My dd is 2nd grade and will be 8 in January. I feel bad but she doesn't read all that well. Her fluency is poor. And she is constantly asking me how to spell words. I mean simple words like make. She spelled it "mack". What is sad is that she feels bad about it. Her brother reads at above level. (4th grade.) She has other hs friends who read chapter books. Btw, I don't point this out to her. She notices it and tells me. I feel that I have failed her. This past year was a very stressful year due to family illness. Now that things are settled, I really want to focus on her reading. I am my wit's end. I don't want to push her. But I don't want her to feel bad about herself. I would like to help her to read better. She's a darling little girl. I don't want her to have a low self-esteem. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!

I tried it with both of my kids and neither of them took to it. I admit that I didn't go all the way through with the book. I ended up teaching phonics with both of my children and that worked better for them.

Wanted to add that I love it!

Mallory, those are great ideas! Thank you! :)

OK, here I am about ready to start our new school year in 2 weeks. And I am getting a little nervous here. :confused: I will have be having a ds 4th grader and a 2nd grader dd. My dd still isn't quite reading at her level. So, obviously she will need some hand holding. OK, this is what I plan on doing: Lang. Arts - grammar, spelling, reading with a "school" textbook. Just feels more confident for me. Plus lots of book reading, including read a louds. Write Source for writing MUS for math History using lots of biographies for both of them. Map SKills. Still figuring this all out. Different topics for Science, including health HWOT printing for 2nd grader, 4th grader cursive book Typing - not sure for 2nd grader, but def. 4th grader. Perhaps using something free online. Not sure yet. Arts and Crafts - I didn't do much last year. I really want to work on this area. Cooking, sewing for dd. OK, so how do I schedule all of this? :001_huh: Including my housecleaning, cooking, etc. :lol: Thanks!!!

Bump

My dd loves Dr. Seuss as well. When she first started reading, she like the BOB books. But then not long after said that they were too "babyish". :lol: Never mind that she was still in kindy. :D

I am changing some things around with my curriculum. I don't have anything for spelling for my kids. They are boy - 3rd grade. And girl - 1st grade. Also, we already used level 1 of AAS. It's OK, but not a great fit for us. Thanks! :)

We also use the Home Science. My kids are thrilled when I take out the box. They don't want science to end. It's very hands on. Which is great for my kids.

I just found out about this program today. Is it necessary to buy the whole set? I was wondering if the book is enough? It would be for ds 8 and dd 6. Thanks! :001_smile:

Wow! Everybody has been so helpful. You all have given me a lot to think about. What great ideas and very specific answers. Believe me, it is so appreciated! Thank you!!! :)

I am stressing myself out here. :confused: I just can't figure out how to make my ds' lang. arts program. So far, I've used MCP Word Study and Easy Grammar. For some reason, EG is just not sitting well with me. I don't feel it's challenging enough. Too much repetition. So I ditched EG and Word Study a few weeks ago and have been trying Shurley English. I think that I like it. Of course, now my ds is complaining because there is too much writing involved! He's almost 9, so I don't want to listen entirely to what he says. :lol: At the same time, it's very teacher intensive. I'm also using the IEW program for writing. Love, love, love it! Even my ds is fine with it. I am thiking of getting Spelling Workout for him. I don't have a good literature program that I'm using either. The other thing that compounds all of this is that I have a 1st grade dd. So a lot of my time is spent helping her learn to read. What do you all use? I need it to be secular. Please help me! I am just really driving myself crazy here. :confused::confused:

OK, my 8 year old ds is the same way. I'm constantly saying, focus, focus! :glare: :) He looks at my dd's math and tries to help her. Never mind that I'm right there helping her! Finally today he realized after he really put forth effort to focus, he could be done faster with his work if he focused. Umm...isn't that what my dh and I have been telling him all along? :001_huh: One day I'm sure my ds and yours will grow up. And like another poster said, I also laugh at his antics! :)

I say HWOT! My ds used it and has very nice writing. Let us know what you get! :)

Thank you all for your great responses! I so appreciate all of the help. I am definitely going to use the ideas here. I'm ready to make the switch and am very excited! :)

My dd just began first grade this week. I had been using Saxon Phonics with her last year. We started the first grade level last spring and did some over the summer. I'm not sure that I like it for 1st grade. Even my dd groans when I take it out. Of course, I know that children do complain. But she doesn't even complain about math the way she does with Saxon. Plus she doesn't like the readers. She says that they don't make any sense. She can read them, but they really aren't stories to her. Honestly, to me they don't have any rhyme or reason. I do like the sight word cards and the cards they have for the sounds. I'm thinking of doing Phonics Pathways with her. I already have the book. If I do use it, how do I go about using it with my dd? What kind of workbooks should I do along with it? Or should I just forget it and stick with Saxon? Any advice and help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I didn't laminate the books.