Spelling Wisdom and Learning Disabilities

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  • Polly
    Participant

    My son is 8 years old.  I currently do dictation with him but his spelling is horrible.  Recently he’s been diagnosed with convergence insufficiency and visual perceptual/processing disorder.  This explains so many things.  However, I’m wondering if anyone knows if Spelling Wisdom would be the best approach for him.  CM has worked very well with him overall.  But, spelling just doesn’t connect with him.  We’ve even tried  the Orton-Gillingham (Spell to Write and Read All About Spelling, etc) with him and he just get’s more confused.  

    We have tried every spelling program including Spelling Wisdom and it didn’t work for us.  My son also never could master phonics, he can read, but doesn’t get “phonics.”  What works with great success is AVKO Sequential Spelling.  It is very short, no weekly word list to memorize just a spelling test everyday. I have noticed an improvement in his reading too, now that we have a different spelling program.

    Beth Covalt
    Participant

    I have to agree with mrsjamiesouth.  We too have tried almost every program out there, inclusing O-G.  Spelling Wisdom is great with my dd (and I love it), but the exercises frustrated my dyslexic son.   One thing I would note, however, from my own reading on Ld’s is that dictation is highy, highly recommended for kids with LD’s from most expert camps.  That said, while his spelling is still my son’s biggest struggle, AVKO has improved it significantly.  It is a somewhat tedious program, but it doesn’t take more than about 15 minutes a day, depending on your child’s focus.  Another note about AVKO: I tried it several years ago with the same son, and we didn’t see any results.  He just needed a little time and maturity.   It is inexpensive and effective.  I do recommend that you buy a response book for him.  We didn’t at first, and then once we switched to using them, it made life easier.  Each book in the 7 book series is around 11.50, and the response book is around 7.50.

    Polly
    Participant

    Thank you both!  I’ve considered this.  I was also considering Phonetic Zoo (because I have it) as it’s mostly auditory.  Can one of you explain how the program works?  

    Thanks,

     

    Polly

    My son is in 4th but we started with Level 1 because it really has big words for the level.  It teaches them to recognize word families and patterns.  Each day you give them the spelling test.  I give my son 5 seconds to write the answer then I write the correct spelling on a dry erase board. (I use a small one I got from Walmart)  He is to immediately correct his to make it look like mine. 

    Day 1  words  are  in, pin, sin, and spin.  Day 5 is thinned, thinner, sinner, spinner, fins, Mr. Skinner, winner, be, inning, beginning, chinned, we, wee, bee, see, trees, free, agree, disagree, and fees.

    You can see all the patterns.  Day 2 words build on Day1 until you reach the bigger words at Day5.

    I agree that you should get the response book, it makes it easier.  I got mine off christian book, Level 1 and response, for about $17.   The Level 1 book does a really good job of walking you through the steps up until day 9 and then you are on your own.  They do have a video if you would like it. I found I do not like computer or dvd programs for this child.

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