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okay, my phonics program includes spelling words. my dd actually has a hard time spelling words that i dictate to her (i.e., i'll say "bump" and she'll not hear the m and write "bup". if i enunciate very clearly, she gets it, but not at first. is this normal for a kindergarten age 6 yo, or do i need to help her in some way in this area? i use the cm method of look, spell, close eyes, spell, then write when we are doing spelling words and she almost always remembers them this way, but if i just ask out of the blue how to spell something, she almost always gets it wrong.

I don't think it's something that you need to worry about at this point. It does take time to be able to really clearly hear all the individual sounds in our language. The more practice she has, the better she will get. Just the other day I was having my dd spell "shrunk" and she spelled it "shruk." She had trouble hearing the "n." When I slowed it down and enunciated more, then she was able to hear it. I think we just need to give them time and practice.

I agree this is common for young ages, and will continue to improve as CM methods are done repetitively. Once you begin Beyond Little Hearts, spelling words, lessons, and activities are included and are written CM style. So, be sure you do those and she'll continue to grow as a speller.

In Christ,
Julie

Just agreeing with what's already been said. My ds5 does the same thing. Seems normal to me!

my3sons wrote:I agree this is common for young ages, and will continue to improve as CM methods are done repetitively. Once you begin Beyond Little Hearts, spelling words, lessons, and activities are included and are written CM style. So, be sure you do those and she'll continue to grow as a speller.

In Christ,
Julie

With regard to the above comment, would I be better to ditch the spelling for this year and wait until next year, in your opinion?

mommyofgirls,

Most public schools begin spelling lists and tests after the first nine weeks of first grade. On a sidenote, the standardized tests for the end of first grade do not even require the kiddos to READ the test to themselves, much less do much in the way of testing spelling. Instead the test administrator reads the instructions.

So, if your child is struggling a bit in the spelling area (which is completely normal) and is developing a dislike for spelling, you can wait until after the first nine weeks of first grade are over and begin spelling instruction then.

Blessings,
Carrie

Sorry I missed your question there - I think I'd take a month off or even 2, and see how it goes then. It's amazing what even that amount of time can do, and it's worth trying!

In Christ,
Julie

thanks for the information on when they do spelling in public school! that is so reassuring. funny how i worry about these things when i have no need to do so. maybe by the time i'm homeschooling my third i won't worry as much. LOL we are taking a few weeks off of school altogether. there is Christmas and then we are moving the week after that, so we are not doing much for the time being. Merry Christmas to you all and thanks for the advice!

Here is one more reassurance then... I had to do Kindergarten testing for preparation for third quarter conferences one year in ps. I called each student back, and they had to point to each capital (not including lowercase) letter of the alphabet and name each one, do the same with numbers 1-10, try to sing the ABC's, try to count to 10, and try to write their name in a provided space, and follow directions to do some kinesthetic moves (i.e. stand on one foot, place the bear under the chair, etc.). This was the assessment for the K report card for third quarter. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

my3sons wrote:Here is one more reassurance then... I had to do Kindergarten testing for preparation for third quarter conferences one year in ps. I called each student back, and they had to point to each capital (not including lowercase) letter of the alphabet and name each one, do the same with numbers 1-10, try to sing the ABC's, try to count to 10, and try to write their name in a provided space, and follow directions to do some kinesthetic moves (i.e. stand on one foot, place the bear under the chair, etc.). This was the assessment for the K report card for third quarter. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

Wow, my daughter is a genius!! Thanks for the encouragement!