Spelling Update

I've been using my new spelling system (http://spellinglog.blogspot.com/) for a little over a month now, and I'm liking it.

I like both the predictability and the flexibility of the system. Each day has dictation, copywork, and word analysis. In general the system is supposed to provide the framework for teaching and reviewing spelling words. However, I can use the same activities to teach other spelling and writing concepts.

The system includes periodic review of core spelling words. However, I started the system when we were in section I of Spell to Write and Read, so Sparkle had gone through lots of over two hundred spelling words. Although many of those words weren't core words, many of them were, so I had a huge backlog of spelling words to start reviewing.

To help ease the backlog of review words, I stopped teaching new words the week before spring break. I still used dictation to review old words. However, I used the copywork and word analysis sections to teach contractions. It worked pretty well, and now she's noticing contractions in writing. I'm also planning on not teaching any new words next week. Instead we'll work on adding "s", "es", and "ed" to words. Then I'll have her practice these skills through copywork for a while before I start using them in dictation.

One thing that I find neat about copywork is that I can really tell when she has internalized a spelling simply by watching her do copywork (instead of leaving her to do it by herself). When she is unsure about a word, she'll frequently glance back at the word as she writes it. However, if she is sure about a word, she'll read the word and then write it without looking back. If she's really sure about all the words in a phrase, she'll write the entire phrase without glancing back.

We've already covered enough words for kindergarten, according to the SWR manual, so I'm not worried about not teaching new words for a while. Plus, I figure that with built in review, I can ignore the SWR recommendation to start back at list A next school year.

The process of creating the daily spelling sentences is taking longer than I had originally hoped, but that might be due to the backlog of words. In any case, I am lucky that I have the time to focus on this project and a child who is capable of the amount of handwriting required. I'm hoping that as the backlog disappears and Sparkle can write more, it will be easier to come up with daily spelling sentences.