Hi, I was wondering about spelling. Do I really need to buy a spelling program if I use the words in Tog? I mean couldn't I use these for vocabulary and spelling? Any responses welcome.

THank you,
Michelle

Michelle,

You certainly CAN use the words in TOG for spelling practice, but if your children are young, it is advisable to teach your children the patters of English spelling. This is hard to do using only the TOG vocab. words, and it is the reason we sell and recommend Spelling Power, which is a one-time purchase for a family.

As children grow older, I find that it is most efficacious to have them track and practice words that their spelling checkers tell them are mistakes as they draft and polish their writing assignments, rather than follow lists of random words that some spelling program has chosen.

So: summing up. It's a one-two punch that is most highly effective in my experience. One: teach the patterns of spelling in English words when kids are young. Two: release them from spelling programs and teach them to relearn words they don't know as they get older and are doing drafting of weekly writing assignments. (By older, I'm thinking around 5th to 6th grades and up.)

Also, you can add to this plan the work in SAT prep. vocabulary work: same thing. They should learn to use and to spell words as they learn what they mean.