The ABC's and All Their Tricks [Hardcover]

M. Bishop (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0880621494 | ISBN-13: 978-0880621496 | Publication Date: December 1, 1986

THE phonics book for teachers. Comprehensive information is given here for every spelling of every sound. For each spelling you find rules which govern it, exceptions to the rules, sample words to use for teaching the sound or spelling, etymological information, and more. Each sound is keyed to the Phonics Made Plain cards and chart. The Appendix also contains an excellent article concerning reading problems of the older student or adult.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 342 pages
• Publisher: Mott Media (MI) (December 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880621494
• ISBN-13: 978-0880621496
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Homeschooler Review, August 14, 2000

By 

"none-given" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The ABC's and All Their Tricks (Hardcover)

This is the only book you will ever need to teach spelling to your child. It is set up in such a way that you could easily teach different levels at the same time. Words that cover a specific spelling rule are divided into easy and more difficult word lists. Although it is meant as a reference, I use it as a source for spelling words and then add to it, any words that we are encountering in our reading material that follow the same rule we are learning or reviewing from the reference book. If you are familiar with the Spalding method but are turned off by the dry, uninspired approach, use this book as your word list as most of the words in Spalding are found on this list, and if not, they can be derived from words on this list. (I actually went through Spalding and the Wise Guide to see if this book would cover the words from those lists and it does. As I said, some words on the other lists are derivitives of words in this book. You simply take the root word and add prefixes, or suffixes to form a lot of other words. I find this book much easier to adapt to my other curriculum, as I can create my own lists and still cover the spellng rules.) The book does not insist on using the short i sound for y at the end of words like Spalding, and discusses in detail how stress changes the sound of vowels in certain words. The book is not phobic about using the terms long and short vowels, so you won't have to throw away any previous notions your child has about these to teach the vowel sounds as you do in Spalding. I can't rate this book highly enough.

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional...The Most Complete Phonics/Spelling Book Ever, March 18, 2002

By 

Christine "loves to read" (Setauket, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The ABC's and All Their Tricks (Hardcover)

My only word of caution about this book is that it is intended for teachers. Don't let your child study independently from it (unless they are high-school age), or they may become confused. The reason is not because it is faulty in its presentation, but because it is so comprehensive that students may become frustrated with it.

Having said that upfront, I will also add that this is a magnificent phonics and spelling reference. The title uses the word "encyclopedia" and I believe that is the most appropriate description of its contents, and how to effectively use it with your child. The heart of the book is arranged alphabetically covering all the known rules for each letter and letter combinations. You will find introductory notes on each letter, an explanation of all the sounds that letter makes in the English language, and, if applicable, how that particular letter teams with others to make a new sound. You will also notice cross-references so you can easily find comparative sounds and notes. There is also a listing of words (beginning, intermediate and advanced) which work with each sound, exceptions,(if any), a total for the number of words in the English language that use that sound, and any spelling/phonetic rules which cover that sound. Like I said, this is an exhaustive reference tool that leaves no stone unturned.

Do yourself, and your student(s) a favor...BUY THIS BOOK! To do without it means hours of preparation and research on your end (not to mention potential learning gaps) that can be spent applying what is given to you here.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spelling Finally Makes Sense!, December 8, 1999

By 

Kathy Gilmore (Washington State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The ABC's and All Their Tricks (Hardcover)

This is my most valuable homeschool reference tool. As a naturally poor speller, I have learned a great deal. This book has helped me explain why a word is spelled the way it is, and to build spelling rules that students can really rely on.