LITHBTH Educational Services
Getting Started 101

During the summer of 2002, we had a lot of people on the Email Support Loop getting ready for the new school year. The loop was bombarded with questions about how to get started with Teaching Reading at Home and School.   Spell to Write and Read was still being written, so I put together a series called "Getting Started 101" in response to these calls for assistance. After many requests to include these essays in the FAQ's, this page has been created just for this series.

PLEASE NOTE: This series was originally written during the summer of 2002 for people who already owned Teaching Reading at Home and School. I have updated the essays, and the content will now be applicable when using either TRHS or the new SWR. However, this can in no way substitute for the superior instruction that has already been included in the outstanding book, Spell to Write and Read! Also, please read through the article An SWR Road Map (You'll need Adobe Reader to view this file.)

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Getting Started 101 - Step One (Assembling and Organizing Teacher Materials)

Dear Teachers:

We've had several requests lately for information on how to get started. It's given me an idea. Over the next few days I plan to share some ideas on how to get prepared for the new school year. As always, you have permission to print these out and save for reference; in fact, it is recommended.

For those of you who are new to SWR or TRHS, there will be some prep work for you to do to get familiar with your materials and the flow of the program, and to get yourself ready to teach your children in this new and effective way. For those who have used this program in the past, there may be some new ideas or things you missed the first (or even fifth) time, so look through this series and see if there is anything you can do now to make this year your best with SWR.

Today we'll focus on getting your Teacher's Materials assembled and organized. Please note: These are suggestions, not set-in-stone requirements for using this program. Some people prefer one method over another for organizing while some prefer the all-over-the-house method *LOL*. I will use an * on the steps or items I believe to be the most valuable. The rest is up to you.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES
The following materials are on my "must have" list for teaching this program. If you don't have these yet, then you will want to order them asap. See the Materials page for a more complete listing of each item below.

* Spell to Write and Read (OR Teaching Reading at Home and School)

* The WISE Guide

* 1 set BHI Phonogram cards, cut and laminated (some people like to have one set per child if the students are still in the "learning" phase)

* 1 set BHI Spelling Rule cards, cut and laminated

* 1 BHI Phonogram CD (unless you are familiar with the phongrams or have someone who can tutor you to be sure you're saying them correctly)

* 1 Primary Learning Log and a Black Learning Log for you to put together your Master's Teacher Logs

* 1 Primary Learning Log for each student Grades K-2

* 1 Black Learning Log for each student Grade 3 or above

* a good pencil sharpener

* regular lead pencils OR mechanical pencils

* red pencils (I get a box of 12 Sanford, Col-erase brand, Carmine Red)

* a good eraser (I really like the Staedtler Mars Plastic erasers I got at our local office supply store)

* a 6" ruler

* regular white notebook paper for students grades 2 and/or 3 and above

* lined writing paper (the kind I like for early elementary students is called "Red Baseline Ruled Newsprint" for grade 3. This has a nice, narrow rule which is best for all beginning writers [more on this later]. You can order this from Lakeshore if you don't have one of their stores near you or a catalog which is also available from their web site. A ream of this paper costs around $4 and is a LOT of paper. I also like to get a writing journal for each K-2 child, also available at Lakeshore, called "Writing Journal Grades 2-3".)

OPTIONAL RESOURCES
Following are those materials that I would suggest if your budget allows. For a complete description of everything, please see my Materials pages. Save money by purchasing your materials in one of our specially priced Combo Packages.

Cursive First,
The Clock Stamp,
The New England Primer of 1777,
McCall-Harby Primary Lessons for Reading Comprehension,
McCall-Crabbs Tests of Reading Comprehension & Answer Key,
Suggested Book List,
The Alpha List,
SWR Chart Masters,
Companion CDs for SWR,
Modified TRH Training Video & Training Notes and/or You Can Do It! SWR DVD,
Phonogram Bingo,
and the Phonogram Fun Packet.

Suggestions for Organizing Teacher Resources
The teaching supplies for this program can be easily organized in one or two binders. Please read through these instructions and decide which method you want to use (sheet protectors vs. holes punched in copies; teacher texts in binders vs. separate and loose) before purchasing anything.

You will need:
  • 1 - 2" three-ring binder with inside pockets
  • 1 - 2" three-ring binder IF you want to put your SWR and/or WISE Guide in a binder as well (see Item #6 Option 2 below)
  • 1 large plastic zipper pencil pouch punched with holes for a three-ring binder (10 1/2" x 8" if possible)
  • 1 set self-adhesive permanent plastic tabs
  • 1-2 sets of 5-tab color insertable tab dividers for 3-ring binders
  • a hole punch
  • plastic sheet protectors (optional)
  1. ** Put self-adhesive divider tabs at appropriate places on teacher texts:

    for Spell to Write and Read

      Scope & Sequence, p. 13
      Think to Spell, p. 79
      Diagnostic Spelling Test, p. 197
      Sample Log Pages, p. 207
      Phonograms & Markings, p. 221
      Rules & Prefixes, p. 223

    for The WISE Guide

      Sections A-C, p. 1
      Sections D-F, p. 9
      Sections G-H, p. 17
      Section I, p. 25
      one tab for each of the following: Sections J...U, pp. 35, 53, 69, 83, 99, 117, 131, 147, 161, 175, 189, 201
      Sections V-Z, p. 213
      Helps, p. 239

    for Teaching Reading at Home & School

      Scope & Sequence, p. 10
      Diagnostic Spelling Test, p. 47
      Charts, p. 87
      Notebook Reference Pages, p. 99
      Grammar Helps, p. 119
      Spelling Rules & Markings, p. 128

  1. Fit your sharpened red and regular pencils, phonogram cards, and spelling rule cards into the zipper pouch.

  2. Slip the Teacher's Master Logs and Alpha List in the front & back pockets of the binder.

  3. **Make labels for notebook dividers such as Reference Pages, Grammar, Seminar Notes, Testing, Worksheets (Note: If you are using sheet protectors to hold your masters and copies, then put self-adhesive tabs onto the first sheet protector in that section. If you are punching holes in all copies, then prepare the 5-tab color insertable tab dividers. Also, "seminar notes" and "worksheets" refers to handouts given at the seminars. If you have not been to a seminar, ignore these dividers.)

  4. Make copies, as needed, of various seminar handouts, chart masters, and other helps, and put masters and copies in the appropriate sections of your binder.

  5. Teacher Texts:
    Option 1:  Tuck your unattached SWR OR TRHS and WISE Guide into your large Teacher's Binder or locate one place in your schooling area that will be the designated spot for them, preferrably near the binder. A bookshelf? Your desk? I have a shelf in our schoolroom on which are set several see-through, plastic magazine holders/organizers. Each holder is labeled with a subject and holds the books, teacher guides, etc. for that subject. This is where my two texts reside and are put back after use each day. Meanwhile, my teacher binder sits on a bookshelf easily accessible but elsewhere. Whichever method you choose has to fit what works for you.
    Option 2:  Some people like to have these books 3-hole punched and then put them in a Teacher's Binder or another notebook. With the new "lay-flat" binding, it is easy and inexpensive to have this done at your local print shop.

  6. Label the cover and spine of your binder.

  7. For TRHS-users, you'll want to download the Revised Scope & Sequence (see Files section on SWR Loop) and print out 2 copies for yourself. Cut off 1/4" on the side of each sheet. Glue one copy on the inside front cover of your WISE Guide. Glue or staple one copy to the top of page 10 in your TRHS book (leave this loose so you can still refer to the original S&S). This step is completely unnecessary if you are using SWR. However, you might want to make a copy of the SWR S&S (p. 13) and put it into your WISE Guide per previous instructions.
Okay, get started!

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Getting Started 101 - Step Two (Organizing the Student Binder)

Dear Teachers:

Today we'll focus on getting the Student Binder organized. Each year each student should have their own binder, the size of which will depend on how much you plan to put in it. If you use this for Language Arts alone, a 1" binder should suffice. If you use this to hold all the student's paperwork for the year, you may find a 1" binder gets cramped. As I said, it all depends on how much you want to accumulate.

Suggestions for Organizing Student's Language Arts Binder

The student's supplies for this program can be easily organized in one binder.

You will need:

  • 1 - 1" binder with inside pockets (let child choose color)
  • 1 plastic zipper pencil pouch punched with holes for a 3-ring binder
  • 1-2 sets of 5-tab color insertable tab dividers for 3-ring binders
  • a hole punch

  1. Put one red and several regular pencils into zipper pouch in student's binder.

  2. Put the student's learning log in the front pocket of his binder.

  3. Make labels for notebook dividers such as: Reference Pages, Grammar, Composition, Spelling Activities, Paper, McCall-Harby or McCall-Crabbs, Quizes, and additional options: Poetry, Penmanship, Books read, etc. If you will be using the binder for other subjects, add those dividers at this time (Bible, Math, Science, History, etc.).

  4. If you are using the individual McCall books, here's what I do with these. Put the student's current McCall book in the back pocket of his binder. Make a simple bar chart form for the McCall-Harby Scores or a point graph for recording the Comprehension Test Scores for students using McCall-Crabbs books. (There are copies of these in the packets handed out at my seminars.) Put a copy of the appropriate chart in the McCall section in the binder. NOTE: These instructions are only for those who have the individual McCall-Crabbs test booklets. Those who are using the Five-in-One McCall-Crabbs book published by Back Home Industries will obviously not be able to do this and will have to store the book elsewhere.

  5. Add to the section labeled "Paper" extra writing paper for use with composition, grammar, and spelling assignments.

  6. Put copies of the Reference Pages that the student builds with you during the year into this section of the binder. This applies only if you are using the SWR Chart Masters mentioned in Step One above.

Happy organizing!

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Getting Started 101 - Step Three (Reading Teacher Texts and Starting to Build the Master Teacher's Logs)

Dear Teachers:

Today you will start reading the manuals and you'll start your Master Teacher's Logs. First, let's talk about reading the Teacher texts. Before you start, I'd recommend that you print out and read through the article An SWR Road Map. (You'll need Adobe Reader to view this file.)

While reading, it's important to have a highlight pen, a nice sharp pencil, and a red pencil in hand. Try to visualize the instructions. Imagine what this would "look" like and "sound" like while you do it with your students. Highlight, puts stars next to, underline anything that you think is important and that you want to be able to find again. Write notes in the margins of the books. Put a question mark next to something you don't understand. I'll warn you though, your questions will likely be answered by reading a bit more. If not, hang on to them. You need to do a little homework which will also help you solve those riddles (see below).

Read in TRHS
     pp 6-9
     Scope & Sequence (pg 10)
     Diagnostic spelling tests (pp 47-49)
     Instructions for steps #1-20 in the Scope & Sequence Expanded (pp 11-49)

Read in Spell to Write and Read
     Getting Started and Introduction pp 6-9
     Scope & Sequence (pg 13)
     Diagnostic spelling tests (pp 196-206)
     Instructions for steps #1-12 in the Scope & Sequence Expanded (pp 14-89)

Read in The WISE Guide
     pp iv-x, 1-19, 25, 35, and 53

While you are reading, you also need to start your own Master Teacher's Log. There have been some questions as to what this is, how to do it, and why you should do it at all. First, let me say that unless you were taught with this method and built these notebooks as a student, YOU NEED TO BUILD ONE! (yes, I'm speaking loudly and emphatically) You can read the manuals, you can watch someone do it, you can even watch a video, but unless you actually dig in and do it yourself, you will not master it.

The Sanseri method is different than other reading/spelling programs on the market. If you have not had a good, solid phonics background, this way of thinking is different than what you've done in the past. The best way to learn it is to DO it. Many times my seminar students have come back and told me that it wasn't until they started putting together their own Master Teacher's Logs that the method started really coming together for them.

When I took my first seminar, Wanda encouraged us to build our own Master Teacher's Log, and much of the class was spent starting this. I went home, promptly put mine on the shelf, and bumbled my way through the program making tons of extra work for myself because I hadn't done my homework. At my second seminar, Wanda again recommended the idea of continuing to build the Master Teacher's Log at home. This time I decided to follow through with the suggestion. It took me several evenings and a lot of work, but when I had finished through Section Z, I had a good grasp of the program. I was able to understand and explain things that had seemed strange at first but which now seemed very simple to me.

In order to be a good teacher for your students, YOU need to understand what you're teaching. It is not enough to just open the book and recite what the author tells you to say. You need to understand WHY you're asking your students to do something, HOW it will influence their learning, WHAT you're teaching, and so forth. The best way for you to do this is to build your own Master Teacher's Log.

Having said that, please also know that you do not have to finish the entire book through Section Z before you can start teaching. I repeat: you do not have to finish it to begin teaching. As a rule, you should always be ahead of where your students are in the program. This will give you the chance to think through and process challenging words, new rules, new Reference Pages, and so forth without having to do so in front of your student(s) while teaching. If you are starting with a non-reader at Section A, then you will have the luxury of learning along with your student and you will be able to keep a good pace. However, if you're starting with an older student who has some understanding of the language and can read already, then you had better get moving!

Which log should you use? I recommend that you begin with a Primary Learning Log as you will be able to complete Sections A-Q in the front part of the book and the Beginning Level Reference Pages in the back. Then when you have finished that, you can start a Black Learning Log, starting with List P and finishing the list to Section Z, while also completing the Advanced Reference Pages in the back per the instructions in your Teacher Text. You'll then have two books; one will be compatible with what you'll be doing with the younger or beginning learners, while the other will correlate with what you're doing with your advanced learners.

When completing these first steps in the Scope & Sequence, follow the instructions in your Teacher text for working in your Learning Log. Be sure to transfer to The WISE Guide when you actually begin Section A. NOTE: Do NOT use the word list in TRHS as the words have been rearranged and updated. However, please read the instructions and dialogue next to the corresponding words in TRHS. Of course, the instructions in SWR line up with The WISE Guide completely. This is where you'll learn the dialogue and begin learning the marking system. These first few lists are critical! Study them well.

Here's an important tip (don't miss this): Markings are done in red pencil in the Reference Pages only. I repeat: Only use the red pencil to do the markings while completing the charts. Do NOT use the red pencil to do markings in the word lists. We only use the red pencil when we're learning a new concept in the Reference Pages context.

If you are teaching a beginning, non-reading student, then working through this amount of the material will give you a good base for being able to get started with your student. Of course, you don't have to do this much to begin, but you'll have a LOT of questions that'll easily be answered by just doing your homework first. Personally, I think it's well worth the time it'll take to do your homework first. You will be more confident when teaching your student than you would be if you just charged in and floundered about, making mistakes, and confusing you both.

Completing your notebook is your goal regardless of when you start teaching. Hear me on this. I am a busy homeschooling mom with three young children. I understand what it is like not having much time. I understand having laundry piling up, dishes in the sink, and afternoon swim lessons. I also understand that I find time for the things that I want to do or that are priorities for me. The way I completed the notebook the first time was to set aside time each evening once the children were in bed to work on it. Maybe for you this will be just 30 minutes; maybe you have more time. Whatever you can set aside, do it consistently. Make the appointment with your books and stick to it. I would sit down at my kitchen table with a cup of nice tea in my prettiest china (always helps me kick into the industrious gear), and I'd build my notebook. It was actually quite fun.

Once you're through with Sections A-G, I suggest the following method for getting the words into your book. When you're adding words to your notebook from The WISE Guide, first look at the words on the left side of each two-page spread and try to figure out where the syllable breaks would be and write them in your notebook. Then, figure out on your own how to mark the words. Next, look at the right side of the two-page spread to verify if you marked the words accurately. You will learn much better if you actively think rather than just passively copy. I believe the optimal, ideal and most perfect way to complete your book would be to find a partner with whom you can maintain accountability and work together in completing various sections. Write down your questions as you go through the Sections, and brainstorm with your partner answers to your questions. When you are both are stumped by a question, ask on the loop.

Get busy, ladies, you've got some reading to do and a Learning Log to start building!

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Getting Started 101 - Step Four (Getting to know your WISE Guide)

Dear ladies:

Today you're going to do some marking in your WISE Guide. Get out your red pencil, and if you're using TRHS, you'll need to have the Revised Scope & Sequence open in your TRHS for reference (see instructions in Step One above). If you're using SWR, just use the Scope & Sequence on the inside front cover of the book or the one on page 13.

It's important to understand that the Scope & Sequence (S&S) has been incorporated into The WISE Guide. Basically, once you're into the spelling word list, if you just follow the instructions in The WISE Guide, you'll automatically be doing what is in the Scope & Sequence. It's integrated, woven throughout. That's one of the reasons The WISE Guide is such a jewel!

Mary Tanksley (Southern CA Trainer) shared this idea with me and I think it's a winner. Take your red pencil and go throughout The WISE Guide, marking each of the steps from the S&S. You see, sometimes the steps are very clear. For example, they may be listed in the Preliminary section (those activities you'll do before teaching a new word list and listed in the top left corner of the two-page spread). However, this is not always the case. Sometimes they're listed as a supplementary activity (bottom of either side of the two-page spread), or they're listed as an activity at the top right corner of the two-page spread. They're there, you just have to look for them.

I'll get you started, but you'll catch on to how it works. The TRHS Revised S&S tells you what page to look for in The WISE Guide for each step. The SWR S&S tells you where in The WISE Guide to look before or after Section levels.

Step 11 in the Revised TRHS S&S says, "Silent Final E's". SWR S&S Step 17 will say, "Silent Final E Page". Now look on page 10, top left of The WISE Guide which says, "Explain Silent Final E's". Put a nice big red star or asterisk here. That's this step!

Step 8 in the Revised TRHS S&S says, "Teaching for mastery". SWR S&S Step 13 will say, "Reinforce spelling words". Look in The WISE Guide on page 9. This is an introduction to a new set of lists. Do not overlook these pages!! There is valuable information here about the flow of the program, hints as to how to pace yourself, ideas for word mastery, etc. Read these well. Anyway, put a big red star on this page. It's an important one and it's what this step is referring to.

Step 16 in the Revised TRHS S&S says, "Start writing sentences". SWR S&S Step 21 will say, "Compose original sentences". Look at page 19, the second activity listed under Spelling Reinforcement Activities. Asterisk that one. It's an important one.

Are you getting the idea? Do this for Sections A-H. This won't take you long and it will help you start to get familiar with your materials, how they work together, and how to find things. As you continue to work ahead of your children, keep looking for these cues and highlighting them. It will be especially important later as you work your way through the book.

Have fun!

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Getting Started 101 - Step Five (How Young Can we Start?)

Dear Teachers:

Today we're going to be looking at how young you want to start this kind of a program with your children. There are many programs on the market that you can use to teach your young children how to read. Young children can learn how to read. However, reading in and of itself is not the ultimate skill they need to succeed. A solid understanding and good use of the English language should be your goal. Reading is just one part of the process. Many children learn how to read, but then they struggle with the spelling and writing aspects. With the Sanseri method, we start with the more difficult skill, spelling. We teach them about how the written language works in the "encoding" process. Reading that written language, or the "decoding" process, is incorporated into the lessons and automatically flows as a result. There is a whole section in the introduction portion of TRHS or SWR about why we want to teach this way. Read it!

Mrs. Sanseri suggests planting seeds early for our phonogram-based philosophy but delaying officially starting the pencil and paper portion of the program until a student is developmentally ready--traditionally at 5 or 6 years old. This is not because "that's the way the schools do it." Rather, it has to do with the child's development and when she has the kinds of skills necessary to succeed with this approach. Wanda relates her experiences,
I am deeply grateful that I started learning the program when my firstborn was an infant. Mrs. Spalding recommended for infants to listen to the sounds of the phonograms from her record. I believe in exposing young ones in little doses with low pressure. Problem arise when a parent tries to teach a younger child in a way that is not age appropriate or when the parent expects a level of understanding beyond the child's years. Also, I have seen parents who erroneously started their instruction with the wrong kind of beginning foundation because they were drawing from other preschool programs. In my experience, a preschooler does best if directed by this way of thinking exclusively from the beginning but in a non-pressure way.

Even though children can be taught with this program at 4.5 or 5 years of age, it may not be the best use of your time. Some kids will do far better if you give them more time to mature. On the other hand, some kids will absolutely be ready, and you won't want to waste any time getting started. You know your child the best. Talk it over with your spouse and get his feedback. Pray for discernment.

Following is from a handout I provide at my seminar. It includes ideas to consider when evaluating your child for readiness in reading instruction.

Developmental Considerations & Preparation
An excerpt from Cursive First by Elizabeth FitzGerald

Most parents want their children to excel in the academics. Homeschooling parents experience great pressure for their children to measure up to or exceed their public or privately schooled peers, perhaps as a way of validating their educational choice for their children. Well-meaning grandparents may ask, "Shouldn't Tommy know his letters by now?" Rather than using others as the standard for when our children should start in a Language Arts program like Spell to Write and Read, let's look at what the child is telling us about how ready he is for this undertaking. If we start too soon, we could frustrate and exasperate him. On the other hand, we don't want to delay too long so that he tries to write on his own and picks up bad habits that are difficult, if not impossible, to retrain later.

  1. DEVELOPMENTAL READINESS INDICATORS A child's development reveals much about his readiness. Following are some important prerequisite skills needed for learning how to read and write. Observe and evaluate the child to determine if he is able to:
    • demonstrate a teachable attitude, a willingness to learn and listen
    • use one hand consistently for holding a fork, writing, and coloring activities
    • demonstrate interest in paper and pencil seatwork
    • demonstrate an interest in letters and numbers
    • maintain attention to a directed seat activity for 15 minutes
    • demonstrate age-appropriate development in fine motor coordination (cut with scissors, lace beads, color with crayons or colored pencils, control a pencil during tracking activities)
    • hold a pencil with the correct "tripod" grip
    • demonstrate understanding of terms such as above, straight, over, under, next to, followed by, before, after, tall, short, round, top, middle, bottom, across, diagonal, horizontal
    • read numerals and find them instantly on a clock face
    • touch to places or items on a page with a pointed finger when given oral instructions
    • demonstrate understanding of left-to-right and top-to-bottom sequence with fingerpointing across and down a page
  1. PHONEMIC AWARENESS Among the skills a child needs to learn to read, phonemic awareness ranks extremely high. This term refers to the child's awareness that the speech stream is made up of words which in turn are made up of individual sounds. The word cat, for example, is made up of three distinct sounds: /c/-/a/-/t/ (letters within slash marks refer to sounds spoken in words). This can be difficult for young children as it requires that they redirect their focus from the content of language to the sounds of speech. Many little ones only think of a furry animal when one says "cat" and have no clue as to what is meant by the word's "sounds." They have to learn this skill. Research is showing that good phonemic awareness skills are a determining factor in a child's ability to learn to read (Lyon, 1998). Do not overlook the importance of this step or skim over it too quickly!

    Spell to Write and Read includes an entire chapter dedicated to helping the teacher assess a child's understanding of phonemic awareness, ideas for how to help build this in the student, and other ways to help prepare the youngster for learning to read and write (see Step2). One particularly fun book and tape set is Oo-pples and Boo-noo-noos (Yopp & Yopp, 1996), but there is an abundance of resources on the market today to help the teacher work on this crucial skill.

  2. BRAIN MATURATION & REPETITION  Brain maturation is yet another issue to consider in regards to children's readiness. Some children mature faster than others. This has nothing to do with their intellect or their future options in life. Rather, it has to do with a predetermined and God-given timetable within each child. Developmental readiness for reading will vary just like walking, getting teeth, etc. Reading and writing can't be rushed just like teeth can't be made to grow. Trying to force academic skills before the child's brain, cognitive understanding, and manual dexterity are ready proves to be an exercise in futility. Children also need repetition in order to succeed. If the teacher believes the child is ready, the concepts need to be presented with abundant repetition. If the child seems to be just not "getting it," then it may be best to put the lessons on hold for a little while to let the child mature a bit more before trying again. It's amazing how much of a difference even a month can make for some children!

  3. TYPICAL AGES FOR READING & WRITING READINESS Some parents have wanted to use Spell to Write and Read to teach their four- and early five-year-olds. It is fine to try teaching children this age, but the writing needs to be an integral part of instruction for invaluable multisensory learning. Mrs. Sanseri recommends beginning her program with Kindergarten or 1st graders (see above). Some children are ready before this while many are not. If the little one demonstrates he is not quite ready for the paper and pencil activities, other mediums can be used for the writing tasks (see #8 below). It may be better to spend time poring over books with the child and exploring the world around him than to expend energy when the child simply shows no interest in learning writing skills. When he is developmentally primed and reading instruction commences, he will have a broader base of knowledge to facilitate his reading comprehension.

  4. ANTICIPATORY TEACHER TRAINING Familiarity with the phonograms and the methodology for teaching Spell to Write and Read prepares the teacher to guide a young child who demonstrates interest in letters and the written word. The child needs to be correctly taught from the beginning. This is very important as it is very difficult to unteach bad habits once they are formed, especially in penmanship! My oldest son could recognize and name the first 26 phonograms by the time he was four simply by looking at the cereal box or a sign on a building and asking, "What's that letter?" Because I knew the phonograms, I could answer him in the way I would eventually teach him how to read.

  5. PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES Following are some suggestions of activities to do when the child is not yet ready or is still developing some needed skills.
    • Work on Phonemic Awareness.
    • Teach the child how to say the individual sounds of phonograms as he demonstrates interest in print around him.
    • Teach him how to properly sit at a table, and how to hold the paper and pencil.
    • Teach him how to recognize his written name.
    • Teach the child how to write his numerals 0-9.
    • Have the child serve as Mommy's helper during an older sibling's lessons--it is amazing what they can pick up!
    • Read the Teaching Home magazine September/October 1998 edition for an entire section on working with prereaders.
    • Play lots of phonogram and language games. (see Bealls Games on the Games Page).
    • Read, read, read to the child! Do not limit the preschooler to picture books. Gradually expose him to chapter books which require him to think and imagine with language alone and no picture cues.

  1. GROSS & SMALLER MOTOR KINESTHETIC ACTIVITIES Kinesthesia is a term referring to the body's perception of movement. A precursor to the child's ability to write is his ability to "feel" where and how his body parts are moving (shoulder, arm and hand). The following activities help develop general gross motor coordination which in turn will lay the groundwork for smooth fine muscle control.
    • Draw large shapes on a blackboard.
    • Draw shapes or phonograms (after instruction) on the sidewalk with chalk or with water and a paintbrush, using straight a wrist and a straight arm.
    • Write phonograms in the air with a straight wrist and a straight arm. (NOTE: Air writing and writing on someone else's back with a straight arm and wrist are gross motor skills, and these actions are only possible with joined writing.)
    • Make large arm movements with finger-painting.
    • Mold clay into snakes, shapes & letters.
    • Squeeze rubber balls or clothes pins.
    • Climb over and pull on things.
    • Play games which include hopping, running, balancing or skipping.

  1. TACTILE & KINESTHETIC MULTISENSORY ACTIVITIES Once instruction in proper letter formation has begun, multisensory experiences powerfully reinforce the reading and writing skills! Have the child practice drawing shapes and writing phonograms:
    • with the index finger in a shallow pan or box containing salt, sand, or cornmeal
    • on paper with the clockface, first using the finger to trace and then with a pencil, colored pencil, or a marker
    • on the chalkboard or white board, using his index finger to erase what the teacher has written
    • using finger paints
    • in the air with a straight wrist and straight arms
    • on the teacher's back and the teacher on his
    • on the outside of a sealed ziploc bag with colored gel inside; put this bag on top of a paper plate with the letter written on it
    • with jello or pudding on a paper plate with the letter written on it
    • in readiness workbooks that work on skills to develop control of the writing tool, not on writing letters
      1. tracing shapes
      2. tracking (keeping pencil between two lines from one side of the page to the other)
      3. matching pictures
      4. I highly recommend the Developing the Early Learner series of books for readiness workbooks and Ready Writer for pencil-control activities
Start when the child is demonstrating an interest in learning to read and write, when he is ready to learn from instruction, and when he demonstrates readiness in the areas mentioned above. Usually, around five or six years of age a child should be ready. Remember that girls tend to be ready earlier and are better able to handle fine motor tasks than boys. There is always the exceptional boy who will prove this wrong, but for the most part, girls will develop faster than boys in these areas. Follow the instructions for a beginning student found in Spell to Write and Read and adjust to the needs of the child. Younger children will probably have to go a bit slower, but the teacher must avoid getting bogged down in teaching the letters and expecting complete mastery before moving into spelling instruction. Do not drag out the introduction of phonograms, or the child will lose interest! Remember, phonics should be first and fast (see SWR page 13). Mastery in writing, in learning the phonograms, and in spelling and reading will come as work is continued through the program.

SomeTestimonies

Joshua   When my oldest son was not even 4 1/2 years old, we were starting preschool. I wanted to get him started with his reading, and I was anxious to start TRHS with him. He was extremely bright, highly verbal, had an excellent memory, and that summer I discovered he already knew 24 of the first 26 phonograms (the alphabet) from his completely spontaneous exposure to them. For example, pointing to the letter C, he would ask: "Mommy, what does this letter say?" I would reply, "That says /k/ /s/. Can you say that?" He would repeat the sounds carefully. This had been going on since he was about 2 1/2. Around the beginning of December we officially started. The kid was a classic wiggle worm, and if I could get him to hold still for 5 minutes, I could teach him something new. We were also working with a girl who was 9 months older and a Kindergartner. I'm convinced God used this in her life to teach her patience. *LOL* Joshua learned to recite the rules, he could spell pretty well, but he struggled with writing so I helped him by holding his hand while he wrote all year. This helped him focus more than anything else. At the end of the year he could spell well (yeah!), but his reading was not that great.

During Kindergarten and First Grade (he was then 6) we continued, but it was a struggle. His attention skills had grown a bit, his spelling was consistent, and his reading was starting to improve a little, but I still longed for the day it would "click" with him and he could read without me by his side.

In Second Grade I finally figured out he needed to go back to the beginning of the program and start the spelling list over. He had been an immature 4yo when we began, and those words and beginning concepts had been rote for him, not something he truly understood. We started over at Section A. (See SWR pg 64 for why this was necessary.) This time things clicked. Yes, he knew the rules, but he started understanding "why." The light was beginning to come on. He picked up a book on his own and tried reading it for himself. His fluency in reading started picking up. He enjoyed the dictation process, and his spelling scores were consistently high. By the time he was 8 yo, his reading really took off, and it had finally "clicked."

John   When my second son was 4, he was active, but pretty normal for his age. He was bright, but I could tell he was a different kind of thinker than his brother. He was much more kinesthetic, needing to touch and feel everything (more than one would expect from a young child). He had some slight speech delays, which he was able to correct with minimal assistance on my part. He did only hands-on type math lessons, learned to write his numbers, and participated in a literature based curriculum where I read, read, read to him from the Bible, history, science, literature, and so forth. When he was 5 and in Kindergarten, we continued the literature-based learning and I introduced how to read and write the first 26 phonograms. We did nothing else formally with TRHS that year, but I worked a lot on Phonemic Aawareness activities. We read books that emphasized different language patterns, we listened to the Oo-pples and Boo-noo-noos cassette and sang songs, and we played verbal word games.

When he was 6 and in First grade, we started the WISE Spelling List at Section A. We progressed very slowly--because of my inconsistency--but he did well with the spelling, and he loved to write sentences. For the first several months the only things he read were his spelling notebook and the journal that he was writing with spelling sentences and other assignments based on his spelling. These books were his readers! In the spring I gave him his first reader, and he took off with it. He was able to read well at a beginning level and only had to read a word 2-3 times before it was his. He was able to decode new, unknown words, and he was confident about his abilities. Although his vocabulary did yet match that of his older brother, his fluency was almost as good at that point.

E.R.   When my oldest had just turned 5, I met a little girl that was very close to his age. Her mother had started her with TRHS when she was still 4. Her writing in her spelling notebook was impeccable, and she volunteered to read for me. She read to me from the Egermeier's BibleStory Book, and the only time she slowed down or hesitated was when she was pronouncing the Hebrew names. Here was a child who had begun before the age recommended, and yet she was soaring in her abilities.

L.W.   The little girl who joined us for my son's preschool reading lessons had just turned 5 at the time and was in Kindergarten. She met with us 3 days a week, and her mother completed homework assignments with her the other 2 days of the week. Her spelling was consistently good, and her reading was off and running by the end of that year.

J.H.   A friend of mine started her son with TRHS when he was in Kindergarten. It was a true struggle for them. He fought her every step of the way. He just wasn't getting it. She wisely put it away for a while and continued with other subjects. At the beginning of First grade, when he was 6 years old, she tried again. This time he took off with it like a duck to water! He enjoyed their lessons, he made good progress, and she was quite pleased. The child had matured and was now ready for formal instruction.

In Summary   I give you these testimonies to demonstrate that every child is different. Each has his own God-given timetable built in. Some are ready early; some should wait until they are more mature and able to handle the material. Some look ready when in fact they are not. I truly believe that had we waited a year or even two with my oldest son, that he would probably be where he is today in his skills or perhaps even further along. I started way too early with him. I did not repeat that mistake with my second son. Not only were John's skills good, but his attitude about the process was much better. Both of the girls were started at slightly different times, yet both were successful.

In our enthusiasm for our children to do well, let us be discerning as to their true abilities and not what we want them to be.

Blessings!

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Getting Started 101 - Step Six (The Diagnostic Spelling Test)

Dear Teachers:

Today we'll look at the Diagnostic Spelling Test. This is to be administered to a child who has some reading and writing skills. If you're starting with a non-reader, you won't need to do this until later when The WISE Guide instructs you to do so. You'll want to administer a test to your reading student(s) if:

  1. you're starting the program for the very first time
  2. you've used the program before, but are starting a new year
  3. you've been using the program and want a progress report on how your student is doing

Keep in mind there are two distinct pieces of information this test will give you:

  1. Grade Level = total number correct (look across from this number in the first column to the second column)
  2. Spelling Mastery = first error word (look across from this number in the first column to the third column)
    1. where to start the Spelling List each year after the foundation is laid
    2. on a monthly basis, where each child needs review and is missing concepts

Consider each half of the chart to have a first, second and third column. Please note, you will NEVER read a number in the first column and look across at both the second and third columns! There are two different scores to be obtained from the test. You want (1) the total correct and (2) the number of the first error. These are two different measures.

See the instructions for administering the Diagnostic Tests (see SWR pp 196-198 or TRHS pp 47-49). Encourage your student's attempts, but never let on that a word has been misspelled. Do not give hints or dictate in a "think to spell" manner. Does the child know the word or not? That's the question.

Many years of standardized testing in both the classroom and in the speech pathology setting has taught me a good rule for these kinds of tests: be sure to administer enough words on the test to exhaust the student's capabilities. A common error people make is to stop administering the test once the student makes a mistake or two. If the student is cooperative, try to get 10 consecutive errors before stopping the test. This will give you useful information about rules not yet mastered and what may need to be focused on in review. Of course, if your student melts into a sea of tears because she is making mistakes (they know, don't they), then don't push it. But try the best you can to encourage your student to give it her best shot. I tell the kids that the test gives me a peak into their brains. I actually want to see what they do with words they don't know. This tells me a lot of useful information about what they DO understand about the written code we call English and what I need to teach. You know your students best, so if you have a good sample of errors, you can call it quits. That means that when you start, you don't know how many words you'll be dictating. Let the kids know that you'll let them know when you're getting close to being done.

Based on where the student tests, you can now determine your starting point in The WISE Guide. For this information, read carefully the information in SWR on pages 63--68 for Step 11.

Happy testing!

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Getting Started 101 - Step Seven (Starting with an Advanced Student)

Dear Teachers:

Today we'll be looking at starting the new school year with "advanced students." What I mean by this are kids that have already had a previous year of TRHS, or those who are new to this program and already have some reading and writing ability. For example, this could be a first grader who had TRHS in Kindergarten or a fifth grader who has had some other instruction up until now. We've talked about how to give the diagnostic tests, and how to determine the grade level and the level of Spelling Mastery. If you've done that, you know what Spelling Section your student should be starting in. However, what else do you need to do before starting in that Spelling Section? That's what I'll be covering today.

I'm going to say this very slowly so you'll be sure to get it: Every year we re-do the Reference Pages with our children. I'll repeat. Every year we re-do the Reference Pages with our children. Got that? Just because we did the Consonant and Vowels page last year doesn't mean we're done with that page forever. We're going to do that every year. It is so rewarding to do that page the second time with a beginning reader. The first time you do it, those little eyes are looking at you like, "I know this is important, Mommy, but I just don't quite understand. I'll follow along, say the words after you, and hope that it'll make sense at some time." Have you seen that look? Well, as you worked in the Spelling List, those rules and markings started becoming more meaningful for the kids, they started being able to do it without your promptings, and they memorized those rules and could probably say them faster than you. Now, this year you're going to do that page again, only this time they'll be right with you. If not, there'll be things you cover on the page that maybe for the first time the light will go on for them and you'll hear that "Ah ha!"

First, let's make sure we're all on the same page with what I'm talking about in regard to the Reference Pages. If you're using the Primary Learning Log (brown cover that has a pattern similar to that on the front of your teacher texts), you'll find the blank Reference Pages in the back of the book. If you're working with a student in the Black Learning Log, you'll be building these pages with your students from scratch in the back of the book, per the instructions in TRHS or SWR. When you're reading the instructions for completing the pages (at either level), the samples are right there on the same page(s) with the instructions. You'll also find examples of the Reference Pages in the Appendix of your teacher text.

Now this is important, so please read carefully. In the past we have referred to the pages in the Primary Learning Log as Charts and those in the Black Notebook as Notebook Reference Pages. That's what you'll find in your TRHS book. Some of you may even be using the charts from the Chart Master pack that are similar to those found in the Primary Learning Log. We are now going to be referring to these as REFERENCE PAGES, regardless of which book they're in. So now that we know we need to do these pages and we know what we're calling them, which of these pages should you do with your kids before starting in the Spelling Section at their Level of Mastery?

In the old days with WRR everyone had to start at Section A, regardless of their age or reading ability. With The WISE Guide that is unnecessary. The Reference Pages you will need to teach before your starting Spelling Section will be listed for you in the "Preliminaries" section for that Spelling List in The WISE Guide. The mystery of when the other pages will be needed is resolved in this book as well. At the beginning of each section it will say something like, "If you have not done so already this year, teach __, ___, and __ before you teach this list." The Reference Pages can then be taught when relevant to that student and the words you are teaching. There is no need to go back to A, nor to spend several weeks reteaching all the Reference Pages you did last year and delaying your work in the Spelling list. In fact, when teaching remedial work with older students, it would be counterproductive to do so; they would be needlessly insulted. You can start at any Section between A and T and cover every single spelling rule. In most cases, Wanda recommends not placing a student new to the program any later in the list than Section T.

I'll give you an example from my own son. We did the Diagnostic test earlier this week, and he needs to start in Spelling Section L. (This was a relief to me as that is where we ended last year. We lost no ground over the summer!) I looked at the Preliminary activities for this Section, and it says, "If beginning a new year, reteach Consonant Page, Silent E Page, and Multi-letter Phonogram Page." That's it! I'll get those done with him, and we can immediately get into Spelling Section L. Then as we move through the Spelling Lists, The WISE Guide will let me know when I need to teach (or review) a rule on a Reference Page. In his case, after we've dictated the first 20 words in Section L, I'll work on the rebuilding and reviewing the E's Dropping Rule (instructions that tell me to do this are at the top of page 71).

Here's something that some of you TRHS veterans will be excited to hear. In Wanda's new book SWR she gives you suggestions for how to make the rebuilding of these pages each year appropriate to the level where your student is at that time. For example, instead of every year teaching "am-apron-wasp" on the Vowel page, you'll use words that are right from the level you're teaching in the Spelling List. It won't be the same-old, same-old each time you do this page!

What else should you be doing with your student(s) to get them started?

**You should still be reviewing the phonogram cards. Can they read all 70 of them in 90 seconds? Have them time themselves each day and try to beat yesterday's score.

**Have you transitioned to cursive yet if you taught manuscript first? If not, get them started reviewing their phonograms in writing by introducing cursive writing. You might try the Cursive First package I put together to go along with the Sanseri program.

**If your students are reading, you can also get them started in the McCall books. Younger, beginning readers would start in the McCall-Harby book while the older students (2nd or 3rd grade and above) will start in the McCall-Crabbs books.

Happy teaching!

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