ETC and Primary Phonic readers users.

[Mabelen]

I've been looking at these two programs. I think I like the ETC workbooks perhaps a tiny bit better but I love the fact that PP has readers that align exactly with the workbooks.

 

I have read that some here combine ETC with PP readers. Looking at both programs's sequence, they don't exactly align. PP introduces vowel digraphs first then initial and ending consonant blends, while ETC does it the other way round, first initial and ending consonant blends, then vowel digraphs. My question is, how did you handle these differences?

[Chris in VA]

I used ETC, the Primary Phonics readers, and PP all together! lol

I started Dd with the 3 "before the code" books, to cover all the consonants. We did not do the writing of the letters in the book, only the game-type things (circling, making the paths, etc.). Then we did Phonics Pathways, and I supplemented with Bob Books. We added in the Primary Phonics readers when we got to the skills. We did most of ETC 1 simutaneously with PP and the Pri Phonics readers.

 

I don't try to match everything up. We are very go with the flow. Between Bob Books, PP sentences, writing my own tiny books, and the Primary Phonics, Dd had plenty to read.

[jplain]

Sorry if this comes out muddled and confusing, but we use a lot of different materials because my daughter needs variety or she gets grumpy. And if she gets grumpy, it makes me grumpy too. ;)

 

Right now we're using ETC at a fairly leisurely pace for phonics instruction, but we also use Phonics Pathways from time to time when we need a change. At other times we've been more evenly split between ETC and Phonics Pathways. As we continue working through ETC4, I think we'll be using Phonics Pathways more frequently, to slow down the pace of ETC4. We're also using Reading Pathways and Beyond the Code 1 to reinforce earlier learning.

 

For early readers, we've used Nora Gaydos readers, Progressive Phonics (online) readers, and BOB Books at various times during ETC 1, 2, and 3. For my second daughter I may add in We Both Read books, Levels K and K-1, but I didn't know about them until recently. Aside from the Progressive Phonics and a few of the Nora Gaydos sets, we borrow all of these from the library.

 

Near the end of ETC 3, I added in Primary Phonics storybook set 3. (I skipped PP storybook sets 1 and 2.) I've also added in some We Both Read books, Level 1 and some Top Readers (Barnes & Noble), Stage 1.

 

In preparation for Primary Phonics storybook set 3, there were two vowel combinations that I needed to add that ETC hadn't yet taught: /ie/ = long i, as in cried, and /oe/ = long o, as in toe. But those were no big deal for my daughter.

 

We'll be able to get through all of Primary Phonics storybook set 3 and half of set 4 before having to set them aside for a while to wait until we catch up. Book 5 of storybook set 4 starts to include r-controlled vowels, and ETC doesn't cover r- controlled vowels until ETC 6. Or maybe we'll cover r-controlled vowels using Phonics Pathways or Progressive Phonics before we get to it in ETC.

 

In a nutshell, Primary Phonics storybooks are only one of the several resources we use, and I use them when they best suit our needs. When they don't, they go back on the shelf and I pull something else down. :D Even though they aren't a perfect fit every time, I do like them a lot, because they're engaging and contain only a few sight words.

 

If you're looking for something that coordinates better with ETC than the Primary Phonics storybooks, try the Nora Gaydos readers. They're great! :thumbup1:

Edited October 26, 2009 by jplain

[Jennefer@SSA]

We used ETC and the PP readers here! I didn't worry about them matching up perfectly and it didn't seem to bother ds at all. But then again I waited until we were a little further along in ETC before starting official readers anyway. We also used Bob books and Level 1 readers in several different series when we were starting out. Ds knew his sounds before we even started ETC and once he got the hang of blending sounds to make words it didn't seem to matter that the book of the day wasn't a perfect match to that day's phonics lesson. Sometimes it was a match and sometimes it was a reinforcement of a prior lesson and sometimes it was a little something new. :)

[Mabelen]

It looks like most people don't worry about the readers being a precise match to the lesson.

 

I am still undecided between ETC and Primary Phonics. I printed out a sample of the level 1 workbooks for both and I am having dd5 do a few pages of each and see if she has a preference for one or the other. I will add some readers, so many to choose from! I am also thinking I will use Phonics Pathways as my own text from which to get explanations for phonics facts.

 

My dd is already reading, better and better by the day actually, despite the fact I haven't started phonics with her yet. At school they are doing balanced literacy and I am not too happy with this approach! I think I have been underestimating her because I had her older sister to compare to who was already reading words by 2 and who by 4 was fluently reading in both English and Spanish without having had any reading instruction whatsoever. I still want her to have a solid phonics foundation, and I also feel I need to be able to answer questions when she asks about spellings and such.

 

Thank you so much again.