

All About Spelling teaches all the rules, and is scripted. Very easy to use.

Heather



Highly recommend AAS as well.

[dorothy]

Tried so many others and wish I had found this to start.

Good luck!

[southmetromom]

I love this program -- as others have stated.

My ds was 9, could read high school level books and could not spell at first grade level. I couldn't understand it, since I taught him to read phonetically!

He (accidentally) told me one day, "Mom - I really like this spelling program."

It is hands-on and kinda' fun (Throw that rule-breaker into jail!) and totally transformed him.

Hang in there. You'll find something that works.

Sandy