This is a post that I wrote for another site and I wanted to post it here too;) Maybe someone can give me the advice I need to help us get over this hurdle? I am feeling a little disappointed with an assessment reading/spelling test that I gave my boys and of course they scored high in comprehension but scored poorly in spelling:(

What I have realized so far this year is that we are still behind in spelling! I can't seem to get this subject up and going for my boys. They can read well BUT when it comes to writing the words down then that is where we have the problem.  I think this is why my boys are not writing like I know they could because they are still struggling with spelling. We use several online spelling lists and they can retain the words for that week. But when we go to the next week and I surprise them with a word from last week~ that's when we have a problem. We use several other sites for educational games that also have spelling games or help with the rules of spelling. But there is so much out there I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the choices. I just want to make it fun for them to learn spelling or at least something besides just spelling lists. Maybe I am wrong and just need to have them do the lists and still work on phonics to help sound out the spelling of difficult words? I am at a loss here, I feel like I am banging my head on the wall consistently and that we are in a constant state of review. I know that I can't be alone here but it sure does feel like it!

I am just wondering how many of you have this same problem or is this your best subject? Do you struggle with another subject?

I am thinking of buying another spelling program to use with our AAS program

and I have heard a lot of great things about this program. I am willing to spend the money if it actually helps us. Maybe I will bite the bullet and get purchase it then I can review it for you all so that you will know whether it will work for your family!

All About Spelling~ How we use it

Today we used our AAS workbook, to go over how to spell simple words with all the short vowel sounds. This is one of the areas that I have a problem with myself since I was never taught phonics in school. So I went to this well used program that includes a CD with the sounds that you can download to your computer and use as reference to make sure you are getting the sound or sounds right for each letter.  In as little as 20 minutes a day I can get both boys done with their lesson (or review in the case of my older son). I have them taking turns on identifying the letter sounds that I call out or I call out a letter and they  tell me the sound or sounds that letter makes. It has helped me along with them remember the sounds because it is something that we do everyday. I do see them using the skills that we work on using this program!

After we finsihed our AAS lesson, I usually have the boys go onto http://www.spellingcity.com/ so that they can use the online games to spell our list for the week.  It seems to be the most enjoyable way for them to practice their spelling lists. And at the end of the week, they do an online spelling test. I have the premium membership so that I can track the boys progress and input the spelling words for each week. This way I can get as far ahead as I want to and the lists will be there waiting for them when we get to it! But this site also has a free membership that allows you to input the words each time you visit and play all the free games, too. Most of the homeschoolers in my local homeschooling group use this site to add a fun alternative to the sometimes boring tasks of spelling.