Help again for placement - daughter can read but not spell

[jejegreer]

I do not know if you can see this attachment. It is just displaying a computer command now.

I tried and mine comes up. My daughter, who is 9 as of September 12, can finally read due to Simply Classical Level 1. In fact, she can read so well that she just finished the 26 Story Treehouse, Accelerated Reader Level 4.3, after finishing the 13 Story Treehouse, AR level 3.8. She comprehends almost everything in these books. Her reading progressed so amazingly this past summer that I took her out of MP Special Needs and put her into my own program (one that is no one's curriculum but incorporates some MP and is working really well for my older daughter with no learning issues). I felt that this younger girl was ahead of SC2. I still think she is because of her reading level. I think she is probably ahead of SC3 because of her reading level. However, it is apparent that now that I have finally taught her to read I am failing at teaching her to spell or write. I would like to know what to do. Translation of her Christmas list is as follows:
1 Puppy
1 Puppy Bed
1 Puppy Blanket
7 Dog toys
2 Coupons for Buy 1 Get 2 Free of Dog Food
Dog treats
1 Dog Bowl for food 1 Dog Bowl for water
1 Dog food and water Bowl Holder
I want the puppy to be a golden retriever.
It can be a girl or a boy
To Santa.
Please get the stuff.

[Anita]

Re: Help again for placement - daughter can read but not spell

[ATTACH=CONFIG]783[/ATTACH]

I do not know if you can see this attachment. It is just displaying a computer command now.

I tried and mine comes up. My daughter, who is 9 as of September 12, can finally read due to Simply Classical Level 1. In fact, she can read so well that she just finished the 26 Story Treehouse, Accelerated Reader Level 4.3, after finishing the 13 Story Treehouse, AR level 3.8. She comprehends almost everything in these books. Her reading progressed so amazingly this past summer that I took her out of MP Special Needs and put her into my own program (one that is no one's curriculum but incorporates some MP and is working really well for my older daughter with no learning issues). I felt that this younger girl was ahead of SC2. I still think she is because of her reading level. I think she is probably ahead of SC3 because of her reading level. However, it is apparent that now that I have finally taught her to read I am failing at teaching her to spell or write. I would like to know what to do. Translation of her Christmas list is as follows:
1 Puppy
1 Puppy Bed
1 Puppy Blanket
2 Coupons for Buy 1 Get 2 Free of Dog Food
Dog treats
1 Dog Bowl for food 1 Dog Bowl for water
1 Dog food and water Bowl Holder
I want the puppy to be a golden retriever.
It can be a girl or a boy
To Santa.
Please get the stuff.

Hi Jeje,

You are not failing. Clara is just a different child from your other. She is now reading heartily. That is not failing. Clara is just going to take a different road to get where she’s going.

Looking at her (impressively detailed) list, I’d say she needs phonics instruction rather that just spelling. She has a vague understanding of what sound she hears in words like “Golden” but does not grasp that “ol” is making the sound she needs to write.

This might be as simple as doing MP’s First Grade Spelling — Spelling Workout B (or the new MP Spelling program) + Phonics and Spelling exercises for First Grade + Phonics flash cards. That will give her a skill-appropriate starting place and back it up with lots of Spelling and Phonics instruction and drill. It starts with short vowels and goes from there.

You could then place her in whatever grade or level her reading and math determine. Since she loves to read, you might also explain that her spelling ability determines her reading selections. Since there is so much writing (book resports, creative writing) that is bound by the rules of Phonics and Spelling, how well she writes and spells will act as a leash to bind her to whatever level that corresponds to in reading. If she can read beyond First Grade level (I am not familiar with the books you mentioned above; I don’t know how complex they are) then this might be a carrot to get her to apply her prodigious ability to learn into Spelling and Phonics so she can read, spell and write at the same level.

But she has great taste in dogs. We have a Golden — his name is Odin — and he is amazing. Tell Clara she needs to add LOTS of chew toys to that list! They eat everything when they’re puppies.

[cherylswope]

Re: Help again for placement - daughter can read but not spell

Good morning, JeJe.

The good news is that she writes and writes. That is quite a list! The better news is that she is reading! This will help her spelling.

So now you can turn your attention to composition and formal spelling.

Spelling:
This is easy. Look at SC 2 Spelling Book One and SC 3 Spelling Book Two. These are simple to teach and will help her not only with phonetic patterns, but also with other aspects of spelling, including spelling those sight words she may want to use in her own writing.

If you have time for something even more comprehensive and more involved to teach, look at Traditional Spelling Book One, MP's new spelling program. This will take more time but will give her many good skills and improve both her reading and spelling.

Bonus: SC Spelling Books One and Two and Traditional Spelling will coordinate her spelling with the words, sounds, and patterns she learned to read!

Writing:
Use SC Writing Book One, Bible edition, with A Child's Garden of Bible Stories. She can use A Child's Garden ... as a reader now! This does not take long to teach and will double as her Christian studies.

So ...
SC Spelling Books One & Two
SC Writing Book One, Bible edition
A Child's Garden of Bible Stories


You can find everything under SC 2 except SC Spelling Book Two, which is located under SC 3.

Congratulations on coming this far!

[jen1134]

Re: Help again for placement - daughter can read but not spell

Just wanted to add: don't be deceived by the samples of SC2 spelling. It ramps up quickly to magic e words, consonant digraphs, etc. The samples made me think that it would be too easy for my son when in actuality it's precisely what he needed all along (his spelling is almost exactly like Clara's).

Also, from someone who was/has a "gifted" reader: don't equate reading level with phonics level. My 7yo is able to read 4th grade books, but can't look at a flashcard for "gh" and know that it says /f/ -- even though she reads words like "cough" all the time. I was the same way -- I instinctively knew how to read/spell very well, but I didn't know why the letter y makes it's various sounds at the end of a word until a friend explained it to my son last year!

[jejegreer]

Re: Help again for placement - daughter can read but not spell

Thanks for the help. I ordered Simply Classical Spelling 1 and Simply Classical Writing Bible Edition. I am going to have us start doing the flashcards more as recommended. I really appreciate the help from the people on this forum.