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Looking at the packages, I didn't see the Draw and Write book in the first two package deals but it's in the self-learning/reading package. Are all those books used in the Independent part of Preparing or is it just the Draw and Write book?

Spelling/dictation part. How is that working for those that are using it? My daughter isn't the best of spellers and she make the most simple mistakes. Right now we are doing Rod and Staff spelling which I like but have thought of just doing lists in a spelling notebook for her. One page these types of words and another page those type of words.

tia

Hi Tia,

All those books listed with Draw & Write with History are used in the Independent Section of Preparing. The Read-Alouds are for story time and the extension pack is to extend the History section for your older child by having them listen in on the History section and then reading the books in the extension pack on their own (there is a schedule for those in the appendix).

Dictation (which is used for spelling) is scheduled in 3X a week in the Language Arts section. There is a section with 3 different levels to choose from in the appendix of the book.

HTH

MamaBear23Cubs wrote:Looking at the packages, I didn't see the Draw and Write book in the first two package deals but it's in the self-learning/reading package. Are all those books used in the Independent part of Preparing or is it just the Draw and Write book?

Spelling/dictation part. How is that working for those that are using it? My daughter isn't the best of spellers and she make the most simple mistakes. Right now we are doing Rod and Staff spelling which I like but have thought of just doing lists in a spelling notebook for her. One page these types of words and another page those type of words.

tia

I began last year using both R & S spelling and the dictation. I stopped the R & S spelling halfway through because I realized my ds had absolutely no retention with it. Like most dc, he just memorized the list, passed the tests, and moved on not remembering the words he'd just been tested on. Dictation is hands-down the best thing we've done for my ds's spelling. I would really encourage you to give it a try for a year, not adding another spelling program to it. I think you will be amazed at your dd's growth. I think the difference between spelling lists and dictation is that dictation teaches using correct spelling within writing sentences and paragraphs - which is the way our dc write all day, as opposed to listing words, or writing them one at a time. Something about visualizing words within sentences and then writing them has completely clicked with my ds. His writing has very few spelling errors now. I often ask him to reread his notebooking, narrations, etc. and see if it "looks right". He usually finds a few errors and quickly corrects them with no use of dictionaries, etc. (though I do encourage him to look up words if he cannot correct them on his own). I think this editing process completely parallels what he's done in dictation, which is why he's become so good at it. Please give dictation a try - I think you'd find the long-term results much more lasting than they'd be with lists.

In Christ,
Julie