Sequential Spelling

Sequintial Spelling is a unique program.
Normal spelling programs teach the words a child will run into during their reading. So they would learn to spell:

Nice in 1st grade.
Twice and rice in 2nd grade.
And ice in 3rd grade.

When looked at from the word's point of view, that just isn't logical. Why not learn ice, nice, rice, twice, etc all at the same time?

That is just what Sequential Spelling does.

Each day the student studies 25 words that are related (like above) and then are tested on them...each day. (Not the old "Assign on Monday, test on Friday pattern.")

The first day's list includes:
in
sin
din
etc.

The second day includes:
ins
sins
dins
etc.

So each word is repeated in many forms for several days.

I wish this program included the spelling rules, but it doesn't. They just seem to expect kids to either remember the words without them or figure them out for themselves.

I prefer to actually teach the rules. That is what made the difference between me having embarrassingly horrible spelling at age 22 (before having children) and pretty good spelling by 32 (after homeschooling for 3 years.)

However, between my own studies and teaching phonics, I am acquainted with the rules enough to fill them in where needed.

So, this is what we are currently using. I agree with Cathy Duffey, that waiting until 3-4th grade to begin (instead of 1st like the manufacturers say) is much better. My kids just seem to do better when they are closer to mature Logic thinking.