Quick spelling question

[mater est laetus]

I did search first!

Why the spelling lists before dictation? Why not simpler dictation? Just curious!

[julieabird]

I'm so new to HoD I didn't even know the spelling lists stop after Beyond...... I'm curious as well!

[Carrie]

Great question! Thanks for your patience in hearing back from me! With the start of school here, it is taking me a bit of time to get back to the board.

The spelling lists in Beyond/Bigger include many of the Dolch words and sight words (which are commonly used words that should be known well prior to proceeding into studied dictation). So while the kiddos are cementing their phonics skills, we also teach the habit of visualizing and spelling correctly a body of commonly used words. The exercises in the Beyond and Bigger guide are also stepping stones for training a child to hold a mental picture of a word in the mind, which aids in holding the mental picture of an entire phrase/sentence in mind which comes next (when a child begins studied dictation).

This is why, even for children who are great natural spellers and who rarely miss a spelling word, it is wise to go through the spelling exercises as written in the guide. The mental exercises are equally as important as spelling the word correctly. At HOD, we are always looking ahead to the skills that will be needed the following year, and training the child in the guide before for the skills that will be needed in the future!

Blessings,
Carrie

[mater est laetus]

Carrie, thank-you for that explanation. It does make perfect sense and I appreciated reading your response in the other spelling related thread also about not carrying over problem words but coming back to them at a later time and doing the exercises with even the words that are known for the practice in visualization. Understanding that we're not just spelling but exercising the ability to visualize the words in the mind helps a great deal.

It does bring up another question for me though. My child doesn't seem to be a natural speller (if that means a tendency to spell words correctly without having previously studied them) but he is very good at visualizing and can already hold a short sentence in his mind (to write from dictation). Are these exercises with known words still an efficient use of time for such a child?

[Carrie]

Great question! If the child you are referring to is the 5 year old in your signature, then I would definitely say, "Yes". Age does have some relation to the usefulness of this type of exercise. Reinforcement of seeing the correct spelling of commonly used words is wonderful for young kiddos (and for older kiddos who struggle with spelling basic words too). So, for young children it is wise to go through both List 1 and List 2. This is also because the physical practice of writing the words builds fine motor skills too for a young child! Plus, using the words in sentences helps kiddos learn to use a word in context, works on understanding what a sentence is, and provides practice in copying from a correctly written model. Also, looking at the word cards and checking one's work is practice in beginning proofreading skills. So, many skills are being worked on beyond the mental picturing.

Blessings,
Carrie

[mater est laetus]

Thanks again, Carrie. This is why I ask. I've learned from reading various threads that HOD can appear deceptively simple and there is often much more going on than meets the eye. Additionally, I was overlooking the sentence writing activity. I appreciate your time in responding.