AVKO Sequential Spelling Review

Sequential Spelling is AVKO's premiere seven-level spelling program for the teaching of the patterns of English spelling within seven normal public school years.  Sequential Spelling is great for schools as well as homeschoolers.  The sequences are not based on grade level curriculum. The sequences are based on building from easy words to advanced words as from all, tall, stall, install, installment, installation. Most students should start with Level 1.  Use our rough pre-test for Sequential Spelling (PDF) to determine more specifically where your student should begin if level 1 will be too easy for your student(s).  View other placement tests for spelling and reading.

What Makes AVKO’s Sequential Spelling Program Different:

Traditional Spelling Program Gives the child a list of words to study (and he forgets them after the test at the end of the week). Tests the child on individual words. The tests are corrected by the teacher/parent with the looming red ink pen—after the tests are done. The rules of the English language are presented in dry, hard-to-understand ways outside of the spelling program. The overall emphasis is on a grade for one week over one set of words. The emphasis is on a theme of words (colors). The sequencing of the words may be due to introduction of words into the curriculum, instead of the relative difficulty. There may be a guilt reaction when the child studies but doesn’t do well on the test on Friday.

Sequential Spelling The child doesn’t study anything (he remembers the patterns used to spell the words—even after the test). Tests the child on patterns of the English language. The child corrects his own paper as he is taking the test immediately. The rules of the English language are embedded in the program, without lengthy explanations. The emphasis is on learning the patterns of spelling for mastery of the language. The emphasis is on the meanings of the words (root words, suffixes). The sequencing of the words is based on research and the building of English words from the root word to expanded forms. The child builds confidence when he can spell words he has never seen before without studying.

AVKO does not present "rules" in its Sequential Spelling and other spelling materials. Instead, the "rules" are embedded in the program so that the children can pick them up automatically. AVKO does have materials available for parents and teachers to be able to teach the rules if they so desire. 

My Review:
Thank You to AVKO Sequential Spelling for letting us review the Sequential Spelling I DVD and workbook. 

Let me say first I LOVE Sequential Spelling. This is the first Spelling Curriculum I have used and I have definitely seen results with both of our children. I started both of our children on Level 1 because I wanted to start with the beginning. Before Sequential Spelling we did alot of copy work which I still love but Sequential Spelling gives our children a boast in there spelling.I love how the words that they are spelling build upon each other. I love that the lessons are short and to the point. When we sit down to do Sequential Spelling our children are so excited to do spelling, I wish you could be in our house when we are doing Sequential Spelling. Here are some pictures to show you what it looks like when we are doing Sequential Spelling.

Here are our children doing there first lesson of Sequential Spelling. D Man has to have something up so that his sister won't copy, she doesn't need to. The video is awesome. What I love about the video is that she says the word,says it in a sentence, and then repeats the word and then we pause to write, when we unpause you see the word and she spells it again, if you get it wrong and you pause the video and correct your answer and then move onto the next word. You use the words alot so they really know the words to spell them. I found the video was VERY helpful would definitely recommend it. 

Ducky writing her Spelling words during a pause. 

D Man writing his Spelling words. 

I have reviewed one copy of Sequential Spelling so for our daughter we used paper and folded into fours and then wrote Day1,2,3,and 4 etc. 

More of Ducky's work. 

Sequential Spelling builds confidence in your children. Also Sequential Spelling builds on how many words you do too. As you go up in the lessons you have more words to do. 

I love how on each page they have a confidence builder. I especially love this one below. It's OK to make mistakes. You don't learn if you don't make mistakes. It's get for our children to see these. This is one of the many get statements. AWESOME!!!!

This is the best part for me, after each lesson they do a VICTORY dance. This is the very important to me as a Mom that they LOVE there lesson and as you see they are so HAPPY. This says ALOT about AVKO Sequential Spelling

All opinions are my own:)