Do you have a kid who wants to know the reason behind everything? Is the question “why?” asked more times than any other question in your home?
If so, All About Spelling (AAS) Level 1 may be the perfect resource for teaching your kids how to spell. This multisensory program is based on the Orton-Gillingham phonics- and rules-based approach. Your children will get to use a variety of learning tools and uncover the reasons why words are spelled the way they are.
Overview of All About Spelling Level 1
Spelling is not about memorizing lists of random words! All About Spelling (AAS) Level 1 breaks down spelling into simple rules that are easily understood by beginner readers.
When your child learns how to read through phonics, he is translating printed words to sounds. This is called decoding. For example, your child would look at a word like “bat” and sound out “b,” “a,” “t,” and blend the separate sounds together to pronounce the full word.
Encoding is the opposite of decoding. With encoding, your child breaks down a spoken word into its individual sounds. With AAS, your child will learn the method of encoding that will allow him to spell without memorization.
You might be wondering if your child is ready for All About Spelling Level 1. If your child is just beginning to learn phonics, you would want to complete All About Reading Level 1 (or an equivalent program) first.
My son is in first grade and we feel that he is at a great age to start AAS. If you are unsure, you can always take the placement test.
AAS comes in different packages, which are all available on Timberdoodle. The one shown here is the Delux option, which includes:
- Teacher’s manual
- Student packet
- Delux spelling interactive kit (can be used in all 7 levels of AAS)
- Letter tiles
- Magnets
- Phonogram sound app
- Divider cards
- Spelling review box
- Spelling tote box
No matter which option you choose, your child will learn important spelling skills such as consonant blends, plurals, and segmenting with All About Spelling Level 1. Here is a breakdown of the different areas taught in the program:
Encoding:
- Learn phonograms A-Z, plus TH, SH, CH, CK, NG, NK
- Spell words with short vowel sounds containing new phonograms, such as bath, dog, cash, wing, and such
- Spell words ending in FF, LL, and SS, as in cliff, will, and miss
- Spell words with initial blends, as in frog and swim
- Spell plural words with suffix s or es, such as cups and lunches
- Spell compound words, such as cobweb and bathtub
Phonological Awareness:
- Learn techniques for syllable counting
- Identify the first and last sounds in words
- Segment words with two and three sounds
My Review
My first grader finished All About Reading (AAR) Level 1 in the summer and started on All About Spelling Level 1 right after. We have found it to be easy for him to jump right into spelling because all the phonograms are fresh in his head. As a result, we got through the first several lessons fairly fast, sometimes doing multiple lessons a day.
Since I learned spelling by pure memorization when I was young (and oh so many years ago), I am super impressed by the encoding method taught in AAS. I have to admit that I am learning alongside my child and am loving it!
As a homeschooling mom, I really appreciate how easy the teacher’s manual made it for me to teach spelling to my kid. Each lesson is laid out very clearly and fully explains each new concept or rule. It even gives you a simple script of what you can say to your child so you are not scrambling to come up with how to explain things.
I really like the cards that came with the student pack. It includes phonogram cards, sound cards, key cards, and word cards. They are great for keeping what your kids mastered and still need to practice organized. On days when you are not teaching spelling, you can easily pull out these cards for a quick review.
A lot of people ask me if the Deluxe Set is worth it? I would say it depends on whether or not you are using the All About Reading program. If you are, then you only need one set of letter tiles and magnets between AAR and AAS. I also found that I could fit all of the cards for both programs in the Spelling Review Box. Therefore, getting the AAS Deluxe Set meant that I could just get the books for AAR Level 1. Totally worth it.
We love playing with the colorful tokens that came with the set. It helps your kid visualize syllables and solidify the concept.
The letter tiles are amusing for the kids. Yes, you can simply have your child write down the words, but what’s the fun in that? We have the magnetic letter tiles on our hanging whiteboard so that my son could stand up and move all he wants while spelling out words.
The progress chart is a great motivator for the kids. The bee stickers are so adorable – spelling bees, get it? There is one for phonograms and one for the lessons in the book.
Since we started on AAS, my son’s confidence has shot through the roof! We frequently write letters to his friends and before he would ask me to write out the letters so he could just copy the words. Now, he tells me that he will write the letters himself and I can just check for any errors after he is done.
Final Verdict on All About Spelling Level 1
I highly recommend All About Spelling Level 1 to homeschooling parents and parents with kids struggling with spelling at school. Learning how to spell can be dry and memorizing lists of words is not the way to go. AAS will bolster your child’s confidence and teach him how to spell for life.
We are so happy with All About Spelling Level 1 that we already have Level 2 ready to go on our bookshelf!
I want to thank Timberdoodle for providing us All About Spelling Level 1 and introducing us to a spelling program that is fun and exciting. Check out how to supplement your homeschooling curriculum with exciting games from Timberdoodle here: