Friday, July 29, 2011
Okay. Maybe I should plan now?
I really need to get busy planning the school year. Summer reading is over. VBS is almost over (today). The city pool will be closing soon. The local public school kids will be heading back to school. The signs are all aligning to let me know what to do. Honestly, if I didn't have a big old learning glitch to deal with, I think I would have already done it. If I had 2 students like my daughter who can and will basically do whatever I hand her with no problems, I would just order stuff and go with it. But I have a kid, my youngest, who has something going on with him. He doesn't write well and he doesn't spell well, even though he reads very well and has an amazing vocabulary. He does fairly well at math and we've consistently kept him with his sister in math class, so he's been working a year ahead in that, but I really don't know what to do about his spelling and writing. He's very interested in the roots of words, so I may try something that teaches Greek and Latin root words so that he can maybe improve his spelling. Does anyone have any suggestions? To me, it is a complete mystery that he can read so fast and so well and not know how to spell the words when he needs to. It's a different learning style from mine and I need to learn how to teach to his learning style. Please give me any suggestions you may have in the the comments section!!!!
My 2nd daughter is really good at reading stories, but I've noticed that whenever she reads instructions she struggles. I try getting her to write out sentences with words she's not too good with spelling and that seems to be helping. Hope that helps you too x
ReplyDeleteJust started following you. Maybe you'd like to check my blog out http://anordinary-life.blogspot.com/ x
There's a really great new online program called DictionarySquared. I like it because it has integrated media to engage the whole brain. If you're interested, check it out at www.dictionarysquared.com. Hope it helps!
ReplyDeleteOnce again you son sounds so much like Violet! I wish I could come up with ways to help her spelling too. We've tried many things but none of them seem to sink in.
ReplyDeleteWe have used Word Roots from The Learning Company, which is a bit like you were describing. I do like it. But sometimes I wonder how much it is sinking in. It hasn't helped spelling that I've noticed. But once in a while she does relate words back to it again.
Good luck!
Dylan had so much trouble with spelling, I used ABEKA spelling 6th grade which is with the greek and latin root words. Then I supplemented English from the Roots Up with his spelling. I have copies of the blank worksheets that go with it. It has done wonders for him. I can't believe how much better he is at it!
ReplyDeleteI also taught with syllables instead of phonics, helped him so much!
When we break his spelling words into syllables and he studies as syllables, improvement!
I took letter tiles and he would spell out his word in syllables. When he wrote his words, I had him write them in syllables: ex;
ir rev o ca ble
As for writing, I put him in a class with other homeschoolers and I did see some improvement. Not as much as I would of liked. But we have another year to try. He does much better when he uses his laptop, I think his brain is working overdrive and he has to stop and think about spelling it messes him up.
Sorry so long, but it is so wonderful when I find something that has worked for him.
Bunny