Category Archives: SWR

Language for C

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Because he’s finished the fourth grade First Language Lessons I’m working to create a new curriculum for C’s language.

Weekly:
Mon – write out scripture in cursive, practice memorization
Tue – new spelling words in cursive (SWR)
Wed – report, one paragraph written on topic from previous week: art, music, literature, history, science, biography, or book he’s reading (does not have to be cursive) (IEW S&S)
Thur – listen to literature reading & narrate (TTC – storycharts)
Fri – spelling test in cursive (SWR), listen to history & narrate

Monthly:
One page report that he’s picked the topic, researched, written outline, rough draft, and final draft of at least 3 paragraphs/one page in length. (IEW S&S)

For narrations he has the option of doing them orally or writing them down, whichever he prefers. Next year he’ll be required to write down a paragraph about the literature and the history readings (but can still pick for his weekly report to be about the music, art, science, biography, or a book he’s reading.) I’ll also then be assigning him a topic to write about for his monthly paper and that may be research related or creative writing, and then he’ll do a second that’s his choice.

Writing Programs

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Now that C is nine and has cursive down and is improving on his typing we wanted to begin a formal writing program. We’re looking at two options – The Excellence in Writing program and The Complete Writer Writing with Ease. The latter is from The Well Trained Mind author and she also endorses the first program though she’s currently working on a middle school level set of her own that would be competition for it.

So Writing with Ease is for 1st through 4th grade and the book I ordered (and linked to above, though I got it from Amazon for $17) and it’s the instructor text. They offer student workbooks but reviews say they’re really not necessary. We use that same author’s grammar program First Language Lessons which we like, but that’s grammar, dictation & narration. We wanted something for more structured writing (essays, poetry, creative writing, etc.) And for $17 for a four year program we can’t beat that!

The Institute for Excellence in Writing program is also a teacher’s guide, it’s a DVD set and teacher syllabus (the teacher binder is $33, the DVD set is $169 but can be borrowed so long as you buy your own syllabus. A local friend is loaning it to me to watch.) In theory it teaches you how to use their writing program for all ages and you can purchase more DVDs that actually teach the lessons or you can create your own lessons (which I plan to do.)

I want to see both options so we can determine which works best for our kids. I was hesitant about buying both but it’s $50 for me to get the teacher guide for both programs together and that way I can decide from kid to kid which I think would be best for their learning style. (I was able to get both for $31 combined thanks to a used copy & a sale.)

So we’re doing First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind for grammar, narration, dictation & some memorization.

Spell to Write & Read for spelling, though it does include some writing exercises & some grammar lessons as enrichment.

Cursive First for handwriting, which they practice with their spelling words, dictation work, and soon their writing program.

Teaching the Classics/Thomas Jefferson Education questions for literature.

Institute for Excellence in Writing and/or Writing with Ease for their writing. We’re waiting for both of those to arrive.

My tentative plan is that we’ll do two writing lessons a week and one grammar lesson for C, since his grammar is much more intensive now (First Language Lessons Level 4.) For Mo we’ll do her two grammar lessons (Level 2) and one to two writing lessons a week, depending on how involved they are. Then all together we do one literature reading and they both do spelling lists & enrichment activities with those. That sounds like a lot but it actually doesn’t take up that much time or coordination.

M: grammar, new memorization
T: new spelling words, writing lesson
W: grammar, spelling enrichment
Th: writing lesson, literature
F: spelling test

And all of them incorporate the cursive/handwriting.

(Update, I’m returning Writing with Ease because I think it’s redundant if you do First Language Lessons and because I think the IEW writing program is better and covers all ages, not just 1st through 4th.)

SWR Syllabus w/out Cursive First

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If you’re NOT using cursive first then my SWR lesson plan doesn’t help because that threw things off. This is the layout of steps combing the two books, the teacher’s guide (SWR) and the spelling list (WISE Guide) presuming your child already is printing well. Any lesson that is for the teacher to do on their own (prep stuff) I specified as TEACHER PREP – those do NOT involve the kids. It’s reading & explanation for you to prepare for further lessons.

Each numbered step is NOT a single lesson – it may take awhile or it may be something you can do on the same day as other lessons. For example, #9 says WISE A (first spelling list.) That would be the step you work on for the entire week as you review phonogram cards (M) then introduce the spelling words (T) and review them (W) then play a game to enforce them (Th) and do the test (F.)

WISE lists A through G are single lists of spelling words, 20 each. After that the lettered sections change and are H1, H2, etc. Each of those is listed as a different step and each WISE section has 20 words so you can assign 5, 10, 20, 40 words per week – whatever works for your child, but I wrote this up assuming you do 20 words (one complete list) per week.

I wrote this up to give myself the week by week outline but obviously that’s totally flexible and this gives you the order of the lesson but they can easily be smooshed together/spread out as you need.

Week One
1. TEACHER PREP: SWR lessons 1 to 4 (have kids entertain themselves! This is going to take some time to read through, prep your flashcards, and learn the program.)
– Plan Before Teaching (explains program)
– Prepare Preschoolers (but really all ages)
– Read Aloud (hooray, an easy lesson!)
– Evaluate Achievement Level (for each student starting)

Week Two
2. SWR 5: introduce student to phonogram sounds/cards (make it fun – games, phonogram bingo, treasure hunt for sound cards, etc)
3. SWR 6 & 7: writing alphabet & numbers neatly (make sure their print is legible)

Week Three
4. SWR 8: intro to learning log for student
5. SWR 9: vowel & consonant page in LL (learning log)
6. SWR 10: multi letter phonogram page in LL
7. SWR 11: placement test for WISE

Week Four
8. SWR 12: prep to start WISE (TEACHER PREP)
– phonogram and handwriting review for kids

Week Five
9. WISE A (first spelling list for students this week)
10. SWR 13: Reinforce spelling (TEACHER PREP)
11. SWR 14: Classic literature (TEACHER PREP)

Week Six
12. SWR 15: number page in LL (Mon.)
13. WISE B

Week Seven
14: WISE C
15. SWR 16: grammar (TEACHER PREP)

Week Eight
16. SWR 17: final E (Mon.)
17. WISE D

Week Nine
18. WISE E
19. SWR 18: start sh and ti

Week Ten
20. SWR 19: AEIOU page in LL (Mon)
21. WISE F

Week Eleven
22. SWR 20: drill rules cards on Mondays w/phonogram cards (TEACHER PREP)
23. WISE G
24. SWR 21: start composing own sentences (TEACHER PREP)

Week Twelve
25. WISE H1

Week Thirteen
26. WISE H2
27. SWR 22: explain ed

Week Fourteen
28. WISE I1
29. SWR 23: reading in books assigned (TEACHER PREP)

Week Fifteen
30. WISE I2
31. SWR 24: vocabulary
32. SWR 25: abbreviations

Week Sixteen
33. WISE I3

Week Seventeen
34. WISE I4

Week Eighteen
35. WISE J1
36. SWR 26: er page

Week Nineteen
37. WISE J2

Week Twenty
38. WISE J3
39. SWR 27: plurals

Week Twenty-One
40: WISE J4

Week Twenty-Two
41. WISE J5
42. SWR 28: contractions

Week Twenty-Three
43. WISE J6

Weeks Forward:
WISE Sections K through Z and they alternate with further lessons in the SWR guide. Each section lists the preliminary work that needs to be done on Monday and will include any SWR lessons that need to be done before the students start the spelling words on Tuesday.

For the record, I do NOT follow all the steps. I skip some preliminaries, I don’t always have the kids write the stuff in their reference section in back. I don’t always make them mark their words with the red pencil – it depends on how they are doing with the spelling words and how lazy I am. Since my kids are still young and this program has you review past words I figure we can go more in depth each time we review.

Also in the back of the SWR book there are suggested lesson plans and a ton of resources. It’s a lot to take in, give yourself at least a week of preparation & learning time!

Spelling Dictation

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This is from a bookmark I got at my SWR seminar but I’m consolidating it into my system. This is how you give your kids their new spelling words each week, using the list given in the WISE Guide:

1. Say the word and read the sentence.

2. Say the word again clapping the syllables, having the child identify and say/clap each syllable.

3. “Think to spell” any word situations (the book will explain – like two consonants together when spelling you would enunciate each but you don’t hear the two: sor-ry)

4. Show fingergram (holding up fingers) for each syllable:
c-a-t is three fingers and sound out /c/-/a/-/t/

5. Have student spell word to you as you write it out (on paper, chalkboard, dry erase board.)

6. Have student write out word in book while making each sound.

7. Have student dictate back word.

8. Mark it with red pencil (book gives guide.)

9. Review any rules that apply (rules flashcards & book explain – like silent /e/ and such.)

Yes, there is a lot of repetition but that’s part of learning to spell. 🙂 They are hearing the word, clapping & saying the word, breaking the word down, spelling the word aloud, seeing the word written properly, writing it for themselves while sounding it out (saying the phonograms, NOT the letters but the sound they make – say /c/ while writing the letter ‘c’) and then spelling the word aloud again while reading it back to you, then marking any rules/phonograms in red. It sounds like a lot but it actually goes really quickly once you get the hang of it. (Seeing it done made it click for me.)

Plus for younger kids you can do just five words Tuesday & five words Wednesday to break it down and you can do 10 or 20 words as your kids get older. You set the pace.

SWR Weekly Schedule

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Monday: Review phonogram cards during circle time. The big kids do the blend ones (/sh/ and /th/ and so on), the little ones do the single letters (ABCs.) Also do any preliminary activities listed for the week in the WISE Guide book. (Usually just to review certain sounds and add them to the reference pages in the back of their composition book. Sometimes it will refer you to a lesson in the SWR teacher’s guide that needs to be done so check this BEFORE the morning you plan to teach.) The phonogram review can be just a flash card drill or play phonogram bingo, Memory with phonogram cards, hide and seek with cards, etc. As creative or as simple as you want.

Tuesday: Dictate new spelling words, each lesson has 20 new words but it’s divide into sections of 10 each so you can do whatever is appropriate for your child. Do half today and half tomorrow, all today, etc. You dictate then write out the word as they spell it for you and then they write it in their book with help to make sure spelling is correct – you want them to write it perfectly. Then with red pencil we mark any phonograms in the word (/ie/ or silent e, etc.)

Wednesday: Rest of new spelling words OR game to review words/enrichment activity listed in WISE Guide.

Thursday: Enrichment activity from the WISE Guide. May include grammar lesson, reading a story, spelling words in ASL, drawing a picture to explain our words, etc. There are a LOT of suggested enrichment activities but as you go back year by year to review spelling words you can try them out. Don’t do them all at once. 🙂 We also do some online spelling games where I can type in their spelling list. Here are some more enrichment ideas from my seminar that can be used with any spelling program.

Friday: Spelling test. We write our new spelling words on Tues/Wed in our composition book and our spelling tests are done on loose leaf paper in a 3 ring binder.

Every few months we stop and go back to review old words. Put a star by any words in the WISE Guide that your child struggles with so you can remember which ones to focus on.

Right now I’m not picky about cursive vs. print but we’ll be spending some time this summer focusing on cursive and use it more in the fall.

So – summary:

Monday – preliminary activities & phonogram review
Tuesday – new spelling words
Wednesday – second half new spelling words OR review new words
Thursday – enrichment activity
Friday – spelling test

We do our grammar program on Monday & Wednesday and we do speech therapy on Tuesday & Thursday. Friday is our “Teaching the Classics” day when we read aloud and do story charts and such.

This is all my idealized view. My day to day execution is far, far from idea. These are my goals but don’t let that make you think I’m actually following through consistently. 🙂

SWR Introduction

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I think many of us are looking at options for next fall so I’ve been asked about this. You can click on my link for SWR under the “Categories” if you want to see what I’ve read in the past or our lesson schedule but here’s an overview:

SWR (Spell to Write & Read) is a spelling, writing and reading program. 🙂 I bet you could have guessed that. You can purchase an optional extra booklet called Cursive First or you can use standard print lessons for handwriting. SWR is a collection of books, flashcards, and a CD with phonograms (the letter/letter combination sounds) which can be used from pre-K through 5th grade and up and the only thing you’ll need to purchase from year to year is composition books, one per kid. You can buy customized ones from the company but I’m finding the standard composition books work great (and are cheap in the back to school sales.)

There is a big learning curve, you will have to invest some time getting to know the program yourself before you start working with your kids. It can be confusing sorting out the various books and where to start and I’ve posted the schedule of how we began here. Which will make no sense unless you have the books or are familiar with them though you probably can figure it out much faster than I did.

Why this program? It can be used starting with kids as young as 2 or 3 to learn their letter sounds using the phonogram flashcards. (Think Leap Frog fridge phonics.) It can be used with a variety of ages – I’ve got four kids, 3 years through 8.5 all using it now. It doesn’t require any additional purchases year by year except the composition books. It addresses a variety of learning styles – visual, kinesthetic, auditory. It’s as simple or complex as you want to make it and it’s easy to pace it to your kids’ needs and your family schedule. 10 words a week, 20 words a week, 40 words a week? Skip a couple weeks and you can start right back up.

It provides a strong foundation of phonograms which naturally leads into spelling/sounding out simple words which leads directly into kids reading. It’s a phonics based program but it does realize there are some whole words that just have to be memorized. It breaks things down in a very logical, analytical way which my brain likes. I didn’t read much about this aspect but it’s a program that comes highly recommended for children with dyslexia (and the cursive program is suppose to be wonderful to help prevent dysgraphia.) It’s been absolutely fantastic for our kids with speech issues because they are able to break down the words into the phonograms (sounds) they already know.

It can be intensive if you want it to be or it can be simple and fun. There are games and a variety of enrichment activities listed in each week and it’s set up with an easy placement test to know where to begin your child but also assumes you will be going back a few sections to review from year to year and the manual explains all of that.

I like the visual cues for spelling dictation – you hold up a finger for each letter of the word and put the fingers together to signify a phonogram/sound blend. You do different syllables on different hands. Then you write out the word so the child can see it before writing it down themselves.

Disclaimers: I do NOT always have my children mark their words in red pencil. I don’t do all the extra enrichment stuff at this point. I’m totally lazy about having them fill in the back reference pages in their composition books. But even if you use none of that stuff I think just the spelling book itself is worth buying for the spelling lists. That combined with everything else does feel overwhelming and we’re slowly implementing it into our days – our kids are still young. But the spelling list book and flashcards I think are absolutely fantastic, with or without the rest of the SWR program.

This is NOT a grammar program, though it does include many grammar lessons. We use SWR in addition to a grammar program (we like First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind but they do have some overlap.) And it has writing but we’ve not gotten much into that since we’re still in the early stages with our young kids. It does include dictation work (as does our grammar program – copywork, dictation, narration.) We’ve only been using it for a year but so far I’m very happy with it and I think it’s made a big difference for both of our older kids.

So the components I broke down in this post and you can buy them here as a kit or you can look at individual components here but that’s a lot of extra stuff.

I think if you want to just get a great list of spelling words and money is a concern then get:

WISE Guide ($35)
phonogram cards ($13)
spelling rules cards ($8)

If you want to do the actual program and not just have the spelling list to do on your own then you do need the teacher’s guide. You could use the WISE Guide without the teacher’s guide but it does refer back to lesson plans in the SWR teacher’s guide:

Spell to Write & Read ($35)

I do NOT think you need the phonogram CD ($9) because you can borrow mine and it’s good to hear but it’s not something you need to keep listening to – though good for the kids to hear when they are older. And I don’t think you need their special Learning Log/composition books ($5) because a regular composition book works fine and they even tell you how to format it.

There is prep work needed, you need some red pencils and binders and you need to cut apart the flashcards – I cut and laminated them then punched a hole in the corner and hang them in a ring. I have fun with stuff like that so I didn’t mind but your flashcards aren’t set for you and if you want to save $21 you can write up your own phonogram and spelling rules cards. I think there are about 97 flashcards between the two?

I’m rambling now, I’ll stop. 🙂

Spelling Enrichment Ideas

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From the SWR seminar various handouts, these aren’t my ideas. 🙂

Update: Adding spelling enrichment ideas from Scholastic’s Spell Well activity book.

– Fish for spelling words or phonogram cards, put paperclip on edge of cards and magnet on string for kids to hold.
– Lay out cards and hop over, saying or spelling as you hop.
– Hopscotch.
– Spread out all cards and have kids find one you call out.
– Hide and seek with cards, you hide and kids spell/say as they find them.
– Spread across two sides of room, run back and forth saying words.
– Phonogram or spelling word bingo.
– Play a board game (Candyland, Chutes & Ladders) and say or spell word or phonogram with each move.
– Write words in salt box, MangaDoodle, chalk, fingerpaint, etc.
– Musical cards, put in circle and when music stops must spell word or say phonogram they are on.
– Hang words/phonograms on clothesline and kid can take off clothesline when knows it.
– Time child to see if they can beat their own record for spelling all words or saying all phonograms.

– Type all words on computer (if learning typing.)
– Hold two colored markers and write words double lined.
– Make word search puzzle with words.
– Use all words in letter to someone.
– Make acrostic, write word down side of page and find other words: butterfly – b is for bug, u is for umbrella, etc.
– Design a bookmark with spelling words.
– Write alphabet on paper and assign $1 per letter (A is $1, B is $2) and figure out how much your spelling words are worth.
– Make spelling pyramids: c
ca
cat
– Arrange letters of word in alphabetical order.
– Use letter tiles (Scramble) to spell words.
– Write a poem with all words.
– Write a song with words.
– Write each word in print & cursive.
– Draw a picture and hide words in it.
– www.puzzlemaker.com
– Pictionary
– Memory
– Illustrate each word.
– Write a silly sentence using the word, each word in the sentence must be the word spelled out – chip: Check His Illustrated Pigs.
– Find a country that begins with each letter from the word: chip – Czech Republic, Holland, Italy, Poland.
– Spell out word using your body to form letters.
– Write word without any vowels.
– Ditto with no consonants.
– Write entire spelling list mooshed together, using different color for each word.
– Write words out with popsicle sticks or toothpicks.
– Play hangman.
– Spell words with cereal, M&Ms, etc.
– Make sentence using alliteration, if spelling word is bug: Bugs bite bitter boys best.
– Lite Brite words
– Write antonym for each word, or synonym.
– Make each word plural.
– Write riddle using words.
– Clap out syllables of each word.
– Write words in cookie dough, playdough, etc.
– Paint words in water, paint, etc.
– Spell words while jumping rope, on trampoline, doing jumping jacks, etc.
– Toss beanbag back and forth while spelling.
– Record self spelling words and play back.
– Magnet letters.
– Sing as you spell.
– Form words with string.
– Use chopstick and write word on tinfoil.
– Pull out letter tiles for spelling list, mix up and spell all words.
– Make memory game with spelling words, same word on two cards or one word and one illustration.
– Write a letter including all your spelling words, save it and review at end of week. (Or greeting card, advertisement.)
– Use spelling words in Mad Lib.
– Draw comic strip w/words.
– Write poem.
– Make fortunes (and cookies!)
– Write puns.
– Use in conversation.
– Use in imaginary job application.
– Homophones (and illustrate them.)
– Lost and found listings.
– Bumper stickers.
– Magazine covers.
– News or story headlines.
– Menu.
– Diary for famous person.
– Write onto sheet of paper and cut into puzzle.
– Yellow pages ads.
– Collage using magazine clippings that are similar to words then write words next to images.
– Rules for… (parents, zoo, school, etc.)
– Define, antonym, synonym.
– Draw and describe machine, monster, etc.
– Billboards, draw and describe.
– Analogies.
– How to pamphlet.
– Movie review, poster, etc.
– Reasons why: ______ did not happen because _______.
– Commercial.
– Advice to _____.
– Mock definitions & real one, survey others to see if they know.
– Good news, bad news.
– School subjects (mock), new sports, new menu items.
– What if questions.
– Wish on a star.
– Words of wisdom.
– Wanted posters for self, characters, historical figures.
– Mobile.
– Silly snake, one word per body part and assemble.
– Board game.

Good Day

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We’re trying to do math before Kit leaves for work, yesterday he did it with Christopher while I was out exercising. Math first since we’re getting the most resistance to that one. 🙂 And because we find it’s easier for one adult to run interference with the other kids while the second adult gives focused attention to the math kid.

We did math, we did the first spelling list in the SWR program and the kids loved it! They were sitting at the table with pencils ready when I told them it was time for learning logs. They both started out writing their lists in print but then asked to switch to cursive. I did the same spelling list for both kids since I want to introduce the concept. We’ll be keeping Mo at the start but letting Christopher skip ahead to a more age appropriate spelling list soon.

We did a grammar lesson with each child, read about our artist (since we skipped that yesterday) and read from our history. We got so much done! It feels great.

And I write this because it’s a rare day I get the language, math & special subject done plus anything extra.

I’m finding the kids all adore the salt box – a shoebox lid with black paper glued inside of it and salt poured over it. All of them ask for turns with the salt box and I’m storing the salt in an old prescription bottle. That way they must ask me for permission before they play in it. The big kids practice cursive, Bennett practices his version of cursive, and Emy draws pictures and tells me, “I drew /a/!” Which means she’s listening well when we practice phonograms. 🙂 (The kids say, “/a/ /A/ /ah/” while writing the cursive letter a.)

I still love SWR. It’s only been a week or so but I really love it and I feel like it’s going to be a huge help for all of the kids with spelling, writing and reading. Well, duh – Spell to Write and Read. 🙂 But I see how holding up my fingers and giving them the phonograms makes such a difference. Three fingers held up, point to each one as I say the sound /c/ /a/ /t/ and Mo is really clicking with it. Even for much trickier words, I can break it up into syllables (one per hand) and C’s able to figure it out much faster when he needs help spelling a word with that simple visual reminder of my fingers. (If a phonogram has two letters, like /ch/ then I hold up two fingers together. Like chip – two fingers together for /ch/ then one finger each for /i/ and /p/ and they know the word has four letters with three phonograms. Does that sound so complicated? It’s really easy if I show you what I mean.)

We’re also having some talks about habits we need to work on – as in, you cannot tell Mommy, “NO!” You may say, “No, please,” or “No, thank you.” But you don’t get to yell at me, “No!” or you’re going to be in trouble. (Can you tell I’m tired of the sass? I’m getting sass these days…) And we also instated a policy of you must have eye contact with Mommy for it to count as telling me something and after you complete something you MUST return and report. Don’t do an assignment then wander off, it doesn’t count as done unless I’ve seen it.

I said that language and math for both kids was only taking about an hour? Right, that’s changed. Christopher’s third grade math and language are both getting much more intense and while Mo’s 1st grade stuff is still brief, I have to give C sit down one-on-one time to get his work done and it’s far more extensive. Which is tricky because he’s only 7, he’s still first grade and I know he doesn’t have the attention span of a 9 or 10 year old yet but he’s academically there. I’m trying to keep the lessons brief (Charlotte Mason!) and keeping his attention focused and breaking the lessons up if we need to come back to it to finish up. His math text now has several pages of work per lessons instead of a couple so I’m not making him do them all and we’re trying things like one he’ll give me the answers verbally, another he writes out, etc.

With the SWR we’re following a friends’ trip – Monday is preliminary stuff (like new phonogram blends or spelling rules) and Tuesday we do half of the spelling list entering it into their learning log and a quiz to see what they retained. Wednesday we do the second half of the spelling list and quiz. Thursday is the enrichment activity for the spelling words (like games) and Friday is the spelling test.

Slow and steady. I’ll get the hang of this. 🙂

Motor Lab & Cursive

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I wrote “left” and “right” (in cursive) on two scraps of paper then taped them to the wall. Mo had to bounce and tap the paper with the correct hand but they were on her opposite side – so she had to cross midline to tape the left with her left hand and vice versa.

It was hard for her, which is usually a good sign for me that we’re on the right track doing therapy with her. 🙂

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One piece fell and she taped it back up at a different height, which would be a good way to play around with this exercise. It was from Ready Bodies, Learning Minds which we use at home for occupational therapy exercises – we (and the book) call it our “Motor Lab” time.

And related to fine motor, we’re focusing on getting through some of our Cursive First book this week before we start with our spelling lists from SWR. This is Christopher’s notebook page today as he practices and this is his third day with cursive. Some of those are my sample letters, of course, but I am really amazed at how quickly both kids are picking up the cursive.

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And Joseph wanted a turn after Mo, this is to note the kids in the their cute matching shirts, compliments of Katie’s boys.
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And Emy wandered off during motor lab and I found this:

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We work them hard around here. Poor thing, passed out with her LeapPad.

SWR Tentative Plan Summer 2009

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I didn’t want to follow their lesson plan outline so I’m doing it this way. This is NOT a day-by-day plan, it’s just the order of how I’ll combine things. I’ll only be doing a lesson 2x a week at the most for this stage…

Abbreviations are CF: Cursive First, SWR: Spell to Write & Read teacher’s guide, WISE: Wise Guide for Spelling, LL: learning log (kids’ book)

We will be introducing cursive first along with the phonograms (the kids know the single letters already), then the learning logs and spelling lists. I want them to write their spelling in cursive so that’s why I’m spending some time on that first. I anticipate C will race through most of the early spelling lists but it appears to be about the right level for Mo to start from the beginning.

1. SWR 1 to 5, teacher prep: let kids play in salt box.
2. Cursive First 2A-26A (covering SWR lessons 6 & 7): This will be extensive as we introduce the phonograms, numerals, cursive strokes, and lower case letters 4 at a time, depending on how the kids handle it. We’ll be doing tactile and gross motor writing before we do paper/pen writing so introducing the cursive will take a couple weeks depending on how they handle it.
3. SWR 8: intro to learning log
4. SWR 9: vowel & consonant page in LL
5. SWR 10: phonogram page in LL
6. SWR 11: placement test for WISE
7. SWR 12: prep to start WISE
8. WISE A and CF 26B, 27AB
9. SWR 13: Reinforce spelling
10. SWR 14: Classic literature
11. SWR 15: number page in LL
12. WISE B & CF 28AB 29A
13: WISE C & CF 29B 30AB
14. SWR 16: grammar

15. SWR 17: final E
16. WISE D & CF 31AB 32AB
17. WISE E & CF 33AB
18. SWR 18: start sh and ti
19. SWR 19: AEIOU page in LL
20. WISE F & CF 34AB 35A
21. SWR 20

22. WISE G
23. SWR 21: sentences (starting compose own sentences)
24. WISE H1
25. WISE H2 & CF 35B 36AB
26. SWR 22: explain ed

27. WISE I1
28. SWR 23: reading in books assigned
29. WISE I2 & CF 37A
30. SWR 24: vocabulary
31. SWR 25: abbreviations
32. WISE I3 & CF 37B 38A
33. WISE I4 & CF 38B 39A

Capital letters in cursive from CF.

34. WISE J1
35. SWR 26: er page
36. WISE J2
37. WISE J3
38. SWR 27: plurals
39: WISE J4
40. WISE J5
41. SWR 28: contractions
42. WISE J6

So that breaks down which lessons and which workbook pages or lesson log reference pages we need to do each day. This gets us through section J of the WISE guide which is about halfway through second grade spelling wise. I don’t know how long it will take us to get the kids there, I’m starting them at the same time and I’ll adapt as needed for Mo and add extra stuff for Christopher. Because each lessons has fun enrichment ideas, I think it won’t be hard to have Christopher do those things and keep pace with Mo for the first bit as he works on his handwriting and the phonograms. Then I’ll start doubling up his spelling words until he catches up to where he tested at, in section Q. If he shows me he has mastered through J then I may just quiz him on the spelling lists to jump him ahead but still make sure we get the spelling rules covered along the way.

So really, I’m not sure how this will work. 🙂 I may stagger the days I do this with them once they get the basics down and C goes ahead.

If this is something you are interested in then let me know and I’ll have you over to look through it. That way you can have the books in front of you so you can see what I’m referring to – otherwise it’s just a bunch of letters and numbers. 🙂 But once you see it, if you’re visual like me, it will make MUCH more sense.

Even after pouring over these books that give me flashbacks to foreign language texts in college, I am still so excited. The kids are practicing cursive letters in the salt box now and love it.