Trouble with OPG - 5 1/2 year old

[mary.margaret]

I am using Ordinary Parent's Guide with my soon-to-be 6 year old son. We are on lesson 52 and have been doing lessons on and off for probably 9 months now. We didn't do much over the summer. He's doing well and learning to read, but it is incredibly difficult for us to get through the lessons. I actually dread that part of school myself.

 

First, one lesson would take us 45 minutes to get through if we did the whole thing, with both of us frustrated at the end. So we have cut them down to one page per day instead of the whole lesson. This has helped some, but it still takes a long time. I try to keep him on focus and we do not allow bad attitudes in school, but he just struggles to stay focused for that long.

 

Second, he does great sounding out the individual words. Then when we move to the sentences, they are quite long and he can't keep track of what he has read so far. I used to make him read it again and again (sounding out each word every time because he couldn't remember it) until he could get the whole sentence but that was way too hard and difficult, and he hated doing the lessons. So now I help him with the sentence after he has sounded out each word. But I wonder why the sentences are so incredibly long for a program designed for such young children? Is it realistic for a 5 1/2 year old to be able to sound out a 16 word sentence and know what he read by the end?

 

I like the concept of the program but we're struggling to enjoy it. Right now we skip parts of the lessons to make it doable to get HALF a lesson done in a reasonable amount of time and still be cheerful and enthusiastic at the end. :) Am I doing the right thing? Should we break the lessons down even more? It feels like we will be in this book forever.

 

Thanks.

Mary-Margaret

[Jayne J]

We are using OPG with my ds6 (started when he was 5) and I find that some lessons are too long for us as well, especially if they introduce more than one new piece of info.

 

Are you using a white board? Until we started to do so, our lessons sounded just like yours. Ds got overwhelmed at all the print on the page and couldn't focus. We started writing out the word lists (maybe only part, if it was a long list) and then writing the story out a few sentences at a time. He improved greatly. So much so that we were able, after several months, to go back to reading from the book, using a folded piece of paper under the sentences as he reads.

 

Ds also still has a hard time reading some sentences--when the lesson was difficult for him, or the sentence is very long. He struggles through to sound out each word, then when he finishes the sentence, I re-read it to him, with the proper inflection, to help him keep the flow of the story. I think that is perfectly normal at this point--he is struggling so hard to get the words that the sentences fall apart. It will come eventually, as he masters reading words.

 

Remember, each child will only be able to move as quickly as they are able. If you need to take longer on each lesson, so be it. Move slowly, and try not to frustrate either your dc or yourself. It drives me up a wall when ds can't seem to get something as quickly as I think he should, until I really look at the huge amount of information he needs to remember to read each sentence--consciously remember. Then I am greatly humbled.

 

If your dc is really frustrated, slow way down, and go back to reading to him more--remind him why reading is fun!

[Verity]

About two years ago I went through a similar situation with my now 7 year old. He still struggles a bit with his reading. I was working on my education degree and taking a college level class to teach how to read. We used 100 Easy Lessons and I brought in the Bob books. I look forward to trying out OPG with my now 3 year old in a couple of years but I found 100 Easy lessons to be very short lessons, small amounts of reading for each lesson and I think direct instruction really does work. Using a white board (suggested by above poster) is another great idea.

 

Good luck! I look forward to reading everyone's comments and suggestions.

[CindyPTN]

Great advice urpendonmommy! We've just started on OPG with ds5, so the lessons are really short. This will be a great reminder as we continue through the lessons. Thank you.

[mary.margaret]

Are you using a white board?

 

We did pull out the white board again today for the first time in awhile. I do think that helps - thanks for the reminder!

 

...then when he finishes the sentence, I re-read it to him, with the proper inflection, to help him keep the flow of the story. I think that is perfectly normal at this point--he is struggling so hard to get the words that the sentences fall apart. It will come eventually, as he masters reading words.

 

Ok, this is good to hear. I was starting to think that it isn't realistic for him to read it through with proper flow after sounding it out. It really just isn't! He enjoys it a lot better when I help him read the sentence at the end.

 

If your dc is really frustrated, slow way down, and go back to reading to him more--remind him why reading is fun!

Excellent reminder. :) Thanks for the encouragement.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

DD was not able to read sentences right away either. Spelling words was easiest for her, but she could sound out one word at a time without much trouble. I let her take the lead. We just worked on words until one day dd picked up an easy reader book from the library and read the whole thing with only a little bit of help. He'll read sentences when he is ready.

[kmacnchs]

BTDT almost exactly! It gets better, I promise! I did the same thing for the same reason (just 1 pg instead of a whole lesson). We also took about a month (?) off after we learned all of the long vowel sounds (lesson 100ish) and I made books out of the stories and we practiced reading those, practiced reading the long vowel bob books, and basically practiced reading. We are now on lesson 141 and it took us 10 min maybe today.

 

It used to be what I dreaded about school too...now I dread math...go figure (diff. seasons, huh?) Anyway, I send my suggestions but also my encouragement - it gets better! Keep plugging away!

 

Oh, and we used the magnadoodle instead of the white board (mainly b/c that's what we had) :)

 

I am using Ordinary Parent's Guide with my soon-to-be 6 year old son. We are on lesson 52 and have been doing lessons on and off for probably 9 months now. We didn't do much over the summer. He's doing well and learning to read, but it is incredibly difficult for us to get through the lessons. I actually dread that part of school myself.

 

First, one lesson would take us 45 minutes to get through if we did the whole thing, with both of us frustrated at the end. So we have cut them down to one page per day instead of the whole lesson. This has helped some, but it still takes a long time. I try to keep him on focus and we do not allow bad attitudes in school, but he just struggles to stay focused for that long.

 

Second, he does great sounding out the individual words. Then when we move to the sentences, they are quite long and he can't keep track of what he has read so far. I used to make him read it again and again (sounding out each word every time because he couldn't remember it) until he could get the whole sentence but that was way too hard and difficult, and he hated doing the lessons. So now I help him with the sentence after he has sounded out each word. But I wonder why the sentences are so incredibly long for a program designed for such young children? Is it realistic for a 5 1/2 year old to be able to sound out a 16 word sentence and know what he read by the end?

 

I like the concept of the program but we're struggling to enjoy it. Right now we skip parts of the lessons to make it doable to get HALF a lesson done in a reasonable amount of time and still be cheerful and enthusiastic at the end. :) Am I doing the right thing? Should we break the lessons down even more? It feels like we will be in this book forever.

 

Thanks.

Mary-Margaret

[Alice]

Similar experience and advice. The white board helped a lot with us. I found when we were at about the stage that you are that I often split the lessons into two. I'd introduce the concept and do the word list one day and maybe do a Bob book. Then the next day we'd do the story/sentences. That often helped with review also. I didn't really worry about the flow of the sentence or if he remembered what he read at that point. I think the mechanics of reading/sounding things out are just very difficult at first. I might read the sentence back to him after her finishes it but I wouldn't make him do it over again.

 

And stick with it, it's fine to go slow. We're now on about Lesson 150 and it's amazing how quickly it takes us.

[ladydusk]

With the sentences, I try and re-read after each word. Say the sentence is "Tad can pat the cat." It would look something like this:

 

N-boy: "/T/-/a/-/d/, ta-/d/, Tad!"

Mommy: "Great! Tad. What about Tad?"

N-boy: "Tad /c/-/a/-/n/, ca-n, can"

Mommy: "Hmmmm ... Tad can what?"

N-boy: "/p/-/a/-/t/, pa-/t/, pat!"

Mommy: "Oooooh, What can Tad pat?" (sounding like I'm really dying to find out!)

N-boy: "/t/-/h/-/e/"

Mommy: What does "TH" say again?

N-boy: "Oh, yeah! /th/ ... the"

Mommy: Great! So the sentence says Tad can pat the ....

N-boy "/c/-/a/-/t/, cat!"

Mommy: That's right, Tad can pat the cat! Now you read the sentence.

 

This helps him get the idea that these words all go together because we're working through all that he's read after every word.

 

We also put the words/sentences on something else (typed or white board). And I use an index card as a bookmark and the children can use that under the sentences to help cover everything else up. The pages in that book are overwhelming, even to M-girl who is reading very well at this point (we're still working through all of the book to get the rules down, are only at lesson 70ish, but she is reading many more difficult words).

[ElizabethB]

I 6th the white board.

 

A bit of spelling helps reinforce the phonics, too. Have him spell a word or two that he read earlier in the lesson (orally or with magnetic letters, or he can write it if he writes easily.) After a bit of practice doing this, you can have him try to spell a word that he has not read yet but that follows the pattern of the words you are working on.

 

I don't have my students read sentences or stories until they have the phonics basics mastered. When they have the phonics down, sentences and stories come much easier. You need to get the phonics to the point of automaticity, over-learned, and then reading will be easy.

 

Here's a fun game to help mix things up and get in more repetition:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/concentrationgam.html

[Mom-ninja.]

I don't have my students read sentences or stories until they have the phonics basics mastered. When they have the phonics down, sentences and stories come much easier. You need to get the phonics to the point of automaticity, over-learned, and then reading will be easy.

 

 

 

A little while ago Elizabeth posted this same suggestion. My 5 yr was also struggling (and hating) the stories/sentences in OPG. I have now stopped having him read thye stories and sentences completely. It has made a big difference. He does not dread the lessons anymore, and we get a lesson done quicker. I just stick to the word lists. After a couple weeks he asked me if he could read Bob books. So for stories he reads those, but not the ones in OPG.

[ElizabethB]

A little while ago Elizabeth posted this same suggestion. My 5 yr was also struggling (and hating) the stories/sentences in OPG. I have now stopped having him read thye stories and sentences completely. It has made a big difference. He does not dread the lessons anymore, and we get a lesson done quicker. I just stick to the word lists. After a couple weeks he asked me if he could read Bob books. So for stories he reads those, but not the ones in OPG.

:001_smile:

 

I'm glad it's helping! That's great!!

[christielee7278]

With the sentences, I try and re-read after each word. Say the sentence is "Tad can pat the cat." It would look something like this:

 

N-boy: "/T/-/a/-/d/, ta-/d/, Tad!"

Mommy: "Great! Tad. What about Tad?"

N-boy: "Tad /c/-/a/-/n/, ca-n, can"

Mommy: "Hmmmm ... Tad can what?"

N-boy: "/p/-/a/-/t/, pa-/t/, pat!"

Mommy: "Oooooh, What can Tad pat?" (sounding like I'm really dying to find out!)

N-boy: "/t/-/h/-/e/"

Mommy: What does "TH" say again?

N-boy: "Oh, yeah! /th/ ... the"

Mommy: Great! So the sentence says Tad can pat the ....

N-boy "/c/-/a/-/t/, cat!"

Mommy: That's right, Tad can pat the cat! Now you read the sentence.

 

This helps him get the idea that these words all go together because we're working through all that he's read after every word.

 

 

LOVE this!! I'll have to remember to try tomorrow. Thanks!

[Heidi]

I've got a 5 1/2 year old too and we're chugging our way through OPG. We don't read the stories for comprehension in OPG. It's just phonics practice. I like it because there are no pictures and no guessing, purely sounding out words. I have her re-read sentences for fluency, but never comprehension.

 

We just got over the hump you are describing. We've been on and off or a year, but now we are officially doing "school" because this is Kindergarten year. What has worked is doing a short 10 min. lesson 3 times a day. 10 min out of OPG - pure phonics instruction, 10 min. out of a bob book.. something more fun to read for comprehension, 10 min. reviewing a lesson, or another easy book, whatever. The key was three time a day, short lessons, every day... being consistent. Last week it just clicked!

 

I've also learned to be a little more patient with dd. I expected her to catch on more quickly than she has, but finally figured out I need to let her go at her own pace and not rush through OPG, but rather take our time, and be diligent in teaching. Maybe in addition to shortening the lessons you could back up 10 lessons or so, work on something easier and practice fluency...??? I'm no expert, but that has also helped with dd's reading as well.

 

Good luck!

[Jayne J]

Just popping back in with one more suggestion--see if you can find some readers that interest your son. My ds made great strides when he finally realized that all that work reading OPG stories paid off in being able to read what HE wanted to read (Star Wars graded readers. Sigh.) If there is a subject your child really enjoys, working through a level 1 reader about that subject might prove the impetus to really work on reading.

 

But my ds tends to be very goal oriented, so you may get different results!:tongue_smilie:

 

Hope all progresses smoothly!