The "SpellingYouSee" program from Demme Learning is a unique, research-based homeschool spelling curriculum with seven levels that follow the developmental stages of language development. Developed by Dr. Karen Holinga, this program allows students to develop spelling skills naturally and at their own pace with the direction and encouragement of the instructor. Relying upon visual memory that's built through repeated reading and repeated writing, students will learn spelling through short daily activities that integrate copywork, reading, speaking, and listening, rather than relying on rote memorization for weekly tests.

Spelling You See Level D: Americana is suggested for a student who is a proficient reader with gradually improving spelling skills (see the "Spelling You See Philosophy" link above for an explanation of each stage).

When determining placement, these are questions to ask:

• Can my student comfortably write an entire paragraph?

The following passage is taken from the previous level of Spelling You See and is written at the minimum reading level for Americana. Can your student read it without difficulty?

Seahorses are fish, but they are not like other fish. Seahorses swim upright. They have a curved neck. They do not have scales. Their fins are very small, so they swim poorly. A seahorse uses its tail to hold onto sea grasses. A group of seahorses is called a herd--just like a herd of horses!

Dictate the passage to your student and then answer the following questions:

• Was my student able to complete the dictation with relative ease?

• Was my student able to complete the dictation in 10 minutes or less?
• Did my student correctly spell at least eight of these words from the dictation passage: fish, like, other, swim, have, curved, neck, small, tail, group, herd, horses?
• If you answered "Yes" to all these questions, your child is ready to begin Americana.

  Americana will provide opportunities for students to study words in the context of stories about events and people in American history. Students will mark various letter patterns, copy passages, and practice writing the stories from dictation.

  This course relies upon teacher instruction and the (sold-separately) Americana Student Workbook Set cannot be completed without this instructor's handbook. It features the philosophy and overview for the program, frequently asked questions, short instructions that cover individual and multiple lessons, and a weekly activity guide. This is followed by passages for dictation. A line-listed, highlighted answer key is also provided.

  52 pages with glossary, softcover. 9.25" x 8".