How to approach Spelling with the Robinson Curriculum (RC)? I asked myself this when we switched over from Abeka and I kept asking myself because Dr. Robinson proposes children learn spelling naturally through reading. I found myself uncertain. My eldest son, who I pulled out of public school after third grade, struggles with his spelling and I find myself thinking my kids do need some direct instruction.
Not wanting to be dramatic and go on another curriculum expedition I took a look at what RC does have available to us. I found two; a Professor K resource and the McGuffey's Spelling Book the Eclectic Education Series. Wanting to keep things simple for myself and my first grader I chose the latter.
You may be asking? Do the spelling lists match up with what he's reading in his McGuffey's Reader? No, and I actually like that better. The McGuffey's Spelling Book is it's own list of words that progress in their own manner. I actually like it though because as we read I just focus on the reading. When we do Spelling I focus on spelling. It keeps the subjects tidy and if he doesn't pass a Spelling test it doesn't hold him back in his reader if he's reading fine.
The spelling book is great, however, it does not give instruction on HOW to teach spelling. It's mainly spelling lists but I consider this the job half done! I needed to figure out how I wanted to implement it into our day in the spirit of independent learning as much as possible. Keep in mind, he's six and I don't expect complete independence. I do sit in the same room while the boys work and make myself busy (how this blog started!).
I had already created vocabulary packets for my fifth grader and I thought to myself, "Self. You could make something similar for Spelling, no?" So, I did some research on spelling patterns and came up with daily spelling activities that I think will work for RC families (I mean, we are one), divided up the spelling words into approximate grade levels, tweaked activities for age as well and created a packet that I loving placed in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Land of Kakiak
I find repetition and straight forward instructions to be the most effective way to reliably get my kiddos to work straight through. The more they know what to expect next and from me and themselves the better they do. They also like some color in their work and art or crafts incorporated any way possible. I am not a big craft lady. It's just not my bag. I think materials should be simple, easy to understand, inexpensive, attractive but not too busy as to be distracting from the work they are doing.
I love my planning day. I get a big cup of hot creamer with coffee and nestle in amongst my books and papers and write (with a very sharp pencil) in my planner. First grade spelling planning has become a matter of printing this weeks pretty little spelling sheets and putting them in Will's pile and moving on. If I want to do more I cut index cards in half and make two sets of spelling words flashcards (early training for vocab cards, no?). I really enjoy doing my thinking upfront and then coasting, freeing up my mental energy for new projects.
Ok, so it's Monday and it's time for First Grade Spelling. What's the method?
Day one:
Child reads list and spells each word out loud to parent
Child writes each word three times in best handwriting on provided sheet
Parent checks sheet, maybe asks child to write them on chalkboard or spell out loud again.
This continues on T, W, T, F with different activities for step two such as pyramid writing, sentences, look up the spelling pattern and stamping or rainbow writing the words. My first grader needs me to write out the sentences to copy and help looking at the spelling patterns (the packet has a list of them but you can add more as you go) but we keep everything short, no stress and fun. We may play memory with the flashcards or I have him quiz me on the words. He loves being the teacher and checking that I don't misspell anything.
I love that with RC if I do something targeted like Spelling I feel like I'm doing "extra" and that takes the weight off me.
Our last day of the six day school week is Sunday (Kinda) for us. I consider Monday day one, we skip Saturday and Sunday is day six after church. We do a short day that day. But I digress, the sixth day I give him a spelling "test" to see if we can move on to a new set of words or if we have more work to do to reach mastery. If he's got half down but half are wrong I don't make him rework all the mastered words. We print a new packet and just work the missed words the following week but when I do the next test I do redo the whole list.
That's the method. Those are my materials. This is our home school. Spell on.
Land of Kakiak for McGuffey's Spelling Packets (grade 1-5)
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