The spelling curriculum that we are using for our son is written by Abeka. Abeka tends to be somewhat intense in their requirements- especially in spelling. Our son (6th grade) has 35 spelling words a week and 15 of those are full fledged definition words. I tried to figure out how to give him all the words yet not overwhelm him to the point of tears (I do not like to skip anything- so I had to think of something).
I decided that Mondays would be "Spelling Elimination" days. On Monday, we take the new list and I quiz him. Whatever words he gets right on the first try are no longer on his list for that week. Why make a student study something they already know well? His list is then made up of the words/definitions that he doesn't know.
He still ends up with approximately 7-9 spelling words and 10 definitions. But, that's much better for his morale, confidence, and his time management. He writes each word/definition 3x each in cursive (getting our cursive writing in) on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Friday is his test. I wish I could do creative things for his spelling but he truly is a repetition learner.
But, anyway, I thought you might want to use this idea if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed.
We have done this for years. I learned it from a private school Sarah went to in 1st grade. We have a pre-test to eliminate all the words she knows already. I agree, why study what she knows?! Then we use just the leftover words for the rest of the week. The next time she practices them 3 x each, then we do a practice test midway. Then one more practice 3 x, and then on to the final test.
ReplyDeleteThanks- it's always nice to see others doing similar things and knowing that I am not off base.
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