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I had originally thought if it's the Lord's will for us to use HOD next year, that I would continue with our current spelling program (Spell to Write and Read). It is pretty time intensive, but has been effective in getting my ds to really analyze words and he's done really well. To be honest, it's not a favorite of either of us, but we plug on because we know it's right to do.

In the catalog it says the following about spelling: "For spelling, students focus on learning to spell a basic body of frequently used words. Next, they move on to studied dictation to cement their spelling skills." I had a few questions about how this is done. Are the basic body of frequently used words taught along with any spelling rules or is it just a list to be memorized? Also I understand what dictation is but what exactly is studied dictation?

I was just thinking that if HOD's way produces good spellers and it wasn't so intensive on teacher and student, then maybe I should consider making the switch. Thanks for any info.

Dictation is a CM method for teaching spelling as well as other concepts of sentence construction. CM believed that children learned best when they studied and copied items. You see this in her methods for composition, notebooking, artist study, etc. I remember reading somewhere that it is a process that must be trusted and faithfully applied and it will yield results. For most of us coming from a school background of years of formal spelling list-type instruction, that "trust" is kind of hard!

As far as studied dictation, I just have my ds read the sentences and look at them carefully. I encourage him to read them aloud and silently. He may spell out a word to help him learn it. After the dictation, he compares his sentences to the key. Any misspelled words are circled and the correct word written underneath. He repeats that passage until he gets it all right. He loves it when he gets everything correct!

Here is a great post on modeled dictation. I think it would be a great way to study dictation.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5333&p=39199

Hth a little,
Laura

Laura,
Thanks for the reply. I'll take time to look at the link. We currently use dictation in a spelling program now. It's a way a reviewing his spelling words or even testing them. I dictate sentences to him to write, etc. I could not figure out what "studied dictation" was, but your explanation explained it very well. Thanks.

lmercon wrote: For most of us coming from a school background of years of formal spelling list-type instruction, that "trust" is kind of hard!

Laura

No help here, just want to watch this thread. I have that "trust" issue.

I had that trust issue too, but this phrase by imercon has proven to be sooooooo true...
it is a process that must be trusted and faithfully applied and it will yield results

Dictation is harder than spelling, and the way spelling is done in HOD is a stepping stone for dictation. The CM style lessons planned with the spelling words in the LA box of the guide are very effective. I know we probably all grew up doing spelling lists, by studying them and taking a test, but the way the plans are written in the HOD guide is totally different. It applies the idea of the mind being like a camera taking a "picture" of the word each time it sees it.

So for HOD spelling - Day 1 always has the child look at one word written in black on an index card. Study it, and when child says he is ready, take the card away and child writes just that one word on his marker board. If he misses it, right away, erase it and show him the card again (to erase that incorrect "picture" in his mind immediately), and when he says he is ready, take the card away until he writes it correctly. Then, Day 2's spelling has you just saying the word, using it in a sentence. The child tries to write the word from memory, but if he misses it, erase it immediately to erase the incorrect "picture" and show him the index card, allowing him to study it as he did on Day 1 and then write it. On Day 3, you only pick 3 words the child needs to practice the most. One word at a time, the child should use the word in a sentence orally, as you write the sentence on markerboard for him. Then, the child looks at the markerboard to copy the sentence on paper. You help the child correct any mistakes then. Finally, on Day 4, you say the word, use it in a sentence, and child tries to write it correctly. This time, if it is missed, erase it, and show the child the index card again. Have him fix it on his paper, and while looking at the index card, do the activity to review missed words (it rotates each week).

Many skills are learned in this method of spelling, rather than a child just studying a list and taking a test at the end. This method of spelling provides an important foundation for dictation the following year. You can see that using it in a sentence, copywork of sentences, studying a word and having it taken away then, fixing errors, etc. all prepare dc to do dictation the following year. My ds had speech for several years as a young child having been quite premature, and yet has managed to thrive with HOD's spelling/dictation plans using CM style methods. I highly recommend giving it a patient try and then I am certain you will see the fruits of it given time! I'm a former user of Spelling Power, and R & S spelling, as well as other programs - I've found CM's methods have been the most successful and produced the most carryover to dc's own writing - which is the core reason we're studying spelling in the first place . This took me awhile to come to this consensus - but now with my second child, I'm totally on board with it - and it shows in his excellent spelling already. By the time our third one's doing it, I'll be a real pro!

A few other links that may be helpful...
Here is a link that gives samples of the spelling lists:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4892&p=35888#p35888

Here is a link that gives dictation samples:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1221

In Christ,
Julie

Just wanted to say that we have used list 1 words and half of the list 2 words (1st and 2nd grade). My son seems to be a very strong speller. I tried something different at the beginning of the year that was more time intensive and switched back to HOD's style after about 6 weeks. He not only does well on the lists, but also seems to be able to spell words on his own that have not been studied. I love the way HOD does spelling. It seems very simple and almost too easy, but my opinion is it works wonderfully. I cannot wait to begin dictation next year. Hope this helps.

I don't have time to read this all at the moment, so I'm going to read it over in my comfy chair this evening.

I will say though, that my dd can spell words well, key word being "words," but when she spells them in a sentence or paragraph, the spelling is not so well. I would guess that dictation helps this as it's done more in context, than as a separate item that they can't correlate together? Isn't that the point of dictation?

Hello!

I just wanted to jump in here and say that thanks to HOD we have been doing dictation for a year now. My 2 oldest children seem to have no spelling sense and they get it honestly. This has been a huge struggle. I am thrilled to let you know that I have seen huge strides in their spelling this year! Correcting their written narration would be a huge drag for all of us - mostly due to spelling corrections. What used to take a lot of time and whining, etc. has blossomed into just a few corrections in punctuation & spelling. They enjoy doing it. I am impressed with their written narrations to which are much better than what I can do sometimes and I have 2 college degrees (no thanks to my writing and spelling skills!) I am actually looking to seeing their scores on their spelling from last year's standardized testing to this year!(State required ) BTW - my 8 year old has only been doing dictation and has does not seem to struggle like my older two do.... To dictate or not..... For us we will dictate!

We are dictation converts! It's the only thing that has caused my dd8 to RETAIN her spelling words. The key for us was to recognize that each day with dictation IS NOT A TEST. If she made a mistake, she would get so upset like it was a spelling test that she was doing poorly on. But when I finally got through to her that the mistakes are what causes her to LEARN, it went much better! And what an important life lesson that is, too!!