Has anyone used Sequential Spelling? I'm wondering if it's simple to use or is it time-consuming. Do they go over vocabulary (which my previous spelling program includes) or do I have to have a separate vocabulary curriculum?
Simple, simple, simple! Everyday you have your child spell 25 words; no studying. The words are related, and they learn to recognize the patterns. They try to spell the word and immediately check it to the one that you write on a chalk board or white board using two different colors which helps highlight the pattern. It take 15 to 20 minutes a day. It has worked very well for my children. It doesn't stress spelling rules, but I casually mention rules as I show them the correct spelling. It is not a vocabulary program. We get our vocabulary from our reading and from Latin.
We've been using it for about 2 weeks. It's not time consuming at all. And we do have a separate vocabulary (Worldy Wise)
We've completed levels 1-3. We are doing levels 4 and 5 concurrently right now. It is simple to do. I wouldn't waste the money on the student response books though. You can just use a regular cheap spiral notebook. Just use one list per page so that they can't see the list from the previous day. You can always go back through the book and add another list or two to each page if you want to save paper. Then you can buy the clearance books. They are older editions and the covers will vary, but other than that it shouldn't be any difference. That way each level costs about $9 instead of $20.
For vocabulary, check out www.rfwp.com for the Michaels Clay Thompson books. They are wonderful. We also liked English from the Roots Up.
I loved it - my kids didn't "get" it. We tried it for a month with no results. But I think it was seriously just that my kids work differently. My son isn't an AWFUL speller - just lazy and my dd spells phonetically so I work with her with just a spelling book or whatever (we used Rod & Staff this past year). But I totally agree you do NOT need the student books.
We use it. We LOVE it...takes 10 minutes a day, MAX. My oldest uses it...she reads over the list, I give her the test, she checks the test. Spelling done. It's improved her spelling (well, she's a fairly good speller). BUT, it's also created conversational discussions about what words mean, and we've ended up looking up some of them. SOME DAYS (not all) it creates discussions on homophones and the like b/c of the words. She seems to remember these rules alot more when it's not a drill but a conversation.
We also use Sequential Spelling and I was looking around on SpellingCity.com the other day and did a search with day 56 and found that someone had already entered all of the lists for Book One. Occasionally there is a word omitted from the list, but the majority of it is there. Next year sometime I will be entering book 2. But I thought what a gold mine for me this year!!!
