{"id":12070,"date":"2020-11-02T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T15:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/?p=12070"},"modified":"2023-06-13T17:54:06","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T22:54:06","slug":"spelling-how-much-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/spelling-how-much-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Spelling: How Much Time Should I Spend?"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Child\r\n\r\n

If you\u2019re wondering how much time you should spend on spelling lessons, you aren\u2019t alone! This is one of the most frequently asked questions about the All About Spelling<\/cite> program.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Fortunately, there is a really simple answer that works in most situations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How Much Time Should I Spend?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n

I generally recommend spending 20 minutes a day, five days a week on spelling lessons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Of course, this general recommendation may not fit your family\u2019s situation perfectly. You may need to customize the length of your lessons to fit your child\u2019s specific needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But that\u2019s the great thing about All About Spelling<\/cite>\u2014it\u2019s easy<\/span> to customize. Here are a few more things to think about as you plan your day:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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  1. Take your child\u2019s age and attention span into consideration.<\/span> If your child is young, has a hard time sitting still, or is just starting out in spelling, you may want to start with as little as ten minutes per day. You can gradually build up the time as your child matures and his attention span grows.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\t\"Child\r\n\r\n \t
  2. Short lessons every day are more effective than longer, less-frequent lessons.<\/span> In a short lesson, your child\u2019s attention is less likely to wander, and you\u2019ll find that you can accomplish more when your student is actively engaged in the lesson. Keep the lessons upbeat and fast-paced to hold the child\u2019s interest. Even if you are working with an older child who can focus for a longer period of time, 20 minutes is all you need to review old material, teach the new concept, and write several sentences from dictation<\/a>. Students can only absorb so much new information at once<\/a>, and then the rest isn\u2019t retained.
    \r\n\r\n\t

    Sometimes we hear from moms whose kids balk at spelling lesson time, only to find out that the mom is trying to push through multiple lessons in one sitting, or is spending an hour on extra lessons in order to \u201ccatch up.\u201d Even if they were just as effective as short lessons, long lessons make spelling seem like drudgery. As much as possible, we want to keep lessons light and fun.<\/p><\/li>\r\n\r\n\t

  3. Remember that you don\u2019t need to complete an entire lesson in a day.<\/span> In fact, sometimes a student will need a whole week to complete a lesson. The speed at which your child masters al esson depends on the student\u2019s age, attention span, prior experience, and the concepts being taught. The All About Spelling<\/cite> program is completely flexible and customizable so you can breeze through sections that are easy for your student and spend more time on difficult concepts.\r\n\r\n

    If you're new to All About Spelling<\/cite> and are wondering what a lesson looks like, download this free lesson sample<\/a> from Level 2, Lesson 21. Each lesson teaches one new concept, and in this lesson, students learn words with the sound of \/ar\/ as in farm<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"Lessons<\/a>\r\n\t\t\r\n

    There are three main sections in each lesson: Review, New Teaching, and Reinforcement. If you can\u2019t get through the entire lesson in a day, simply mark the page to hold your spot. The next day, start with a quick review of the flashcards (Phonogram Cards, Sound Cards, Rule Cards, and Word Cards), and then pick up where you left off the previous day.<\/p><\/li>\r\n\t\r\n

  4. Use a timer.<\/span> After you\u2019ve determined the best length of time for your situation, set a timer at the beginning of the lesson. This will help you stay on track and not make the lesson go on too long. Your child will be encouraged to stay focused because he knows that the lesson will end, and you won\u2019t be tempted to keep pushing past the time you agreed upon.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n

    The Bottom Line<\/h2>\r\n\r\n

    The most important thing to remember when planning spelling lessons is to keep them \"short, sweet, and consistent.\" Your child's brain is like a muscle, and consistent exercise does much more to develop muscle than occasional big bursts of energy. And shorter lessons keep your child coming back for more!<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Short, effective lessons are just one of the ways we make spelling easy! Download my free e-book, \u201cSix Ways We Make Spelling Easy<\/a>,\u201d to discover six powerful features of All About Spelling that will revolutionize your teaching! <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

    \"Six<\/a><\/span>