elah Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 I have a newbie question here. My first grader is flying through her 1st grade phonics and will actually be done with it in about two more weeks. Do I just buy the next level (2nd grade) and keep going? We are not even done with the 1st quart of the school year! I really did have this planned to take the whole year but she loves it and has decided to do a whole weeks worth of lessons each day so that she can read the fun story at the end of each week's worth of lessons and earn a star each day instead of each week. She is on target or slightly ahead in every other subject. Having fun and it is not taking all day either. Thanks for your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyGirl Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Yes, just move to the next book. This is the beauty of homeschooling. You can meet your child where they are at for each subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Absolutely! Just move to the next level!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Occasionally you want to pause, let the information sink in, do something to deepen understanding. But for phonics, just move on. Good for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Yes, if she is hungry for it, give it to her. When she is ready for a break, take one. I find my kids get really into one subject for a while, then want to give it a rest and do something else, then later come back to it. It's absolutely ok to follow he lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 My son ate up grammar for a year or so. He flew through them the way you are describing. It really helped him out in the long run. One day he just stopped doing the whole week in a day and was ready to go back to a normal pace. So we did. Be ready for when it stops, but if she is excited something is going really well! Good job Mom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Absolutely you can just move on to the next book. Progress isn't always linear or equal in all subjects, so you don't have to relabel her grade or try to match the progress in other subjects. When she has gone through all the learn to read instruction you can follow with lots of easy to read books to refine skills, introduce new words and build speed and stamina. For that level Cynthia Rylent, Arnold Lobel and DK level 3 & 4 readers were popular with my kids. They'd read a chapter a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Definitely! Our books don't line up with our school year. We start a new level at various times throughout the year. It's no big deal. I still label my kids their age based grade, but they work at whatever level they need in each subject. That's exactly why I started homeschooling to begin with - so my oldest son could zoom ahead in reading and math and take a little more time in writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 For phonics, I would definitely move on to the next book. With other subjects, flying through a book in a few months can be a sign that you need a more rigorous program (math is one I'd say this about), but there's not anywhere "deeper" you can go with phonics. I had a kid who started the Hooked on Phonics K-2 kit in August and was finished with the whole thing and fluently reading "Frog and Toad" type books by November. At that point I switched him to All About Spelling 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Yes, get the next level and dive in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 With phonics yes. The beauty of this is that you can slow WAY down if she gets stuck. With other subjects, I don't necessarily advise that, but yes for phonics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 I agree with the above. The one caveat I have is to not get trapped into a view that "This is how it is going to be" and expect to always go through multiple levels in a single year. Sometimes, a quick start simply means you have time for a more leisurely pace later. That's especially true in reading, where a book can look very different at 11 than at 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Certainly, get the next level. Another option if you don't want to buy 2 or more phonics levels in a year is that by the time a child can read at end of first grade level, you could just switch her to library books for reading development and a phonics-based spelling program. My daughter jumped from 1st grade level reading to 3rd in a few months, then up to 5th grade level a few months later - four grade levels in one calendar year. I'm so glad I didn't try to buy curriculum for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 I have a newbie question here. My first grader is flying through her 1st grade phonics and will actually be done with it in about two more weeks. Do I just buy the next level (2nd grade) and keep going? We are not even done with the 1st quart of the school year! I really did have this planned to take the whole year but she loves it and has decided to do a whole weeks worth of lessons each day so that she can read the fun story at the end of each week's worth of lessons and earn a star each day instead of each week. She is on target or slightly ahead in every other subject. Having fun and it is not taking all day either. Thanks for your input! Wow! I have to ask what pbonics book is she liking? I want to see if it'll work for my kids as well. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elah Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 Thanks for all the great feedback! I really appreciate it. JMcElrath, I'm using Hooked on Phonics. She loves it b/c of the DVDs and stickers. If I would let her she would spend the whole day just doing phonics. And she really does get it. I'm blown away with what she can now read without any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbernt Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 I agree with pretty much everyone here--go ahead with the next level, and the next, etc. since it's phonics. Off the top of my head, the only thing I can forsee that might happen is that the successive books might not quite "fit" her as well since they're likely written at a higher interest level, even though they fit her at her academic level. But who knows, this may not be the case. If that situation does pop up, just find another program. It's been good for my girls to sometimes do a subject twice from two different authors/programs, since the content varies a little, and the scope can too, so it's a very enriched way to learn! Good job! Many would like to be in your shoes :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Yes.....I'm green with envy! Huh, hooked on phonics. Who would of known? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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