Help with vowel sounds and spelling

[kkapfe]

My daughter (2nd grade) is still struggling with a spelling/reading issue. We started our year (we're 6 weeks in) by doing the "traditional" spelling process...get a list of words on Monday, work with them all week, take test on Friday. It was not going well because she was just trying to memorize them and even that was not happening successfully. I tried to take the pressure off from testing and we began a few weeks ago with a public domain book called "Word Mastery". It is a phonics book for grades 1-3. We have been reviewing short vowel (cvc) words for a couple of weeks. Some days we just read through lots of words, some days she spells the words using letter tiles, and on a very few days, I've had her write the words on paper. She can read all of the words with a 98% success. However, I have caught on that she can't spell words with the vowels i and e. It's like she can't hear it! She can read it perfectly but can't spell it. She does a lot better with long vowels because the sounds are more distinct.

Has anyone encountered this problem? What have you done to practice hearing the vowel sounds? I want her to learn to spell more phonetically instead of just memorizing because it helps when you are trying to spell a word that you don't know.

[Jazzy]

[imgreen42]

I have been using Hooked on Phonics Spelling. It works well because my son (2nd grade) will actually do it. He thinks it's fun.

[roma]

Sequential spelling teaches the root words first, and then builds on them. I like that program.

[roma]

To hear phonic sounds for free on line

http://www.read-phonics.com/free-phonics-sounds-video.html

This should help with the vowel sounds

P.S. As a private and home school tutor I find Sequential Spelling was designed for the dyslexic, but works well with all children.