Sylvan workbooks - vocab and spelling

I recently discovered Sylvan's line of workbooks, while looking for a new vocabulary workbook. The vocab workbook we had was super simple and streamlined - A Word A Day. I figured it would be easiest to cover vocab that way, since a) ds9 had a fairly good vocabulary to begin with, and b) we had so much else on our homeschool plate. But my theory backfired. Our vocab book was SO simple and SO streamlined, that ds9 found the new vocabulary words completely uninteresting, and thus had difficulty retaining what he had learned. Knowing my ds9, I should have known. :) Then I found Sylvan's vocabulary workbook. The word lessons are not only very well-organized by categories that obviously should be learned together, but the workbook is just CHOC FULL of games and puzzles and challenges that are interesting, exciting, and truly creative. Vocab has gone from one of ds9's best subjects, to one of his worst, to one of his most favorite subjects - and he no longer is having any trouble retaining the new words he's learning - AT ALL. And even though it's a regular workbook with pages for ds9 to complete, it's taking hardly any time out of our homeschool day - one page a day is all it takes (would only take a page every OTHER day had we started at the beginning of the year, even!), and he whips through them like they're CANDY. :D

This got me thinking... What ELSE does Sylvan have up its' sleeve? Turns out, they also have workbooks in their same very fun yet very logical approach, in the subjects of Math (K-5), Reading Skills for 2nd grade and below, Reading Comprehension for 3rd grade and up, and Spelling (1-4). While the math and reading books appear to be really neat, I think I'm still happier with the Math and English workbooks we're using by Bob Jones University Press. However, Sylvan's Spelling workbook has caught my eye, and I just might give that a try next year. It meets and masters all 3 of my criteria in a Spelling curriculum: 1) the words are sorted by similar spelling types or tactics - *check*, 2) there's emphasis on spelling rules and tips/tricks to make spelling easier - *check*, 3) there's fun (super fun!) games and puzzles and challenges to hold ds9's interest and aid in retention - *check*! I'm gonna have a hard time choosing between Sylvan's Spelling, BJU's Spelling, and Purposeful Design's Spelling next year. Ultimately, I'll probably let ds9 pick - whichever he thinks is "funnest" based on the sample pages. We'll see. :)

SpellingCity and workbook options

The turkey's in the oven, dh is ahead of schedule on the food prep, and I actually have some spare time.... to tell you about SpellingCity.com! I have explored many MANY spelling websites, because when we first started homeschooling I had no idea what curriculum to use, and I was hoping I could find a website that was worked well enough that we wouldn't need to purchase a curriculum. And after trying out everything I could find, there is no doubt in my mind that SpellingCity is the best there is on the net - that is, the best there is for free or cheap, which was what I was looking for.

The website is well-designed, visually engaging for kids, and easy to navigate. The website is not cluttered up with ads, like so many others (though there are a few low-profile ads that you probably won't even notice). The primary "teaching" activity teaches one word at a time, spelling through and displaying each letter one at a time while it says the letter out loud. This method is great for kids who have a disconnect between their "eyes and ears", or have difficulty tracking the letters in a word as they sound it out. But that's not why I love it so much. What I love are the games and the customizable lists. You can enter in your own words, either individually or in batch-entry for bigger lists, and then set your child free to play several fun and effective spelling games with just those words. Your child can also do the "teach me" spelling activity with your custom words, or even take a regular test on that list. Additional noteworthy features include several sets of ready-to-go word lists for each grade level in various types of groupings, and fun games activities that quiz you on vocab and writing skills.

Because I tend to need something more tangible to guide my teaching, we opted not to use SpellingCity as a primary curriculum. We do rely on it heavily, though, for practice sessions on trouble-spot words, and for those times when I'm short on time and want to have the computer give him his test. I find consistently that ds9 retains difficult-to-spell words VERY WELL after having some time to play with those words on SpellingCity. Love it!!

So, now you want to know what primary spelling curriculum I DO use, don't you? :) Okay, here goes. There are many different approaches to spelling - literature based, spelling-vocab combo, chanting, handwriting, application through sentence writing, sequential spelling, etc. The method I decided on is phonics-based, and the two workbooks that I thought just nailed this method, were by BJU press, and Purposeful Design. With both, each word list emphasizes one main phonics group or spelling rule, and teaches helpful new info about the phonics group or rule whenever applicable. Both workbooks also incorporate a variety of fun activities designed to grow visually familiar with the words, and mentally familiar with the spelling rule or letter combos. Ultimately we picked the Purposeful Design workbook for this year, but it was a close call.

Note on spelling rules - there are MANY websites out there that provide useful info on spelling rules. If your child has a question about spelling, such as when the letter c makes a hard sound vs. a soft sound, simply do a google search for your question, and behold the wealth of information. I have not yet found a SINGLE website that comprehensively covers all the spelling rules out there - I have an easier time searching for spelling rules on an individual basis, as needed. But rest assured, if I do, I will surely let you know. :)