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Teaching Phonics  

43 members have voted

  1. 1. If you had a chance to teach phonics to a 6 year old, which of the 3 would you use and why?

    • Phonics Pathways
    • Explode the Code
    • Victory Drill Books (with worksheets)
      0
    • (Other) Okay...you can choose OTHER, but please share your choice. :)


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I'd choose Spalding, of course. :-) Spalding is a complete English course: reading (both teaching the dc to read and literature analysis/comprehension), spelling, penmanship, capitalization and punctuation, simple writing.

 

However, of the other three, I would probably go with PhonicsPathways because it's a little more comprehensive. My second choice would be Victory Drill Book, my third would be ETC. You can't really go wrong with any of them, though.

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Phonics Pathways (and the accompanying pyramid books) are inexpensive, thorough, logical, require no prep time for each lesson and they are stunningly efficient. You can use them for spelling too if you like. 

Note* Some children are overwhelmed by the amount of text on the page, so feel free to use a blank sheet of paper to cover over text your child doesn't need to focus on if this is a problem.

 

We didn't do anything with worksheets-my goal is to get my kids reading real books as soon as possible. Graded readers are not real books.  With my older two I used real books and Ruth Beechick's Homestart in Reading pamphlet. With the youngest I used Phonics Pathways for the reasons listed above and because I was homeschooling 3 and helping take care of elderly dependent relatives. I needed something simple and effective.

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Of those 3 choices, Phonics Pathways.

 

I used WRTR with my oldest, and then Hooked on Phonics with my 2nd. I don't think HOP would've gone as well, however, if I hadn't had the previous Spalding experience.

 

My youngest child has special needs and may need a more intensive program like Barton or Wilson. I'm keeping an eye on her as she's still young. But that would be overkill for a typically developing child.

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Other. All About Reading. It is more upfront but resell is decent. It has hands on activities and scripted. We used Phonics Pathways and I loved it, till we hit a wall. I have enjoyed the scripting and advice on how to teach in the AAR. I felt PPs hands on activities didn't include word attack skills, syllable rules and basically left you on your own after the child learned short vowel sounds. The activities were a hit here.

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Of the three choices, I would choose Phonics Pathways. But I am using The Phonics Road with excellent results. I love that it is an all in one and I don't have to worry about piecing together my language arts. All About Reading and Logic of English Foundations look appealing also. My dd was a little ahead of their production schedules, though.

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None. They are all too dry and boring.

 

We used Memoria Press Kinder for Sons 3 and 4. BUT they had started reading on their own before we started. DD will use it again this fall.

 

My older two both knew how to read before homeschooling.

 

Mine also love the Primary Phonics Readers by EPS Books. A bit pricey but better if you buy the set. BOB books were labeled too dumb to live by my boys. DD thinks they are funny.

 

 

I have tried McRuffy K, AAR/AAS, LOE {too expensive}, Reading Lessons Through Literature, and OPGTR.

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I used Phonics Pathways with my daughter starting in about K and she likes it, it's efficient and I like the straight forward approach. We have started using the WRTR manual for her now too, to help with spelling and reading. It's great and she likes both actually so we use both. I use the WRTR for handwriting instruction as well.

 

ETA: It should be noted that when we pulled our son out of PS he was in the middle of second and had only been taught by sight how to read. It was painful bringing him home as I thought he would be taught phonics at school. Maybe I was clueless? I corresponded with Ellie (she's a lifesaver with Spalding techniques and using the WRTR) and we started about the mid year of third. WOW, what an improvement, he has been through the spelling lists, he reads better than he already did, he is more confident and now he does spelling through dictation and just corrects what he misspells. It works. I suppose when I see what good the program can do, I trust it. It's very thorough. My daughter was a little overwhelmed in the beginning so because I had Phonics Pathways, we did that to start. Now, she seems much more "ready" for Spalding, so that is why we are incorporating it now, she likes both.

 

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Phonics Pathways out of those choices (my oldest learned easily and efficiently with that book). My middle is a struggling reader and we've switched to All About Reading. I'm using it with the youngest too.

 

Good luck finding what works for you and yours.

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Of course, I can't help but giggle over the typo in the title. :laugh: "phoincs"

 

I found it endearing too because I'm a dyslexic typer but I don't switch letters when I write. My spell check doesn't work here at TWTM, but it does everywhere else. I could see myself doing exactly the same thing.

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Other. All About Reading. It is more upfront but resell is decent. It has hands on activities and scripted. We used Phonics Pathways and I loved it, till we hit a wall. I have enjoyed the scripting and advice on how to teach in the AAR. I felt PPs hands on activities didn't include word attack skills, syllable rules and basically left you on your own after the child learned short vowel sounds. The activities were a hit here.

 

I agree with Mandylubug.  We use PP (and halfway through with the book), but just realize that he's a kinesthetic learner, so looking into AAR, happy phonics or rocket phonics to supplement.  Really happy with PP. 

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I chose other. But of the three you offered, ETC is the only one I have any experience with. They are good workbooks, probably best combined with something else. I usually try not to rely on the workbooks (ETC, Plaid Phonics etc) as the only phonics resource. They can be helpful for handwriting/spelling type practice. 

 

OPGTR is my favorite of the primers.

 

Spalding (WRTR 4th Edition) is quickly becoming my favorite "method."  

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Those are great as well. MontessoriPrintShop has some inexpensive downloads for beginning phonics. I use the moveable alphabet quite often with other programs.

I've used some of what she has but I'm trained and taught in a Montessori school so I had some works already!

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PP

Because it is clear, simple and effective. Because it's inexpensive and I already own it.

We do some ETC books too, as supplement or reinforcement, when we are about 2/3 through PP.

We also use some activities from the Phonics Page website.

 

I know there are many other excellent phonics programs.

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