Testimonials
Melani Fuchs
Early Elementary Teacher, Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca
“Sallie Pure has designed a spelling program that fits the Montessori teacher's needs perfectly! I have used this spelling program for many years, and find that it saves teaching time, and helps me to deliver a comprehensive language program that parallels and supports the Montessori curriculum. The spelling rules are clearly presented within weekly word lists and the work for the week is written in a way that asks the children to complete a page a day. The lists are also presented as card material and used as manipulatives for sorting words based on specific patterns. The syllable types are stressed along with word study, grammar, alphabetizing, early editing, and much more! If you are looking for a comprehensive spelling program, this is it!”
Nancy Lovell
Reading Specialist, Ithaca City School District
“Working with Words spelling program is a systematic curriculum based upon Orton-Gillingham teaching progressions for teaching students the spelling patterns common in the English language. I am a reading specialist and have successfully used the teaching and student practice materials with students in general education classroom spelling instruction and as supplemental practice for students receiving Tier 2 reading and spelling instruction in small groups. The word cards used provide students with multisensory activities to reinforce the spelling patterns for each week. The student workbooks provide independent practice to be used throughout the week once the spelling pattern(s) have been introduced. Students are taught how to do the practice activities so that when they are asked to do different workbook activities with the current week’s words, they already know what to do. I especially appreciate that two-syllable words are included from early on. Learning syllable types is good for all students, but is particularly helpful for students who are dyslexic or benefit from knowing the rules about spelling. I would definitely recommend Working with Words as both a Tier 1 spelling program and a Tier 2 supplemental spelling program.”
Scott Daigler
(former) Director of Early Elementary Program at Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca
"Pure Learning’s writing and spelling workbook series Working with Words is the best I have used in my many years of teaching early elementary children! We have used the program for over ten years and we definitely see an improvement in the ability of our students to spell correctly and write. This program teaches the six basic syllable types in an easy and sequential progression using a multisensory approach. The word lists and word cards are easy for our students to access and use in their own everyday writing. The day by day format allows the children to work independently and successfully every day of the week. The program has provided a basis for the practice of spelling, writing and word study that is fun, sequential and works! I would recommend it for any early elementary program."
Dylan Schoch & Julie Wells
Second Grade Teachers, Caroline Elementary School
“Working with Words has been a valuable and engaging classroom resource for early emergent and emergent readers. Students use their workbooks to learn and reinforce their understanding of the letter-sound relationships, vowel patterns, and high-frequency words. Working with Words has also been an important tool for supporting reading interventions and establishing consistent and daily work routines!”
Elisa Jacobsen
Homeschooling Parent
“I have been using Working with Words with both my son and daughter and we really have been enjoying it. I appreciate how each day’s work is easily laid out, it is not an overwhelming amount of work, and there is a variety in what they do each day. They enjoy coming up with the sentences using the list words, and especially love the silly sentences. I am thankful for Working with Words and the progress I have seen with my children.”
Andrea Riddle
(Former) Principal/Founder, Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca
“I am very happy with the Working with Words program developed by Sallie Pure. It is a terrific addition to any Montessori 6-9 classroom. Sallie's work as a teacher at our school combined with her many years of expertise as a reading teacher led to her creating this carefully sequenced multisensory language/spelling curriculum. Working with Words offers excellent opportunities for the student to practice grammar symbolization as well as offers a series of lessons that develop the patterns needed for students to encode and decode independently. The use of the three learning modalities (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) benefits learners of all types. We have found as a staff that the acquisition of skills acquired from Working with Words is definitely more consistent from child to child with regard to mastery.”
Michele Johnson
Upper Elementary Teacher, Chemung Valley Montessori
“I like the Working with Words program because all of the different levels are learning the same strategies. In the classroom, there is a lot of good conversation around the words, which means that students who aren’t in the same spelling group can learn from each other.”