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in Language Arts· Spelling

Spelling Power

Hello, fellow homeschoolers! This is the first review I’ve written for the Curriculum Choice. I’m very excited to share my thoughts about and experience with various curricula and resources with the hope that someone finds them helpful. I thought I’d dive right in with everybody’s favorite subject: spelling!

Like math, spelling as a subject offers a variety of methods — and madness. Also like math, some children are naturally stronger in spelling than others. For some families’ mix of learning styles and levels of compliance (in both children and teacher!), spelling workbooks are the ticket. For others, copywork and dictation fill the bill. And let’s not forget the myriad spelling software programs and other books. Alas, none of those worked in my family. That’s why I’m so thankful a friend introduced us to Spelling Power.

Here’s the daily procedure in a nutshell:

  • You and your child sit down together. You administer the quiz on that day’s group of words.
  • Each group of words follows a certain phonetic rule (or exceptions to a rule), such as: “/ar/ is usually spelled ar as in jar.”
  • You use a specific worksheet (printable at home) and follow a certain protocol in giving the quiz: You say the word, use it in a sentence of your own creation (I enjoy that part!), and say the word again.
  • Your child then says the word aloud, writes it the best way she can, and then says the word again, to cue you for the next word on the list.
  • At the end of the quiz, you grade it together, with you saying and spelling each word correctly, and your child marking her incorrect words.
  • She lists the correct spelling of each word she missed on a list called Words to Learn. She then studies only the words she missed on the 10-Step Study Sheet.
  • The next day, you quiz her on the words she missed yesterday before beginning that day’s quiz. Easy peasy.

Of course, there’s much more to it than that, overall:

  • Beverly L. Adams-Gordon, the creator of Spelling Power and a home educator, has put much thought and research into this multi-award-winning program.
  • When you first begin, you test each child to find out in which level he or she should be placed.
  • Each level includes several review tests (given after several daily tests).
  • There are delayed recall tests about halfway through the level. Tests again at the end of the level and end of level tests.
  • If your child continues to miss words he’s studied previously, Spelling Power provides extra learning activities to strengthen his recall.

Don’t let the “Big Orange Book” scare you, though! Once you delve into the curriculum, Spelling Power is very easy to use:

  • Adams-Gordon provides a Quick-Start Guide to get you up and running.
  • Although the program is pricier than other spelling curricula, it’s designed to be used from ages eight through adult.
  • All the materials you’ll need are included via a CD-ROM and a link to a website with downloadable forms.
  • Moreover, Adams- Gordon designed Spelling Power to teach not only spelling, but dictionary skills and proofreading. It really is a complete program.

Spelling Power has been great for my family. My “natural speller” child loves that she has to study only those words she misses on the quizzes, and my less able speller enjoys Spelling Power’s focus on mastery of spelling rules. She’s able to translate that knowledge to her everyday writing. A boon for me and an accomplishment for her.

For more information on Spelling Power, visit the website at www.spellingpower.com.

Ellen stays busy home educating two middle-grade daughters, chasing two corgis, managing the family’s busy household, reading as much as she can, and writing about life at The Bluestocking Belle.

Ellen (21 Posts)

A homeschooling mother, Ellen lives in the Deep South with a transplanted Yankee husband, two middle grade daughters, and two adorable corgis, Jasper and Georgette. She espouses a literary-based education with a Charlotte Mason emphasis. She squeezes in time to write between teaching, managing the household, ferrying the girls to their activities, and volunteering with said activities. Iced coffee and prayer keep her going. You can read about her life at http://bluestockingbelle.blogspot.com.


Filed Under: Language Arts, Spelling Tagged With: power, Spelling, written by Ellen

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LulaB says

    January 24, 2012 at 2:44 am

    Thanks for this, Ellen. When I got my copy of Spelling Power last term I felt a bit overwhelmed by the size of it – it took me a week to manage to open it! But as you say, once you find the quick-start section it’s actually pretty easy to get started – and I’m reassured by your fantastic bullet points that we are indeed following the steps properly!
    LulaB in the UK

    Reply
    • Ellen says

      March 2, 2012 at 7:24 am

      Hi Lula! I hope you’ve gotten more accustomed to Spelling Power and the way it’s arranged. It really is quite easy to use. And I love how comprehensive it is!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer Garcia says

    March 1, 2012 at 10:45 pm

    I LOVE SPELLING POWER! It has a my boys who are were always weak spellers to excel and my 15 year old daughter who was always a great speller has had her spelling strengthened so much shes only a few groups always from completing spelling power. What would be recommended that is similar to the teaching style of spelling power but it goes beyond the highest level offered in spelling power?

    Reply
    • Ellen says

      March 2, 2012 at 7:23 am

      Jennifer, I’m glad you’re enjoying Spelling Power, too! My eldest child will most likely finish up with the program before she moves on to high school, so what to do afterward is also a consideration of mine. (Although I have to admit I hadn’t given it much thought til I saw your comment. Yowzer!) I have some thoughts off the top of my head: I know that Beverly, the author of Spelling Power, encourages users to contact her. You may want to, and ask her for some ideas. Check the website or Spelling Power orange book for contact info.

      As your daughter progresses, vocabulary study should probably merge with spelling. You could have your daughter keep a word book composed of unfamiliar words she encounters in her weekly reading assignments. These lists could become the basis of a higher-level spelling and vocabulary study. You could even implement Spelling Power’s 10-step study sheet.

      Also, I’ve not looked over SAT study books recently (still a few years away for us!), but those may have word lists. When I took the GRE many years ago, those study books incorporated word/vocabulary lists. I made my own flashcards, and my husband quizzed me.

      I hope this is helpful!

      Reply
  3. Barb-Harmony Art Mom says

    December 19, 2012 at 3:21 pm

    My copy of Spelling Power has been retired for some time but I refuse to give it away yet. So many really good memories of spelling tied up with that book and my boys are excellent spellers in part to Spelling Power.

    Great review.

    Reply
  4. Amy says

    December 31, 2012 at 2:08 am

    I have spelling power but lost the CD in our last “shelf purge”. I’m glad I found this! Think I’ll try again.

    Reply

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