Has anyone used Johnny Can Spell in your classroom? I have an elementary resource class and several of our teachers have recommended this program to me.
Re: Johnny Can Spell -- Johnny Can Write
I don’t know the particular programs, but just in general I react to such recommendations with great caution.
Do the teachers recommending it work with special ed kids?
Are they teachers with long experience?
Are they teachers with long *successful* experience, ie are the kids coming out of their classes more than a year advanced on what they came in with?
Are they successful with kids who have difficulties, and not just the easy kids who do everything independently anyway?
Lots of teachers recommend programs they like because these are happy-happy programs. Maybe full of all kinds of cuteness, maybe full of fun activities that have little to do with learning the topic, maybe full of quick tricks that make kids appear to have skills they really don’t. They like the happy-happy; whether the kids actualy learn the skill is a totally different question.
If you want recommendations from a teacher, go to the elderly dragon-lady, the one who makes everyone including the principal shake in their boots with just a look, the one whose students consistently ace every test and also have time to win the choral singing and art prizes. She’ll probably recommend something not flashy, maybe even dull in appearance, requiring some time and work but with proven results.
Re: Johnny Can Spell -- Johnny Can Write
Victoria is just so right on about this. The programs that really work in reading such as Orton Gillingham and Lindamood Bell are just the toughest reading programs there are. I think the toughest spelling programs are good as well. I make a certain exception to Louisa Moats “Spellography” (4th grade level). The thing you need to watch for is that spelling is NOT a group of unrelated words that the kids memorize, but a group of words following rules where the kids learn the rule(s).
If I had a kid with math or reading problems and lived where she lived in Canada (and wasn’t a tutor myself)— all a bunch of neat ifs, but I would definitely sign them up with her. I would know that they might not be having the best time on the block but they would be learning something.
I tell parents (and kids) right off that this is hard work, that is not mostly fun. Maybe I scare some people away but I think it’s honesty in advertising. :-}
—des
Re: Johnny Can Spell -- Johnny Can Write
[quote:bb6bb8230e=”andra”]Has anyone used Johnny Can Spell in your classroom? I have an elementary resource class and several of our teachers have recommended this program to me.[/quote]
Check it out at http://www.nine-enterprises.com and visit their phonogram site at http://phonogrampage.com
Re: Johnny Can Spell -- Johnny Can Write
I looked at the nine-enterprises website in some depth.
There is a *lot* of good stuff in here. I would be happy to see a classroom implementing this program.
A couple of comments:
This program introduces a *lot *of material at a fairly fast pace. **IF** the program is properly implemented as written and given enough time in the classroom, most students will be able to do most of the work. But it would also be possible to go a little more slowly than suggested and still do a good and thorough job.
This program is paper-and-pencil based. The good part of that is that it is both inexpensive and easy to implement, no problems of constantly buying and copying materials. The two problems are that it is also easy to NOT implement, ie to appear to be doing the program but not to teach the material as planned (this happens to good programs in far too many classrooms); and that if you have a student with weaker handwriting than reading (for example myself and my daughter) the student can be either held back or left out.
The program (clearly stated in the explanations) does NOT have a reading text component or a creative writing component; it *must* be paralleled with a good reading program, and some creative writing either from the reading program or a separate plan.
So, generally a very good program and not to be afraid of — the sample materials may look confusing on the website but presented in order they would make very good sense.
However it might be a good idea to be flexible about speed — start slowly and build up. And for the student with coordination difficulties, *do* teach the writing but consider limiting the quantity in the early levels.
Don’t know that program, but if your looking for a good spelling program designed for students with dyslexia and/or LD, try Looking Glass Spelling. You can see a sample on my website www.gwhizresources.com
Fern