Comparative Curriculum Review – Spelling

In this curriculum review series, I am not listing all available curriculum programs for the subject at hand.  I am sharing with you programs I’ve either tried personally or have enough information about or experience with.  Over the decade of homeschooling my 6 children, and being an eclectic-style homeschool family, we have tried a variety of different programs. 

Let’s talk about spelling.

I only add spelling to my children’s core work once they have a solid grasp on basic reading – typically about grade 1 or 2.  When my older kids were little, I started by doing spelling everyday as part of their core subjects.  But as time went by, I eventually came to the golden realization that we don’t have to do every subject everyday.  Spelling is one of the subjects that we don’t do everyday.  Typically, we do spelling 2-3 days per week. 

Here are some spelling curriculum programs and what I think of them.

ALL ABOUT SPELLING

This one is my favorite.

This program comes with a teacher book for each level and some manipulatives that can be used across all levels.  I have several of my kids on this program and it has proven to set a great foundation for learning to spell.  It cleverly teaches children how to spell instead of just having them memorize word lists. 

One downside to this program is that it is entirely parent-led (which means that the child can’t do it independently). There are no word lists or spelling tests. In each lesson, the child learns different spelling rules and rule-breakers. The child is directed to memorize and apply sets of rules. In that respect, it works better for children that don’t have a hard time retaining and memorizing information. Lessons are short and direct and the program comes with sets of cards, cardstock posters and stickers. 

Another great thing about this program is that you can easily move it down from one child to the next.  All writing is done on separate paper so this has saved me the trouble of buying extra workbooks as my younger ones move into levels I’ve used for their older siblings.

Check out All About Spelling.

SOARING WITH SPELLING

Exactly what you’d imagine in a spelling program. Each week, the child is given a list of related words to learn. There are exercises to be done each day that highlight patterns within the words. The exercises do a good job of breaking down the words and focusing on their similarities and differences. Every week starts with a pre-test and ends with a spelling test.

I really like this program for my child that needs repetition and clarity. She benefits from a distinct list of similar words and has improved her spelling using this program. She also enjoys the program, which is always a plus.

Check out Soaring With Spelling.

SPELLING YOU SEE

This program takes a very unique approach to teaching spelling. In the level we used (level B), the program directed the child to copy familiar nursery rhymes and then highlight word chunks, punctuation, etc. It uses the child’s inclination to familiar information to introduce new spelling concepts and patterns.  At the conclusion of each lesson, there was a spelling test of similar words (3 letter words, long vowel words, …) that the parent would dictate from the parent guide.

I enjoyed the program during the year we used it but I didn’t feel like my child was actually learning to spell. She was noticing patterns in the language and I’m sure that was helping her phonics. But I didn’t feel like it did a good job highlighting spelling patterns.

Check out Spelling You See.

ABEKA SPELLING

I didn’t love this one. There was a word list given each week but no clear highlighting of the patterns or rules these words follow. I also felt like the exercises were insufficient to really teach the words well. And, in the level we used, there was no spelling tests at all.

On the other hand, something else to note is that this program includes spelling AND poetry. The second half of the book lists several poems that are meant to be memorized or recited together. So if poetry is also something you want to work on with your child, this would cover both.

Check out Abeka Spelling.

A REASON FOR SPELLING

The cool thing about this program is that it’s Scripture based.  Each week, the student is given a related word list that points to a certain Scripture passage.  There is a pre-test first and then each day, students are directed to do some kind of activity to practice the word list of the week.  Some examples include: cross out a coin from a picture of a stack of coins every time you spell a word correctly, spell your words with puzzles, spell your words in rhythm, create a crossword puzzle, record your voice as you spell your words. 

I found that this program required more preparation and parent involvement.  There were clever games and word activities but it takes a substantial amount of time and more effort on the parent in comparison to other similar programs. 

Check out A Reason For Spelling.

In addition to the spelling programs listed here, there are lots more programs out there.  Comment below with some of your experience with the programs listed or spelling programs you’ve tried.