What is R&S 1st grade reading/phonics like??

[diaperjoys]

Is it really teacher intensive? I have the sample pages, but I still don't have a good feel for how all the parts come together. My 2nd grader will be using the reading/phonics next year (I think), and I was considering using it for my 1st grader too. But maybe it would be just as well to continue with the ETC books that he's currently using.

 

Anyway - if you've used R&S 1st grade, I'd love it if you could tell me what you think of it!

 

Thanks!

[2_girls_mommy]

I love R&S first grade. I used it w/my older dd a couple of years ago, and I just started it w/my current child. The reading and phonics are really 2 separate programs, although it is meant to be their entire 1st grade, and the instructions for both are in the same teacher's manual. But you could use just the phonics or just the reading. The phonics instructions are in the front half of the T.M and the instructions for the reading are in the back half. So I have to keep 2 bookmarks in my manual, if that makes sense.

 

The phonics workbooks go w/the phonics, and the reading workbook and the additional worksheets go with the reading portion, but the worksheets are extra, and not necessary.

 

So for us we do the phonics lesson first. It includes instructions for the lesson, for the workbook, and also spelling and later dictation. It does include some reading as well in the form of reading lists of words on the current phonics rule. I think this is a wonderful program. Very thorough.

 

The reading is different. Although I used it before, my dd using it then was already reading when we started. So we used it more for Bible and for comprehension than for reading instruction. I didn't have any reason to use the flashcards or anything then.

 

It does include memorizing sight words and phrases. I am not sure how this is going to work teaching someone to read who is not reading fluently yet. But I am giving it a try, because I so enjoyed everything my other dd and I got from the program before. There is discussion/comp. questions in the manual for the Bible story, and vocabulary work is included. Then there are the instructions for the reading workbook and for the additional worksheets. I loved the worksheets. They included all kinds of 1st grade work, starting w/cutting and pasting and coloring to writing sentences and dictionary work in the later units.

 

Like I said, either of these can be used on their own. For 2nd grade, we chose to not continue the reading portion of the program, but to finish the phonics program. Hope I have answered some of your questions.

 

ETA... Yes it is very teacher intensive. I am remembering this now as I start it again the 2nd time!

Edited February 28, 2010 by 2_girls_mommy
forgot something

[lotsofpumpkins]

We are using R&S 1st grade phonics and reading. I don't teach the lessons exactly as the teacher's manual says since I'm not teaching a whole classroom.

 

Here's what we do:

Phonics: ds reads the edge list from the day before. Then we turn to the current day's lesson and I quickly explain it to ds (I rarely refer to the TM since I taught this last year to my dd). He does the workbook, asking for help when he needs it. When he is done with the workbook exercises, he reads the edge list for that day. Then, we turn back to the edge list from the day before and we do the speed drill (see how many words he can read in 30 seconds, then fill in the chart in the back of the book). Now that he's in Unit 4, he also has dictation each day. The TM has 2 sentences for me to read to him and he writes them on a whiteboard. Sometimes we only do one sentence though.

 

Reading: We turn to the story in the reader and look at the new words first. Then he reads the story to me and I stop him if he makes any mistakes. Once he's done reading, he does the workbook exercises. (So, I'm not teaching the lesson the way the TM says to. It has lots of discussion on new words and their meanings and stuff like that. I skip that and just get to the reading, and we can discuss words he doesn't know as needed).

 

We really like R&S 1st grade reading/phonics here. It is a very thorough program. 10 months ago my ds could not even sound out words. R&S has taught him SO MUCH.

 

I will tell you though- since ds wasn't already reading some, and since reading isn't his strong subject (he's the math whiz of the family), phonics and reading have taken as long as two hours (total for both) on most days. But considering all I require of him is those subjects plus math and handwriting, that's okay. Learning to read takes priority at this age, and R&S does the job well.

[2_girls_mommy]

lotsofpumpkins... it is good to hear your experience using it to actually teach one to read, since I am starting that journey now.

 

Not to steal the thread, but did you find you used or needed the flashcards? I am debating making my own since they are so expensive and it seems to give the new words for each lesson at the beginning. Or did you find you didn't need them?

 

It does take us up to 2 hrs sometimes too. It has been a big jump from the ABC workbooks for my little girl, but so far she is doing great with it.

Edited March 1, 2010 by 2_girls_mommy

[daybreaking]

For us, the reading and phonics each took about an hour. I planned for 1/2 hour for the reading lesson (doing everything, including extra activities) and 1/2 hour for the phonics lesson (including the spelling & sentence dictation). Then, each of the workbooks took DS about 1/2 hour. The worksheets took between 10-30 minutes, depending on what they contained.

 

I can't say enough good about the R&S language arts. We've only done grade 1, but I'm hooked!! Yes, the program is very teacher intensive, but the results are well worth it in my opinion.

[Ellie]

It would not be my first choice, although generally, I like R&S.

 

I used the Bible Nurture and Reader series (BNRS) "We Learn About God" materials--reading and phonics--in my little one-room school. I thought it might be good because I needed to my first-grader to do some seatwork while I worked with other children. So I'd teach, then assign the seatwork; teach again, assign seatwork; teach some more, assign seatwork (I followed the teacher manual exactly). It took pretty much all morning.

 

I was NOT happy with the reading. The phonics was ok--not exciting, but ok--but not the reading. There are over 200 sight words to memorize, plus the phrase cards.

 

My recommendation would be to use something else to teach your dc to read, and then use the second grade BNRS materials if you like the readers.

 

I know that there are children who learn to read with BNRS, but there are many other methods/materials available that IMHO do a better job.

[diaperjoys]

My recommendation would be to use something else to teach your dc to read, and then use the second grade BNRS materials if you like the readers.

 

My plan exactly! I'm purchasing 2nd grade materials for my rising 2nd grader, and I'm excited that their phonics will review & reinforce what we've done so far.

 

For our rising first grader, he's doing ETC & thriving, so I'll leave well enough alone for now, and plan on having him do R&S 2nd grade reading/phonics after that.