FAQ

There will be six books in the All About Spelling series.

Level Four should be available in late 2008.

Sure! Sign up for our free newsletter and you’ll be notified as soon as new books become available.

Future levels are currently planned for release at the rate of one per year.

No, All About Spelling will not be exhibiting this year.

The All About Spelling program can be used with children as young as preschool age, if the child is ready, and with older children who need remedial spelling work. Teachers, parents, and tutors use the program for a wide range of students from four-year-olds to adults. It will take longer to cover the material with younger students, while older students move through the lessons more quickly.

Beginning students start with the phonemic awareness activities introduced in Level One and  learn the sounds of the letters, how to segment words, and which letters to use for which sounds. From there, they learn to spell words with short vowels. The lessons are incremental and include review.

Older children who need remedial work can also build a strong foundation with All About Spelling. They learn spelling rules that apply to many words and techniques that allow them to become successful independent spellers.

The levels and word lists in the All About Spelling program are arranged by concepts and spelling patterns rather than by grade levels. Though many of the words presented in Level One are found on typical first grade lists, other words in the same book can be found on typical fifth grade lists. The method we use defies normal grade level classification.

For example, another spelling program lists the words cross, off, and plant on their fourth grade list, but these words can easily be spelled by a child completing the Level One book. That same program includes the words school and yellow on its first grade list — but expecting kids to spell words like those before mastering more basic syllable types undermines their future spelling ability.

All About Spelling groups words in a logical manner based on similar rules or spelling patterns regardless of their supposed grade level, which allows students to progress quickly and confidently.

The article Which level of All About Spelling should I use? will help you decide which level your student should start with.

See teaching spelling to older students for information on this topic.

Yes. By the end of Level Six of the All About Spelling program, the student will be spelling at the high school level.

Yes, the All About Spelling program is ideal for students with dyslexia. As you know, spelling is difficult for dyslexic students who must be directly taught certain skills and basic spelling rules, such as how to hear each sound in a word or when to use j, ge, or dge for the sound of /j/.

We receive many letters from teachers and parents who find other programs difficult to use with their dyslexic students—and then they switch to All About Spelling and it’s like a light is turned on for their children. Find out more about why All About Spelling works for students with dyslexia.

The All About Spelling program features easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. You can literally pick up the book and begin each day’s lesson without having to figure out what needs to be taught or how to teach it. You are guided every step of the way and tips for teaching spelling are incorporated right into the lesson plans. If you were never taught to spell in this way, you can learn right along with your child. And if you ever have questions, the author is just an email away.

Once you’ve cut apart the flashcards and letter tiles and set up your student’s Spelling Review Box, all you have to do is follow the script. The only daily preparation necessary is to check the "You will need" section of the lesson to see which new flashcards and letter tiles you will need that day.

First, remember that you do not need to complete an entire Step in one day—some Steps may even take a week or more to cover. The speed at which your child finishes a Step depends on the student’s age, attention span, prior experience, and the concepts being taught. The All About Spelling 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.  

Your daily spelling lesson time depends solely on the time you have available, the level and attention span of your child, and the amount of material you wish to cover. Most teachers report that they spend 15-20 minutes per day on spelling, though sessions can run as long as 45 minutes. It is much better to do a shorter lesson every day than it is to do a longer session less frequently. The length of the lesson can be customized for your situation.

The All About Spelling method can still be followed without the letter tiles. Using paper and pencil, write out the demonstration words for the student to see. Any time you are supposed to use a blank tile, draw a short underline. The instruction will be just as effective and will be presented in a way that is more palatable to your student.

Yes! Continual, individualized review is a major component of the All About Spelling program—and the first thing you’ll do before beginning to teach is to set up the Spelling Review Box. AAS uses several different methods to review concepts and spelling words, including flashcards, word analysis, sentence dictation, and writing activities.

Worked right into the lesson plans, the continual review ensures that your students don’t forget what you teach them and gives them the practice they need in exactly the areas they need it. Take a look at a sample lesson to see how review is handled.

Yes, all of the words from the Ayres Spelling Scale are covered in the series, plus many more. For example, when students study /ar/ words, they learn the word start from the Ayres Spelling Scale along with many related words that are not on the Ayres list, such as arm, smart, farm, park, and shark. The All About Spelling program covers all high-frequency words and emphasizes them in the dictation and writing activities.

No marking system is used. The specially color-coded letter tiles provide the necessary illustration in a concrete way.

In the All About Spelling program, students learn the phonograms as they are needed. To ensure mastery, each phonogram is used extensively after it is introduced, which suits the needs of both young beginners and older remedial learners.

Some parents do choose to teach all 72 basic phonograms before they are formally introduced in the program, and that is completely acceptable. For some children, though, it may be too much. Each child is different, and the parent is the best judge of what is the right pacing for their child. AAS offers a variety of games to facilitate review, keep the material interesting for the student, and provide additional opportunities for practice.

The All About Spelling program does not cover grammar except as it applies to spelling. For example, when the suffix -ed is taught, students do learn what past tense means and how some words change completely instead of simply taking on the suffix. However, the program does not discuss parts of speech, punctuation, and so on.

No, you are free to choose any handwriting program.

All About Spelling has received so many questions from SWR users that we needed extra space to answer them! Please see the FAQ about Spell to Write and Read for further information.

Yes, the Material Packet is different for every level in the series. Each level contains different Phonogram Cards, Sound Cards, Word Cards, and Key (Rule) Cards, plus any extra resources needed for that level.

Yes, you will need two sets of letter tiles if you are teaching two students simultaneously.

Yes, I recommend that you order additional Material Packets so each student can have his own set of cards and you will be able to tailor each student's review. One student may need extra practice with particular Phonogram Cards, while another may need practice spelling certain words. The individual index card boxes allow customized instruction. Read more about the Spelling Review Box and how the cards are used to individualize spelling review.

Level One contains 32 Phonogram Cards, Level Two contains 11, Level Three contains 10, and Level Four contains the remaining 19.

If you are following the sequence in the All About Spelling series, you don’t need to purchase the Full Set of Phonogram Cards. All of the phonogram cards you need are already included in the Material Packet. Some parents and teachers, however, do choose to purchase the Full Set so they have all 72 Phonogram Cards at once.

The interactive audio program features clear enunciation of the sounds of the letters and letter combinations and is an easy way for you and your students to learn the sounds of the phonograms quickly and accurately. The CD-ROM can be used on a PC or Mac, but not in a CD player. See Phonogram Audio CD-ROM for a screenshot and access to a demo of the program.

It is not necessary to laminate the Phonogram Cards. You may wish to do so for use with games or other purposes, but keep in mind that laminated cards will not fit into an index card box. 

No, the Key Cards are only available with the full program.

Yes, the Full Set of Phonogram Cards can be purchased separately.

Yes. Many of the Phonogram Cards, Sound Cards, Key Cards, and other materials are transferred from one level to another for review purposes. Each new level will tell you exactly what you need from the previous level.

Just take a look at our sample spelling lessons for an overview of what you can expect from the program.

Of course! The Scope and Sequence for each level will give you a well-rounded overview of the spelling program.

You can email questions to AAS through our contact form or call Greg at 715-477-1976.

Yes. Call AAS at 715-477-1976. The best time to reach Greg is Monday through Friday between 8:00am and noon, CST. For all other times, please leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Yes. Simply download the printable PDF order form, fill it out, and mail it to AAS with your check or money order payable in US dollars.

Yes. The fax number is 877-774-8006.

All About Spelling uses SSL encryption—the highest standard in internet security—to ensure that your personal information is safe.

Most orders ship within 24 hours, Monday through Friday, via USPS Priority Mail. After your order ships, you will receive an email with the USPS tracking number.

No, we are the sole distributors of the program.

A receipt is emailed to you right after your order is placed. If you can’t locate it in your inbox, contact Greg and a copy will be forwarded to you.

We have an excellent one-year guarantee policy. If the All About Spelling program does not meet your needs, return it at any time within one year of purchase for a full refund of your purchase price.

AAS will never sell or share your personal information with any other individual or company.

Yes, we do. See Purchase Orders for full details.

See our Purchase Orders page for full details.

Please return the item by mail. Your credit card or PayPal account will be credited upon receipt of the item. In the meantime, place a new order for the product you would like.

Package the items securely so they aren’t damaged in transit, and include your invoice or packing slip. Return products by mail to:
    All About Spelling
    2038 E. Anvil Lake Road
    Eagle River, WI 54521

If you paid by credit card or PayPal, your account will be credited for the purchase price. If you paid by check or money order, you will receive your refund by check.