For 5th grade L Arts, I am torn between using CLE and Soaring with Spelling (the spelling with CLE has never worked for DS), or scrapping CLE and using Growing with Grammar, Winning with Writing, Soaring with Spelling and Pentime. There is about a $40 difference for the whole year. If money was no object, I would do the second, but since it very much is, I am thinking I'll stick with the CLE since not only is it cheaper overall, but I can also order just a couple of books at first, so that'd save me a lot of up front money. Any advice/suggestions? Does anyone have any experience with the Growing with Grammar series?
Not sure why the spelling doesn't work for you, but if it is like us...it's because it's a bit too simple. I LOVE CLE grammar, so just choose to supplement. Last year, we used Wordly Wise (this is vocab, but I use as spelling) This year, we are using Rod and Staff spelling workbook....both supplements are about $7.
I will look at R&S spelling, too. I think it's because the activities they do for the spelling words just aren't enough, or maybe not the right ones to make them stick. We have always used their lists but then I would go on to spellingcity and print off other activities, which helped a lot. But by the time I did that every week, I spent more on ink/paper than I would just buying a different spelling. LOL Thanks for the suggestion... going to look at R&S now.
I think I am just sticking with CLE. That makes much more sense financially, as well as that is DS's vote. LOL Thanks for the help!
Just curious, Stephanie, what other activities you printed off that helped with spelling? And where did you find them? Could some of them be done just in a spiral notebook or on looseleaf, without the printing out? I haven't had this difficulty with CLE spelling not working for somebody, but in case I do, I'd like to have some more backup. We've just always done the exercises in the unit, then I remind them to study their words any fashion they like the night before a quiz.
We use the unscramble sheet, where the letters are mixed up and the student has to figure out the word. Then we do the match the words with the meaning, and the choose the missing letter. Then he also writes them multiple times at least 2x a week.
Are those all from spellingcity? I'm thinking maybe you could do unscramble using "letter tiles" (from a Scrabble or Upwords set, a couple of sets of refrigerator magnet alphabets, or just written on little cards) -- you scramble the letter tiles, then he could unscramble them on notebook paper or just with the tiles -- instead of printing? Maybe you could hand print the missing letter ones on looseleaf? Then all you'd have to print out would be the matching definition ones (too much writing to just jot down by hand)... HTH!
I think the word choices also make a difference - they are just a mish-mash of words that don't seem to follow any rules or anything. He seems to do better with words grouped by a common sound or rule.
I was just wondering if you've looked at Sequential Spelling? I've used it as a "morning warm up" before, in addition to the kids' regular spelling (whether CLE, R&S, or CLP). It goes by spelling patterns and you add other sounds to the beginning or the end to make new words (like in, pin, spin, inning, pinning, spinning, begin, beginning) over several days. They don't teach phonics rules, but you can add those if you know them without much trouble. Each day takes about 15 minutes. http://avko.org/sequentialspelling.html
