Comments on: Spelling Power

By: Beverly L. Adams-Gordon

Beverly L. Adams-Gordon — Thu, 13 May 2010 06:44:35 +0000

Barb,
Thank you for the lovely review.
I would like to tell you and your readers that the picture shown with the review is of my 3rd Edition book. In April 2006, I came out with a new 4th Edition. It has a new cover, so some of your readers may be confused if they look for a book that looks like the one pictured. The new 4th Edition does have a few changes inside as well. The biggest change is the 4th Edition comes with a Quick Start Seminar DVD and a Teacher’s Resource CD-ROM.
The CD-ROM allows you to print all the needed forms from your computer — rather than photocopying. It also has the skill-building activities from the book that fall into the “Activity Task Card” category pre-typed 4-to-a-page. When cut apart they will fit in a large index box or can be added to the optional Activity Task Card box. Saves moms from having to hand copy them onto index cards. The CD also has other printable skill-building sheets, like word search puzzles and handwriting sheets. By the way, the optional Activity Task Card Box contains an additional 365 activities that are not included in the book. (As with the book, some of the activities are drill type like Barb mentions above and some are skill-builder meant to teach and reinforce the phonetic principles or spelling rules.)
The Alphabetical List of the 12,000 most frequently used words is now computerized to make it quicker to use as part of the proofreading process described in the book. This new Searchable Word list is also on the CD-ROM.
Another new item included on the CD-ROM is the Digital Tutor. It is a fun drill activity — even drill is fun if it is on the computer.
The program is exactly the same. We have moved some things around in the manual, included more graphics, and made the type larger, but the procedure is exactly the same. All of the changes were the result of user input, so I am sure you will find them all changes helpful.
I would like to correct one error in your review if I may. Spelling Power is for students ages 8 to college level. While there is an adaptation for students under 8, it is fundamentally designed to be developmentally appropriate for students over age 8. Spelling Power assumes the student has completed a basic phonics program (basic consonant sounds are not reviewed) and is reading above the second grade level. Up to about the third grade the words students are learning to read and spell are the same. After third grade, reading soars ahead while spelling tends to lag behind. This is the time most students should begin a formal spelling program separate from phonics and reading instruction. Before this level of reading, your student is likely to become frustrated being pretested on words they have never seen before. This tends to be more of a problem for boys than for little girls. I have a lot of theories why this is so, but won’t bore you with them.

Thank you again for your gracious reviews.
Beverly L. Adams-Gordon
Author, Spelling Power

By: Merrilee McCain

Merrilee McCain — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:11:05 +0000

Thank you for sharing with us all. I am an older and very frugal new-at-homeschooling mother, artist, and violin teacher, so this site is exciting to look at! Of MathUSee manipulatives, my 7 year old artsy Maleah says, “I like this math game!” I hope she will say the same about Spelling Power. We need lessons I can use with my 5 year old son when she is done, so less consumables would be great. (I am able to make my own workbook pages with brightly colored markers and used copy paper. It gives the lessons a personal appeal, but realize I may not be able to keep this up.) Please keep the helpful tips coming!

By: Jimmie

Jimmie — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:08:10 +0000

We use Spelling Power too. I think your highest recommendation of it was, “It was the last spelling program we ever purchased.” That pretty much says it all. It’s expensive, but it’s all you ever need.

By: Rhonda

Rhonda — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:44:03 +0000

Thanks so much for this post. I bookmarked it. I just purchased Spelling Power to try with my kids, but I don't feel like I'm in the groove with it yet. .-= Rhonda´s last blog ..Botany with the Outdoor Hour Challenges =-.

By: Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Barb-Harmony Art Mom — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:08:48 +0000

I love that Spelling Power is something you can keep using through the years. You can take a break and come back and it is still as valuable.

It is also such a savings over buying consumable workbooks each year that are mindless and boring.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom
.-= Barb-Harmony Art Mom´s last blog ..We Finished Week Six! =-.

By: parke

parke — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:43:14 +0000

I definitely want to try this- i have a friend with it, and spelling is a struggle with us- so much of it seems useless and unconnected to me, and my experiences have been very similar to barb’s… so i will give this a try! thanks!

By: Cindy

Cindy — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:02:21 +0000

Love this curriculum! We haven’t been using it long, but I really like having one book from now to the end – and it seems to be helping my kiddos!