An Apple a day will help keep your spelling woes at bay! Apples is different than any other spelling program out there, taking into consideration the unique needs of poor spellers. Once a week your student is introduced to a spelling rule (called a clue). He will study that rule for the entire week, applying it in all kinds of spelling situations: puzzles, fill-in-th-blank, complete-the-Bible-verse, etc. Some of the clues break a word down into syllables. For example, your student will be taught that the syllable that sounds like "-shun" is usually spelled "-tion." (Exceptions are addressed as well.) Your student will then apply that rule over and over in many different ways: action, motion, redemption, caution, etc. Apples builds another important skill in poor spellers. A good speller can look at a word, and even if they aren't sure how to spell it, they know it doesn't "look" right. Apples introduces your student to this skill by teaching them to recognize misspelled words in sentences with carefully-controlled vocabulary and specific rules. Possibly for the first time in his life, your student will be taught to recognize when a word doesn't "look right" - and if your student is like mine, that's a skill he really needs! Everything you need is included – even a convenient answer key and a helps section. These daily drills will help your student memorize the spellings of common words in a low-stress, non-threatening, manner. By the end of the year with the help of daily Apples and Apples 2, I had seen dramatic improvement in my sons’ spelling skills. I realize spelling will always be a struggle for my boys (some people will never be good spellers), but I believe they finally have the tools to overcome this struggle. Apples 2 is easy to use (no more than 10 minutes a day), and comes complete with an answer key and a list of spelling exceptions and tips in the back of the book. There are no extensive lists or tests to further demoralize the poor speller - just application of spelling rules in an encouraging Scripture-sentence-or-puzzle.