My 5.5 year old is doing his kinder year right now, we are LOVING Rightstart Math, I highly recommend it! Even though level A is pretty basic it's a wonderful foundation and I'm impressed with how far we've come so far! For reading I have just used Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and then as he is reading more and more we just practice reading real books! Dr Seuss, the leveled books from the library, etc. The Bob books weren't as great of a phonetic progression as I expected going in, they felt frustrating at times, so we did some Explode the Code workbooks and then just read a ton of real books! For first grade I'm planning to start FLL/WWE as someone mentioned above but I decided to wait til then because it's more important to me that my son love learning than that he advance quickly-since I'M the one most excited by all these decisions! ;) We're also using a humanities program called Tapestry of Grace (they have a K-1st level called Primer) that we are LOVING! We are diving in to learning the big picture of history and geography and it's my son's favorite part of school every day! I can't recommend it enough!

My oldest has learned to read! Yay!!!!! We are nearing the end of OPGTR and I'm wondering what we should do next. Is it enough to practice fluency by just READING real books after we finish working through that book? Is there higher level phonics instruction? I see multiple levels of programs like AAR and stuff and just wonder what is being learned for so many years. My son is working through easy chapter books and is so interested he's just teaching himself faster than anything I'm giving him. What have other people done after finishing the OPGTR? I'm not trying to complicate things, basically just wondering if I'm doing him a disservice if I don't pick up another phonics program? I am planning to start FLL and am looking at writing options, just asking specifically about phonics. Thanks!

I am using TOG Primer this year, though I'm just starting, I've read up on it a lot and just want to address your question. You mentioned the large amounts of reading. I think what you're looking at is the week plan, so you definitely wouldn't be reading all of it in one day, and you could absolutely trim and summarize the reading assignments. I think the whole point of the primer program specifically is just a very broad exposure, so I think it would be fine for her not to retain much and I think she might enjoy the varied topics. I'd consider stretching it over two years instead of all in one if you decided to go with it. She will pick up language quickly no matter what program you choose. Good luck! :)

I really like it! I'm a former kindergarten teacher but I taught bilingual, so this has been my first time to teach a child to read in English! I used magnet letters and a cookie sheet to form the words, then showed the sentences on the page while covering up the other text with a bookmark or other paper. I like that it's simple and it progresses very clearly. Some other programs I looked at made huge leaps that don't make sense with beginning phonics knowledge. I don't read the script verbatim but I like that it's an option!

I really like it! I'm a former kindergarten teacher but I taught bilingual, so this has been my first time to teach a child to read in English! I used magnet letters and a cookie sheet to form the words, then showed the sentences on the page while covering up the other text with a bookmark or other paper. I like that it's simple and it progresses very clearly. Some other programs I looked at made huge leaps that don't make sense with beginning phonics knowledge. I don't read the script verbatim but I like that it's an option!

I just bought primer, I've been excited about ToG for a while! I'm seeing on this thread the Loose Threads group, do I have to join yahoo to participate? Not sure how the yahoo groups work. I'm on the facebook primer one-yay! Edited: I figured it out, I was looking in the wrong place! Just needed to email the "subscribe" address!

I'm working through OPGTR w my 4.5 year old, he's blending simple words well and we're just beginning consonant blends. How do I find easy readers he'll be able to sound out? The "beginning readers" at the library include LOTS more sight words and trickier words than we've tackled yet. We have some Bob Books but because I use them as practice for school, I haven't left them out for him to read independently. Should I not use them for "school" and leave them out for him to pick up on his own, or are there other super simple books he might be able to read on his own? He LOVES books and is always flipping through them on his own time, I'd just love to add to the mix books he'd actually be able to read somewhat successfully. Or maybe it's just too early for him to read on his own and I should just be patient? :) I'm new at this! :)