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LLMom
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| Posted: May 08 2007 at 10:14pm | IP Logged
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Anyone NOT use a spelling program? We are using the bravewriter lifestyle this year and in it she suggest practicing spelling in the context of their writings, dictations, etc. I wonder if anyone has just done something like this and their child became a decent speller. My first child was a natural speller. We didn't use a program at all. MY next two (boys) spell terrible. They use this weird invented spelling BUT they are passing through the same stages as my oldest did, just at a later age. But some days I doubt whether they will ever be able to spell well enough for the spell checker to list an option even close to what they typed.  I think they have improved because they are reading and writing more and not because of any spelling program we have done. We have used sound beginnings and another similar program after that.
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Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
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Karen E.
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| Posted: May 11 2007 at 7:00am | IP Logged
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I have not, most years, used a formal spelling program, but have relied more on the kids' reading and writing to "study" spelling. Last and this year, I did intersperse a little formal spelling with a couple of books from CHC, to:
1. supplement
2. check up on myself
3. check up on them
Like you, I find that spelling skills seem more affected by reading (good books) overall than by a program, but I also find that my visual learner enjoys looking over a list of words, then spelling them aloud for me, and it has reinforced her skills. Still, I skip all the exercises in the spelling books, and we just use the lists.
Another thing I've done is to zero in on the kinds of spelling mistakes they make, and emphasize correcting what is peculiar to that child.
For example, I have one who was constantly reversing "ai" in a number of words. Instead of "rain" she'd write "rian," etc. We worked on this by having her say ai/ia words out loud, and then reminding herself that she does not have an accent of any sort that would cause this word to morph into two syllables. 
The old "When two vowels go walkin', the first one does the talkin'" rule didn't stick with her, but laughing over "rain" becoming two syllables did.
It can be such an individual thing, because, as you said, some people are just natural spellers.
And, just because you are seeking a real/living/CM inspired education, that doesn't mean you *can't* use a spelling program. If it helps a particular child, do whatever helps! But, feel free to adapt it (i.e., drop the exercises, but use the list, etc.)
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Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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Shari in NY
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| Posted: May 11 2007 at 7:14am | IP Logged
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Lisa,
Of my six kids, 3 are "natural" spellers, 1 is too young to tell and 2 are well, to put it bluntly absolutely dismal spellers (boys!but they get this gene from their mother  ). We have tried every spelling program out there and the only thing that really helped was typing on WordPerfect and seeing their errors right away and correcting them.And yes, sometimes spellchecker is at a loss too . This only helped,it didin't turn them into amazing spellers. Frankly, I don't think they care enough about spelling to make the supreme effort it would take for them to memorize all those spelling rules and as homeschoolers they don't have that "I've failed the spelling test/bee" angst they would suffer in school so the motivation is just not there. And to be fair, my good spellers are just naturally good at it, they didn't have to put much effort into spelling at all.
Shari
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mariB
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| Posted: May 11 2007 at 7:28am | IP Logged
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Most of my children are good spellers but with my 11 year old we are using Sequential Spelling 1 and I've had all my children join in because it is absolutely painless. No spelling tests. You give the words and they write them out. Then you write the words on a dry erase board and they correct themselves. It is word family based and they build upon a root word for example: all, tall, stall, install, installment. There are 6 books and no matter what the age you start with book 1 and move up. It is available at Sonlight.
Hope this helps.
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marib-Mother to 22ds,21ds,18ds,15dd,11dd and wife to an amazing man for 23 years
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Elena
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| Posted: May 14 2007 at 5:34pm | IP Logged
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I am using spelling time and love it! I can add words to it from their reading and other lessons and they think it's fun! 
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Elena
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: May 14 2007 at 6:48pm | IP Logged
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We use Bravewriter and no spelling program. We just address spelling through writing. Ds spells fairly well. Improving, like you said, in stages.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
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BrendaPeter
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| Posted: May 15 2007 at 6:12am | IP Logged
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I second Sequential Spelling & have gone back to using Spelling Workout (recommended by Susan Wise Bauer) in lew of phonic workbooks to make sure my kids get the basic spelling rules down.
I like using workbooks as a spine so that everything is covered. I give the dc quick spelling tests & we circle the ones they're struggling with & then go back & review. I see all kinds of strange things pop up in later years, even with my natural spellers.
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Tina P.
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| Posted: Feb 23 2011 at 2:46pm | IP Logged
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Elena wrote:
| I am using spelling time and love it! I can add words to it from their reading and other lessons and they think it's fun! |
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I love this site because I can ask a question on the search engine and find something that all of my at-home kids can benefit from. Yay! 
We're going to use this site, Wanda Sanseri's WISE Guide, and then Spelling Zoo. Thank you for the reference, Elena!
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SallyT
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| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 9:17pm | IP Logged
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Since we began homeschooling 8 yars ago, I haven't used a spelling program, mostly because my firstborn, at school, could glance at a list of words, memorize them, ace the test, and still not spell her way out of a paper bag. Her spelling is better (now that she's graduating!), though there are still a handful of words she has trouble spelling. Of course, I was in graduate school, in English, before I could spell "attach" and "withhold" correctly . . .
My second, who did copywork daily from kindergarten through fifth or sixth grade (can't remember when we stopped copying and started seriously writing) is an excellent speller.
I have been thinking about doing some kind of spelling program with my 1st and 2nd graders, though, mostly because the first grader, while a good reader, seems to have no head for spelling/phonics rules (rather like her oldest sister). Meanwhile, we do do daily copywork, which I still really do believe in as a total language-arts program in itself.
And for what it's worth, a friend of mine told me once that it's not reading which improves spelling, because the reader (once fluent) just glances at the first letter or so and moves on; but *writing* does make the writer pay attention. He and his family had moved to a state requiring standardized testing, and his daughter had done poorly in spelling, so they made her write letters every week (introducing an outside reader, so she'd care whether the words were spelled right) and saw great improvement.
Anyway, I also use my older kids' writing as a means for teaching spelling and, to some extent, grammar as well.
Maybe I'm just thinking about spelling because we read the spelling-bee chapter in Little Town on the Prairie the other day . . .
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: spelling
