Spelling Workout/Modern Curriculum Press Review

by Elizabeth B
(Safety Harbor, FL)

Through our part homeschool/part-on-site school, we have used Spelling Workout homeschool curriculum for five years. (We are currently looking for a better one.)

The set-up of the lessons does not overly impress me. For students who struggle with spelling, it is not the best approach. Students are given lists of words that are all similarly grouped together. They use the words for 2-3 short pages of workbook activities and then move on.

My older student memorizes the words for the test and then doesn't worry with them again, and not in a good way. :) My younger student had trouble with most of the lessons as far as the words they chose to include in the particular lesson; they are grouped in a confusing manner (ball, crawl, draw, or girl, her, turn or due, grew, and you). Which are spelled with ir, er, or, or ur? The lists should be separated with sounds in mind instead of combining like sounds.

Also, the curriculum tries to insert grammar into the spelling lessons. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your take.

I find that I would rather concentrate on spelling and learning more about the words and their definition, origins, usage, etc. than learning how to spell a list of words that the consonant doubles when adding "ing". I have a great grammar text that teaches these very well.

I do appreciate the lessons on recognizing misspelled words and other grammatical mistakes when reviewing and what the appropriate proofreading marks are to indicate them.