I started to teach my son to read using TYCR100EZ lesson. I just started using Webster's syllabary with my son, and he seems like he is catching on. Later on, should I teach my son the 70 phonograms or is that even neccessary at this point?:glare:

Here is a link: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/webstersway.html Noah Webster wrote his speller almost two hundred years ago. He did not teach phonics like we know today. He taught the Syllabary. Does anyone do this? I've always loved the Blue Back Speller, but didn't know how to teach it. It is an extremely interesting concept - spelling by syllable. It makes so much sense, but it's not like Webster laid out teaching plans step by step, so I'm putting it out there for others. Does anyone use Webster's Blue Back Speller and the Syllabary? If you know anything about it, I'd love to dialogue on the pros and cons. Of course, teaching the Syllabary is still phonics, it is just a different approach than modern phonics programs like Phonics Pathways (my current fav). I think that Abeka was modeled after the Blue Back Speller, but uses the same scope and sequence of Phonics Pathways - Abeka does not teach the Syllabary. Anyone have thoughts?

:D Can you explain the differences between the two? I think I understand WHAT they ARE but I don't quite get how to apply them or why I'd choose to learn/teach one or the other? Actually, I'm still not sure I get what the syllabary is and how it would be helpful. Are these two different options or tools to apply to spelling and/or reading . . . ? I'm not even sure how to ask my question! I might want to teach the syllabary to my kids but would this be in addition to the phonograms? I know that I am going to teach those now . . . :001_huh: Thanks!

I realize most are afterschooling their own children, but to some extent, I consider my tutees an extension of my homeschool. I also currently tutor students after school (SES/Title IV). I'm trying to figure out what would be the best thing to use in the shortest amount of time. I only have, on average, 14 sessions with the students. I'm currently using Blend Phonics with a 2nd and 3rd grader (twin brothers) and hoping to get to long vowels with them. That's where I see most of the trouble with my mostly ESL/bilingual students. I'm also tutoring a 6th grade special ed ESL student, and introduced her to open and closed syllables last week. She asked me, "so you're saying if I can learn about these syllables, I can learn to read?" I hit on something there. She started taking notes! This girl struggles in reading in both languages. I feel so bad I didn't start with this earlier with her (as it is, I only have 3 more sessions left with her). I worked on her specific "goals," but mostly orally. But no one in that school (or anywhere else) is going to sit and read to her. She knows her stuff, she just can't read it herself. So, should I start printing out the different syllable tables from Webster's Speller to get her learning to read those types of words? I'll also be working on consonant digraphs and vowel teams as those are weaknesses as well. I do not have internet access when tutoring, so listening to phonics lessons is not an option. Oh, and all these children are being taught via sight words, so as I'm going through BP, I introduce all sight words that follow that rule using the "sight words by sound" page on ElizabethB's website (hoping some connection is being made).

So... should I do it? AAS is too easy for DD, moves too slowly, is difficult for me to teach. I am also not looking forward to spending money on more levels. DD is very visual and has picked up on reading intuitively after completing a K program with vertical phonics at 3. We worked through some of OPG and ETC after that, but we have been very inconsistent, to tell the truth. She has progressed to about 5th grade level and maxed out.

Hi there, I'm sure there are tons of questions about this topic, but I could use some advice for "our" situation. I have a newly 3rd grader, that is at *maybe* a first grade reading level, and has poor handwriting. When he was younger I got a lot of resistance with him, so just thought I'd "wait" until he was "ready". We used to be *very* laid back in our HS approach. About a year and a half ago, we got serious about school, and have been following the classical method since. I didn't really do much with him regarding phonics, etc. until last year, when I did Sound Beginnings with him. It is a phonics/reading/spelling/listening/handwriting program. He did *ok* with it at first, but now there is SO much we need to do each day, and it's hard to keep "on lesson", because he is maybe doing well in one area, and poorly in another, but I can't really adjust the pace in any of the area's, because they're all wrapped up together. I've noticed alot of letter/number reversals with him as well. I'm not really worried about it, but he does get discouraged and thinks he "stupid" because of it. He has never liked to write, color, or draw, and it just seems more difficult for him. I keep hearing great reviews about Handwriting Without Tears, and I think he could really benefit from it, however, I can't implement it with what I'm using, because they have totally different handwriting methods. I would have to use another phonics program, and then find a spelling program. I already have Alphaphonics (though I don't know how to use it), and I have the Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading, that was given to me by a friend, as well as 100ez Lessons. I don't mind 100ez Lessons, but it's what I used with my 11 yr old daughter, and she was slow to jump into reading, and is still a *terrible* speller, so I don't think I want to use it again. SO, if I go with HWT, I need to know what else to do. I'm a little overwhelmed, because I feel like I need to do remedial work with my 11 year old, remedial/basic instruction with my 8 year old, AND I have a 5 year old that WANTS to learn to read this year!! We were so "relaxed" for so long, and I just though things would "work out", but it didn't. I have 2 kids that need extra help, and I don't want to make the same mistakes with my third!! So I need: Most importantly: Phonics for my 8 yr. old boy (Some kind of spelling program, so he hopefully gets a better start than his older sister) Also: Remedial phonics, spelling, handwriting help for my 11 yr. old daughter And: New instruction in phonics for my 5 yr old daughther! (And I guess I would use HWT with her too...) I'm so embarrased they are so behind! I really want to bring them up to where then need to be, but am so overwhlemed. I was so determined to just stick with Sound Beginnings, becuase I use to be a curriculum jumper, but it really does seem to be too much for him to do all of that all wrapped together. Thanks for any help!

Elizabeth, of course. :001_smile: Anyone else? I'm thinking of giving it a try with my 7yo who is a struggling reader. We've really got nothing to lose by trying it. But I'm a little nervous and not entirely certain how to use it. Any advice or encouraging stories to share?

ElizabethB, I wonder if you would help me see how you go about teaching the multi-syllable words. Your posts encouraged me to begin using Webster's with my ds back at the end of January, and I've come to a stumbling point. It could be that I haven't been consistent enough with the syllabary lately, because ds seems to be trying to guess a lot. I thought we'd gotten over that hump. For example, today, I was having him read dra per y, flu en cy, etc. I'm using these two words in my example because of his struggle with the first syllables in each word. In drapery, he first said darpery. With fluency, he first said fulency. He seems to do this a lot with beginning blends. If he's being lazy and just trying to go through quickly, he also adds sounds to the the second syllables that aren't there. Another thing, I feel like I've been telling him over and over that sometimes the vowel in the unstressed syllable says the schwa sound, and he still isn't getting the mushing idea. Am I doing something wrong? Is there something I should be explaining that I'm not? He's my child I tend to get frustrated with anyway because every time I try to correct him, I get a drawn out drama whine fest. Could you please explain a teaching session you might have with your tutorees? We have already gone through your online lessons. I can see an improvement in his reading overall, but there is a long road to travel. Thank you!

If so how did you do it? The Speller confuses me. I like the idea of it but I'm not sure I could do it without a teachers manual! :lol:

I don't even know where to start, so I'll just jump right in LOL. From what I can tell, there are 2 main "methods" to teach phonics - word families (a la BJU - cat, rat, mat, sat) and the "other way" (not sure what it's called, a la A Beka - ca, ce, ci, co, cu). Right? Which way is "better?" We have always used word families simply because I personally couldn't figure out the other way. To me "ca" should have a long a sound, not a short one. I do realize that they put a consonant on the end eventually, but maybe I just haven't read enough of that sort of instruction to actually "get it?" On the flip side, I can see where word families can cause problems because it kind of forces the child to sort of start at the end of the syllable rather than the beginning. :confused: Someone just posted a link to "Why Johnny Doesn't Like to Read" and I can so totally see my kids (and my dh!) in that.:sad: My kids haven't learned whole word (or whatever it's called), but one ds in particular does a L-O-T of guessing when he reads. I swear, sometimes he is just making up words as he goes along and I have NO clue what he is reading.:confused: He is the one I have to force to read, and I don't think I've ever seen him pick up a book to read for pleasure. He is 10.5. I know next to nothing about "proper" phonics instruction - I taught myself to read using phonics off of Sesame Street, and that's been the extent of my phonics instruction LOL. We've always used the word family approach since it made sense to me, but I'm totally willing to learn the other way, if it's "better." I just want to help my kids.:sad:

ElizabethB (and anyone else who can answer my questions), I have a few questions about how to teach the syllabary. I have a 5 yr old and we have worked through half of Phonics Pathways. She can read the words in the lessons (hates it though) but when she reads a book, I find she often gets lazy and guesses (or moans) at long words. She reads at the 2nd grade level (I think) and has a great memory for words. After she reads it a couple times, she memorizes it so has no need to sound most things out. I want to get her sounding out more as she knows how but gets frustrated when she tries and then gives up. The syllabary and Webster's seems like a great approach but even after reading all the recent posts, I'm not sure how to go about it. I have taught her to blend ba together to say "bah". How do I now tell her that ba says "bay", yet ab still says "ab"? I'm afraid I'll confuse her more than ever! Once I read more of Webster's, will this be clear to me? I'm excited to get started with this, but I wish I understood it a little better. I think I need to print out the first part of Webster's from Don Potter's site and read it over. When something is in my hands I can understand it so much better than on the computer. Thanks, Gwen

I know there have been many discussions about the various Orton/Gillingham inspired methods, ie SWR, Spalding, AAS, The Phonics Road, etc, to teach reading and spelling, and lots of people like programs like Abeka, Phonics Pathways, MFW who teach reading with beginning blends. Then there's the old Webster's Speller that has gotten a lot of attention lately. Now, from the looks of it, Webster taught all the sounds similar to Orton/Gillingham method, but taught beginning reading through syllabary similar to Abeka, PP, MFW, but better IMO because he taught the vowels as open syllables with their long sounds (ba, be, bi, bo, bu, by) and closed syllables with their short sounds (ab, eb, ib, ob, ub) where as the others teach short vowel sounds first with those open syllables then on to cvc words. So, which produces a better reader, or should I say a more competent reader, in the long run?:confused:

Someone posted something about this in a previous thread with a hyperlink to another site. I have looked at that site, and downloaded Webster Syllabary pdf. It looks interesting and I can see the value in teaching this. However, I'm really not sure how it would be implemented and how to teach it. Is anyone able to elaborate further how to use this method? For what it's worth, we currently use SWR and I am very happy with this method. My children are both working well above grade level with it and I plan to continue using this method. I thought the syllabary was something I might look at doing with SWR rather than instead of it. Is this possible? Thanks, Amy