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Help! Reading comprehension skills need improvement


Guest beautifuljourney
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Guest beautifuljourney

Hi,

We have been homeschooling using a mostly read and narrate approach to comprehension, but due to a long illness, a move, and other circumstances the past couple of years I have not been able to do as much reading with my kids. :sad: I am now realizing they are quite behind in their language/reading skills. I have been considering doing a more workbook approach just because I feel they need some intensified lessons to hopefully catch them up. We will continue to read as a family and narrate as much as possible, but I am looking for recommendations for something they could work on independently every day. I wish I had done this two years ago when life became crazy.  :cursing: I feel terrible. 

Anyway, I am leaning toward CLE or Monarch reading and language arts. Is this a good idea? Will it help? Any other suggestions?  :confused1:

 

My kids are 13, 11, and 9. My 11 year old is at least two grade levels behind in reading. I use All About Reading with the younger two so I don't need anything that teaches reading, just something to improve comprehension and thinking skills.

 

I am driving myself crazy looking at different choices. I have even considered dropping all of my WTM pieced-together-curriculum and going to an all in one program.

 

Thanks for your help.

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If they are reading below 12th grade level, my phonics lessons will help with that. Online they could do themselves, they include work with the Book of Romans. Written lessons can be used in a secular manner. You have to teach it, but also can have quick efficient progress because you just spend time on things then need work on, so you can get several grade levels of improvement after 10 to 20 hours worth of work.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/WellTaughtPhonicsStudent.html

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I think CLE is a great choice except that the stories may be a bit dry. Also keep in mind that the Gr. 1 and 2 are VERY phonics heavy. We are using BJU reading this year and it's been the surprise hit of the year. We're using gr. 2 and 4 which I think are appropriately on grade level though an advanced student could work a year ahead. The good thing about it is that there are a lot of extension activities and explanation of literary devices and real analysis of the stories. The downside would be that it's much more teacher intensive than CLE - however if you can afford the video instruction, it's great. I have always had my dc's working in Lit guides. BJU reading was a real afterthought that I came to because I needed to free myself up a bit (we're using the videos.) Anyway my dc's ended up really loving it.

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The 1879 McGuffey readers are also good, they have difficult words marked for pronunciation, and starting with the 3rd reader or maybe the 4th, difficult words also have definitions to help build up vocabulary. The 4th reader on has comprehension questions. One or two passages a day can do a lot of good without adding a lot of time. They are free to bride online at Gutenburg Press, you want the PDF version to see the markings. If you like them, I would buy the set or the books you need, it is handy to have to actual books.

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