Before you start

Each of the posts on this blog is a transcription of a script that I wrote for myself one summer before trying to teach Writing Road to Reading (WRTR) to my 5 school-aged kids, older remedial spellers down to new spellers.  As I've put my notes online, I've tried to add scans of dictations or which phonograms to introduce when since this is what I found hardest about using Starting a Spelling Notebook. 

I am not perfectly consistent about how I describe phonograms, but the spelling or the sounds of any specific phonogram should be consistent across my notes.  However, there are phonograms and spelling rules which I have altered slightly from WRTR because we learned them differently in other programs we used.  One example would be the the phonogram "ou" where the kids and I came to a compromise by assigning it 5 sounds in an order we found easy to say.  WRTR only gives it 4 sounds, neglecting the sound it makes in the word "could".  We added it as a 5th sound.  We also changed some of the example words for some phonograms to make them more visual.  Our flash cards use pictures which my kids find helpful. 

I hope my daily notes can be helpful to others who are muddling through this system.  After failing at a variety of spelling programs, my kids are I are giving our full energy and concentration to WRTR with the hope that it will help them be thoughtful spellers.

Update March 30, 2013
We are in the midst of diagnosing language processing disorders/dyslexia for our kids. We now have almost 7 who are school-aged and most show some signs of dyslexia. If it were more severe, I would switch to the Barton method which is also Orton-Gillingham based but at a slower and more incremental pace. For now, by working very hard with spelling markings, phonogram reviews, and marking words that need to be processed visually, I am noticing improvement across all ages. But it's WORK!

Update August 2, 2014
We are continuing to use this program. My kids are not great spellers. However, I had the benefit of talking with Laura Berquist this summer and she assured me that this is truly the case, some people are just not good spellers. Despite that, the program is worth using because it teaches the child to think about language in an orderly way and to analyze it. This develops that habit for other subjects.

My consultant also reminded me that teaching syllable breaks is very important. It was easy for me to skip over those because when we type on the computer, it just drops words to the next line, the only situation I thought that knowledge was useful for. However, kids who are challenged with reading cannot sound out words without having a way to break them down. And spelling rules are often applied by syllable. Two good reasons to pay attention to those pieces of the program. So there is room for improvement!

Also, my consultant advised me to use cards without the pictures as the kids got older so they would see the letters and recognize them. The pictures should be in their heads at that point. 
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Before you start, read Starting a Spelling Notebook p. 4-16.  Understanding the nuts and bolts of the program will help you immensely.

Here is a list of supplies:

Set of flash cards for the 70 phonograms
Spelling notebook for each child--purple or black composition books
writing paper for dictations
pencils
Writing Road to Reading text*
Starting a Spelling notebook*

*I don't use these every day, but I think they are important to have for reference and preparation.

Personally, I think that the Writing Road to Reading takes a level of committement from me as the parent, but that doesn't make it impossible to use especially with the helps available. This is a program that I must teach; I can not plop it in front of the kids to do on their own. I hope that my involvement helps my kids realize that I feel this is an important and worthwhile subject which was not my impression of spelling as a kid. And I find comfort in that the first part of Writing Road--teaching phonograms--only takes about 8 weeks.  After the initial 8 weeks' instruction, you move on to spelling lists with the occasional spelling notebook page.

REVIEW DAYS:  Last year was my first year teaching Writing Road.  I learned that my kids don't learn as quickly as outlined in Starting a Spelling Notebook, so occasionally I would have to have review days where the kids played Concentration or Go Fish with the flashcards, played Bananagrams, or just did flash cards and a review dictation to make sure they mastered the phonograms they knew before they moved on.  We also did this if I was having a busy day and I knew I wouldn't be able to teach spelling that day.  That way, we didn't just skip it and made the program a little more fun.  With my younger spellers, I moved more slowly and introduced fewer phonograms at a time.

SPELLING NOTEBOOK: Each page of the child's spelling notebook illustrates a spelling rule or rules, however, the book is not made in order and some pages will be made after you are working on the spelling lists.  I found that making my own notebook helped me understand the program better.

Week 1, Days 1-4

"Well begun is half done."--Mary Poppins

On the first day of the program, you will begin by introducing your child to some phonograms he already knows both with flash cards and through writing practice.  When using the flash cards, your goal is to for the child to be able to say the phongram as soon as he sees it.  "Saying the phonogram" means making the sounds of the letters, not saying their names.  For example, when a child sees "x", you want him to immediately say /ks/.

For new phonograms, I like to use the method from Sound Beginnings where the child says the phonogram over and over as he writes it across the page.  Later, when the child misses a phonogram in a dictation, I have him practice those he missed in the same manner. 

(PIC OF PHONOGRAM PRACTICE)

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Day 1

Single Letter/Single Sound Phonograms and "qu"

Introduce the single sound/single letter phonograms and "qu" by holding up the flashcard and having the child repeat after you. 

(PHONOGRAMS TO BE INTRODUCED WK 1 DAY 1)

(PHONOGRAM CARDS)

After introducing each phonogram, have the child practice saying and writing the phonogram as described above. This is a good time to review correct posture and letter formation.

Take time today to read p 15 of Starting a Spelling Notebook "What's Up with the 'y'?" to determine how you want to teach "y".  My notes are based on how I teach "y".

*****

Day 2

Consonants with more than one sound

There are 4 consonant phonograms which make more than one sound.  Hold up the flash card for the letter and say the sounds.  Have the child repeat after you.  After each phonogram, have the child practice saying and writing the phonogram.

(PIC OF PHONOGRAMS TO TEACH WEEK 1/DAY 2)

(PHONOGRAM CARDS)

Try an easy dictation with the phonograms learned so far. 

(DICTATION WEEK 1/DAY 2)

*****

Day 3

Vowel Phonograms, Flashcard review, Dictation

Early on I made the mistake of not thinking kids needed to know which were the vowels so I didn't teach them the words "vowels" and "consonants".  I won't bore you with why I thought it wasn't important and will only say that when they are learning to spell, they do need to know which are the vowels. 

(APPLES AND BANANAS YOU TUBE)

Teach the vowel phonograms using the flashcards.  The first sound will be the short vowel sound.  The second sound is the long vowel sound.  Some vowels have 3rd sounds.  The letter "y" also has a consonant sound which you say before the vowel sound.  Remember to adjust if your method of teaching "y" is different from mine.

(NEW PHONOGRAMS WEEK1/DAY3)

(PHONOGRAM CARDS)

Review all the phonogram flashcards a-z.

And finally, do a dictation. 

(WEEK1/DAY 3 DICTATION)

Note:  Having you child say the phonogram when he sees it and write it when he hears it is what Starting a Spelling Notebook refers to as "knowing it both ways".

Tomorrow you will teach part of the first page of the spelling notebook.  Read SSN p. 10-11 and WRTR p. 54 to prepare.  It only takes a few minutes!

*****
Day 4

Flashcard review, part of Spelling Notebook p.1



Begin with reviewing flashcards a-z. 

Look at the sample notebook page (WRTR p XX):

(SAMPLE NOTEBOOK PAGE)

Discuss the first 3 spelling rules:

1. u follows q
2. c says /s/ before e, i, or y
3. g may say /j/ before e, i, or y

Have your child copy the first part of the first page of the spelling notebook.  There are instructions on how to dictate the page in WRTR p. 54.  Remind him that hearing the phonograms helps him know which phonograms spell a word.  Have him sound out the word "consonants" as he spells it.  He is practicing listening and spelling. 

Now practice the spelling rules using the words queen, cat, cent, and gem.  Now your child is practicing observation, thinking and spelling. 

You have made it through the first week!  Good work!

Week 2, Days 1-4

 Day 1
Single Vowel Sounds, Spelling markings for vowels, and Spelling Rules 4-6

Teach vowel section of spelling notebook.

Spelling Notebook p.1
Vowels

• First, teach or review what the vowels are and explain that every syllable of every word in English must have a vowel.  My kids have learned syllables through simply clapping as we say words of different lengths.  
• Teach each vowel and its sounds.  This spelling notebook page is different from the one in WRTR because I want the first example word to be visual and match the picture on the phonogram cards we have.
• Have the child copy the vowel section of the spelling notebook.  The first example word is for the short sound of the vowel, the 2nd example word is for the long sound of the vowel, and the 3rd example word is for the 3rd sound of the vowel.

* note:  The example words for the letter y on this page are only for the vowel sounds of y.

Spelling Markings (our own method)

• A short vowel is left unmarked as this is the first sound of of the vowel.  
• Underline when the 2nd sound of the vowel is used as in navy.            
• Write a number above the 3rd sound of single vowel phonograms as in put. I will type the marking like this:  pu(3)t.
• Underline multi-letter phonograms, and use numbers for later sounds of these phonograms.  This explains the markings on father, for example.
• The consonant sound of y is left unmarked as is the first vowel sound of y.  The 2nd and 3rd vowel sounds are marked like other vowels.

*note:  I think there should be a special page for the kids to write the marking rules and a page just for spelling rules.  The markings would take one page at the end of the regular spelling notebook and the spelling rules could come after since there are 29 rules.  

Teach Spelling Rules 4-6

Rule 4:  (Can be sung to Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

                             A,E, O and U

                             usually say their names

                             at the end         of a       syllable

example: pa-per, Pe-ter, lo-cal, mu-sic

Rule 5:  i and y say /i/ or /i(2)/.  

example: skin, kind, gym, sky 

Rule 6: Hear /i(2)/ spell y at the end of a word.  

example: fly

Practice rules on example words. Have child explain the vowel sound using the rules in the words: go, she, baby, shy, physics

*****************************************************************

Day 2
The 5 Jobs of Silent E/Spelling Rule 7 and Marking Silent E

Teach silent e section of spelling notebook p. 1.  Have child copy.  

Spelling Notebook p.1
Completed

To teach, write the example word(s) and then teach the rule.  The 5 rules of silent e are grouped together as Spelling Rule 7.  The pneumonic for remembering the 5 jobs of silent e is "Times have changed little goose."

• Job 1 jumps one--the silent e jumps over the previous consonant and makes the vowel say it's name.
• Job 2 v, u--In English words don't end in v or u so we add a silent e
• Job 3 c, g--In English words don't usually end in the 2nd sound of c or g so we add a silent e
• Job 4 needs more--Every syllable must have a vowel so we add a silent e for words that end in -ble, -cle, -dle, -fle, -gle, -kle, -ple, -sle, -tle, -zle
• Job 5 lazy no job e--These words are probably from Old English when the e was pronounced.  

note: Silent e may do more than one job unless it does job 5.

Spelling markings for silent e:  All silent letters get a double underline. For silent e, analyze which job(s)  it is doing and write the number(s) of that job(s) in a subscript after the e.  Divide with commas if the e does more than one job.

Practice marking and explaining the jobs silent e does in game (1), table (4), cue (2), pave (1,2), cage (1,3), ice (1,3), battle (4), horse (5), come (5).

**************************************************************

 Day 3
Practice Known Phonograms and Spelling Rules 1-7, Teach New Phonograms

Phonogram Dictation for Week 2 Day 3

Start with a dictation of the known phonograms.  You say the sounds of the phonogram and the child writes down the correct letter(s).  Check after each one.  This reinforces audial recognition.  You can also use the writing to work on correct letter formation and penmanship.

Go through phonogram flash cards 1-26.  This reinforces visual recognition.

Practice spelling rules 1-7 by asking what they are and making sure the student understands what they mean.

Teach phonograms 27-31.  I like to use names from Sound Beginnings for some phonograms. 

New Phonograms to teach on Week 2 Day 3
I added a note below about the 5th sound of ou

Our flash cards for sh, ee, th, ow, ou

As the child learns a new phonogram, have him say the name and sounds of the phonograms as he writes it.  Tell him how to spell it the first time.  Then have him put a finger space and say and write it again and again across the page.  

Practice new phonograms with flash cards.

*****************************************************************

*  We discovered that there are 5 sounds for ou/ow, oh, oo, uh, oo(2)/.  The first 4 example words are couch, soul, you, and country.  The 5th sound is the sound found in the words could, would, should.  We decided to add it as a 5th sound because could, would, and should are so commonly used.  

Day 4
Teach New Phonograms 32-43 and Spelling Rule 8

New Phonograms to Teach on Week 2 Day 4

Teach each phonogram as you did yesterday with the child practicing by saying and writing them.  After teaching wor, teach the spelling rule.

Our flash cards for oo, ch, ar, ay, ai, oy

Our flash cards for oi, er, ir, ur, wor, ear

Spelling Rule 8:  o-r says /er/ when it follows w. (This can be sung to Joy to the World)

Teach phonogram 43.
Here is an observation to share with your kids.  It is not always true, but it is true often enough to be helpful.

Week 3, Days 1-4

Day 1

The 5 ers, Spelling Rules 1-8

Teach the 5 ers:

New Phonograms for Week 3, Day 1
*When I teach 42, we spell it with the w but pronounce it /er/.

For dictation of the /er/ phonograms I only use the names.

Phonogram cards for the 5 ers
The pneumonic is "Her first nurse works early."

After introducing the 5 new phonograms, teach p. 2 of the Spelling notebook.

Spelling Notebook p 2 left side

Spelling Notebook p 2 right side

As the spelling notebook page is copied or dictated, have the child mark the ers.  3rd graders may do only the 1st 3 rows today and come back another day to add more if you wish.

Practice:  Cover the top cue words and ask the child which er is in herd, bird, turn, world, search.

Practice the Spelling Rules 1-8 which were taught Week 2.

Hints:

1. qu

2. c

3. g

4. vowels at the end of a syllable

5. i and y

6. hear /i(2)/ spell y

7. 5 jobs of silent e

8. o-r says /er/

***************************************************

Day 2

Phonograms 44-50, phonogram flash cards, dictation

Teach new phonograms 44-50:

New phonograms for Week 3 Day 2
WRTR teaches #44 as ng, but I prefer ing

Remember to have the child practice writing and saying the new phonogram in a line across the page.  Reinforce good penmanship habits as he practices.  Show him the phonogram cards for the new phonograms.

Our flash cards for ing, ea, aw, au, or

Our phonogram cards for ck and wh

Practice the phonogram cards and then a dictation with the first 50 phonograms (only 20 left!)

Phonogram Dictation for Week 3 Day 2 p1

Phonogram Dictation for Week 3 Day 2 p2

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Week 3 Day 3

Review Phonograms 1-50

Today is a review day.  Practice the flash cards and do the same phonogram dictation from yesterday.  You may choose to skip those you feel your child knows.  In the first 8 weeks of the program, I often took one of these review days when I felt that the kids were getting confused by the different phonograms.

Phonogram Dictation for Week 3 Day 3

Phonogram Dictation for Week 3 Day 3 p2

**************************************************

Day 4

Spelling Notebook p. 7 and phonogram review

Today you will review the multi-letter phonograms learned so far and make a spelling notebook page which lists them.  

Start with a flash card and phonogram review of the first 50 phonograms, just like yesterday.  

Phonogram Dictation for Week 3 Day 4

Phonogram Dictation for Week 3 Day 4 p2

In the spelling notebook, skip 4 double pages writing the page numbers 3, 4, 5, & 6 in the upper right hand corners.  You will come back to these pages later.  

Today have your student copy the left side of p.7 or you may dictate it to him.  The numbers tell you how many sounds each phonogram makes.  The brackets show which phonograms have the same initial sounds.  

Spelling Notebook p. 7 left side

*  We discovered that there are 5 sounds for ou /ow, oh, oo, uh, oo(2)/.  The first 4 example words are couch, soul, you, and country.  The 5th sound is the sound found in the words could, would, should.  We decided to add it as a 5th sound because could, would, and should are so commonly used.  

There are no spelling rules today.