How do you help a natural speller?

Discussion in 'Homeschooling' started by Blizzard, Mar 5, 2013.

  1. Blizzard

    Blizzard Member

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    Hello! I'm looking for suggestions and new ideas for teaching spelling to a child that seems to be a natural. My younger son is a better speller than my older son, and has had close to zero spelling instruction beyond some basic phonics. He didn't even need much reading instruction. He just picks up on things without knowing why.

    I started Soaring with Spelling Level 1 with him this year, but it was obvious from the first couple lessons that it was more boring handwriting drudgery for him than anything else. So I turned it into a verbal spelling bee game, with each new set of words being a "bonus" level each time. I've started doing the same thing with a second grade spelling book. However, I just feel like he should be learning more than just memorizing words. You know what I mean?

    Should I just keep going with this, or is there some method/program that is geared to toward children that learn this way? I want him to have that foundation of the rules and why words are spelled a certain way, but without the monotony of lengthy workbooks.
     
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  3. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    I'm wondering if you need to do anything at all. What if you put him and his brother in the same spelling book? Or pick his spelling words from a reading list, etc. Or if he's keeping a journal, use words that he misspells in his journal writing.
     
  4. Embassy

    Embassy New Member

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    Rod and Staff has a good phonics-based spelling approach. Also the activities are a little like puzzles (i.e trying to figure out which spelling word fits into a certain phonics rule) rather than the standard activities in spelling workbooks.

    Avko also has an individualized spelling program that can be used to only teach the spelling patterns that your child spells incorrectly.
     
  5. howwehomeschool

    howwehomeschool New Member

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    I agree with Jackie. If he's a natural, then he's probably better of spending his time on other activities or composition like creative writing.

    My 10 year old son is a natural speller too. He and his older sister (11) read the same books and they read ALL the time, but she is not a naturally good speller. It's kind of frustrating :)

    I buy the Flash Kids workbooks from Barnes and Noble and he breezed through his. She's still working on hers.

    There's also the website, Spellodrome. It's $39/yr per kid. He could work on his typing skills and spelling at the same time. It has some fun games.

    Good luck! :)
     
  6. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    You know, I had heard again and again that if a kid was a good reader, they'd be a good speller. NOT TRUE!!! Well, maybe it's true for MOST kids, but it sure wasn't true for Faythe!!! She's more like your daughter. If she had to write a thank you letter to G'ma, I would have her write it first on regular paper, then, I'd go through and circle all the misspelled words. Day Two would be her trying to correct those words and showing it to me. At this point, I might "help" guide her into how the ones still wrong are spelled! The third day, she would copy the letter corrected. But the problem was that her eyes and brain weren't always in sync. Her brain would be racing on ahead, and her hand couldn't keep up with it. It was often easier to dictate, spelling each word as I went! She HAS improved, though there's still plenty of misspellings on stuff she doesn't turn in. And she does most important stuff on the computer, where Spell Check is her best friend!

    We got a real laugh out of Rachael's friend. This gal was a Senior in high school, and posted on FB about "raping" a present..... That was three years ago, and it's still talked about, lol!
     
  7. Shilman

    Shilman New Member

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    I liked Bob Jones spelling through grade 6. My son is a speller and it seemed to challenge him.
     
  8. Blizzard

    Blizzard Member

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    I was wondering the same thing, but don't really know. No one else in the family learns the way he does, so I'm constantly scratching my head on what to do with him!

    I did put them both in the same spelling for a bit, because his bother is a terrible speller. Working together has created more tension between them, so now I have two problems. Older DS resents younger DS for just "knowing" how to do things, when he struggles. *sigh*
     
  9. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    Ah. That would make sense. So it just might be more peaceful to have them seperate.
     
  10. Blizzard

    Blizzard Member

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    Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I'm checking everything out.
     
  11. Embassy

    Embassy New Member

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    I've had that situation where a younger child is surpassing an older child. I had to have a talk with my kids and point out that everyone is different and has strengths and weaknesses. I talked to my oldest child about his strengths and his younger siblings strengths. My oldest has strengths his younger sibling does not have. The younger sibling has strengths the oldest does not have. After pointing this out several times the issues seemed to go away. I thought about putting them into two different programs, but for us this has worked better because the concept that everyone is different and it is okay to be who God made you to be and that I love them whether they are good at something or not carries over into strengths and weaknesses outside of school subjects.
     
  12. Blizzard

    Blizzard Member

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    I've tried explaining it like that, but I'm not very good or convincing. Might be a good idea for me to take your suggestions and pray about it. Being raised as an only child, I am completely clueless when it comes to dealing with rivalry.
     
  13. crazymama

    crazymama Active Member

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    Garrett was a natural speller... I just gave up on trying to use anything with him, it was a waste of both our time.
     
  14. 2littleboys

    2littleboys Moderator

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    I agree with Embassy. I've talked to my kids about each being good at something, and it doesn't matter if the other is better at one thing or another. I also like AVKO, the makers of Sequential Spelling. There is another thread (from mommyx3) about Sequential Spelling that you should read. My 7 year old is on a 10th grade spelling level (had him professionally tested at GDC in CO), and it's what we've always used. He's been spelling since he was 2.
     
  15. AngeC325

    AngeC325 New Member

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    No suggestions, but I can sympathize. My kids are currently in a private school, but we are dealing with an older child who really struggles with spelling and a younger child who is a natural speller and can spell almost any word he has ever seen. They are pretty happy with the talks about each having their own strengths, but I know it is frustrating for my oldest, especially since it seems that most things come easier for his little brother. I will be watching for suggestions for next year.
     
  16. Blizzard

    Blizzard Member

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    Our kids are pretty close in age, Ange!

    The hardest part is that my oldest is slow in most other typical subjects and has to work three times as hard as his brother, so finding strengths is tough. He gets so mad that his brother can just wiz through his work in a fraction of the time it takes him. Usually, I try to tell him that he's older and in a higher grade, so it should take him longer, but his brother does just have the ability to catch on to things easily and faster. I've been trying to avoid making the differences obvious, but I'm going to have to find a way to deal with it sooner or later.

    For now I think I'm going to let formal spelling lessons drop for my youngest, with the exception of the verbal games we've been playing. I forgot we do play other spelling games which may have helped him: Spelldown, Scrabble, and The Great Word Race. I've also upped his reading level, ditching the grade level readers.

    I might look into that Sequential Spelling for fall. I did order the Sylvan Spelling for my oldest, so we'll see how that goes. Another option I was considering for my youngest was the Sylvan vocabulary or some other vocabulary based program, which might just be enough to cover spelling without being drill and kill.
     
  17. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    You might also check out Spelling Power. It's a bit pricey, but it will be the ONLY spelling book you'll need. However, you might want to see if you can get your hands on a copy first to see if it to your liking. My local library had it.
     
  18. Blizzard

    Blizzard Member

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    Thanks Jackie, I almost forgot about that one. I bought an older edition of Spelling Power a few years ago and gave myself a migraine trying to read the whole thing. lol I ended up stashing the book somewhere and having to go with simpler workbook style books because of my health and other life issues. But maybe I can give it another go.....it might be a better fit now? Somewhere I have a lapbook I made to go with the book.........
     
  19. Blizzard

    Blizzard Member

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    Okay, I just wanted to update this thread. :)

    After hearing so much about Sequential Spelling here, I reluctantly decided to try it. It wasn't at all what I was looking for, but ended up being the perfect solution for both my boys. For reasons I can't fathom, they both enjoy SS. My oldest, who is my horrible speller, has declared it his favorite book, and always asks for more words! I think his spelling confidence has skyrocketed because he's learning how to easily spell longer words.

    I bought a nice big wipe-off board at Costco and we've been doing one lesson together per day, which takes about 10 minutes or less. I use different colored markers for the different word parts. We have almost no rivalry, drama, or anxiety during spelling now, which I believe is because they instantly self correct.

    I was apprehensive about having to completely direct the lessons, but because you pretty much do the same thing every day, it is easy. I don't have to wade through complicated notes and teacher directions every day. WHEW!!! Thanks everyone!!
     
  20. crazymama

    crazymama Active Member

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    Awesome... I have looked at it, but am terrified... it looks so wordy for me. If k12reader doesn't work for us then I will have to give it more thought.
     
  21. 2littleboys

    2littleboys Moderator

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    I don't know what you mean by that. What looks wordy? :?: The lists or the teacher's manual, or what? (I just use the lists, and that's it, by the way.)

    Sequential Spelling is exactly what the title suggests. You start with something you know (cat) and build to something you don't know (cats, cattle, category, categorize, categorical, catastrophe, catastrophic, etc.). I didn't give actual examples, but the concept is the same.

    Each day, you have a 20 word "spelling test" in which you correct each word as you go along. The next (usually) three days build on the first day's words so that you sort of cycle through a couple of word families in 4 days.
     

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