All About Spelling: A First Impression

After a little over a year of using a basic spelling list and online flashcards with Bee, I decided we needed a different approach.  He was getting frustrated sometimes, and there were words that he just kept missing, even though he had seen them over and over.

I decided to try All About Spelling, which is a spelling program that uses coloful note cards, letter tiles, a large dry erase board, utilizes audio, visual, and kinesthetic learning, and emphasizes the rules of English spelling.  Bee is very logical, and I think he will appreciate having a better understanding of why things are spelled the way they are.  As I understand it, English spelling does actually have rules, but most of us aren't aware of most of them.  I mostly learned how to spell by being an avid reader, and memorizing my spelling words each week as a child.

I ordered level 1, and although much of that level is going to be pretty easy for Bee, there are some new thinsg for him to learn, and there are even a few things that I have learned about English spelling!  I haven't learned to spell anything new, but I did learn how to tell when letter "c" is going to make the "s" sound instead of the "k" sound, and when to use the letter "k" in place of the letter "c."

It's not a material for independent work.  The parent sits with the child and gives a number of lessons that are carefully explained in the teacher book.  This is ideal for Bee, as he thrives on one-on-one interaction with an adult.

It took some time to tear out the cards, and I still have not finished putting all the magnets on the tiles.  Still, the teacher prep is easy work that requires no mental power.  I don't know about other homeschooling moms, but my brain is totally fried.  So, this is easy, and the only prep is a glance through the teacher manual, before giving the lesson. 

Another huge plus for this material is that it is worksheet free!   The emphasis is on learning the concepts, not filling out worksheets.  There is a card file to store the cards, so the parent knows what to review, and mastered cards go into their own divider.  It's a very well organized little system. 

I hope that we will work through level 1 relatively quickly.  I did the first lesson yesterday, and I hope to do 2 lessons a day a few times a week until we master level 1.  Then, we will move onto level 2, and maintain or slow down our pace depending on how challenging Bee finds the material.  It seems like a great material for homeschooling that can be used with both children who are natural spellers and those who struggle with it.

So, that was my first impression, at any rate.  I will write another review after I've been using the material for a few months.  (Here it is.)