Online Spelling Program
Frequently Asked Questions
At-Home Online Spelling Program
7-Day money-back guarantee
We are confident that you and your child will love our spelling program. Your child will make tremendous progress with spelling and they'll love the puzzles and the card games. They will become an accurate and confident speller. This is like having free admission for 7 days.
If you are, however, unsatisfied with the program during the first 7-days, just contact us and we will refund your payment.
Auditory activities
In this spelling program, your child will improve auditory processing and listening skills.
Your child will:
- Listen to a sound at a time
- Map the sounds to letters on paper or with letter cards
- Practice saying the words, spelling the words, and writing the words
- Listen to the proper pronunciation of words and vowel combinations
- Improve auditory processing skills including auditory discrimination, auditory closure, auditory-visual integration, and more
Does it really only take 15-30 minutes a day?
The short answer is yes!
On the first day, students do the weekly spelling lesson along with Bonnie while watching the video. Video lessons average about 12 minutes in length. Next, students do a puzzle which is typically done in 5 to 8 minutes.
On the second day. students write their words in sentences. Younger students often use the provided word cards for this. Then there are a few perception activities for younger students. Older students do an application lesson. Again, the total time is about 18 - 30 minutes.
The third day is test day. This is done with Bonnie via video. Each test video is about 12 to 15 minutes in length.
We also provide a weekly game that can be done in about 15 minutes on any day of your choosing. This reinforces the skills your student is learning
English Language Learners (ELL)
Many English Language Learners (ELL) have had tremendous success with our spelling program. We show students step-by-step with video and audio exactly how letters sound and how we put letters together to make words.
With our audio-video lessons, students hear the correct pronunciation of sounds and words. They hear the sounds of letters and letter combinations and see how they come together visually to make words.
Additionally, students work alongside the video lessons with worksheets and printables. There are puzzles, games, and application lessons, too. The program uses the best practices for teaching ELL students.
Sounds and Letter Combinations
Spelling can be challenging for many ELL students. Different students bring different language experiences into the learning environment, whether at home or in school. One of the most important parts of learning spelling is to have an auditory and visual model for the letter sounds and patterns in the English language.
We show students exactly how letters come together to make words in just 8 simple ways with our video lessons. We model the specific sounds of letters and letter combinations and how they come together to make words. Students learn specific spelling patterns and also play with them in a variety of ways through puzzles, games, and activities.
How are the spelling lists designed?
We construct each lesson's spelling list words logically according to spelling patterns. Each week's lesson builds upon what students have previously learned.
All levels start at the easiest pattern to learn, the Vowel-Consonant Pattern. These are your short vowel syllables and words. Each level's spelling lists vary in difficulty, according to the level.
Lesson 1 Example Words:
- Kindergarten: it, sit, ran
- 1st-Grade: left, ask, rest
- 2nd-Grade: bump, steps, flat
- 3rd and 4th-Grade: crunch, theft, which
- 5th and 6th-Grade: exact, grasp, establish
- 7th and 8th-Grade: havoc, inhabit, insistent
After students have mastered the first pattern, they continue through the rest of the 8 spelling patterns in a step-by-step sequential order.
Spelling review is built in each week to solidify concepts and to build confidence in your student’s spelling abilities. By the time a student has reached the end of a level, they graduate to the next level for more challenging words.
How spelling patterns work
We only put letters together in 8 different ways. Large words are simply combinations of these 8 spelling patterns. Each syllable in a word has a pattern.
In the sentence below, each word or syllable of a multisyllable word has a spelling pattern:
Learning the spelling patterns one at a time helps make spelling logical, and our multisensory methods help solidify concepts.
Orton-Gillingham Based
Research on teaching reading and spelling dates back to the early 1930s, first with Samuel Orton and then later with Anna Gillingham. They developed a teaching approach, the Orton-Gillingham method (OG), to help struggling readers and spellers. Their teaching methods include what is currently considered best practices: sequential, phonics-based systems that teach the basics of word formation before whole meanings.
Learning through all three pathways (auditory, visual, and tactile-kinesthetic) is essential. This multisensory approach has been proven effective for students of all abilities, including those with dyslexia and other learning challenges.
The Scholar Within Spelling Program incorporates these OG principles and strategies along with the latest research on learning.
Orton-Gillingham Instructional Components for Optimal Learning:
- Multisensory: Uses all of the senses (auditory, visual, and tactile-kinesthetic)
- Sequential: Proceeds step-by-step in a logical sequence
- Incremental: Each lesson builds upon prior learning
- Cumulative: Constantly and consistently reviews previously taught concepts
- Individualized: Meets each student’s individual needs
- Phonogram-Based: Words are based on combining letters and letter combinations known as phonograms (the sound-symbol relationship, also known as the Alphabetic Principle)
- Explicit: Stated clearly and in a detailed manner
OG-Based Specific Steps for Teaching and Learning Spelling
- Teach the letter-sound relationships both explicitly and in isolation
- Give multiple opportunities in every lesson to practice the sound-symbol relationship
- Review daily previously taught sound-symbols and gradually add new sound-symbols (letters)
- Practice and apply these sound-symbol relationships with familiar phonetically-spelled words
- Play with the language; the more you play with words, the better your skills become
Spelling level placement
Students learn faster and more easily when they work at their current level of ability. This level is called the instructional level of mastery-based learning. Students begin the program at the level of their current spelling skills, whether it is above, below, or at their current grade level. Working through beginning concepts, they move forward sequentially to more advanced concepts.
In our mastery-based program, you place your student according to their ability. We can adjust your student's level up or down as needed throughout the program This way, the program meets your student at the level where they are currently learning.
As Anna Gillingham, one of the founders of Orton-Gillingham, advised “Go as fast as you can, but as slow as you must.”
When students learn at their instructional level, they become great spellers. With Scholar Within’s spelling program:
- Parents or teachers choose the spelling level, whether it is at grade level, above grade level, or below grade level
- Adjust the level if the material is too easy or too difficult
- Students do the short lessons at their own pace
- Each week’s lesson reviews prior concepts, supporting concept retention and overall learning skills
- Students progress to the next level when they have mastered their current level of material. There are no big gaps from one level to the next.
Spelling patterns vs spelling rules
There is a structure to the English language. If we teach spelling according to its structure, everyone can spell!
About 90% of our words follow specific patterns. Just like there are patterns in math, there are patterns in spelling. In fact, there are only 8 spelling patterns. Learning 8 spelling patterns is much easier than learning 30 spelling rules or trying to memorize every word.
By using our multisensory step-by-step method, students learn to spell thousands of words without having to memorize 30 or more spelling rules. The lessons are phonetically and sequentially based. Learning to spell with this method strengthens auditory, visual, and tactile-kinesthetic learning skills.
Students often struggle when they try to learn a list of spelling words that includes words with unrelated spellings. When you can make a logical connection from one word to the next and from each spelling list to the next, spelling becomes much easier. Spelling finally makes sense!
Tactile-kinesthetic activities
In the spelling program, your child will get moving and learn by doing movement or touch learning abilities.
Your child will:
- Associate each sound to each letter combination using motor skills, directionality, and laterality skills
- Each spelling lesson involves all of the major pathways to the brain
- The tactile activities cement in the learning
- Write words or form words with letter cards while following along with the audio-video lessons
- Manipulate letter and word combinations playing our card games to reinforce spelling skills and vocabulary and increase learning retention, all while having fun
Visual activities
In this spelling program, your child will see and understand the structure of the English language.
Your child will:
- Visualize spelling patterns for each syllable
- See exactly how the spelling patterns work within words
- Learn techniques to see spelling words in your mind’s eye
- Group words into specific patterns and sound combinations
- Identify letter combinations with vowel patterns like /oo/ /au/ /ee/ /oa/ and more
- Develop visual tracking, visual figure-ground, and visual closure skills
What about learning disabilities, ADHD, and dyslexia?
Students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and dyslexia often struggle with spelling.
Our homeschool spelling program integrates research-proven multisensory learning with the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching spelling in a way that your child will finally understand. We accomplish this with a bite-sized activity-based approach. Our short activities ensure all children’s success. It's perfect for those with short attention spans or ADHD.
This program has been designed by learning disabilities expert and board-certified educational therapist Bonnie Terry, M.Ed., BCET. Bonnie has worked with children and adults of all abilities for over 30 years and has discovered the code for the best way to teach spelling. In addition to learning spelling, your children will also improve their overall auditory, visual, and tactile-kinesthetic processing skills to make overall learning easier.
Grade Level Specific Spelling Curriculum
Kindergarten Spelling Curriculum
Kindergartens enjoy these short, quick lessons while building their foundational spelling skills.
Program Overview
- Sound to letter mapping (the Alphabetic Principle)
- Phonograms
- Vowel pattern letter combinations
- Compound words
- Suffix rules
- Suffixes
- Silent and special letter combinations
- Study and word practice strategies
Some lessons also contain bonus words to help kindergarten students learn other basic words often seen in easy readers.
Lessons 1-4
- Learn the sound-symbol relationship
- Learn phonograms
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 5-8
- Vowel-Consonant-Silent E Pattern: Long vowel words
- Vowel + L Pattern: Words like bell, tall, and hill
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 9-12
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Review
- Vowel-Consonant-Silent E Pattern: Review
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern oo: Words like boot
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 13-16
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like car, bird, for
- Silent letter combination ck: Words like back, deck, kick
- Vowel + NG Pattern and Vowel + NK Pattern: Words like rang, sing, sink
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 17-20
- Vowel + W Pattern: Words like cow and slow
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Words like me, she, try
- Suffixes: s, es, ed, ing
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
1st-Grade Spelling Curriculum
First-grade students enjoy these short, quick lessons while rapidly building their spelling skills.
Program Overview
- Sound to letter mapping (the Alphabetic Principle)
- Phonograms
- Vowel pattern letter combinations
- Compound words
- Suffix rules
- Special letter combinations
- Study and word practice strategies
Lessons 1-4
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words
- Vowel Consonant Silent E Pattern: Long vowel words
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ee, ea, oa, and ai
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 5-8
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oo and ea
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like car, letter, first
- Vowel-Vowel + R Pattern: Words like floor and door
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 9-12
- Vowel + L Pattern Pattern: Words like fall and sold
- Vowel-Vowel + L Pattern: Words like tail and real
- One and two-syllable words with digraphs: th, ch, and sh
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Words like sky and open
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Review
- Vowel + R Pattern: Review
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 13-16
- Vowel + L Pattern: Review
- Vowel-Vowel + L Pattern: Review
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like simple and table
- Vowel + R Pattern: Review
- Silent letter combination ck: Words like brick and clock
- Vowel + NG Pattern and Vowel + NK Pattern: Words like spring and blink
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 17-20
- Vowel + W Pattern: Words like grew and town
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Review
- Suffixes: s, es, ed, ing
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
2nd-Grade Spelling Curriculum
Second-grade students will enjoy these short, quick lessons while rapidly building spelling skills.
Program Overview
- Sound to letter mapping (the Alphabetic Principle)
- Phonograms
- Vowel pattern letter combinations
- Compound words
- Suffix rules
- Silent and special letter combinations
- Study and word practice strategies
Lessons 1-4
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and blends
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and digraphs: th, sh, ch, wh
- Vowel-Consonant-Silent E Pattern: Long vowel words
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ee, ea, oa, and ai
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 5-8
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oo and ea
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like chart and teacher
- Vowel-Vowel + R Pattern: Words like poor and indoor
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 9-12
- Vowel + R Words: Words like short and smaller
- Vowel + L Pattern and Vowel-Vowel + L Pattern: Words like sell and deal
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Two-Syllable words like report and poem
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Review
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 13-16
- Vowel + L Pattern: Review
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Review
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like circle and title
- Vowel + NG Pattern and Vowel + NG Pattern: Words like string and honk
- Vowel + W Pattern: Words like straw and grew
- The Borrowers C and G: Words like cell and age
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 17-20
- Silent and Special Letter Combinations: gh=f, gh, kn, wr, ck
- Suffixes: s, es, ed, and ing, tion, sion
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
3rd-Grade Spelling Curriculum
Third graders quickly strengthen their spelling skills as they learn to spell effortlessly with spelling patterns.
Program Overview
- Sound to letter mapping (the Alphabetic Principle)
- Phonograms
- Vowel pattern letter combinations
- Compound words
- Suffix rules
- Silent and special letter combinations
- Study and word practice strategies
Lessons 1-4
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and blends
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and digraphs: th, sh, ch, wh
- Vowel-Consonant-Silent E Pattern
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ee, ea, oa, and ai
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 5-8
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oo, ou, ea, and ai
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like garden and catcher
- Vowel-Vowel + R Pattern: Words like indoors and trapdoor
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 9-12
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ai, ea, ei, ou, and oa
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like toaster and leader
- Vowel + L Pattern: Words like hallway and chapel
- Vowel-Vowel + L Pattern: Words like coastal and colorful
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Two-Syllable words like area and reflect
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 13-16
- Vowel + L Pattern: Review
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Review
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like capable and example
- Vowel + NG Pattern and Vowel + NK Pattern: Words like morning and thankful
- Vowel + W Pattern: Words like shadow and crawling
- The Borrowers C and G: Words like pencil and tragic
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 17-20
- Silent and Special Letter Combinations: gh=f, gh, kn, wr, ck
- Suffixes: s. es, ed, ing, tion, sion
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
4th-Grade Spelling Curriculum
Fourth graders quickly strengthen their spelling skills as they learn to spelling with spelling patterns.
Program Overview
- Sound to letter mapping (the Alphabetic Principle)
- Phonograms
- Vowel pattern letter combinations
- Compound words
- Suffix rules
- Silent and special letter combinations
- Study and word practice strategies
Lessons 1-4
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and blends
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and digraphs: th, sh, ch, wh
- Vowel-Consonant-Silent E Pattern
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ee, ea, oa, and ai
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 5-8
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oo, ou, ea, and ai
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like garden and catcher
- Vowel-Vowel + R Pattern: Words like indoors and trapdoor
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 9-12
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ai, ea, ei, ou, and oa
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like toaster and leader
- Vowel + L Pattern: Words like hallway and chapel
- Vowel-Vowel + L Pattern: Words like coastal and colorful
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Two-Syllable words like area and reflect
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 13-16
- Vowel + L Pattern: Review
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Review
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like capable and example
- Vowel + NG Pattern and Vowel + NK Pattern: Words like morning and thankful
- Vowel + W Pattern: Words like shadow and crawling
- The Borrowers C and G: Words like pencil and tragic
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 17-20
- Silent and Special Letter Combinations: gh=f, gh, kn, wr, ck
- Suffixes: s. es, ed, ing, tion, sion
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
5th-Grade Spelling Curriculum
Fifth graders strengthen their spelling skills as they learn the formula to spelling with spelling patterns.
Program Overview
- Sound to letter mapping (the Alphabetic Principle)
- Phonograms
- Vowel pattern letter combinations
- Compound words
- Suffix rules
- Silent and special letter combinations
- Study and word practice strategies
Lessons 1-4
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and blends
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and digraphs: th, sh, ch, wh
- Vowel-Consonant-Silent E Pattern
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ee, ea, oa, ai, ie
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 5-8
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oo, ou, ea, ie
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like garden and catcher
- Vowel-Vowel + R Pattern: Words like a doormat and outdoors
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 9-12
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ou, ea, and ei
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like interest and inventor
- Vowel + L Pattern: Words like calendar and shelter
- Vowel-Vowel + L Pattern: Words like double and essential
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Words like predict and remain
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like goggles and struggle
- Silent and Special Letter Combinations: gh, gh as f
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 13-16
- Vowel + NG Pattern and Vowel + NK Pattern: Words like fungus and spunky
- Vowel + W Pattern: Words like fellow and awkward
- The Borrowers C and G: Words like specific and register
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 17-20
- Silent and Special Letter Combinations: gh, ck kn, ph, wr
- Suffixes: ed, er, s, es, ing, tion, able
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
6th-Grade Spelling Curriculum
Sixth graders learn to accurately and confidently spell with spelling patterns.
Program Overview
- Sound to letter mapping (the Alphabetic Principle)
- Phonograms
- Vowel pattern letter combinations
- Compound words
- Suffix rules
- Silent and special letter combinations
- Study and word practice strategies
Lessons 1-4
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and blends
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and digraphs: th, sh, ch, wh
- Vowel-Consonant-Silent E Pattern
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ee, ea, oa, ai, ie
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 5-8
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oo, ou, ea, ie
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like garden and catcher
- Vowel-Vowel + R Pattern: Words like a doormat and outdoors
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 9-12
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ou, ea, and ei
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like interest and inventor
- Vowel + L Pattern: Words like calendar and shelter
- Vowel-Vowel + L Pattern: Words like double and essential
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Words like predict and remain
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like goggles and struggle
- Silent and Special Letter Combinations: gh, gh as f
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 13-16
- Vowel + NG Pattern and Vowel + NK Pattern: Words like fungus and spunky
- Vowel + W Pattern: Words like fellow and awkward
- The Borrowers C and G: Words like specific and register
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 17-20
- Silent and Special Letter Combinations: gh, ck kn, ph, wr
- Suffixes: ed, er, s, es, ing, tion, able
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
7th-Grade Spelling Curriculum
Seventh graders learn to accurately and confidently spell with spelling patterns.
Program Overview
- Sound to letter mapping (the Alphabetic Principle)
- Phonograms
- Vowel pattern letter combinations
- Compound words
- Suffix rules
- Special letter combinations
- Study and word practice strategies
Lessons 1-4
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and blends
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and digraphs: th, sh, ch, wh
- Vowel Consonant-Silent E Pattern
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ee, ea, oa, ai, and oo
- Vowel-Vowel + R Pattern: Words with oor
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 5-8
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oo, ou
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like ancestor and suburban
- Vowel + L Pattern: Multisyllable words like alternate and traveler
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like thimble and crumble
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 9-12
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oi, oa, ou
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Multisyllable words like bacteria and devoid
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Multisyllable words where y gives the long e sound
- Vowel + L Pattern: Multisyllable words like internally and individual
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like capable
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 13-16
- Vowel + NG Pattern and Vowel + NK Pattern: Words like breathing and hyperlink
- Vowel + W Pattern: Words like bylaws and sorrowful
- The Borrowers C and G: Words like democracy and legible
- Silent and Special Letter Combinations: kn, gh, ph, wr
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 17-20
- Suffixes: s, es, ed er, ies, ing, tion, sion, able
- Prefixes: sub, pro, and pre
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
8th-Grade Spelling Curriculum
Eighth graders learn to accurately and confidently spell with spelling patterns.
Program Overview
- Sound to letter mapping (the Alphabetic Principle)
- Phonograms
- Vowel pattern letter combinations
- Compound words
- Suffix rules
- Special letter combinations
- Study and word practice strategies
Lessons 1-4
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and blends
- Vowel-Consonant Pattern: Short vowel words and digraphs: th, sh, ch, wh
- Vowel Consonant-Silent E Pattern
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with ee, ea, oa, ai, and oo
- Vowel-Vowel + R Pattern: Words with oor
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 5-8
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oo, ou
- Vowel + R Pattern: Words like ancestor and suburban
- Vowel + L Pattern: Multisyllable words like alternate and traveler
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like thimble and crumble
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 9-12
- Vowel-Vowel Pattern: Words with oi, oa, ou
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Multisyllable words like bacteria and devoid
- Vowel-Accent Pattern: Multisyllable words where y gives the long e sound
- Vowel + L Pattern: Multisyllable words like internally and individual
- Consonant + LE Pattern: Words like capable
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 13-16
- Vowel + NG Pattern and Vowel + NK Pattern: Words like breathing and hyperlink
- Vowel + W Pattern: Words like bylaws and sorrowful
- The Borrowers C and G: Words like democracy and legible
- Silent and Special Letter Combinations: kn, gh, ph, wr
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
Lessons 17-20
- Suffixes: s, es, ed er, ies, ing, tion, sion, able
- Prefixes: sub, pro, and pre
- Puzzles and Application Lessons
