Sequential Spelling

No longer selling Sequential Spelling (8.23.16)

This item has been discontinued from our product line. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are no longer authorized to sell. Removed and replaced with Spelling You See (RL50, RL51, RL52, RL53, RL54, RL55, RL56

  • 3MSP
  • 4MSP
  • 4MSR
  • 5MSPB
  • 5MSPG

Sequential Spelling Copyright - we are currently selling the 2006 copyright of Sequential Spelling. Some say that they were reprinted in 2010, but all have the 2006 copyright. (8.2.11)

2007 - Sequential Spelling will be listed as Required Resource up through 100.

Sequential Spelling 1 should be listed as a required resource for levels 3, 4, 3+4, 5, 6, Alt 6, 7, and 100 found on pages 48, 52, 59, 66, 73, 69, 77, 81, and 126. (It is included in CoreUltra 3, 3+4, and 5.) 2006 catalog

New covers on all Sequential Spelling workbooks - RL50, RL51, RL52, RL53, RL54, RL55 and RL56. Copyright 2006. (6.18.08)

Sequential Spelling details [updated 6.07]

Sequential Spelling suggests that you not teach the rules. They assume that the rules will show up somewhere else in a student's curriculum (reading material or English/grammar material). They learn the patterns in SS and the rules elsewhere.

From p. 7, under "The Third Day,": "There is no need at this time to encoumber your students' minds with rules about doubling consonants. We will simply form the habit of spelling /ind/ -inned. This way, when the rules for doubling letters are presented in their regular reading books, the students will find it easier to understand them. But, for now, please do not go into short vowels and long vowels. It's not at all necessary. In fact, it generally tends to confuse students."

I don't think "The Patterns of English Spelling" contains rules. It is a source book for teaching any word family. According to SS, it "consists of complete patterns to help your students. . . see patterns that exist and to lock in on those patterns. . . ."

I think our response should be that Sequential Spelling does not require - indeed it discourages - teaching rules. You can point out particular pages/paragraphs where SS explains the process. However, if parents wish to include spelling/phonics rules, they are free to do so from whatever sources they wish to use.

How long does a book last?

Each Sequential Spelling text has a list for 180 days of work, plus an evaluation after every 40 days. It is designed to be used over one school year of 180 days (36 weeks, 5 days per week). The publisher recommends students do 2 or more lessons per day to move through more than one book per year. In our experience, you can skip sections of days as well --- they work on work groups for several days, if the child knows how to spell the word group, jump to the last day that works on that group and if they still are doing well, then keep moving on.

Do you carry the same series AVKO does? (updated 2.20.08)

Even though the AVKO web site shows Sequential Spelling samples with a 2003 copyright, they are actually selling the same workbooks we are (copyright 2006).

Created: Apr 29, 2006, 15:34
Last Modified: December 26, 2006, 22:53

The publisher recommends you not skip days, but instead do several days work in one day, moving through a book more quickly than normal. However, I understand your concerns about the simplicity of the first book. Instead of just giving him the final evaluation and moving to the next book, perhaps there is some middle of the road possibility. Every 40 lessons there is an evaluation. You could choose to have your son do each of those evaluations before moving on.

There is one other option I have seen used fairly successfully. I have heard of a few users who chose to jump to the book they'd need to be in to finish the series by 7th grade and start there. For your 6th grade son that would be book 5. I wouldn't jump that far ahead unless I was sure my child was a fairly good speller. You don't want to move to a level that would be discouraging.

Here is a list of some of the patterns learned in each level:

  • Level 2: -ob, -ack, -eam, -ame, -ab, -ir, -ub
  • Level 3: -are, -ip, -sh, -oun, -sk
  • Level 4: -ish, -in, -ar, -ic, -oc, -age
  • Level 5: -en, -ign, -ance, -nge, -nt, -oit, -ap
  • Level 6: -ity, -um, -ow, -by, -ery, -or, -ty
    • I have been using Sequential Spelling for over a year now. One thing I found was that it was taking quite a while to do all that the instructions say. Audio - Give words, Visual - Colors on white board, Oral - Self-Correcting spell back, Kinesthetic - Trace in air. We never did the tracing in air, but were doing all the others. I saw Don McCabe at our curriculum fair and talked with him about it. He said if you can tell that they have got that word family, you do not have to write it on the board. Just look at their paper, see that they spelled it correctly and move on. He said you should not spend more than about 10-15 minutes doing spelling. If you do it is overwhelming and it loses its effectiveness.

On the paper, I never even attempted to figure that out. I just have my kids do each lesson an a separate sheet of paper and that resolves the whole thing.

He also suggested if you have one that is wanting to move quickly, do one lesson in the morning, and one in the afternoon.

A few answers about Sequential Spelling.

This is a non-consumable book (paperback, the size of a workbook). The instructions on how to teach, the why of how they teach, and how to use the program daily are in the first few pages of the book. The instructions total 11 pages. Simple to read and understand.

They do mention a consumable book for the students. This consumable book is a fill in the blank book like Spelling Power workbooks, but there is no 'format' for each day. It is a list of lines 1 - 25, so it is totally unnecessary. The only important part is that they can't see the previous day's lesson, so they aren't copying.

This program teaches with word families -- like the first day is in, pin, sin, spin; then the 2nd day pins, sins, spins, etc., the 3rd day pinned, sinned, 4th day, pinning, sinning, spinning, etc., on and on. [A better example that I believe they use on their website -- all, then stall, then install, then installment.] \\
Then there is a list of words for each of 180 days (per book).***********

Sequential Spelling

1.Test everyday: Learning device, not a method of evaluation

2.words usually introduced when they begin to be used in the curriculum,

then drilled all week, then tested

a.ice, usually 4th grade

b.nice in 1st

c.twice in 2nd

d.rice, price in 5th/6th

e.why not all at once? – word families

3.AVKO (Audio-Visual-Kinesthetic-Oral) approach

4.Children learn when they correct their own mistakes

5.don’t study, learn

6.legible writing important

7.Student Response book, instead use single sheets of paper daily

8.Dry erase board and colored dry erase markers recommended

for teacher

9.in – green for word family

a.p in black, in green – pin

b.s in black, in green – sin

c.sp in black, in green – spin, work backwards, in then add sp

d.working up to beginning

10.get a star if they made all their corrections

11.have them erase and correct misspellings

12.scripted up through day 8

13.encourage speed

a.say the word

b.put it in a sentence

c.say the word

d.have the child attempt to spell the word

e.give the correct spelling, have the child correct mistakes

f.have the student trace the word as they spell it aloud in a chorus

g.student must attempt the word before you give the correct spelling,

copying you doesn’t help, correcting their own misspelling does

h.give the next word

14.If need/want to grade, give tests separately;

a.have permission to copy tests

b.every 40 days and end of book

c.180 total lessons, plus tests (5)

d.tests evaluate spelling patterns, not whole words

15.Does teach non-sensical words ‘tat’, doesn’t hurt, building word families

16.Because of word family approach, even 5th grader start with book 1

a.Older students may go through up to 4 lessons in one day

b.Can finish up to four levels in one year

17.Bold print – most commonly used words

18.‘outlaw words’ like could, couldn’t repeated many, many times

19.Our paperback cost $9.95, cost in binder from AVKO $14.95

Is this for LD students only? Sequential Spelling is similar to HWT - created for LD students but is an excellent program for all students.

Why doesn’t Sonlight carry book 7? Sonlight only offers spelling up through junior high, not high school, so we offer only those levels that will take the user up to that point. If there is enough interest we may, at some point in the future, consider offering book 7.

Bundling spelling with LA – based on the publisher’s recommendations to start with book 1, we will not bundle Sequential Spelling with the LA.