I bit the bullet- Step 1

I did it. I finally picked a language arts curriculum. Not only did I choose my LA curriculum, but I bought a ton of stuff to get me started. NO, I don't need anywhere near all of this stuff, and yes, I will buy more stuff to go along with it that I do not need in order to teach my LA curriculum. BUT... does it make me excited to try it out?! Absolutely!

The LA curriculum that I chose is Spell to Write and Read by Wanda Sanseri. I have total faith and confidence in this LA curriculum. Let me just tell you that I have done more than my fair share of research to choose Spell to Write and Read (SWR). Trust me. More than my share. I am a researcher by nature, and my LA curriculum (in my mind) was the most important curriculum to get right. What child loves to read if they can't read well? I don't know any. Maybe you do?

Let me tell you just briefly how I found SWR. I have always always, and I do mean always planned on teaching my children using the Spalding method and Writing Road to Reading (WRTR). Let me just say that I still fully believe that Spalding and WRTR is a fantastic curriculum. In fact, SWR uses WRTR as a reference guide, and Wanda Sanseri (author of SWR) studied under Romalda Spalding who was the author of WRTR. WRTR/Spalding is awesome. I have seen the test results from schools that use this curriculum. Seriously, the numbers are astounding. My sister was a kindergartner teacher at a college prep school that utilized the WRTR/Spalding curriculum.

However, once I ordered the Spalding Kindergarten teacher's manual I was honestly very overwhelmed. I also found that it wasn't very homeschool friendly. The teacher's manual is very detailed, but it doesn't leave much room for an individual child's pace. I also found that it took quite awhile to get any responses on the Spalding forums to questions that a person may have. I also found that it was very hard to find any seminars close to where I live, or even in my state for that matter. The straw that broke the camel's back was when my sister (who knows this curriculum very well after having taught it for year) told me at the dinner table "I don't think you should teach Spalding to your children." Uhhhh...what?! You should have seen my mouth drop. LOL When pressed further, she simply felt that unless you have been trained to use the curriculum it would be too complicated. Okay, so I don't really believe that, but it did get me to thinking that I really do need to take some sort of seminar. I found my efforts to locate a "home educators course" from Spalding where not going anywhere.

Anyways, I had once read SWR and felt that it was extremely similar after having read WRTR. I actually sold my SWR book, because I wouldn't need it since I would be using WRTR/Spalding. Upon further confusion from trying to decipher WRTR and all of it's many components I remembered SWR. This was only after straying to check out some other curriculums. I never tried these curriculums with my children. I just purchased them used to look over. Anyways, I remembered SWR and decided to check it out again seeing as how I remembered SWR/WRTR being so similar. To my astonishment this is what I found and why I decided to try SWR over WRTR:

1) Their support group (a Yahoo! group) is amazing. Their actual trainers and even Wanda Sanseri herself always respond quickly and very detailed to even the smallest of questions. Ask me how I know. : )

2) All in all I believe that SWR is much much more homeschool frienly as a whole.

3) There are tons of ideas on the yahoo! group as well as in SWR for how to present phonograms to preschoolers in a very non-school this is fun way. Trust me. My children beg to play their games for SWR!

4) DVDs- there are several DVDs that go into detail about how to apply the material. Britta (one of Wanda's official trainers) has a DVD that shows lots of different activities that she does with her little ones as well as explaining the fingergrams. I may just not be all there, but to actually see these things acted out in front of me on my TV screen definately helped me to have a clearer picture of what I was getting myself into.

5) I simply found SWR and the corresponding WISE Guide much easier to understand.

In some later posts I will go into more detail about these things that I have listed above. PLEASE do not think that I know if this will work well. I'm simply sharing my journey with you all, and we'll see together how SWR works for us. If you choose to purchase SWR what you would need to get started is the Core kit. You can purchase the core kit for $95 here. Don't think that is a lot of money. You are kidding yourself if you do. This is NON-CONSUMABLE. It will take you through LA for MULTIPLE children for YEARS. Also, it covers handwriting, and there is no reason you would need an additional handwriting program. I would suggest you NOT use additional handwriting. Honestly, it is extremely cost effective. Now, I bought some additional things that I just plain wanted. : )

Here is a list of what you see in the picture above:

SWR Core kit includes (5 items which are the only items you need to teach this program successfully)- SWR and WISE Guide, 70 basic phonogram cards (which they allow you to copy the front of them if you want multiple copies- don't copy the back), 70 basic phonogram CD (this helps you to pronounce the sounds correctly), and the Spelling Rule cards. You can purchase a core kit here.

You will also need a learning log each year for each student. You can purchase those here or you can make one yourself at home. I suggest just purchasing them and saving yourself the time. : ) (These are not pictured, because I haven't gotten them, yet.)

These items are not needed, but I wanted them:

Phonograms fun pack- fun games to reinforce the phonograms- I was impressed with the high quality of these.

Phonogram Bingo- again reinforcement

Stetro Pencil grips- I got these for myself, and possibly for my son who can't seem to hold the pencil correctly.

Large Clock faces printed on 11X17 paper for large motor practice

DVD- An Introduction to SWR by Piedmont Education

DVD- You Can Do It! SWR

Again, I'm not affiliated with, compensated by, or anything else with SWR. I'm simply wanting to share my journey with you all to find a language arts curriculum. Keep watch on my blog for more updates.