Spelling Changes

Charlotte Mason has spurred me on to further action in dealing with our "dreaded" spelling. We've been pretty consistent with our SWR (Spell to Write and Read) and although I credit it with teaching my children to read and spell well, the multi-year repetition has taken it's toll! (To say the least!).

In the spirit on the newest member of our household, I have come to a few conclusions. The first thing I realized is that while mastery is all well and fine, mindless repetition causes more harm than good. Next, I realized that as a source of great discomfort, having son continue to battle this demon on his own (for he was doing spelling by himself) was not working; that I should take him, and it, in hand and love my son. Lastly, AND I REPEAT...being a slave to a curriculum will not stimulate a love of learning, it will squelch it...with tears, and hurt that you would never imagine could happen because of a little ole thing called "spelling".

Our new routine brought indescribable joy to the countenance of my boy! I dictate (no more cd's) the words and sentences and son spells them orally (no writing). Any that he misses, I write on 3x5 cards with all markings. Son then copies (from the cards, which he assures me is "way" easier than copying from the book. No more quizes.) each word one time (no markings--he "hates" the markings. This doesn't concern me because he "knows" them well. This is our 3rd year.)

The next day, I test him orally again (he has a lap-sized white board in case it's a difficult word that he would like to write out; he is very oral--audio learner). Any that he misses, he writes twice. As the number of words he is working on diminishes, we add from the next list and gently move from one to the next.

The following day, if he misses any for a third time, he writes the word with the markings once, and then twice as a word, while writing words missed for the first and second time, once or twice. He usually has all but the most difficult by this time.

We will continue to drill from the stack; use the diagnostic tests occasionally, and review. He really doesn't need more than that. After we complete all the lists in this matter, with sufficient progress during reviews as well, we'll discontinue the book. I fully expect that it will be this spring. Though the program encourages a fourth year. I think he's proven he can spell and we will be done.

Let me add here that daughter is in her 1st pre-year of beginning with SWR. She is doing wonderfully and I fully intend to follow the program with her pretty much the same way I did with son. Wouldn't trade it for any other spelling program!