vaquitita Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 This blog has some good ideas on using McGuffey readers.http://largefamilymothering.com/category/homeschooling-re-education/page/4/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 This blog has some good ideas on using McGuffey readers.http://largefamilymothering.com/category/homeschooling-re-education/page/4/ I need to search around on my thumbdrives. I have some of this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 This blog has some good ideas on using McGuffey readers.http://largefamilymothering.com/category/homeschooling-re-education/page/4/ Whoops. That was the wrong link. This is what I was trying to link, hopefully it works this time. http://largefamilymothering.com/2014/07/30/six-ways-to-plan-a-simple-excellent-and-affordable-curriculum-language-arts-part-4/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) Nm Edited December 12, 2015 by vaquitita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I do know I purchased some stuff from largemothering. The free stuff looks updated and good. Some 4 year olds are driven to read. I finally taught myself to read at 4, literally risking getting hit to pry just enough information out of adults to figure most of it out for myself. I memorized the words they did read to me and learned to decode backwards. I would never not help a child to read. I couldn't do that after remembering how desperate I was. My oldest didn't learn to read until 8. I have no idea when my 2E youngest learned to read. I think he might have been reading novels before he was fully speaking in sentences; at least he was staring at adult novels for HOURS right side up and turning the pages at what seemed appropriate intervals, but I had only heard complete sentences from him once when he was cursing at a cousin. Kids read at different ages. They just do. Vaquitita, that looks good. Try it. Then adapt to YOUR kids. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Good that they are already doing Spalding cursive. That is one less thing to have to change. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Try it. Then adapt to YOUR kids. I can't like this enough. 😄 Must. Remember. This. And not forget it in the haze of day to day. Lol. It is one thing that I am looking forward to about simplifying, being able to focus on teaching MY kids. I know I get distracted by too much curriculum and choices. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) Nm Edited December 12, 2015 by vaquitita 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 That is my starting plan for 7&4 yo. Though I will need to assess where to start them in mcguffey once they each finish their current AAR level. Though I'm tempted to switch my 4yo immediately. He's only just started AAR. He loves ziggy, but it's more the supplement games, not the lessons. I can just play those with him anyway. The teaching order is so different, common words taught vs. phonetically controlled that placing my DD will be harder. Eta: I think I'll start her in the first reader. It'll be easy at first, but right away I see phonograms not covered in AAR till level 3. I guess another option would be to finish out AAR with DD, she will finish before we need to withdraw from the charter. And just switch to mcguffey for teaching the younger boys. Otoh, I've been tweaking AAR to fit her better and it looks a lot like what I'm talking about doing, minus the writing. Lol. For 9yo... He's a different story. He reads well. My focus with him is spelling. Well, and reading aloud because that got dropped and I know he is reading stuff he has no idea how to say. Though not too bad, we did go over the quick websters syllablery lessons at the beginning of this year. And he was a good age for it, it was mildly interesting to him. He said things like oh that's why you pronounce it that way. While I am fine with LLATL spelling, he will not have been doing writing all along like someone who's been using it from the beginning. His spelling has improved in the last year or two, with no spelling instruction just copious reading. But I still feel like spelling/writing needs to be focused on. I'm not sure whether to use mcguffey for some spelling copywork, to start an RB or WRTR spellng notebook with him or what. He has been semi interested by the silent E book he has been making this year as part of AAS, so maybe a spelling notebook would be good. And skip mcguffey, because he'll be doing LLATL? But then where do I get words to cover with him? I guess it could be the LLATL word lists plus anything he spells wrong in his own writing. Which, with the writing assignments in LLATL, I can pick misspelled words from there. That might be much simpler. Using mcguffey for everything sounds great, but LLATL is more open and go for me. I may just use mcguffey as strictly for read aloud practice. Oh and extra copywork when needed. I need to make a WRTR spelling notebook myself. And then plan a modified one for him. I don't think I can help. This is what I do. I wallow in a few too many things and :willy_nilly: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 (edited) I don't think I can help. This is what I do. I wallow in a few too many things and :willy_nilly:Lol! :willy_nilly: I think I'm going to start with the simplest plan, and adjust later as necessary. LLATL does have them writing every day. Edited December 12, 2015 by vaquitita 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 When I have used McGuffey's, I have tended to go excruciatingly slowly with the primer and first reader, using them for phonics/spelling; and then quickly amped things up with the later levels using them for reading/vocabulary. Then other times I don't use them at all. It just all depends on the big picture of what ELSE I am doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 (edited) I have had the chance to actually look at LLATL manuals myself. I like them. Orange looks like a good fit for my oldest. I'm hoping the variety will help him enjoy it. And the all in one ness of it is so nice, after all the random bits and pieces I'm always either over scheduling or letting slip through the cracks. I am really excited to use this next year. Edited December 12, 2015 by vaquitita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 California We are in the same state and I just read this in the local papers. "Vaccine exemption: California SB277 opponents vow to pull kids from school if bill passes" http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_27907241/vaccine-exemption-california-sb-277-opponents-vow-pull From the link " If the bill passes, they pledge to yank their children out of public and private schools, and home-school them, something they believe will deprive both the state and private school systems of money for every student enrolled." My school district would be happy though, they aren't under state funding so less kids equal less expense. Make use of Link+/ILL and Overdrive. I have gotten books I needed for my kids literature from libraries as far north as Chico, Sacramento and as far south as San Diego. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Sometimes I just used something by Blumenfeld (How to Tutor or Alpha-Phonics) or WRTR 4th before starting Yellow or Orange. I don't like to overdo phonics. Phonics is MY hobby, but I try not it INFLICT more phonics on the student than they they need to READ, unless they have shown a interest in learning phonics for the sake of learning PHONICS. I'm not sure if that makes sense. Many homeschoolers are on a phonics kick. right now, that doesn't increase student performance. Just because a curriculum is teaching US stuff WE don't know, doesn't mean it's stuff a 6-8 year old needs to know. Sometimes we are stuffing their little heads with so much stuff, they can't focus on the best of the best. A simple phonics program and some real books might be all you need before starting LLATL at Orange. If you own the TMs for Red and Yellow, you can just glance at them to see what needs to be covered alongside your simple phonics and real books, before starting Orange. Really Orange can be started with no prep, but it's easier to have a LITTLE grammar before starting orange. Alpha-Phonics REVISED makes a perfect intro to LLATL. It even looks right when placed in a pile of LLATL TMs, as it's the same size and color as Red. PM me if you want to talk about your A-P options. ;) I just didn't want to bring it up earlier for fear of distracting and overwhelming you when it sounded like you already knew what you wanted to do. You can go from A-P (with or without using some grammar bits from the RED TM) straight to Yellow. Don Potter created phonograms for Alpha-Phonics revised, but they are NOT needed to teach A-P. http://www.donpotter.net/pdf/alpha-phonics_phonograms.pdf Weekly lesson plans and spelling lists http://www.donpotter.net/pdf/alpha-phonicslessonplans.pdf And some stories http://www.donpotter.net/pdf/blumenfeld-first-readerssta.pdf He has more supplement here, but none that I think you would want. http://www.donpotter.net/reading_clinic.html 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 (edited) I don't like to overdo phonics. Phonics is MY hobby, but I try not it INFLICT more phonics on the student than they they need to READ, unless they have shown a interest in learning phonics for the sake of learning PHONICS. I'm not sure if that makes sense.. Yes it does. My focus has not been on teaching my 4yo, I've just told him enough phonics as he goes along to read what he's trying to read right then. And it sticks. And he keeps thinking reading is fun because all I do is tell him the minimum that he needs to know for that word. Thinking back, I guess that's basically what I did with my oldest too, after the he passed the learning to sound out stage. Why didn't I do this with DD? Because I panicked when she was so uninterested in letters and so 'late' to begin reading. Edited December 12, 2015 by vaquitita 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Yes it does. My focus has not been on teaching my 4yo, I've just told him enough phonics as he goes along to read what he's trying to read right then. And it sticks. And he keeps thinking reading is fun because all I do is tell him the minimum that he needs to know for that word. Thinking back, I guess that's basically what I did with my oldest too, after the he passed the learning to sound out stage. Why didn't I do this with DD? Because I panicked when she was so uninterested in letters and so 'late' to begin reading. Right now I do feel :willy_nilly: I need to think of these two kids separately. They are in such different places, I may need to go two different routes with them. 7yo options: 1- finish up AAR 3&4. It does seem like a lot of money, even if it's not my money, to spend when I'm skipping a good chunk of the program. Maybe I could get just the TM and readers. 2- use LLATL red next year and spend lots of time reading. I think I will go over the TM again and really imagine teaching it to this child. 4yo options: For this kid I need just phonics. 1- use AAR. Again expensive for how I'd use it, but I already have 1&2 and he does like it. 2- use mcguffey 3- use alpha phonics 4- just keep going how he started. Having him read books and teaching him phonics as they come up in his books. :grouphug: I tend to pick the choice with the least pieces. I get lost with too many pieces. Even if the curriculum is "better" I don't teach it better, when I'm juggling, especially if I'm juggling pieces. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 I totally agree. The less pieces the better! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMWB Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Would you have unlimited internet at home (not as a part of the budget)? I find it hard to answer because the options are different if you do have unlimited internet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 (edited) Nm Edited December 12, 2015 by vaquitita 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 The original original was Red, Yellow, Tan, and Gray. Green, Purple, and Orange all started getting more complicated and even the first four got rewritten with new printings, so check dates published and the printing number. The old series is very very Beechick and actually gives Beechick page numbers to read. An entire week's lessons are usually on a 2 page spread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Following Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Although I certainly hope that SB277 doesn't pass, there are many other good reasons why ditching the charter may turn out to be a positive change for your family. It must be very scary for you if a $2,000 stipend that covers the latest edition of LLATL @ $70-$100 is all you have ever known and your "new normal" is a 15+ year old comb bound used copy for $3.49, but as you have already seen with your own eyes, this is an upgrade for your dd. Best wishes for this new chapter of your homeschooling journey and your new freedom to discover more treasures and make your own decisions about what is right for your kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 (edited) I stumbled across teach a child to read with children's books... I can't say I agree with everything in it, but I feel like the basic premise is good. Eta: here's a review of the book by Ruth beechick http://creation.com/teach-a-child-to-read-with-childrens-books Edited December 12, 2015 by vaquitita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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