Friday, December 4, 2009

All About Spelling - Levels 1 and 2


We received Level 1 and Level 2 of All about Spelling to review for The Crew. This is absolutely the best program ever for my five-year old!! We tried out Level 1 for him and I was surprised how well he did. The methods used in this program have caused him to absolutely thrive not only in spelling, but in reading as well.

Josiah liked being able to spell words with his letter tiles. The tiles are very durable and perfect for small clumsy hands. He also really liked the reward chart that shows your child's progress through the lessons. We use rewards and stickers a lot with him for chores and behavior, so this was a perfect compliment to our daily homeschooling.

I received Level 2 to review as well, and did try it out with my 8-year old, but it was way too easy for him. However, as soon as Josiah is done with Level 1, we are going to run him through Level 2 of the program to enhance his spelling and reading success even more.

Here's a little bit from the All About Spelling website that tells a bit more about how and why the program works so well:

All About Spelling is an excellent program if you are just beginning to teach your child spelling, or if your child needs remedial help. Here’s why it works:

  • All About Spelling is multi sensory. The lessons involve sight, sound, and touch. Children learn best when they are physically involved in the learning process, so we take advantage of that fact with this hands-on approach to learning and teaching spelling.
  • All About Spelling is logical. Spelling concepts are taught in a logical, understandable order. Each lesson builds upon the previous lesson. The sequence has been carefully tested to produce long-term results. And this is as much a benefit to you as it is to your student—especially if you’ve been struggling with how to teach spelling.
    No gaps. This is something that you can trust with the All About Spelling program: your child won’t be left with gaps or holes in his or her understanding of spelling. If there is a reliable rule that will help your child out, we teach it. If there is a tip that will help your child master a certain spelling pattern, it’s in there. And it’s all presented in a very logical order.
  • The program is mastery-based, not grade-level based, so when students master a specific concept, they move on. If a child needs more practice in a certain area, we allow for that so the child can really master each concept. There’s no sense building on a shaky foundation, because that will cause spelling difficulties down the road when the spelling words get harder. At All About Spelling, we’ve identified the concepts that are most important for your child to master, and we’ve weeded out any busy work.
  • All About Spelling has continual review. As the child learns new material, he or she also constantly reviews previously-taught concepts. We don’t just “teach it and forget it”…we make sure that it really sticks.
  • Finally, the program is clear. This means that children are taught what they need to know in a direct manner. They don’t have to guess or come to their own conclusions about the English language.

If you have a young child like mine that wants to learn spelling but isn't quite reading or writing independently yet, this program is absolutely for you. This program also is perfect for the struggling speller as well!!

The Starter Kit for this program is $26.95. That includes the letter tiles, CD and magnets that will be used for all levels of the program. Level 1 is $29.95 which includes the teacher's manual and one student packet. Additional packets can be purchased for $14.95. The other Levels have kits for $39.95 and additional packets for $19.95.


VISIT THE ALL ABOUT SPELLING WEBSITE