Customer Reviews

Sequential Spelling 1

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the first logical method for teaching/learning English spelling that I have ever been exposed to.
Words are presented in related families, and the learner is forced to think through the spelling of every word.
This book has brought an end to the era of spelling lists learned miserably and in parrot-fashion at our house. My children now ask for their spelling time if I forget.
I like the clear instructions given for administering the lesson (which my children enjoy more as a game). As a first-time user, you cannot go wrong.
I like the fact that homophones are always referenced.
I like the fact that this system of teaching spelling is not onerous and is working for us.
We're glad we own this book

I was disappointed in this after reading several good ratings. It is listed with our SonLight curriculum. Some loved it, others complained of labor intensiveness. I can see how some would label it labor intensive because it is soooo repetitive. But, actually if you stay with it EVERY day, each day is pretty short.

I agree having the rules listed would be nice (another common complaint), but I'm not sure how they would fit into the format. Maybe a short lesson to be read aloud would help?

We stuck with it for half the year and then got seriously bored (I'm not sure if that was the kids or me, maybe both). My kids would express words of dread, but then the lesson was over. Maybe I should have stuck with it longer, but we're looking for another curriculum this year.

Jan 2011 f/u after switching to Spelling Power - excerpt from my mid-year f/u review:
I just listened to an interview with Andrew Pudewa, director of Institute for Excellence in Writing (seriously considering buying), discuss spelling. He said some kids are not good visual organizers and writing/reading to spell is overwhelming because they see all the letters at once instead of in the correct order (not to be confused with dyslexia since 9yo boys are still not developed 100% neurologically - relieved since my son still flips letters around). He pointed out spelling use to be taught all verbally, thereby forcing kids to deal with the spelling one letter at a time while soounding out the word one syllable at a time. He also said phonetic rules complicate the learning process and has observed terrible spellers with strong reading skills that were ruined by the push of phonetic rules after learning how to read. I can definitely see how my son fits this. Therefore....
Mr. Pudewa recommended the Avco Sequential Spelling (my method last year - hated it) because the words are grouped into phonetic families and there is no phonetic rules to learn. But, he also mentioned this book as a great resource for learning the most commonly mispelled words. I wish I had learned this method's concept of not requiring kids to practice words they already spell correctly. I may have stayed with the Avco and found success. Since I already have this, I'll tweek it and hope for the same success.

If you decide to purchase this, consider doing the excises verbally (especially for boys 7-10 yrs still flipping letters around) and do not require the kids to repeat words they already know how to spell.
Wish I could add a star and not skew the rating average so much.

I bought Sequential Spelling last year - in desperation. My 9 year old can't memorize spelling words, can't sound them out, and HATED spelling. Every lesson ended with tears.

I looked through the book when it arrived, then shelved it. A book filled with spelling lists could NOT help my child. There were some directions in the beginning, but then simply spelling lists.

I brought out the book five days ago, in desperation. She really cannot spell - not even well enough to read her own writing! I started at the beginning at followed the script - something I never do. The lesson went well (it was very easy) - and she was eager for the next day's lesson. She learned to build on the easy words she COULD spell - and she learned some lessons - like "double the /n/ in pin before adding /ing/.

Today (day five) she spelled "beginning" and "disagree" just by building on simple words, and following the spelling rule! She's thrilled - and so am I!

This program has been a good one for my homeschooled children. They have improved their spelling by leaps and bounds this past year. This spelling program, as another reviewer has mentioned, helps children learn as they make mistakes. It also builds on itself. What you learned yesterday in spelling you will be using today and what you learn today you will be using tomorrow and so on. It can seem a bit overwhelming but once we started using the book, it really wasn't too overwhelming.

Worth the money

We are a homeschooling family. My kids asked for spelling to help them with a computer game. This is a logical program they enjoy. We never called the spelling time "tests" and they really don't know what a test is anyway. We started when they were 8 and 9. We need to move on to book two now.

If you progress along in a non-threatening manner, they get it. I did have to remind them in the beginning what "sequential" meant, but from then on it's been no problem. My oldest is HIGHLY competitive and has a strong desire to be right all the time. He corrects his own work and learns from mistakes he may make. I don't check their work.

Both my oldest two's spelling has improved enormously since we started this program. They can now write notes that make sense not just to their parents, but to the rest of the world. I plan to use this program for my little one when the time comes.

We just finished this book which I bought to help my son with spelling. He has dyslexia and hates sitting still for any reason, and I thought this would be an easier way to help him learn spelling and he has. But what truly amazed me about this book was how quickly it helped his reading skills as well.

Before we began this program, my son was struggling to read words, usually starting with the last letter first. Now, after a year with this spelling program, he reads quite easily.

My son is also a perfectionist, and I do have to say, the "test" aspect of it bothers him. (Although the rote system of memorizing words would bother him a whole lot more!) He wants to get every word perfect and gets angry when he doesn't. But that's my son; he finds some reason to complain about every subject we approach, no matter what the teaching method.

On the whole, I would highly recommend this book.

I homeschool my gifted 8-year-old. He excels in all subjects EXCEPT spelling and handwriting. After trying 2 other curriculums, we opted for Sequential Spelling this year. We have been using it for about 2 weeks, and all is going well. My son enjoys that fact that he can spell large words correctly because he can remember a pattern. I hope that this continues as the book progresses.

My only complaint about this book so far is that it includes several words that are no longer used in "regular" English. I am fine with the words being included because they emphasize the pattern, BUT, I can't make up a good sentence to go with the word if I don't know what it means myself (such as day #9 word SUP). My son and I were laughing saing "Wha sup?" for the sentence. Perhaps there can be suggested sentences listed for less frequently used words.

until Amazon.com suddenly decided to take my kindle for PC version completely away - after taking payment for the item. Two weeks after I bought and downloaded this book, I got a message on my PC Kindle that there had been an error in processing my credit card. Since the bank statement showed otherwise, I sent them an email. I got a very confusing message back. I sent them another two emails, and almost two weeks later, finally got a response. So, we went two weeks where we could not use this curriculum. I've ordered it from rainbowresource.com and we have to start all over. Frustrating? Yes. I'm shocked that a company can take a digital product away without any warning, whatsoever. I'm very disappointed in my first digital book purchase.

Now, on to the curriculum, itself. My daughter struggles in Spelling. She knows all the phonics rules, but she still tries to write the words in the way they sound to her. There was nothing "clicking". So, we decided to try this program instead.

I was very impressed with the way the words are laid out and how spelling is taught. If we'd been able to get past Day five, I'm sure my daughter would have improved greatly. I could already see marked improvement on words that she used to struggle with. And it's VERY user friendly. After two days of using the program, I knew exactly what I was expected to do each day.

Sequential Spelling sells a workbook separate from the textbook. We simply used a blank notebook which worked fine.

Finally, an easy to use curriculum that is cost-effective and works! It's so nice to know that you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to teach every single subject. Most parents don't have that kind of money.

I can not give enough praise to the effectiveness of this program! My son had struggled with spelling for quite some time. We tried everything. Orton-Gillingham based programs taught him to read but he did not learn how to spell with them. This program by AVCO is extremely simple to implement - no set up involved at all. You read a list of words (or if you buy the dvd the words are read for the child) and the child writes them down on paper. It could not be simpler. 25 words are given per lesson - it takes about 20 minutes for a spelling lesson per day.

The beauty is in the way the words are presented, in family order so it makes it easier for a child to decode. For example, a word list starting with "hold" may also include: told, bold, sold, fold, folder, folding. It gives the student the confidence and builds on that confidence in successive lessons.

You should know just some basic spelling rules (when to double a consonant when adding the suffix ed or ing) but really, it is so simple that if you have been slogging through the programs with many workbooks, prep time, agonizing details, you will be very happily surprised at this program and how easy it is to use and how effectively it works. I really do appreciate it, I wish I would have found it sooner!

My son got spelling once we started this. It is a great tool. I highly recommend it. He actually likes spelling now, and his spelling has improved overall.