Mastery in Spelling You See

How can I tell if my student is making progress or achieving mastery in Spelling You See?

Spelling You See does not include the traditional spelling lists and weekly tests that are the focus of many other spelling programs. It may seem tricky to know if your student is making progress without them, but keep in mind that performance on spelling tests does not always measure a student’s ability to spell accurately in independent work. Words memorized for a test may not make their way into long-term memory for future correct spelling.

As your student works through Spelling You See, look for increased accuracy and speed in completing a dictation passage. Record the number of words spelled correctly, regardless of whether they needed help with a word or not. Each student progresses through the developmental process at their own pace, so be patient and do not put pressure on your student. Eventually, you should see more accurate spelling in their other daily work. Dictation exercises should not be treated as tests. 

Regardless of how a student performs on the final dictation of the week, always move forward to a new passage the following week. Everyday words will show up over and over again as the student works through the lessons. 

If you are required or would like to keep a portfolio of your student’s work, pages may be removed from the workbooks at regular intervals and kept in a folder. You’ll find spaces in the Student Workbook pages where the number of words spelled correctly can be recorded.

Spelling proficiency takes time. Progress is not always obvious from day to day. Reviewing student work over a period of time should reassure you and your student that improvement is taking place.