I have used these books for the past few years for my first through third graders. I move them into Phonetic Zoo after that. I start book one in second grade and sometimes skip a book if one of my children has learned quickly. The amount of daily work is perfect and my children consistently do well on their weekly tests. Their CAT scores in spelling have been above grade level and they seem to retain the information. The only con for me is that the pages fall out easily but I'm using a system where I tear out the pages anyway. This is a great, easy, no prep spelling curriculum for myself and the kids!

This book is just what we needed to build spelling skills for my DD. The gentle approach is very refreshing and not intimidating. I would recommend this product to anyone wanting to improve spelling and build their skills.

I do like this program, but 20 spelling words seem like too much. I did ten instead.

My 6 year old son is having great success with this program. The words are just at the right level for him. Although he at first balked at the *idea* of writing out each word twice or copying the sentences, he was *able* to do the copying very well. Now, 9 weeks into the program, he no longer balks and is very proud of all he is learning. In short, we find the work to be spot on for first grade in the level of difficulty in both the spelling words and the writing output required.

As a side note, we also use Adventures in Phonics B from CLP. The two programs complement each other well.

I originally researched and purchased an all-in-one spelling/writing/reading program not sold on this site. The other program had received great reviews for its thoroughness of instruction - but was also known for being harder for homeschool mom/ teacher to implement. I decided I was up to the challenge - and boy what a challenge it was! It was a challenge for me (mom) to do all of my homework before I could begin to teach - and it was boring and repetitive for my son. Therefore, under the former program, spelling did not get done as much as I would like.

I finally decided to "throw in the towel" with the other program and search around. I'm so glad I did. I found Building Spelling Skills - which got good reviews on Cathy Duffy's site - and decided to take a chance. This program is so easy for me (mom) to implement because it is basically a self-guided program. And my son enjoys the variety of challenges in the workbook.

The sequence and progression of the workbook is a logical progression based on phonics, and each word list ties together with a common theme making the lesson more interesting for the student. There is enough variety of types of lessons to keep my son entertained. Some work is done directly in the workbook; for some, you will need your own lined paper.

Th previous program we used also had 20 words per list, so I did not think this is an unreasonable number. Feel free to move faster or slower through the program if necessary. As with ALL homeschool curriculum - teach to the child - not to the curriculum. We've actually been moving more quickly than what the curriculum recommends through the first half of the book since we had a bit of basis from the other program. We're only doing about 2-3 lessons for each unit instead of all 5 and we're able to get through a list every 3-4 days. But I plan to slow down and adjust when needed.

Overall - great spelling program - easy to implement - and won't break the bank.