Home based phonic spelling programs?

[Walkingbkwrm]

Thinking ahead here but I am teaching my son to read via phonics at home as his otherwise excellent school is wedded to mixed methods and ORT (in Wales so no statutory requirement for phonics otherwise). It's all going well so far as far as I can tell.
However, his spelling is very random (though basically phonetic) he doesn't seem to be absorbing context rules/guidelines of when to use which spellings.
Having peeked at some yr1 spelling homework of friends, the lists seem to mostly be high frequency words in no systematic order with look, cover, write check instructions. While I can try and teach these in a better way, am worried that actually this won't help his spelling generally and something more systematic - started over the summer before he gets demoralised - might be needed.
Any ideas experts?

[DazzleU]

apple and pears book a
www.spelfabet.com.au

[Walkingbkwrm]

Is Apples and pears still available? I tried looking into that but nothing much past the main screen (product details etc) seems to be active.

[DazzleU]

I order via their website about a month ago. Seems to add to the cart for me currently so no indication I couldn't buy.

Look like you might be able to order via amazon uk as an alternative.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/190517425X/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Though you'd need the teacher book and the handbook.

I did do it from Sep with my youngest currently yr1 this year and she did well with it.

She also responded best of all mine with spelfabet - you buy the pdf and then print it out yourself - eldest 9 hated spelfabet so stuck mainly to apple and pears.

[Walkingbkwrm]

Ok, the PayPal screen loads but not the "see inside" or order form download. Might still be working then. I assume the Spelphabet thing was the "Spelling collection" or were you using the workbooks? Mind telling me the main differences between them? Thanks

[DazzleU]

We were using the work books - I was looking seriously last summer but don't remember seeing the spelling collection then.

Though for two of my DC had reading problems - due to mixed methods - anyway at that time - they've massive improved since.

I've read about them since from www.spelfabet.com.au/where-to-start/parents/9-12-year-olds/ - I plan to do the suggestions there after apple and pears - if only for more practise for the eldest as she has a lot of years of writing spellings wrong to over come.

You tube video have her explaining the work books - and spelling lists - looked over them before trying.

They look to be at the bottom of the page here:

www.youtube.com/user/spelfabet

[MMmomKK]

I wouldn't worry about spelling worksheets in Reception. At that age they spell phonetically and it looks weird to us, but it does get better. The kids should be praised to phonetically plausible spelling, which demonstrates their understanding of the key Reception topic - phonics. Correcting spelling beyond some of the HFW would be too demotivating for the little ones!

Then in Y1-2 they get weekly spellings. Those could be by word family (at DDs private school) or by some theme (at a friend's state school).
As their reading and writing develops, their spelling starts to improve. As I saw with Dd1 at that age she didn't know the "rules" but if I gave her two versions of the spelling for a word - she'd often pick the correct one.

Dd1 is now in Y3 at an academic prep. Only this year they started studying some of the spelling rules. She reads a lot, so by now her spelling is excellent.

[Ferguson]

I think you will find the following book helpful and interesting, and entertaining for DS. I was a TA and helper in primary schools for twenty years, and this is one of the most useful resources I have seen:

An inexpensive and easy to use book, that can encourage children with reading, spelling and writing, and really help them to understand Phonics, is reviewed in the MN Book Reviews section. Just search ‘Phonics’.

[WombatStewForTea]

As a school we've recently invested in IDL cloud. Only just started so can't comment on the progress yet but it came highly recommended.

[mrz]

IDL is a dyslexia intervention and doesn't teach synthetic phonics I'm afraid.

[WombatStewForTea]

Oops I must have the wrong end of the stick with that one!

[Walkingbkwrm]

In case anyone else is interested in similar I have just rung SoundFoundations up and turns out their website was hacked and they are in the process of fixing links, re uploading files etc. So if you know exactly what you want they are accepting orders, you just can't preview material.

So I think I will wait until I can have a quick look as I quite like the look of the Spelphabet stuff but the thought of the faff of printing it all (plus the ink and paper etc) is a bit off putting tbh.

Any other advice in the meantime welcome, thanks for
the help DazzleU :). MMmomKK, I don't mean to overdo it but my son is one of the oldest in his class and were it September now (iykwim) he could be in yr1 easily and I think he's ready for a bit more. If the school were going to be giving out/doing systematic phonic based families of words later like your DD's I would also leave it - but it isn't.

[mrz]

Does the school use a phonics programme?

If you have an iPad I recommend the Sounds-Write app (only available for the reception simple code but clearly demonstrates how to teach spelling using phonics for you to use with other words) the first unit is free

[Walkingbkwrm]

In theory they do RWI but only seem to do it a few 3? times a week and it seems to get cancelled whenever anything else is happening - plus I don't think any of the staff have been on any of the training. So I'm not relying on that!

I will take a look at that app - I have seen you recommend it before but I assumed it was a bit easy, hadn't thought of just mirroring the process as it were.

[mrz]

Sorry on phone but you may find this interesting m.youtube.com/watch?v=SoX21V8-p40

[Walkingbkwrm]

Thanks for the link Mrz, it was interesting.

[SamAspinall1971]

Hi I know this is an old thread, but just wondered if anyone could help. My school wants my DD to use IDL for phonics learning, she is finding the keyboard and colours very off putting. Do you think she is using the wrong package? she isnt dyslexic either.