Spell to Write and Read: A Step by Step Guide to Foundational Language Arts

Paperback, Wanda Sanseri

Customer Reviews

5.0 average for 5 customer reviews

Thank you, Wanda Sanseri!

I found Spell to Write and Read when my son was 14 years old. Because of implementing other "phonics" programs, he was spelling words like 'have' - h a v. As you can well imagine, he was afraid to put pen to paper because of his inability to spell even at a third grade level.

With SWR, we learned the 70 basic phonogram sounds and the 28 spelling rules that changed his life. (One of the first things we learned was that English words don't end in 'v' and that is why 'have' must have an 'e'!) Four years later, my son is finishing high school with his eye on college. His reading comprehension has soared and his spelling has improved by leaps and bounds. He has already completed college courses like Firefighter I and II, and he is also a certified EMT. None of this would have been possible without SWR!

Thank you, Wanda, for opening the world up for this bright young man!

Denna -

Best Reading and Spelling Curriculum Ever!

Ok, I have just begun to use Spell to Write & Read(SWR) and I'm already very impressed. I wouldn't trade SWR for a million dollars. This curriculum is based on the work of the late Dr. Samuel Orton, who determined the best methods to teach dyslexic children how to read & write properly. So SWR is based on proven research that has been around for decades! (Makes you wonder why it's not in public schools...blasted bureaucratic red tape!)

How & Why Does SWR Work? It teaches reading through spelling. That is, the students learn to spell first & reading naturally follows. (This is how our country used to teach children to read until about 100 yrs ago.) Importantly, SWR uses ALL the child's senses to do this. First they learn the phonograms. The children will see, hear, say and write the phonograms in their own notebooks. Then they see, hear, say and write the spelling words one by one. The words are marked to emphasize which phonograms and which sounds are used with each word. (A specific system of marks is taught & used for this purpose.) The student does *not* copy the board. Rather, the teacher says the word and directs the students to the correct phonograms. ("Use 4-letter A for the /A/ sound in this word.") The students write the word in their books & *then* the teacher writes the word on the board & the students check their work. Then it's onto the next word. Student review 2-3x during the week & have a spelling test @ the end of the week.

Preschool & pre-writing students focus on learning the phonograms & spotting them in books & on street signs, etc. When students are ready for writing, instructions are given on how to form the letters so even the youngest students can begin writing practice. I love how a clock face is used to tell where to start & stop writing a letter; it makes writing easy to learn. Some students may do better with typing, sign language, etc. in addition to or instead of writing and these are briefly discussed. Also, by using sandpaper letters, a tray of cornmeal or salt, fingerpainting, etc., the student can 'feel' the phonograms (kinesiology, aka motor learning), and this is discussed as well.

I will digress here to say that Ms. Sanseri recommends teaching cursive first. Research suggests that dyslexic children and other 'challenged' children do better when they can make a letter with one continuous stroke as in cursive writing. If you wish to do the same, you may also want to check out "Cursive First", by Elizabeth FitzGerald, M.S., an authorized SWR trainer. It goes well with SWR & is well-written & includes flashcards & reproducible practice sheets. Ms. Sanseri supports manuscript as well, though, & gives instructions for teaching it too. Ultimately, it depends on the child's needs and the parents' wants. There are numerous handwriting options, just ask any homeschooler or search the web.

Ok, back to the review...

Great pains are taken to show teachers how to avoid confusing the student. Teachers learn the importance of standing to the left of the board, how to place desks correctly, how to indicate direction, (the phrase "in the direction we read and write" is used instead of 'left' & 'right'), etc. All these precautions make learning how to read & write easier for students, especially dyslexic or mentally-challenged ones.

In regards to the material, Wanda takes you step by step. You learn/teach the SOUNDS of the phonograms - NO letter names are used. Example: 'A' is referred to as /a/, /A/, /ah/. The sounds are in order of most used to least used. (So, with 'A', we use the 'aaah' sound as in 'am' the most, and the 'aHhhh' sound as in 'wasp' the least.)This way, the student thinks of the sounds when s/he sees the phonogram in a word, *not* the names of the letters. And the student will try or think the most common sound first, because it's taught in that order.

The spelling words are in the WISE Guide (separate book), and are ordered by difficulty and approximate grade level. Each list has 20 words. There are about 25 spelling rules that are learned a few @ a time as you progress through the spelling words. These are remarkably accurate. English is no longer the language 'without rules' it was claimed to be! 'Think to Spell' is also taught. That is, some words don't sound like the way they look, so you must remember your spelling rules and 'think' the spelling - like thinking 'Leo-pard' when the pronunciation is 'leh-pard'. There are diagnostic spelling tests so that older students will be placed at the right level. The words are also grouped to highlight certain characteristics like present & past tense, prepositions, etc., to add to the learning experience. Note: there are 2 versions of the WISE Guide - Christian & secular. The Christian version has sample sentences (for each spelling word) that emphasize 'Christian' traits such as obedience, loyalty, politeness, etc. and notes famous Christians & Christian leaders. I haven't seen the secular one. It may simply have all the religious references removed, or it may have completely different sample sentences.

Whether you homeschool or not, if you want your child to read and spell properly, this program is IT. It's as good (dare I say better?) and easier to use than 'The Writing Road to Reading', and much less expensive overall. There's a very supportive Yahoo group of SWR users run by an official SWR Trainer with files on how to start using it, publication errors by edition (so you can correct your copy), Tips, etc. Wanda Sanseri also posts regularly on the group. The kit is very affordable compared to other systems, and it has everything you need to teach a child to read and to spell up to a freshman college level, so you will use it for several years. Once your child can spell @ that level (& presumbably will be reading quite well), you are done. There are no consumables except for the notebook the child creates each year. Blank notebooks are available in many stores or you may purchase specially formatted ones from Wanda Sanseri's website, various SWR trainer sites & @ SWR classes.

There are also books to 'round out' Spell to Write and Read as a full language arts program, if you choose. Some are authored by Wanda Sanseri and others are recommended by her and/or users of Spell to Write and Read. They include McCall-Crabbs reading comprehension test books, the Easy Grammar and Daily Grams book series, Cursive First for cursive writing, beginning grammar books by Wanda Sanseri, "Rummy Roots" and "More Rummy Roots" card games for learning Greek and Latin roots for advanced vocabulary & spelling, games to make learning phonograms and spelling words fun, etc. Google Wanda Sanseri and/or Back Home Industries, (her company) for more information and/or join the SWR Yahoo group and ask members about these items - they usually have used copies in good condition @ good prices for sale.

There are also Basic & Advanced seminars on SWR that show you how to teach it. Since Wanda believes the best teacher is one that has learned the system his or herself (i.e. was a student first), these seminars are good for teens learning independently (but a parent should also attend in case the teen needs assistance later). 2nd family members attending the same seminar @ the same time receive a discount. Google Wanda's website for more info.

One last note, SWR has a strong Christian orientation: many sample sentences come from the Bible, Ms. Sanseri frequently quotes from the Bible to inspire the reader (teacher), etc. Now there is a secular version of The Wise Guide, so users have a choice of Christian or non-Christian (secular) sample sentences for the spelling words. Now public school teachers can use the WISE Guide without violating the separation of church and state (& school). (I believe the instruction manual "Spell to Write and Read" (SWR) still comes in only one version.) If you want to use SWR but think the instruction manual might offend you, find a homeschool bookstore or a local user (try the Yahoo group) & browse the book. If you don't like what you see, I think the next best option is "The Writing Road to Reading", which is what SWR is based upon. I understand "The Writing Road to Reading" is completely secular, non-religious, and used in some public schools. It is much more expensive, however, and split into different sets for different age groups, whereas SWR has the whole shootin' match in 2 books. To learn more about "The Writing Road to Reading", google "Spalding" or "Writing Road to Reading". And please don't post personal comments about how dare I offend non-Christians by recommending a Christian product. I recommend it solely because I think it's the best. I noted its Christian orientation because I knew that would offend some users. I mention the secular version of the WISE Guide and "Writing Road to Reading" as alternatives. I will not response to any comments on this review, period. I have had enough of people who only want to stir up trouble & controversy. Anyone who has legitimate questions about SWR can join & post to the Yahoo group or try to reach Wanda or an authorized SWR trainer. Questions from purchasers/users are always welcome @ the above mentioned sites.

KarateLady - Texas USA

Great book

This book is a great way to teach your kids how to write and read. We have really liked it.

handsful5 -

Best reading/spelling/phonics program ever!

I have homeschooled my children for 8 years now and SWR is the best and most significant program I have ever used to teach my children to spell, read, and write. I would never go back to my old ways of teaching. In just one year with SWR all four of my boys jumped up by at least two grade levels (oldest two boys jumped up by four and five grade levels) as measured by the spelling diagnostic test. Their reading has greatly improved as well. My 6 year old son was able to read 4th grade level books with ease after one year with SWR. (...)Spell to Write and Read is not just a spelling program! It also produces great readers! My 7 and 8 year old boys are able to read 180 page chapter books with ease in only 4 days! Don't forget to purchase the Wise Guide, phonogram cards and tape, and spelling rule cards.

homeschool mom to seven children -

Spalding-based phonics/spelling teacher materials

Wanda Sanseri has written Spell to Write and Read along with its companion book, The Wise Guide for Spelling as a homeschooler-friendly guide to using the highly effective Spalding method to teach early language arts.

Spell to Write and Read is a how-to book for the teacher with detailed lesson plans for each step along the way. It is not a day by day lesson plan book, but the Wise Guide for Spelling gives spelling words with sentences for the teacher to use if she wishes and detailed instructions on how to teach each word, including how to mark each word to show each of the five types of silent final E, reinforcement of important spelling rules, multi-letter phonogram, and "think to spell" ideas.

One feature I appreciate is the way I can adapt this program to suit my children's readiness for each step. Each year begins with a diagnostic test to determine where in the Wise Guide to Spelling to begin. Then you proceed at a pace of 10 to 40 words, depending on ability, with the program as written.

Wanda's program is very flexible and not every idea for enrichment activities is meant to be used each time you teach the particular spelling list, but since this is "spiral" learning the enrichment ideas are various methods to reinforce phonograms, spelling rules, "think to spell" concepts and grammatical rules over and over until they are truly ingrained in both teacher and student.

Just recently spelling "clicked" for my son after much struggle and he is overjoyed and confident that the words I dictate to him he can usually spell without much extra teaching on my part. Don't be lulled into thinking that every child will learn to spell well just from reading alone. Certain concepts need to be taught. Wanda gives the tools to teach like a master teacher

These two books (Wise Guide to Spelling and Spell to Write and Read) provide a wealth of ideas to introduce grammar principles along with each week's spelling words, preliminary activities to prepare for each week's words, charts which are built by the teacher and student together to illustrate spelling rules and the various sounds of each of the 70 phonograms taught.

Be sure to order to phonogram cards and spelling rule cards. These are necessary teaching aids. For support in using Wanda's materials you can subscribe to the yahoogroup TeachingReadingHome and/or find a teacher training seminar near you at her website, http://www.bhibooks.org.

If you are not in a race to have your child reading before he is writing and spelling short words as he learns to read them, then this program is well worth the dollars and time spent.

Spell to Write and Read: A Step by Step Guide to Foundational Language Arts

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