Are you doing a formal reading program?

[JadeOrchidSong]

not learn to read, but reading like CLE Reading program with readers (stories) and then student workbooks for comprehension and other stuff.

I am asking because we do Rod and Staff English and use Sonlight readers, but don't have workbook type of reading.

J

[pageta]

We are doing CM style school so we do narration rather than a reading program with reading comprehension questions and such. I do have ds read aloud for ten minutes every day to practice the skill and check that he is learning the words correctly.

[mindygz]

No. My dd7 only recently has really begun reading with some degree of fluency, so we just read everyday. She is currently reading "The Rainbow Fairy" set. I'm not really that worried about comprehension at this point. She seems to be getting most of what she reads, and I just want her to hone her skills reading enjoyable stuff.

[lotsofpumpkins]

My 1st grader is using R&S 1st grade Reading (and the Phonics too). He is still in the process of learning to read.

 

My 2nd grader started R&S 2nd grade Reading last spring and was bored out of her mind, so I let her drop it after 5 lessons. There was SO MUCH busywork in the workbook. Instead, we switched the the Emerging Reader's Schedule by Heart of Dakota (it's in the appendix of a couple of their programs). Basically, she is reading real books outloud to me and I ask her a few questions. It's all oral and she loves it.

 

So next year (starting in mid-May or so), my ds will do the Emerging Reader's Schedule for 2nd grade. Dd will continue reading "real books" for her 3rd grade Reading. I looked at suggestions at Heart of Dakota and other places (for example, the suggestions that Amazon gives when you put a book in your cart). I checked the reading level of a bunch of books, and I'm scheduling them in order from easiest to hardest. I'll have dd keep a vocabulary notebook to write new words in, plus I'll have her read aloud to me for some of it. When I assign silent reading to her, she'll have to narrate to me when she's done. This plan seems more enjoyable than a workbook program at this age. There's plenty of time for more complicated literary analysis when she's older! It didn't take long for me to pick out the books, and I found all of them through a half.com seller. I bought 11 books for about $30 including shipping.

[Homeschooling6]

My two oldest are using CLE Reading.

[Ellie]

No. I just didn't see the point.

[Momling]

I think that once a child learns to read fluently, reading comprehension and vocabulary practice can (and should) come from reading content texts... like history or science. Kids can answer questions or summarize or outline or make a chart or graphic organizer or something like that with the text.

[MeAndTheBoys]

We are--my kids love to read, and when we did add in Pathway with the workbooks this year, I realized we had missed a lot.

 

My older son taught himself to read, and is now on a 4th or 5th grade level--but I found he has not picked up a lot of phonics rules on his own, and suffixes, root words, prefixes--the reading workbook is fiilling in those gaps. It also has comp questions, so he is practicing writing good answers. We're nearly through Pathway Grade 2 workbooks and texts. I have Pathway Grade 3 and CLE Grade 3 when we finish these===

 

My younger is learning to read this year, and I think more people use a program at that level.

 

They both love to read and do plenty of reading with just oral narrations and summaries; if it ever becomes a burden to do the reading program, we'll reassess--but at this point, I really think they are gaining a lot from it, and it doesn't take much time--20 minutes for my older per day, maybe?

 

Betsy

[robsiew]

We don't. I used DITHOR last year with my oldest, but I found it was really too difficult for him. Many of the answers I needed to formulate for him. This year I am just having the kids read classical and historical/science orientated literature. We talk about what they read. They have some time when they read alone, then they each have a book that's just a little too hard for them to read independently that they read with me. This is what I use to have them read out loud and synthesize with me. I'll worry more about the later reading skills when they hit logic stage... for now, they are loving to read and learning a lot just from reading.

[Mommy22alyns]

We don't. I'd rather have Becca reading books of any type than contrived tales with fill-in-the-bubble answers at the end. Makes my tummy shrivel up every time I see them! :tongue_smilie:

[sherry80]

I am thinking about this as well. After phonics instruction, what is the purpose of a "reading" program. I know language arts is spelling, writing and grammar. What is a reading program supposed to cover? (for younger ages, like 1st and 2nd grade)

Sherry

[MeAndTheBoys]

I am thinking about this as well. After phonics instruction, what is the purpose of a "reading" program. I know language arts is spelling, writing and grammar. What is a reading program supposed to cover? (for younger ages, like 1st and 2nd grade)

Sherry

 

Ours covers a lot of spelling rules that weren't being covered in R&S Spelling 3--things like adding "ing", "ed", "s" to a word--do you double the last letter? Drop the silent 'e'? Etc.

 

It has comp questions and sequencing of events.

 

New vocabulary.

 

I don't think we'll use it forever--probably just through the rest of this year and through next year. The stories in the Pathway readers have been very enjoyable for my boys--1st grade through half of 2nd grade follows a single family and some of their friends. This last 2nd grade book and the third grade book goes into a little science and nature and other characters--and I don't think he's loving that as much.

 

I for one really liked my textbook reading program when I was in public school--it introduced me to a whole world of authors and genres that I wouldn't have found on my own. I often went to the library to check out the "rest of the book" when I had read an excerpt in my textbook--

 

And clever literary-minded moms may be able to cover all of these aspects on their own. I'm a math person who loves to read, and I know I would skip a lot without a little help.

 

My boys read a lot on their own, books of their choice, and we are also doing Sonlight readers with the older--he reads a chapter and narrates it to me or writes a 2-sentence summary. They read a lot, and at this point, we are covering a lot of different aspects. And it's working for us--

 

Betsy

[MIch elle]

Yes! I highly recommend CLE reading 4-8. Look at the CLE S&S to see what's covered in each grade: http://www.clp.org/documents/3201/original/Elementary_Scope_and_Sequence_2009-2010.pdf

 

Those of you that don't "see" the point look at the S&S to "see" the point of using a reading program. ;)

[Annie Laurie]

No. I use Sonlight readers just because I like the selections. I don't use the comprehension questions. I've looked carefully at reading programs recently, and it didn't change my mind, they wouldn't work for us right now. I think simply reading and narrating is enough. But only you can decide if it would work for you! What are your goals for your kids and how do you prefer to accomplish those goals? How do they learn best?

[Meriwether]

Yes. Two actually. Dd6 does Veritas Press books - one chapter and one paper/project per day. She also does the Pathway Readers just because we like them. She has one more book to do for the 2nd grade, but I may hold that back for summer. The 2nd grade workbook pages are more time consuming than the 1st grade ones.

 

I wouldn't say a reading program is necessary for her age, but it seemed a natural progression since we stopped phonics instruction. Over the past few months I've noticed a big improvement in some areas. She learned to read very quickly (she could decode almost any word at 5), but she has a very short attention span and wouldn't pay attention to the storyline when she read. I know a lot of people will say they should just read for enjoyment at this age, but she enjoys reading a lot more now that she has been in a program. She also does a lot of free reading in a day - maybe 45 min. to an hour in addition to school.

[Heather in WI]

No, we don't use a separate reading program. I like this from The Well-Trained Mind:

 

We strongly feel that "reading texts" (books with snippets of stories and poems followed by comprehension exercises) turn reading into a chore. Books, even in the early grades, ought to be sources of delight and information, not exercises to be mastered. A good classical education instills a passion for books in the student. "Reading texts" mutilate real books by pulling sections our of context and presenting them as "assignments." Even worse are textbooks that profide selections designed especially for textbook use, which means that your child spends his time reading generic prose produced by textbook writers instead of stories written by masters.

 

The section goes on to outline TWTM reading philosophy & 'how-to".

 

Ours covers a lot of spelling rules that weren't being covered in R&S Spelling 3--things like adding "ing", "ed", "s" to a word--do you double the last letter? Drop the silent 'e'? Etc.

 

FWIW, we use R&S spelling, and I believe it does cover those things. For example, lesson 16 of Gr. 3 covers dropping e to add -ed and -ing.

[sherry80]

Does spelling workout cover the spelling rules as well?

[Tree House Academy]

Both of my boys are doing CLE Reading on their levels right now. Of course, we read chapter books together (from the HOD guides) and both of my boys read at night too. My older is in the middle of the Percy Jackson series right now and my younger is stuck on Pokemon chapter books.

[MeAndTheBoys]

FWIW, we use R&S spelling, and I believe it does cover those things. For example, lesson 16 of Gr. 3 covers dropping e to add -ed and -ing.

 

R&S does cover it quickly; we're in Lesson 22, but Pathway has covered the spelling rules in more depth. Which we need at this point. R&S has made it easier for him to memorize a list of words, while Pathway has worked on analyzing and applying the rules more. Just our experience with Pathway grade 2 and R&S Grade 3 spelling, currently--

 

Betsy

[JadeOrchidSong]

Yes! I highly recommend CLE reading 4-8. Look at the CLE S&S to see what's covered in each grade: http://www.clp.org/documents/3201/original/Elementary_Scope_and_Sequence_2009-2010.pdf

 

Those of you that don't "see" the point look at the S&S to "see" the point of using a reading program. ;)

 

I hear a lot of good things about CLE reading, and I will have it in mind when my ds is 4th grader. If we choose to add reading, CLE will be my choice. Thanks for the recommendation.

J

[johnandtinagilbert]

I am thinking about this as well. After phonics instruction, what is the purpose of a "reading" program. I know language arts is spelling, writing and grammar. What is a reading program supposed to cover? (for younger ages, like 1st and 2nd grade)

Sherry

 

A reading program will lead into vocabulary and literature studies for those grades that will improve fluency and gradually increase in difficulty.

 

An excellent language arts program will take a great living book for that reading level, such as, Little House in the Big Woods, and use it to continue to improve fluency, as well as, develop both reading and spoken vocabulary; connect grammar as it applies to the story through lessons; copywork and/or dictation;handwriting; and pull spelling words from the program.

 

At least that's how I view them ;)

 

eta: by lit studies I mean plot, setting, etc. for literary analysis.

Edited January 8, 2010 by johnandtinagilbert

[Samiam]

I haven't in the past, as agreed with the WTM philosophy, that was posted a few posts back.

 

BUT now that DS11 is a bit older, a fluent reader, I do realize that he has not had any exposure to the "study of a book", meaning discussing plots, subplots, analogies, character studies, all the intricicies of a lit study, etc etc.

 

I remember doing this in Jr High, at least.

 

But I also remember really loving the books we were reading, but hating being slowed down by the tediousness of "studying the book".

 

So for this reason, I chose to do CLE Reading. It's ordered and I am waiting the arrival. We will use this for a basic lit study for now.

 

We may do a whole book study, insted of a textbook lit study, in high school, when I feel he would have more of a grasp on the concepts. For now, I want to expose him to the terms/and points of lit study in a simple, laid out plan for us both.

 

K

[sherry80]

I just ordered the Sonlight reader schedules only around $5-6. to use for our reading program, but that won't have workbooks.