Ds hates Explode the Code.....

[Chloe]

My oldest two always loved ETC, but my ds (7 next month) complains every time I pull it out. When asked what he doesn't like about it, he says it's boring and he hates reading. He HAS always given me a hard time about learning to read in general, but he's tolerating his 100 Easy Lessons much better now. He's the type that just wants to read regular books, but he doesn't know all the phonograms yet. He's at lesson 70 in 100 EL, and I've considered stopping there and practicing fluency with some Bob Books and other easy readers. I do plan to have him go through Phonics Pathways for phonics reinforcement when he finishes 100 EL, but do I have to have him continue with ETC? Is there another type of phonics workbook that might be better? Although I have a feeling he won't like anything. He'd just rather practice reading books. If he doesn't have anymore phonics instruction, will it hurt him?

 

I worry about his tendency to sight-read. I don't want it to lead to problems later on. My oldest wasn't really a sight-reader, but she never finished 100EL or Phonics Pathways because she just took off reading. She did a few books of ETC, but not all of them. She's a TERRIBLE speller, and I'm wondering if she would be better at spelling if she had had more grounding in phonics. She's an auditory learner and doesn't pay close enough attention to how words are spelled. This ds seems to be an auditory learner as well.

 

What do you think? Forget ETC, but add something else, or just read and go through Phonics Pathways?

[PeterPan]

Why don't you try SWR/WRTR with all of them? It would let your 6 yo learn his phonograms faster and ditch the boring workbook, and it's great for your older, auditory learner dc. WRTR would probably be at your library, so you could try it for free. It would at least be worth it just to learn the phonograms and rules.

[Nestof3]

I never used anything except a single, simple book to teach reading: Alphaphonics. Neither of my boys has had any difficulty with reading.

[Chloe]

Great! We'll ditch ETC then. I used SWR for a short time with my oldest two and still have the phonogram cards. Ds seems to enjoy doing flashcards (for math anyway), so maybe just learning those will be enough. I sold the SWR Wise Guide book a couple of years ago, but maybe I'll try to find a cheap used one.

 

Thanks!

[rafiki]

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[PeterPan]

You could use your SWR cards with WRTR from the library.

[ElizabethB]

I would quickly run through my "guide to Blend Phonics" with them both, the oldest can read just a few words and spell more, your younger child can read more words and just spell a few. It has accompanying spelling and phonics rules that should be very helpful. They are in this paragraph on my how to tutor page.

 

Your number one task is to get them to stop guessing and start sounding out each and every word from left to right. Nonsense words are key, they help prevent guessing. Here is a free website that generates nonsense words. Syllables are also helpful, I would use the Blend Phonics Reader (it helps show how guessing is a bad strategy by showing words with similar configuration together) followed by Webster’s Speller. Here is a step by step guide to using Blend Phonics that also adds in syllables, spelling and phonics rules, syllable division rules, and syllable division exercises. There are also readings from Hebrews 12 that can be added to show progress through the program.

 

You could follow this up with PP or Webster's Speller. My guide is a gently intro into the syllables needed to do the Speller.

[Daisy]

My son hated ETC also. We ditched it. He thought it was tortuously repetitive. I used Abeka Letters & Sounds. He liked that much better.

[kalanamak]

Great! We'll ditch ETC then. I used SWR for a short time with my oldest two and still have the phonogram cards. Ds seems to enjoy doing flashcards (for math anyway), so maybe just learning those will be enough

 

My son loved the challenge. We'd get to OUGH card and he'd pipe "no hints, no hints" and stick his tongue out one corner while he thought. After we do our "10 words" he'll run the page down to Papa to show it off. Not something he does with any of his workbooks.

[kareng]

I think my 12 y.o. dd may have dyslexia and have been reading this thread to see what others are recommending or have used. But, I'm stuck because I don't know what the abbreviations stand for! Could someone please tell me the following: ETC, SWR, WRTR, PP, SSRW? I think that's all of them.

 

By the way, is Explode the Code very repetative and boring? Is that what people are saying?

 

Thanks!

[kalanamak]

I think my 12 y.o. dd may have dyslexia and have been reading this thread to see what others are recommending or have used. But, I'm stuck because I don't know what the abbreviations stand for! Could someone please tell me the following: ETC, SWR, WRTR, PP, SSRW? I think that's all of them.

 

By the way, is Explode the Code very repetative and boring? Is that what people are saying?

 

 

Many like ETC. I'm sure someone will point you the way to the abbreviations. I don't happen to know it. Welcome!!

 

Spell to Write and Read, Writing Road To Reading, Phonics Pathways, Sing Spell Read Write. I would start a different thread asking about reading with a 12 year old, and post about the specific difficulties you are having. "Dyslexia" covers many, many things. Again, welcome

[Chloe]

The Abbreviation Sticky is one of the posts at the top of this board.

[angelmorris]

I am in the same boat with my DS 8. He can decode decently but cannot "read". He hates ETC and the OPGTR. He also hates reading books though, I'm going to look into some of the suggestions that have been given to you :)