My older girls are frequently writing stories and skits. I love that they are creative and writing! However, I cringe when they ask me to read them. Their spelling is such that it is very difficult. *sigh* Homeschool mama fail, right? We’ve tried different homeschool spelling programs for learning or practicing, but for various reasons, don’t stick with them. Spell check should not be what my girls depend on; they need to learn how to spell. The brand-new Spelling You See looks quite promising!
We have been so blessed through the Schoolhouse Review Crew and the opportunities like this – trying brand new curricula. We received Spelling You See: Wild Tales (Level C) – we have the Instructor’s Handbook ($14) and the Student Pack (two workbooks plus erasable colored pencils – $30). Due to a shipping mix-up, we had received Spelling You See: Listen and Write (Level A) which consists of the Instructor’s Handbook ($14) and the Student Pack (workbook, sticker pack and handwriting guide – $20).
Especially with a brand new curriculum, it is important to read the teacher’s instructions first. I know, you see the bright shiny books and want to jump in. With Spelling You See, there are just over 6 pages for Level C Wild Tales to introduce you to the philosophy and get started – easy. There are also some great tips and helps in the weekly activity guide and FAQ sections. If I had seen the age suggestion in the placement guide, I probably would have chosen the next level for my girls. I am mainly using this with the “middle” girls, 9 and 11 (roughly 4th and 5th graders). They read well, but spell horribly. *grin* Due to their ages, Level D is recommended. The early parts of Level C (about 7 weeks worth at the suggested pace of a lesson a week, working daily) use nursery rhymes just as Level B does. My girls were feeling this was a bit juvenile for them, so I showed them that we would soon get to the non-fiction animal stories soon.
They stuck with me, motivated to move a bit more quickly. We worked daily (and when they asked, 6 days a week) and due to the short lessons, sometimes completing more than one day’s worth of work at a time. At least in the beginning. Once we were a bit deeper into the lessons, we slowed down. Hmm, maybe this was the right level for them after all. This level was my first thought — trust your instincts mama!
Even though we follow a mostly – Charlotte Mason style of learning, we have not figured out dictation. Thanks to Spelling You See, not only are the girls learning spelling; their mama is figuring out dictation – for the first time ever. Each week begins with reading the passage (I read it aloud to the girls even though the reading level is quite easy for them — that is intentional. Reading levels are often above spelling levels). On this page, we mark the “chunks” – the groups of letters we are focusing on – vowel, consonants, bossy r, etc. This is where the fun color comes in. Each type of chunk has its own color. The first three days, the rhyme or passage is copied. This is where your learner can erase to get it right. For the longer passages, only part of the passage is copied each day. Day four is “no rule day”. This means you are not correcting their spelling – it is free writing (or coloring or whatever you instruct) time. The final day for each lesson is the dictation. This was the day the girls were happy we started with the easy nursery rhymes. There is no peeking and no erasing. You also stop these writing times after 10 minutes. Some days, my girls thought this was great (either they were done or ready to be). Other days they asked if they could finish the last couple of words. Depending upon the circumstances, I let them.
Short lessons – this is easy to fit in daily (both for the girls and for the mama with learners in different levels). Colorful – the colored box(es) on the first page of each lesson reinforces the color used to mark the chunks. The boxes contain the letter groups the learner is looking for. Copywork and dictation to practice writing the correct spelling and then “test” their memory for the proper spelling. Spelling You See seems to be everything I have been looking for in a spelling program. I cannot wait to use the higher levels with my older girl. Be sure to check out the sample pages to find the right level for you learners spelling needs!