Should I begin "first grade" work with a not so great reader?

[Living Learning Loving]

He could be 1/2 way through OPGTR by Sept., (that's 2 months) but he's not exactly breezing through-at all. I'm considering back-tracking and I orderd ETC.

 

My DS will be 6 in Sept. Sounds like a good time to me to begin first grade work....right?

 

I don't really see that it is a big deal to start FLL, MUS Alpha, science, SOW, and writing without him being able to read all that great.

 

 

Should I wait till he's at least 1/2 way through OPGTR before I begin?

[Ellie]

He could be 1/2 way through OPGTR by Sept., (that's 2 months) but he's not exactly breezing through-at all. I'm considering back-tracking and I orderd ETC.

 

My DS will be 6 in Sept. Sounds like a good time to me to begin first grade work....right?

 

I don't really see that it is a big deal to start FLL, MUS Alpha, science, SOW, and writing without him being able to read all that great.

 

 

Should I wait till he's at least 1/2 way through OPGTR before I begin?

I think you should begin whenever you think he's ready, and not because you think he should or should not begin first-grade-level work. If he's ready now, start now. If he's not ready until October or November, wait until then.

[TC5]

I agree with the previous poster that you can begin whenever you want. But I also want to add that you could start those other subjects without him being a great reader. My second son is about to start first grade work, even though he is not a great reader. His math does not require him to read much, if at all (we use RightStart). SOTW will not require him to read until he is ready. We will do a lot of read-alouds. My son also enjoyed science a lot last year with his older brother.

 

That said, my first-grader is not my oldest. If yours is, you may decide to wait on some subjects as there is nobody older to be waiting for him/passing him by. But more subjects could add interest, too, rather than focusing only on phonics.

 

FLL is the only subject I have any concerns about for my son, but he'll be at least to Lesson 140 of OPG before he starts FLL, as recommended, and I think he'll do fine.

 

I hope that helps. Good luck!

Teonei

[Orthodox6]

I have no idea what that acronym is (OPGTR). As for whether to start your 6-yo with first grade work this fall, I probably would. First grade was the first experience with homeschooling for my second ds. He was a very weak reader at that point, but quickly caught up because we worked so much at "hooking" his interest during the first grade. Other work went just fine for him.

[FO4UR]

I think my only concern would be that those other subjects take too much time from learning to read. Your ds would miss the 1st grade cut-off in many states - there is no harm in waiting. OTOH - there is no harm in incorporating science and history into your read-alouds either.

 

Math - completely seperate from reading! I would not wait until he's reading to start his 1st grade math!

[Ellie]

See, I would know what the cut-off date was where I live and then if pushed to write it down, I'd go with the grade level my dc would be in if he'd be going to school...but that would have not a thing to do with whether I decided to start OPGTR or not.

[daybreaking]

A year ago, my son had just turned 6 in August. We, too, were about half-way through OPGTR and my son, too, was not "breezing through" and was not a strong reader. We opted to delay first grade and instead registered our son as a kindergartener. I am so, so very happy we did. I knew I wouldn't be able to do the science and history justice if I were still needing a large chunk of time to work on reading. We still did some science and history by snuggling on the couch with some living books, based on our son's interest and whenever time permitted, but nothing formal. We dropped OPGTR and moved to Rod and Staff phonics and reading. Everything fell into place for him and after an extra year, he now is a strong reader and this fall, will be much more ready for first grade work.

[Ravin]

We're going ahead and starting in on 1st grade math, Song School Latin, and first grade content-subjects, and just keeping a strong emphasis on phonics in LA. I won't be starting a formal grammar program with DD in first grade, though we'll do some copywork and narration. I'm also starting handwriting instruction. We'll start spelling after she's got a better grip on reading.

[Lovedtodeath]

Based on my experience, go with another year of K.

[Living Learning Loving]

and I tell myself, if he was born just 2 weeks earlier, he would be starting first grade work anyway.

 

I read everyone's responses carefully; I don't know what to do at all.

 

I think he would be ready for first grade work; the only reason he wouldn't be because he would rather play more and take it easy:)

[Haiku]

I see so many people here agonizing over when to start their kids in school. My opinion is, register him for the grade he'd be in were he in public school and then work at the level he's working at. That's the beauty of homeschooling; you can customize your child's instruction to his levels. If he's doing first grade history and science but k-level phonics, so be it. Boys tend to be slower readers anyway; most likely he will reach grade level over the next few years.

 

Tara

[4kiddies]

You could always start and slow it down if you need to.

[rafiki]

.

[mom4him]

He could be 1/2 way through OPGTR by Sept., (that's 2 months) but he's not exactly breezing through-at all. I'm considering back-tracking and I orderd ETC.

 

My DS will be 6 in Sept. Sounds like a good time to me to begin first grade work....right?

 

I don't really see that it is a big deal to start FLL, MUS Alpha, science, SOW, and writing without him being able to read all that great.

 

 

Should I wait till he's at least 1/2 way through OPGTR before I begin?

Well, my son is 8 1/2. He will be considered 3rd grade this fall. He will be finishing his second grade math today. I am going to start him with AAS and WWE I this fall. He has just started really reading well, I would say he is reading at a lower second grade level at this point. We do read alouds for history and science most of the time.

I have not pushed him other than I have required that he complete his math book for the year to be considered as in the next grade. In those math books I do most of the reading of writen problems and such.

My ds simply wasn't ready until now for all the other stuff. We will be starting a gramar lesson daily with R&S Eng. 2nd grade along with the AAS and WWE. I am confident that he will be able to handle it all without the stress. Last fall he couldn't.

Do what you feel he is ready for and is it seems like he isn't once you start don't be afraid to back up.

[tinkgumby]

My older son turned 6 three days before the local public school cutoff, and I had him do K again because he was just not ready for 1st grade - not just in reading skills, but in ability to sit, listen, focus, and so on. I have never regretted it.

 

The person who said to teach to their level regardless of what grade is listed definitely has a point. That's the beauty of homeschooling that I always mention to my friends - that you can adapt their learning to where they are!

 

Good luck!

[Pamela H in Texas]

In many places, he'd be considered a kindergartener this year. I think I'd relax and just keep plugging through. OF course, give him whatever work he's ready for 3R's wise, memory work wise, etc, but I'd hold off on starting the classical sequence for history, science, art, music, etc for another year when he really is ready for 1st grade and is solidly 1st grade age also.

[EKS]

I would. Lots of kids don't read well in 1st grade.

 

You don't have to tell him he's in first grade. But if he does well with the material and the reading takes off then it's probably a good placement.

Edited July 2, 2009 by EKS

[ohmel]

My ds is not a strong reader and we just completed our first grade year. I did hold off on grammar, spelling and writing but will be introducing them this year even though he's still not an independent reader. ETC did not work for us as he also does not write easily yet either. We just keep plugging along with OPG and I imagine it will click soon.

[katilac]

Well, I am generally on the side of holding kids back sooner rather than having to do it later, but I don't see how a kid who isn't a 'great reader' is behind for entering first grade? Aren't many first graders emerging readers?

 

I don't own a copy of OPGTR anymore, so I don't remember what halfway is. If he is pretty solid on letter sounds, and can decode cvc words with no great trouble, I'd proceed with first grade. I wouldn't worry if he's not blending fluently at this point.

 

On the other hand, if he's really struggling with letter sounds, I'd probably do a kinder year, b/c that would make me think he's not developmentally ready to read.

 

First grade was very short and sweet for my kids, very laid back. I wouldn't worry about other subjects taking too much time away from learning to read, b/c my personal preference is to spend no more than 10-15 minutes on skill subjects in the early grades. Not doing science wouldn't mean I doubled up on phonics instruction, kwim?

 

I don't agree at all that other subjects need to wait until the child is reading fluently, or reading chapter books. SOTW is meant to be read aloud, after all!

 

Neither of my kids were reading chapter books on their own when they entered first grade (both at just-turned-6), and it never occurred to me to expect that or have it as a requirement. It was never an issue at all.

 

I know academics are getting pushed earlier and earlier, but to require someone entering first grade to be a fluent reader goes against most of what I know about the way children learn. :confused:

[Ellie]

and I tell myself, if he was born just 2 weeks earlier, he would be starting first grade work anyway.

 

I read everyone's responses carefully; I don't know what to do at all.

 

I think he would be ready for first grade work; the only reason he wouldn't be because he would rather play more and take it easy:)

Then on paper, he'd be kindergarten this year. If he were going to school, he'd be kindergarten.

 

So don't worry about it. Let him do whatever you think he's capable of. You don't even have to think about "grade level." If you have to put a grade level lable on him, say "kindergarten," and then just do whatever you want.

 

You're way too worried about "grade level." It's not that big a deal. :)

[daybreaking]

I recently read a book by Rod and Staff, entitled "Preparing Children for School and Life." In the book, they mentioned how, in the early years, boys are 6 months behind girls in maturity and readiness for school. They strongly recommend a girl be a full 6 years old before starting first grade and a boy, a full 6 1/2 years old. That's quite different than normal cut-offs in public school, and yet I definitely see their reasoning. If your son would rather play and have fun, perhaps he just needs another year. They're only young once, why rush it? As my husband said to me when I was agonizing just like you ... "What is the hurry? What will it hurt to wait a year?" My personal experience has been that if you push your son before he is ready to sit, focus, be diligent, etc., you'll end up with a lot of tears and frustration; however, if you give him the time he needs, I think you'll both find your homeschooling experience to be much more pleasant and productive. (I'll also add that I am delighted to have an extra year with my son on the other end. I want him a full 18 years old before he graduates. I had an October birthday and started kindergarten at 4, thus I went to college at 17. I know it would have been much better for me all around, if my parents had waited a year for me to start.)

[LizzyBee]

I would make reading the priority subject that must be done daily, but by all means go ahead and start other first grade work as well.

 

ETA: My answer assumes he is ready for first grade work and mature enough to listen to History, Science and other reading without frustration. If the only issue is that he isn't reading well, I'd start first grade work. If there are other issues, I don't see a problem with waiting a year and just working on reading, handwriting, and some basic math for first grade.

Edited July 2, 2009 by LizzyBee

[Lovedtodeath]

Then on paper, he'd be kindergarten this year. If he were going to school, he'd be kindergarten.

 

So don't worry about it. Let him do whatever you think he's capable of. You don't even have to think about "grade level." If you have to put a grade level lable on him, say "kindergarten," and then just do whatever you want.

 

You're way too worried about "grade level." It's not that big a deal. :)

Here is another thought: Start first grade work on January. That is what we do.

[Bayt ul-Hikmah]

My ds will be 6 at the end of October, so this fall he will definitely be a kindergartener by the state's standards. His reading is well past CVC words, but we're just starting to approach books like Little Bear and Frog and Toad. He definitely needs consistent phonics instruction and appreciates a variety of tools (we're using OPG, ETC, AAS, some Montessori language materials, and have just started Headsprout). He has an unusually long attention span (always has) and is not pencil phobic nor a wiggly Willy (apparently this is atypical, but both my boys are like this). He tolerates phonics without complaint out of a strong desire to read on his own, but he CRAVES science (experiments!!), history (projects!!), and endless read-alouds. So while I don't want to rush him into first grade, I'm starting those subjects for him with expectations determined by where he is at that moment, not according to any grade level standards.

[Terabith]

Don't start first grade work to him. Another year of time will be a huge gift to him. It will take a lot of pressure off of him AND you.

 

Spend the next year working on reading. Maybe do a little math. But it's totally normal that he wants to play more than work. If you limit it (reading/ phonics, math, handwriting), rather than trying to add history, science, languages, etc. Developmentally, especially a boy, I would definitely give him some time.

[SonshineLearner]

I have to say that back when my brother was in first grade, 25 years ago, my mom did lots of school work without him knowing how to read...at all.

She read books that were high above where his reading level was, he played with the cuisinaire rods that my son plays with now..and spent lots of time playing outside. Second grade came, and 2 months later he was reading way above 2nd...in 2 months. It's kinda like potty training. It's timing. (Unless there's something "wrong")

 

Carrie:-)

[Terabith]

I was checking my bajillion books out of the library earlier today. The librarian was telling me that when she was a child, her school did no reading instruction until third grade. They moved that year to another school system, and they had started teaching their kids to read in second grade. The trend of children learning to read in kindergarten or before is really new, does not lead to better achievement in the long term necessarily, is developmentally inappropriate. It asks some kids to do things they aren't ready physically, emotionally, or intellectually to do yet. (Children who learn to read spontaneously at an early age are a different story. They do tend to maintain higher skills throughout school, but it seems to be less of an advantage for kids who have been taught earlier. Of course, I did sit my daughter down and teach her right before she turned five. I'm not sure I will do it for my second, though.)

 

Young children are farsighted and have visual issues that make it more difficult for children to read.

 

I am not sure I could get behind waiting till third grade to teach reading, but I think it is very reasonable to wait until first grade age. Six for a girl or six and a half for a boy is fine, in my book. Even closer to seven. But our expectations of tiny children are really inappropriate. A poor five or six year old starts thinking of themselves as bad readers. Of course, that assumes you're doing a lot of oral work and listening comprehension.

[blessed3x]

My son just turned 7 at the end of May and we are schooling year round, just finishing the first grade. He is just beginning to read sentences. With that said, we did first grade work all year using OPG, WWE, FLL, MUS Alpha, plus Bible, Science, History and piano. We took (and take!) it easy when he or I need to. I know him well and know when we need a day off. Most days we do get at least the 3 R's in (Reading, Writing, Arithmatic).

You know your son. If he is ready, keep going. The reading will come. My son is able to sit and work on everything, and LOVES school. Keep in mind that we have scheduled breaks between subjects. : -)

As others have said, you can scale back as you go, or move forward. Make it work for you two....

[Mom22ns]

Don't start first grade work to him. Another year of time will be a huge gift to him. It will take a lot of pressure off of him AND you.

 

 

:iagree:

In my state he misses the cut off by 6 weeks not 2. Kindergarten can work on whatever he is ready for, but I would not call him a first grader. It will put pressure on both of you that you don't need.

 

In public groups others will have expectations he may have trouble meeting. Many ps families don't start their boys if they have have a summer birthday at all. He will be by far the youngest first grader in Sunday school or boy scouts or whatever else.

 

Work on whatever he is interested in and ready for, but call it K :001_smile:

[kalanamak]

I was in that position.

 

We mustered ahead, using SWR and PP, but also did science, history (I "took dictation" when he did his summaries), etc. The only thing I didn't move forward for was language arts. As things progressed we talked about nouns and verbs, etc, but all LA sit-down work was concentrated on reading skills. I didn't want to tie his history and sci down to his reading level because he would have been bored (me, too!).

 

Once he took off, I backed off on a lot of other things for a couple months (e.g. became almost 100% hands-on science and shelled out for math board games like "Money Bags") and did more intensive reading and writing. It wouldn't have been fun to do 40 minutes of him sounding out words (he wouldn't have stood for it, but would have gotten fatigued and started making errors), but once things were more fluid, we CAN cuddle up and take turns reading more complicated material for 40 minutes at a time.

 

One of the other things I noticed is that although his writing is NEAT, it is LARGE, and so he can grow frustrated with, say, GWG. There is not point in making something painful because of large printing. I just got out extra 1st grade ruled paper, and all tears vanished.

 

I keep reading the reassuring words in WTM about how our task is to have a child's 3 R's up to speed by age 10, in prep for the logic stage.

HTH

[Living Learning Loving]

O.K> I will admit that I am thinking too much about age. The reason for all this is, I read in the WTM the title of the chapter, "Kindergarten Years: 4 and 5". That sends a signal in my head that he is turning 6, time to move on to first grade work. Never though, would I say he was in first grade when he is supposed to be in K, don't get me wrong; I understand he may be at different levels all through his learning.

There's is just two sides, as I have read in all the answers. I don't want to underestimate what he is capable of, nor do I want to push him when he is not ready.

 

My ds has an amazing attention span for listening (we learned that when he was just a little guy) he's known his letter sounds for almost 2 years now and can sound out the cvc words, but not much else is clicking.

 

I may just give it a try because what if he loves SOW or MUS, maybe that's wishful thinking :), but what if?

 

I do really appreciate all these responses, I read some of them and think I should just hold off a few months, 6 or a year. I'm so wishy washy. But thank-you guys sooo much! I love advice!

[Mom-ninja.]

If I waited until my ds was a strong reader to do other work we still would not be doing anything, and he's starting 3rd grade.

[momto2Cs]

We're going ahead and starting in on 1st grade math, Song School Latin, and first grade content-subjects, and just keeping a strong emphasis on phonics in LA. I won't be starting a formal grammar program with DD in first grade, though we'll do some copywork and narration. I'm also starting handwriting instruction. We'll start spelling after she's got a better grip on reading.

 

 

Very similar approach here. My dd will be doing 1st grade math (did half of Saxon Math 1 for her K year), and will be working (on an easier level) with her brother in science and history. For LA, we're going with a very srong emphasis on phonics, with handwriting practice, and maybe FLL, since it starts off orally.

[skaterbabs]

You may want to consider CLE. It's VERY incremental, and doesn't require much reading on the part of the student at the 100 level.

[Lovedtodeath]

I may just give it a try because what if he loves SOW or MUS, maybe that's wishful thinking :), but what if?

 

I do really appreciate all these responses, I read some of them and think I should just hold off a few months, 6 or a year. I'm so wishy washy. But thank-you guys sooo much! I love advice!

MUS Alpha is all about memorizing math facts. It was incredibly stressful for DD. You might want to start with MUS Primer, or at the least, ask Dr. Demme which level to start with.