I'm using AAS with my 8 year old son. We have been working on it for oh, about 5 months and we still aren't done with level 1. Some of the rules just aren't sticking! And as any of you who have done AAS Level 1 know, the rules are what make the program. Of particular issue are starting a word with /k/ and ending a word with /k/. When he comes across a word that starts or ends in /k/, he has to go through a complicated mind-map in order to decide which to use, and he really isn't able to do it independently. I have two possible theories about this: one is that he is still a new reader (only started reading in about March). Although he is now at about a 2nd grade level, he just doesn't have that much experience reading words, and maybe his brain hasn't had a chance to really get a sense of how the words SHOULD look. My other theory is that he is a strong visual-spatial learner and AAS is not a good fit because it leans so heavily on the auditory/kinesthetic side of things. He fits most of the criteria for visual-spatial learners. He thinks in pictures, and one reason he is so good at math is because he pictures the math in his head (thank you Singapore LOL!). He does well listening to fiction because he translates it into a movie in his mind. He has been diagnosed as severely dyslexic and also told he would make an excellent chess player. :tongue_smilie: He knows his phonograms, but aside from that, I don't think AAS has improved his spelling really. If he can segment a word into its phonograms and it is straight-forward, he does fine, but if he has to apply rules then it just doesn't happen. He has to listen to the sound, decide which rule to use, compare the sound in his mind to the rule, decide which course of action to take ... and by then he's lost it. His auditory memory skills are really poor. I took him for some psychoeducational testing last year and he maxed out the test that had to do with recognizing visual patterns, and he BOMBED the test where you repeat sequences of letters and numbers. He could hold 3 in his memory before getting mixed up. He can't repeat a sentence of more than 3-4 words either without substituting, dropping or rephrasing. Asking him to spell a 2-word phrase I've dictated is impossible without frequently repeating the phrase as he writes. I'm feeling burned out on AAS because it seems we are just kind of stuck. We've actually reached the end of the book, because I went ahead and taught him the other lessons while we continued to review those missing steps. Open and closed syllables are easy for him because he can just look at the syllable and see if there's a consonant after the vowel, you know? At least that is concrete. So I'm thinking of putting AAS aside and working on spelling with a more visual-spatial perspective. I just don't know what that would be! Having him study word families? Some workbook that is sort of like Explode the Code? Just practice the words that are in that week's ETC lesson? I've heard Apples and Pears is good, but haven't found a sample.

Thank you SO much! That is really really helpful.

I recently started an motivational reward system that works like this: after my son has done his assigned work (and done it well) he has the opportunity to do extra credit work. For extra credit I have things like "Take It To Your Seat" centers, educational games, reading comprehension worksheets, etc. Each EC assignment earns him a sticker, and when he gets five he gets to choose from a prize box. This is working out well so far - the supplemental things I bought are finally getting used, my son is choosing to do the extra work so he isn't resentful, and it's a good lesson in working for things that you want.

Tell me more about this please. I am sure my son is dysgraphic and right now, writing spelling words is as much as he can do. How writing intensive are the projects? I was planning on skipping the lapbooks (or having him dictate the writing to me) but if the assignments are mostly writing assignments, then it probably won't be worth it to me. Of course, my 8th grader is doing US history this year so it wouldn't necessarily be a waste, but I'd need to do something else for my son.

I signed up and am impatiently waiting for HSBC to submit the orders. I may just pay for a month's access to tide me over. I have a toddler and a 3rd grader, so I want to print off pre-k stuff (I'm always planning ahead) as well as LOTS of stuff for my 3rd grader. For example, in LA we're starting to cover prefixes and suffixes, and I can print out extra E-M activities to reinforce it without derailing our LA program. There are some phonograms he has trouble with so I want some of the phonics games. He needs lot of help with LA in general and I've wasted so much on LA workbooks that aren't a good fit, so this will save me money printing only what is useful.

We JUST started CLE LA 2 yesterday so obviously I don't have a lot to go by, but I bought it to replace Easy Grammar 2. EG had no teaching tips, and it was a hassle to jump in and teach my ds a new concept just from a one-sentence instruction on his worksheet. I like that CLE actually explains new concepts. YMMV, but I like that it is not just grammar. It overlaps with our spelling (AAS) and phonics (ETC) but that's ok because it helps my ds to get the reinforcement, plus he feels smart when he already knows something :tongue_smilie:. My DS is really not an aural learner and I know he understood prefixes and suffixes much better from looking at the train illustration in CLE. In fact I may end up using ETC as a secondary resource to just reinforce concepts we're working on in AAS and CLE, and not as new teaching.

I do have the Maestro books! I had kind of forgotten that I could use those. Now my decision rests on whether I should purchase the TT CDs from Winterpromise so I can buy the pre-printed text pages as well as the student pack, or just the CDs and print as I go. I'm really thinking about buying through WP to save myself the hassle and so I have a better chance of getting it done!

I'm glad to see others think it's a good idea! I think I'll buy the CDs now so that I can use some of the projects in Core 2.

It would depend on the root of his reading issues. My son is dyslexic and very left-brained, and only learns language stuff with direct instruction - lots of it. We use an intensive phonics approach with All About Spelling, and once he could segment words into their individual sounds and blend sounds into words, he was ready to take it further. We also use Explode the Code which gets him used to reading different digraphs. I just wish AAS was coordinated with it. Anyway, now he can read OK, but I'm holding him back from the bigger books like Magic Treehouse because he guesses a lot on the big words and he needs to still work on phonics. I want him to be able to break down a word phonetically and not learn words by sight. It's a slower process but worth it, I think! I hope! My experience with the PS was that they were not able to provide the specific kind of instruction he needed for reading - and they did try, with about an hour of 1:1 reading instruction per day with a tutor. It just wasn't the kind he needed and the whole reason I began homeschooling. It took a lot of reading and some trial and error for me to figure out what was going to work with him at home but it definitely is working. FWIW, I found Phonics Pathways and Reading Reflex at my library and I wasn't impressed with either one. They both have very cluttered pages and just look like "work" to a kid. ETC is at least silly. Sonlights "I Can Read It!" is coordinated with ETC for more reinforcement and is in storybook format up through about ETC 3, then moves to word lists.

I will be starting US History next year when my ds is in 4th grade. I had planned on doing Sonlight's Core 3 in a loose sense (arranging their books chronologically and just working through history). I would like to do more hands-on stuff though, and the Time Travelers CDs look awesome. My understanding is that there are lesson plans that show which text file to read while the child does a certain activity. So I'm thinking of using Time Travelers as a spine instead of Landmark, possibly using their notebook pages instead of Story of the USA, and just filling in Sonlight books that fit with the time period. Has anyone done something like this, and how did it work out? Or if you have considered it but chose not to, why? (I do know WP's American Crossing/American Culture programs use the TT CDs but I'm not interested in paying for the IG at this point unless it makes the program much easier to use)

I bought HIH to use with my 2nd grader and quickly sold it when I realized that it was just matched up ALL WRONG. The history was OK because they use SOTW, but I didn't think it flowed well since they were jumping around 4 big books. I think they should have assigned CHOW or even just the Usborne Book of World History. The hideaways and the notebook pages were at a K level, while the 1st grade readers were more like 3rd grade level. Vertical phonics or not, those books used complicated digraphs and huge sight words that are way beyond any 1st grade reader I've ever seen. I have seen so many other complaints about things not lining up well, and the pace being "off." I wonder whether the company feels rushed to roll out new programs without adequately field testing them. Their IGs are soooo expensive (even their phonics flashcards are $21!!!) and their resale policy is so strict that I'm just scared to try it again. Communication has been sucky - I submitted a question through the website and received a reply a month later, then when I followed up with another question I just never got a response. As most of their books are cheaper through Amazon and they seem to have difficulty keeping inventory stable, I wish they would just focus on their IGs and maybe set up an Amazon shopping list for the non-exclusives so that you could just click and order everything at once through Amazon. That would resolve a lot of their CS issues and possibly give them more time to tweak their programs.

We started AAS when my son could barely blend, and I have to say I think it would work a lot better & be less confusing if he was reading "ahead" of the program. Some of the rules (like using k to make the /k/ sound before e, i & y) are really abstract if they don't already have practice reading words. The rule kinda seems to come out of left field. We are using ETC for phonics and the two programs are not lined up at all, which is too bad because I think they would work really well together if aligned. I would think using the first half of AAS level one would be excellent training for reading, as it teaches the phonograms, and how to decode and blend CVC words. After that, I think a child needs a certain maturity and reading ability to understand the spelling rules in the second half of the program.

I don't use LLATL but I can speak a bit to the Horizons stuff. Does the board work take 30-45 minutes because it is all new material and it takes a lot of examples to help it sink in? If so, I would suggest going a bit slower, maybe stretching each lesson to two days. I think Horizons K moves pretty fast and many people stretch it into 1st grade anyway. If he's getting it fine, and you're just spending that long because you're doing what it says in the TM or your son enjoys it, then I would cut back on the lesson part. We are doing Grade 2/book 2 (which is obviously different than K) and I just take a few minutes to explain the new concepts and then he does the worksheet. Horizons is a spiral program and you don't have to make sure he masters each topic right away. The program will revisit it and he will get lots of practice scheduled in.

I just deleted a message I had submitted offering advice. You've already received a lot of advice and I don't know you well enough to jump in. I know (from experience) that striking balance is very difficult, but as the drama subsides, it will get much easier to decide which battles to fight and which to let go.

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/curriculum_reviews/

Yesssssss! It's the main reason I had my son do about an hour of schoolwork M-F all summer long. I give him the choice of what to start with. He usually chooses history, and once he's over that bump it goes pretty smoothly.

I disagree, I think the PP can go right into Singapore 2A. In my experience (Singapore 1B-2B and Horizons 2, book 2) Horizons gets through more breadth while Singapore goes in more depth (not saying one is better; different styles work for different kids). At the end of Horizons 1, I would expect that the child has had practice with concepts that will be introduced in Sing. 2A but will get to work further in the concepts in 2A. We got halfway through Singapore 2B before switching to Horizons 2 book 2 (so going the other direction) and we were able to jump right in and catch up on the concepts that Singapore hadn't introduced yet. I am SO glad we switched though as DS readily absorbs the new concepts and loves all the review. Once we finish Horizons 2/2 we will finish the Sing. 2B workbook and cruise through as it will be mostly review with a slightly different perspective. Then, I expect we'll do the first book of Horizons 3 and then cruise through Singapore 3A, etc. I would guess that Singapore 2 is working especially well for your child after Horizons 2 because he is already proficient in the basic steps and Singapore can stretch him a little further. I think you could have moved into Singapore 3 easily, if you devoted extra time to teach the model method and helped him through the word problems until he got used to them.

We're on like day 9 of Easy Grammar 2 and I hate it. It's so disjointed - there aren't real lessons, just instructions like "punctuate months." I can't see my son really absorbing the rules through this (but he needs a lot of concrete work w/ everything related to LA). Maybe they expect that kids would have already learned the concepts in 1st grade so this is just meant to practice. I don't know if it's "easy" for 2nd grade, but it seems barely deep enough to scratch the surface if you need to teach the concepts (capitalization, punctuation, and grammar). We are going to try a different approach. He needs written out instructions, visual examples, and time to work on a concept along with review of past concepts.

I emailed AAS and was told they did make a couple changes (including adding the FLOSS mnemonic) when they did a new printing, but didn't actually make a whole new edition. So that clears it up a little bit. As we get further into AAS I'm sure things will make more sense. We're not quite to the end of Level 1.

I thought of one: bass, as in bass guitar :) Oh, and roll, and toll ... that's all I can think of. Funny how different programs use different rules.

You will have great stories to tell when he is all grown up. I know right now it's perplexing but when it's all behind you, it will sound awfully cute that he just couldn't let a punishment dampen his happy mood. :) I have a 21 month old who gets into moods where he pinches, slaps and bites with a giddy smile. He's not angry, if anything he's extra-happy. Time-out is all I can think of to do, but it doesn't bother him in the least. I just told someone that he's going to get pulled over as an adult and say, "Hi Officer! I like your shirt! Are you having a nice day today?" and flash his big dimples and get off the hook. :lol:

It almost sounds like he is a little anxious about messing up again. Is he hard on himself? Do you think maybe he is trying to convince himself that these things don't matter because really, they do?

Hi Merry, I did reply to your email but I'll just clarify here as well. I'm looking for materials for my son. AAS is indeed visual in the sense that children see the words formed, but the rules (key cards) themselves are not visual as far as I can tell. I think he would internalize the rules a lot faster if he could have more visual cues. I've looked at some other spelling/phonics programs and Phonics Road has the "Building Codes" which illustrate the key rules, SWR has the spelling rule cards, and even WinterPromise has pictures on their phonogram cards. We do a ton of review - we review all the phonograms 1-2x a week, ALL the key cards every day, and lots of word cards every day, mixing the current batch with mastered cards. He uses both a white board and the letter tiles. Even after he really understands a rule, he has trouble applying it consistently. Maybe he needs to see the words more. He spells them, but then they are wiped away or broken apart. I suppose I could have him write lists of word grouped by families and see if that helps.

My thought process behind using the "I know you're not like that" is to help the child see himself as being of good character and above that type of behavior. Ultimately they need to behave for their own conscience and not out of a fear or disappointing others or getting into trouble. I don't see it as much different than saying, "I love how you're so patient with your baby brother" or the cliche, "you can be anything if you put your mind to it!" I'm just trying to build confidence. :001_smile: (My parents did build me up as being a strong, smart, capable person and I think that enabled me to resist a LOT of peer pressure. I'm sure it helped that my parents were very clear about being rule-followers).

If my child were yelling that he was happy to be in time-out, I would ignore it. He's doing it to get a reaction, and the best way to extinguish it is to carry on with the normal punishment (time-out, it seems) and maybe turn on some music so you can't hear him. He obviously isn't really happy to be punished so the time out is effective - he just wants you to think it isn't. I totally agree with Laura. In my experience with my 2 oldest kids (who are often complimented on their good hearts), teaching with love is the MOST effective way to discipline. I often respond to misbehavior by saying, "I was so surprised to see you do that, because I know that's not the kind of child you are" to let them know I expect better, and you know what, they have internalized those high standards.