Another R&S Spelling Question

[training5]

If a child is just starting this series, where should he be placed? By grade level or ability?
I bought Apples and Pears but even I am not 'getting it' how it is supposed to teACH SPELLING. aNY IDEAS THERE, AS WELL? OOPS! Caps lock got stuck. Sorry....

[Beth in Central TX]

I use the program by grade level. The words are not necessarily challenging all the time, but I think the repititive work on "Sounds and Letters", "Using Your Words", "Dictionary Skills", and "Building Words" help to create a strong spelling/phonics foundation over the grammar and logic years. In addition, the 7th & 8th grade books focus more on Latin & Greek roots than spelling, so there's no reason to rush to get there.

[Lolly]

At least up to 6th grade, I'd vote for grade level. After 6th, if I had a poor speller, I would be tempted to start in 6th regardless of grade level. An average speller would be find sticking with grade level.

[Donna T.]

I would also start at the child's grade level. I've only used two grade levels so far but we love it and I plan to stick with it. The upper grade levels are hard to look at... not alot of white spaces on those crammed pages. But, they are in the process of revising their spelling workbooks. I just received a sample page of the revised Grade 5 and boy, has it ever improved! We love the simplicity of the pages in Grades 2 and 3 and it looks like they are patterning the other grades after those levels.

[training5]

Is grade 4 going to be changed as well? When will the new version be available? Are the samples at rodandstaff.com the new versions?

[training5]

bump!

[Mallorie]

Just chiming in to say that my 2nd grader is doing R&S spelling, and we really like it. :)

[Beth in Central TX]

Yes, it looks like the samples are for the new version of R&S spelling. Right now R&S spelling 4 & 5 are available in the new version. In the March 2008 newsletter, the Spelling revision for 6 & 7 were in copyediting, but no date was given for availability.