Finding a spelling program that actually “sticks” is one of the most common hurdles in homeschooling. You want something that isn’t just busywork but also doesn’t require a PhD in linguistics for the parent to teach. If you’ve spent any time in homeschool forums, you’ve probably heard of Soaring with Spelling and Vocabulary. It’s one of those programs that doesn’t scream for attention with bright colors or flashy apps, but it has carved out a loyal following for one simple reason: it works.
In this massive guide, we’re going to look at why this curriculum from JacKris Publishing is a go-to for so many families, how the levels break down from Grade 1 through Grade 8, and whether it’s actually worth your time and money in 2026.
Table of Contents
- What Exactly is Soaring With Spelling?
- The Core Philosophy: How It Works
- Detailed Breakdown of Levels (1–8)
- Soaring With Spelling vs. Other Popular Programs
- The Vocabulary Connection: More Than Just Letters
- Real Talk: Soaring With Spelling Reviews
- The Parent’s Role: How Much Work is This for You?
- FAQs: Everything You’re Asking
- Final Verdict: Is It Right for Your Student?
1. What Exactly is Soaring With Spelling?
At its heart, Soaring with Spelling is a workbook-based curriculum designed for students from Grade 1 through Grade 8. It’s built on the idea that consistency beats intensity. Instead of giving a child a list of 20 words on Monday and hoping they remember them by Friday, this program uses a daily, incremental approach that slowly builds confidence.
It is published by JacKris Publishing, a company that has made a name for itself by providing “no-fluff” materials. If you’ve used their other programs like Winning with Writing or Growing with Grammar, you already know the vibe: clean pages, clear instructions, and a very predictable routine. For many parents, this predictability is a lifesaver. You don’t have to spend Sunday night cutting out tiles or prepping complex lesson plans. You just open the book and go.
2. The Core Philosophy: How It Works
The program follows a strictly structured 36-week system. This is a dream for parents who like to open a planner in August and know exactly where they’ll be by mid-April. It’s designed to fit perfectly into a standard academic year, but because it’s homeschooling, you can obviously move at whatever pace your child needs.
Each week is broken down into daily “bite-sized” tasks that take most kids about 10 to 15 minutes to complete:
- Monday: The new list is introduced. Students see the words, say them, and write them. It’s about initial exposure.
- Tuesday – Thursday: This is where the heavy lifting happens. Students engage in various exercises—filling in the blanks, identifying correctly spelled versions of the word, and working on vocabulary definitions.
- Friday: The final test.
What really sets it apart is the Pre-test system. Many parents use the Monday list as a pre-test; if the child already knows the word, they can focus purely on the ones they missed during the week. It’s about working smarter, not harder. Interestingly, just like knowing how long does a game of golf take? helps you plan your weekend without stress, having this 36-week schedule helps you plan your entire academic year without any guesswork or “lesson-plan-anxiety.”
3. Detailed Breakdown of Levels (1–8)
The curriculum is divided into eight levels. While these generally correspond to grade levels, the beauty of homeschooling is that you can place your child wherever they actually sit academically. Here is a closer look at how the levels evolve as the student grows.
Soaring With Spelling Level 1 (The Foundation)
Level 1 is all about phonics and short, high-frequency words. It’s designed for the emerging reader who is just starting to understand that sounds relate to letters. You aren’t going to see “encyclopedia” here. Instead, it focuses on CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) patterns and basic blends like st, bl, and ch. It’s gentle, which is exactly what a six-year-old needs to build confidence without feeling overwhelmed.
Soaring With Spelling Level 3 (The Transition)
By the time a student reaches Soaring with Spelling Level 3, the training wheels start to come off. This level introduces more complex vowel teams (like oa, ea, ai) and begins to lean more heavily into the vocabulary side of the program. Students aren’t just memorizing how to spell “weather”; they are learning the difference between “weather” and “whether.” If your child finds they have a natural knack for this and is looking for more of a challenge beyond the workbook, you might even consider a Spelling Bee Tutor to supplement their competitive edge and take their skills to the next level.
Levels 4–8 (The Advanced Years)
As you move into the upper levels, the lists become more academic and sophisticated. You’ll start to see more Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes. By Level 8, the program is quite robust, preparing middle schoolers for the kind of high-level vocabulary they will encounter in high school literature, SAT prep, and standardized testing. It’s about building a lexicon, not just a spelling list.
4. Soaring With Spelling vs. Other Popular Programs
How does this program stack up against the “big names” in the homeschool world? Let’s take a look at how it compares to some of the heavy hitters.
| Feature | Soaring With Spelling | Spelling You See | All About Spelling |
| Primary Format | Workbook / Independent | Copywork / Guided | Letter Tiles / Multisensory |
| Parent Prep | Zero (Open & Go) | Minimal | High (Teacher-led) |
| Best For | Independent learners | Developing natural rhythm | Struggling spellers / Dyslexia |
| Focus | Spelling & Vocabulary | Visual memory | Phonics rules & Logic |
| Daily Time | 10–15 Minutes | 15–20 Minutes | 20–30 Minutes |
As you can see, Soaring with Spelling wins on the “Independence” and “Time” front. If you have multiple children to teach, being able to hand a workbook to one child while you work on math with another is a huge advantage.
5. The Vocabulary Connection: More Than Just Letters
You’ll notice the full name is Soaring with Spelling and Vocabulary. This isn’t just marketing fluff. A lot of spelling programs fail because they treat words like a string of random letters with no actual meaning. If a child doesn’t know what a word means, they are much less likely to remember how to spell it.
In this curriculum, students are required to use the words in context. They match words to definitions and use them to complete sentences. This “dual-threat” approach is great for efficiency. According to educational research often cited on Oxford Academic, integrating vocabulary with spelling significantly improves long-term literacy retention compared to isolated word lists. It helps the brain create “hooks” for the information, making it much harder to forget.
6. Real Talk: Soaring With Spelling Reviews
If you look at Soaring with Spelling reviews across homeschool forums like Reddit or The Well-Trained Mind, you’ll see a common theme: “It’s not exciting, but it gets the job done.”
The Pros:
- Independence: This is the program’s biggest selling point. After the first week of showing your child how it works, most kids from Grade 3 up can do this entirely on their own.
- Affordability: Compared to programs that require expensive teacher manuals, physical tiles, and app subscriptions, this is very budget-friendly.
- Consistency: The 36-week schedule keeps the school year on track and removes the “what should we do today?” stress.
- No Fluff: There are no “time-waster” games or activities that feel like filler. It’s direct and effective.
The Cons:
- Visual Appeal: The workbooks are black and white. For a child who needs bright colors, stickers, and cartoons to stay engaged, this might feel a bit dry or “boring.”
- Repetition: Some kids find the “Write it again” aspect tedious. If your child is a “natural speller” who gets a word right the first time every time, they might find the daily exercises a bit monotonous.
- Workbook Fatigue: If your whole curriculum is workbook-based, adding one more might be a struggle for a child who craves hands-on or kinesthetic learning.
7. The Parent’s Role: How Much Work is This for You?
Let’s be honest: one of the biggest factors in choosing a curriculum is how much of your time it takes. Some programs require you to sit with the child for 30 minutes every single day.
With Soaring with Spelling, your role is primarily as a facilitator and an evaluator. You’ll need to:
- Administer the Friday test (and maybe the Monday pre-test).
- Check their daily work (which takes about 2 minutes).
- Go over any words they are consistently missing.
That’s it. For a busy parent, especially one homeschooling multiple children or working from home, this “Open and Go” nature is worth its weight in gold.
8. FAQs: Everything You’re Asking
Q: Is it okay to skip levels?
Honestly, it depends. If your child is a strong reader but a weak speller, start at their grade level. If they struggle with reading too, don’t be afraid to drop back one level to build that phonics foundation. You can check resources like the Purdue Writing Lab for general spelling expectations by age group to help gauge where your child sits.
Q: Does it follow a specific phonics method?
It’s a traditional list-based approach, but the lists are grouped by phonetic patterns. It’s not as “rule-heavy” as something like All About Spelling, but it’s much more structured than just a random list of “grade-level” words.
Q: Can it be used for high school?
The program technically ends at Level 8. For high school, most families move toward a dedicated SAT/ACT vocabulary program or literature-based spelling where the student tracks their own “trouble words” from their writing assignments.
Q: Is this secular?
Yes. Soaring with Spelling is a completely secular program, making it a safe and popular choice for any homeschooling family, regardless of their background or beliefs.
9. Final Verdict: Is It Right for Your Student?
At the end of the day, Soaring with Spelling is the “blue-collar” worker of homeschool curriculums. It shows up every day, does the job, doesn’t make a scene, and gets consistent results.
If you have a child who thrives on routine and you, as a parent, are looking for a way to outsource a subject without spending a fortune or four hours at the kitchen table, this is a fantastic choice. It builds a solid bridge between simply knowing how to spell a word and actually understanding how to use it in a real-world sentence.
