Starting Spell to Write and Read later...

[Guest]

Is it okay to start SWR later, after the child has learned to read, about 2nd/3rd grade? I love the ideas behind SWR, but I am teaching ds to read via Abeka phonics first. I just wanted to hear how things have gone if you've started SWR after your kids already know how to read.

[Dinsfamily]

:lurk5:

 

My ds has really learned to read while using the program this year. He could read at the beginning, but not fluently.

 

But...I was thinking though that very little of the program is done "pre-reading." Assigned reading is started at List I-1 which is very early in the program. You could always give them the diagnostic test and start them wherever they place as you'd do with any older beginner.

 

The only issue I can think of would be how Abeka teaches reading (I don't know anything about it). You might have to do some remediation with the phonograms and rules as they are pretty important to the program. That seems like it would be easy for an older child and there seems to be a lot of review built into the later lists.

[momofabcd]

I started a program similary to SWR when my dd was in 2nd grade and already reading fairly fluenly. She had no problem memorizing all the phonograms, and the rules were introduced (at least in the program I used) as needed with the words. So, I imagine you would have no problem. Your ds will already know all the sounds to all the phonograms using Abeka. He just won't have learned them together. So it should be easy for him to pick up.

[Guest]

I started a program similary to SWR when my dd was in 2nd grade and already reading fairly fluenly. She had no problem memorizing all the phonograms, and the rules were introduced (at least in the program I used) as needed with the words. So, I imagine you would have no problem. Your ds will already know all the sounds to all the phonograms using Abeka. He just won't have learned them together. So it should be easy for him to pick up.

 

Thank you! He is a young reader and he was ready to read but the program was a little overwhelming. I'd rather get through the Abeka phonics program (2-3 yrs.) and then pick up SWR later for spelling. Glad to know someone else did something similar. :)

[Blossom'sGirl]

I have been using SWR with all my children, and the oldest is in 6th and started in K. I decided with my current 1st grade ds that I will wait on the spelling lists until next year when he is a better reader. He has been learning the phonograms since he was 4 and the rules since last year. I am currently using CLE Learning to Read and LA100 with him and it has some spelling in it. Since I have used SWR for years I am now very comfortable explaining rules and phonograms to him the SWR way instead of the way other programs do it. If you have the SWR program it wouldn't hurt to show him the coordinating phonograms and rules as they come up in his reading program but I also think that you could "start from scratch" in 2nd grade. I still get the pre made SWR note book for 2nd grade just because it lays everything out nicely.