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At_His_Feet
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| Posted: Nov 06 2007 at 3:28pm | IP Logged
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I'm reading Designing Your Classical Curric. in which WRTR is recommended.
I have a 9, 7 and 3 year old. We haven't used a systematic phonics programme and we also haven't done a lot of spelling.  We do use MCP phonics, but it seems a bit busy.
My 9 year old is just starting to become more confident in his reading, but I always wonder if he could be even better if we studied all the phonograms, spelling rules etc. But I've always been scared off by spalding and LEM (Australian I think) because I've heard how intensive and complicated it is, and I don't want to start and fail. Also, I wanted taught in this manner so it's all completely new to me.
I'd love to hear of the experiences of others and what you think of going down this road.
With thanks,
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Tricia
Mum to 3 boys 17, 15, and 10.
Do whatever He tells you
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humanaevitae
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| Posted: Nov 06 2007 at 3:38pm | IP Logged
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I found WRTR quite confusing. We use Spell To Read and Write which is quite similar and I love it.
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Nicole-Zane 10, Elizabeth 7, Xavier 4, and John Patrick 2
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Helen
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| Posted: Nov 06 2007 at 3:45pm | IP Logged
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Hi Tricia
This is the first year in five years that we haven't used Sound Beginnings (very similar to the Writing Road to Reading which we used one year.) I found Sound Beginnings easier to implement in my family than the WRTR. (Personally, I would recommend Sound Beginnings over TWRTR. The program is designed for homeschooing and makes it a lot easier to follow.)
At some point this year, I think I'll be going back to it. I see one son is still struggling with reading and I think using the program again will help him. (Another son is asking, "When are we going to do our phonogram dictation?" )
Speaking from the heart, I have found the program draining and boring but it works. I have found it works for children with learning disabilities and children without them. I thought a major contributing factor to my burnout last year was Sound Beginnings. (Now, I'm beginning to think my burnout had a lot more to do with too much caffeine and not enough sleep.  )
If I bring SB back into our homeschool this year, I want to make sure I keep an eye on "atmosphere." The program is loaded with effort (and can be tedious.) I think I need to make sure I balance this with enough fun, crafty or engaging read alouds.
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Ave Maria!
Mom to 5 girls and 3 boys
Mary Vitamin & Castle of the Immaculate
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At_His_Feet
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| Posted: Nov 06 2007 at 5:45pm | IP Logged
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Thank you Helen,
Do you think it would be suitable for my 9 yr old? My 7 year old will I think be a natural at spelling and reading.
It's rather expensive too, especially if I can't get it here in Australia.
I'll go and have a look at Spell to Read...
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Tricia
Mum to 3 boys 17, 15, and 10.
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ALmom
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| Posted: Nov 06 2007 at 5:47pm | IP Logged
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We used the WRTR but also used Spaldings Teaching Reading at Home and Starting a Spelling Notebook. I got some great hints from St. Thomas Aquinas Academy with my 2nd dd. I used it for the first time on my own with my oldest (that had to be 10 years ago at least as she is now almost 20) and it was disaster - but I didn't know where to place her and we were trudging through a bunch of stuff she didn't need. St. Thomas Aquinas's hints told me to get the other explanatory books and a few ways to jury rig things a bit for ease of use. I think the newer Spalding set does a lot of this for you and even has some of the stuff I had to copy and laminate, already done for you. I'm not 100% sure on that as I do have older versions of everything.
With my others, I did the placement tests in Teaching Reading at Home (it wasn't available when I tried the first time but boy does it make the whole thing easier). I did things like copy and laminate the spelling rules and marking rules and any hints at dialogue that I felt would help me. I copied charts for children to fill in rather than ever have them do their own notebook. (We modified a lot as there were certain things that I knew were helpful. I did not care if my children erased and I sat with them for the initial dictation and marking of words so that I could ask just the right questions to help my children discover any forgotten markings or fix any spelling mistakes - things like, OH, this is the other 2 letter phonogram for ... it is the one used ....
In using it with my 2nd dd, it required my time but really worked well. We were dealing with a child who had had some vision problems, lots of reversal issues, etc. and once the vision was corrected this just seemed to help her. She is still our best speller, reader and writer. I began when she was 9 or 10. Personally, I don't think I'd us the program in any formal way prior to that age.
I am currently doing the same thing again with my 13 yo. It is the only program or thing we have ever been able to come up with that actually helps him spell.
My understanding is that the newer Spalding package is a lot more user friendly than what I had to do in weaving the 3 different books to use the program. It does involve parent involvement since most things must initially be dictated - but then studying the spelling is often just like any other program. We just spend a bit more time up front analyzing why a word is spelled the way it is. For someone with visual memory issues, etc. this really has been the only thing that has worked well. (I had this program before Sound Beginnings came out so couldn't justify spending lots of money for yet another spelling program/method. We did everything from having children correct and study misspelled words in their work, spelling power, traditional spellers, and several other things. There is something about the reasoning involved and the active marking of words that helps one of my children in particular. It is worth the extra parent time for that subject. However, the year or so that I do this program with a child, I try to have other areas with a bit more independent work to compensate. I don't have all my children working in this at one time. This year, I am using it with my 13 yo. The other children may have fun reviewing phonograms on their own but do their spelling from vocabulary/misspelled words and I don't dictate words or "do the program" with them. We may occassionally pick on a rule if we notice a pattern or something but this is all incidental and unplanned with the others. I just cannot have 6 different children in 6 different places in this program. I use it for certain children for several years to solidify/remediate spelling. Then I simply use it as a reference/reminder to give explanations for spellings of words they misspell in their own work or we do a traditional spelling type thing with either vocabulary words or even a speller if that is easiest and needed - but add in explanations, etc. from these rules. It can become quite fun looking at how where the word comes from has a lot to do with how it is spelled. There are also little hints about when a word is likely to be spelled with au or aw. It has been worth it to me to do it this way.
Dh just came in so hopefully thisn't isn't too confusing . Hope this helps you sort it out. You might ask to see someone's Spalding program and someone's Sound Beginnings to make a better decision. I do think that this systematic approach is key for some children - particularly some of the ones in our house that struggled with vision type issues and definitely for those who had visual memory issues.
Janet
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: Writing Road to Reading and gen. phonics
