I've noticed that  there are a lot of mixed feelings about Spelling Power. It seems that families who have used it either love it or hate it. I think if I had used it exactly as spelled out in the book (no pun intended) we would be one of the families who hate this program.

When I first started using it, another mother homeschooling a child with Asperger's Syndrome let me know how she had adapted it for her son. I jumped right into the program using it with her adaptations and adding a couple of my own. Here's what we do:

• I read the words outloud putting them into a sentence as necessary.
• They spell the words outloud while I write it as they spell it.
• Once they miss 3 words or complete the list, we stop for the day.
• If they missed words, they follow the steps listed in the book for studying misspelled words.
• I do not make them write the rule for the list. This would be torture.
• I do not make them put the word into a sentence and write the sentence (more torture).
• Instead of choosing a multisensory activity from the section of activities I simply have them spell the words they missed into my cell phone.
• The steps of studying (minus the sentence) require them to actually write the word by hand one time (not torture).

Although we've skipped most of the actual writing, the boys have managed to get to Level H when they pre-tested this year. Ashton started this program at Level A when he was 8. I think Zachary started Level A at age 7. Our method may not be "kosher" but it works for us and I wanted to share it.

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