Homeschool World Forum

iamnettie · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:58 pm Post subject: Spelling

The public school teacherness in me is coming out at as I plan curriculum for this fall (2nd grade). The past 2 years we have use LifePac for everything, but it seems too easy for my daughter so I am building a new curriculum for us, trying to pick and choose what we use.

One issue I am having is picking spelling. I have read that you don't have to use a curriculum because it can be put in with your reading and such, but as I said the teacherness in me is coming out and I want something.

Any suggestion??
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Calla_Dragon · User Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 212

We use www.spellingtime.com and my son loves it. In fact, he begs to do his spelling.
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momo3boys · User Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 574 Location: Western Mass

we do too and we all love it, the boys fight over whose turn it is first
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janzeiger · User Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 31 Location: FL

And I won't use spelling curriculum. I'll teach it in the context of REAL WRITING. Smile

This is what research supports and definitely more child-centered that traditional approaches.

Hope this helps.
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Dolly-VA · User Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 97

I'm using Sequential Spelling (AVKO) with my 3rd grader. It seems to be a good fit for her (she's dyslexic/dysgraphic.) HOWEVER... Laughing

since first reading this thread, I've checked out SpellingTime. Now we still do SS, but some days I put the words on SpellingTime and she loves doing it! (I am, however, checking out another spelling program called Spell to Write and Read. It comes highly recommended. http://swrtraining.screwlewse.com/id23.html)

About teaching it with "real writing," I would love to agree, but even with my non-dyslexic child, this just isn't happening (he doesn't like to handwrite and he has learned, very well, on how to use the spell checker.) He's 12, very bright, but tells me he feels stupid. It's because his vocabulary far exceeds his spelling ability, so much is red underlined on the computer. With my dyslexic one, it is having a night and day difference on her overall writing ability (and my ability to read what she has written.) She feels much more competant and writing is becoming easier and easier. Her spelling was so bad that even the spell checker couldn't decipher what she meant!

janzeiger · User Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 31 Location: FL

But I'm not saying that you don't have to teach it. I'm saying you can have a "writer's conference" when he writes a story and ask him to identify which words are misspelled (with spell-checker off). Then you can let him correct them via spell-checker if he's close enough for the word to come up...

At the same time, you do spelling minilessons. Maybe one a day on some of the most common patterns.

If you'd like to do a spelling list, you can pull frequently misspelled words from YOUR child's writing. That's another important component to teaching spelling in the context of real writing.

I used to do 25 individual spelling lists for my third graders. They finally were able to work with words THEY struggled with rather than being overwhelmed by a list that was too difficult or being bored by a list that was too easy.

Also, when you help the children discover spelling words on their own, they're more likely to remember them. Not trying to change your mind. Just offering another perspective. Here's a great article:

http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/spell3.htm
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Dolly-VA · User Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 97

Ah! I see. Well, then, I do agree with you. Thank you for explaining. I may start incorporating some of that with my 12 yo. (Who is suffering from boring-spelling-list-syndrome right now, actually. Wink

)

janzeiger · User Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 31 Location: FL

I should have explained more in the first message but was rushing!
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groovyhsmama · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:35 am Post subject:

Thanks for the links
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mommyof6kids · User Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 4

We did away with spelling.. It seemed to be more memorization of how to spell familiar words than the process of learning how to spell.. We are doing vocabulary lessons and creative writing.. The boys have done great with it.. and their vocabulary is growing quite well..

Theodore · Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:38 pm Post subject:

Spelling may just be memorization of common words, but it's still necessary for filling in holes. It's better to be able to spell 95% of the words in an essay you're writing, than half.

That having been said, dictation builds spelling and other skills at the same time.
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amird · User Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Israel

when I was a kid, I was told that reading allot will make a good spelling.
Isn't it?
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keptwoman · User Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 54

I think it depends on the child.

I have one who is a ferocious reader and at 13 still can't spell to save himself. He needs a specific spelling program. As he was taught by the look-say method of reading he needs to be taught the phonograms and rules to give him a code of reference as he can't tell by looking if a word is correct or not.

My 7 year old has been reading competently for about 6 months and his spelling is coming on in leaps and bounds with his reading with no formal spelling from me. I am pondering my navel on spelling for him, but I am in no hurry.
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Theodore · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject:

No, it depends on how you were taught to read. Someone who learned sight reading is going to have a mediocre vocabulary and a huge amount of difficulty with spelling, while someone who learned phonics will quickly become a good speller after a few years of reading. Given, a formal spelling review of a few dozen words per day won't hurt, but only a small emphasis should be put on this, so as to not detract from the fun of reading. A kid who reads at least a book or two per week on his own will learn to spell a lot better than a kid who's forced to practice spelling but almost never reads anything.
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Morgan · User Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 102 Location: U.S.

I do a lot of high school vocabulary using Wordly Wise. This series of workbooks goes from grades K-12, and I think it's the best I've used yet. I don't particularly need extra help on my spelling, but I am a ravenous reader and I find that reading books often helps me to retain my memory of the spelling of words. I find spelling lists boring and bland, and doing the Wordly Wise vocabulary every day is fun and helpful.

I did, however, have weekly spelling lists in elementary school when I was in a public school. They were still just as boring as they are now, but as the school did not provide adequate vocabulary and reading classes, it was my only way of learning how to spell words.

Hope my post has helped!
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