I'm Sorry, Was I Supposed To Be Teaching Language Arts???

[Caraway]

I need help getting back on track. I have a first (going to second) grader.

 

We tried doing:

WWE - okay, although my son hates it :glare:

 

FFL - cannot get into this, seems too young or too old, or just not us

 

OPGTR - We were going along pretty well through the simple sounds. Now that he is starting to read though, he just reads the exercises without internalizing the "rules". Since I never learned these rules I still struggle with them and thus have a difficult time remembering them or forcing him to use them.

 

Basically I looked up today and realized that the only things we are routinely doing for LAs are lots of reading, audio books, and poetry memorization.

 

I am worried that I am going to get so far off track that I am never going to be ready for ...... whatever comes next.

 

I have tried searching, but I cannot find a thread that gives me a more global or holistic perspective.

 

So, can you tell me... What I should be doing now, and what I should be doing next year???

 

:bigear:

[tampamommy]

First of all, you are doing fine. Lots of reading, audio books and poetry memorization are the best thing for this age.

 

There is no way that you can "get so far off track that you're never going to be ready for whatever comes next" when your child is just beginning second grade, so relax and smile!!:)

 

I'd recommend 1/2 page (yes, I really said only 1/2 page) of Phonics Pathways per day. It will likely take 3-5 minutes. I would also recommend R & S English 2, done completely orally. But if you want to just do PP, wait another 6 months to do the R & S.

 

Confession: My children learned to read with only PP and didn't memorize any "rules." I discussed the rules I remembered (and that was not all of them!) as they came up in reading stories. I've looked at OPGTR and for us, it would not have worked. It's too rules-based. My children learned all the formal phonics rules using phonics workbooks in grades 3-5, long after they were reading way above grade level. Mission still accomplished, albeit in a different order.

 

They are in 6th and 8th grades now and read at high school/college level.

So I'd keep it simple, keep on having fun and keep on reading a lot together!

[Caraway]

First of all, you are doing fine. Lots of reading, audio books and poetry memorization are the best thing for this age.

 

There is no way that you can "get so far off track that you're never going to be ready for whatever comes next" when your child is just beginning second grade, so relax and smile!!:)

 

I'd recommend 1/2 page (yes, I really said only 1/2 page) of Phonics Pathways per day. It will likely take 3-5 minutes. I would also recommend R & S English 2, done completely orally. But if you want to just do PP, wait another 6 months to do the R & S.

 

Confession: My children learned to read with only PP and didn't memorize any "rules." I discussed the rules I remembered (and that was not all of them!) as they came up in reading stories. I've looked at OPGTR and for us, it would not have worked. It's too rules-based. My children learned all the formal phonics rules using phonics workbooks in grades 3-5, long after they were reading way above grade level. Mission still accomplished, albeit in a different order.

 

They are in 6th and 8th grades now and read at high school/college level.

So I'd keep it simple, keep on having fun and keep on reading a lot together!

 

 

I am not sure I can return to PP - Dewey makes me want to scratch my eyes out. :blink:

 

But it sounds like some phonics rules are important.

 

Is there something like R&S but secular? Off to search again.

 

I know he is young. However I would like to be able to see the larger picture of what/where I am going, so that I can decide what is important now.;)

[Evergreen Academy]

Don't worry, you are doing great! I have a little guy the same age, and it is good to enjoy learning together at that age, which it sounds like you are doing.

 

I couldn't get any of my kids more than halfway through Phonics Pathways or Alphaphonics, I think we both got so bored, but I did start them all on the Pathway Readers in first grade and have them read at least through the end of the second grade readers. I love how they incrementally introduce new words, and the sweet stories kept the kids' attention better than the reading programs did. Many kids do learn to read without memorizing all the rules (all 6 of mine did). The youngest 4 have all learned phonics with Explode the Code, which they have loved. I usually start a spelling program in 2nd grade - either MCP (truthfully, didn't love it), Spectrum or R&S.

 

I felt the same way you did about FLL after 1st grade with my ds11, so we tried R&S LA, which about killed us both, LOL. My mistake was to make him write out half of each lesson, rather than let him do it orally. I ended up using the second half of FLL anyway, along with copywork from his readers. Whenever I gave him a sentence to copy, I'd have him identify the noun, verb, etc. He kept a lovely little notebook in which he wrote and illustrated these.

 

You don't have to use WWE to develop the skill of narration - every other day or so, ask him to tell you about the history you've just read him, a chapter of a book you've read, etc. You can write it down for him and let him illustrate it if you like.

 

These are just some ideas. But you have not messed up or put your child behind - if anything, you have not pushed him and he will still have a good attitude about learning.

Blessings,

Aimee

mom to 6 great kids ages 7-19, schooling grades 2, 4, 4 and 7

[Ellie]

Personally, I don't do "language arts." :)

 

You're supposed to teach your ds to be literate. He needs to read well and write well. You should use whatever works best for you and him.

 

Lots of reading, audio books, and poetry memorization is just fine for a dc this age.:)

[Caraway]

Personally, I don't do "language arts." :)

 

You're supposed to teach your ds to be literate. He needs to read well and write well. You should use whatever works best for you and him.

 

Lots of reading, audio books, and poetry memorization is just fine for a dc this age.:)

 

 

Okay, so for *you* what does this look like??? Do you do a spelling program? Any grammar? Something else???

[sncstraub]

Have you checked out the Explode the Code workbooks? They do phonics rules which translates to spelling rules. Ds7 who is going into 2nd grade rather enjoys those, and he wasn't crazy about Phonics Pathways either.

[juliecram]

LA is such a hard thing to figure out because there are so many aspects to it. This past year was my first year homeschooling and I used All About Spelling with my 7 year old. We have really enjoyed it. It is a phonics/spelling program and has a reader that goes along with it. We also did the Sonlight LA program for the reading along with Explode the Code (which was scheduled with the Sonlight). Good luck!

[Aludlam]

I second the rec. for ETC. I would make reading my primary focus, above all other academic work. The first advice I ever got about homeschooling came from a very seasoned Mama, who told me that if your child can read well, they can do anything. I wished I had listened to her. We struggled for almost 2 years before this Mama finally realized that the seasoned Mama was right and put all else aside and focused on reading. My advice --- read, read, read.

[tampamommy]

If you are tired of Dewey (PP):tongue_smilie:, someone else suggested using Pathway Readers. We used those too, and enjoyed them. There is also the Bob books, but we only used the first set of those.

 

 

Phonics rules...MCP phonics workbooks are good at teaching the basic phonics rules, and they start with workbooks that would be level-appropriate for your son.

 

Hmmm...R & S but secular, that is a harder one. Nothing comes to mind right away.

 

Spelling...Natural Speller is a good resource. It works very well if you want to integrate spelling but don't want a separate "workbook" to do. Natural Speller has many lists at different grade levels along with teaching tips, etc. I found it very useful. One of my children's favorite things was when I did "silly sentences" that had lots of spelling words in them. When they were younger like your son, they would just write the spelling words in the silly sentences down. As they progressed, it became a dictation exercise, with them writing the whole sentence (in peals of giggles). If you want a formal spelling workbook, I preferred Everyday Spelling (Scott Foresman) to Spelling Workout.

 

If you can't find something you like in lieu of R & S, another idea is to teach the very basics of grammar while you are reading together. You can identify basic parts of speech, sentence types, fragments vs. sentences, salutations, etc. in a particular paragraph you read aloud. Or make it a game while you're out and about. "Nouns are persons, places and things. Let's say all the words that are nouns that we can see while we're driving to the store." Or in a particular room in the house.

 

Grammar Songs is another great resource available from Rainbow Resource Center. (While you are at it, get History Songs and Geography Songs too)All three will be useful for years!

 

Hope this helps.

[tampamommy]

Please pardon my grammar in my previous post. It has been a LONG day of school and sports and I have miles to go before I sleep. :willy_nilly:And I'm starving. Off to eat now.

[jpklehm]

I am a phonics-advocate and I used OPGTR with my son when he was in K, along with Bob books and Explode the Code. The combination worked beautifully. In grade 1, we finished OPGTR and started FLL along with ETC, Pathway Readers, copywork, and Spelling Workout. Again, it's working well for us. Now that he's entering grade 2, we'll continue with Pathway Readers, FLL, copywork/dictation, Spelling Workout and ETC. This combination (like any combination) isn't for everyone, I will agree, so you just have to keep at it until you find what works for you and your son.

 

I do tend to put an emphasis on language skills and math in the early grades. We do history and science, as well, but the emphasis is on reading and math. I just feel great when my son is able to sound out words on his own because he's learned the rules. I absolutely agree, however, that reading together is SO important (he needs to practice what he's learning), so keep that up and enjoy the snuggle time together! :)

 

Pam

[Ellie]

Okay, so for *you* what does this look like??? Do you do a spelling program? Any grammar? Something else???

For a 7yo, no, I wouldn't do spelling (unless I was doing Spalding) or grammar. When my dc were that young, we were much more relaxed than what the WTM suggests. :) We only did grammar for one year, when dc were 11ish.

 

If I had dc that young again, I would still use Spalding to teach literacy (reading, spelling, penmanship, capitalization and punctuation, simple writing), and I would try some of the copywork materials from Queen Homeschool Supplies when I thought we were ready to move on from Spalding.

[Heidi]

R&S but secular... how about R&S!! We're using R&S phonics 1 with my K4 and R&S phonics 2 with my 1st grader. It's not religious at all. We're learning phonics very thoroughly and I love it. The kids don't mind it either. Phonics 2 starts from the beginning and covers the topics a little quicker than phonics 1, so if you start with phonics 2 (like we did) you won't miss any rules.

[peacefully]

.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

First let me say-- :chillpill: you have a 7 y/o! He is young! According to world book encyclopedia this is what a first grader should know by the end of 1st grade

 

Language Arts

 

* Reading

- Phonetic analysis

- Structural analysis

- Establishing sight vocabulary

* Reading informally: names, labels, signs

* Simple pantomimes and dramatic play

* Creating stories and poems

* Telling favorite stories

* Organizing ideas and impressions

* Enunciation and pronunciation

* Presenting information orally, in sequence and with clarity

* Book reports and critiques

* Discussion skills: taking part in group discussion

* Beginning dictionary skills: alphabetizing

* Beginning spelling

* Beginning grammar: nouns, verbs, adjectives

* Introduction to punctuation and capitalization

* Manuscript handwriting

* Handling books

* Using table of contents

* Development of a class newspaper

 

And this is what a 2nd grader should know by the end of 2nd grade

 

Language Arts

 

* Reading silently for purpose

* Dramatizations and interpretative or oral reading

* Use and meaning of quotation marks in reading

* Story development: beginning, middle, end

* Simple book reviews

* Listening skills

* Organizing ideas and impressions

* Alphabetizing through second letter of a word

* Using dictionary guide words

* Vocabulary development

* Homonyms, synonyms, antonyms

* Methods of word attack

* Ways to study spelling

* Simple punctuation and capitalization

* Refining manuscript handwriting

* Writing independently in manuscript form

* Brief and simple letters and journals

* Narration, description, letters, poetry

* Increasing skill in handling books: table of contents, and index

[Devotional Soul]

Alphabet Island is fun for learning rules with songs and stories about personified letters. My 3 year old along for the ride knows many rules now just from listening to the cd. Here's one favorite, sung to the sound of Kookaburra:

 

Clever C loves his pet kangaroo

And at the end of words you'll find these two

Unless two vowels are around

Then Clever C will never be found

 

The Sentence Family looks like fun for grammer! I also like McRuffy for an all in one LA program.

[Caraway]

R&S but secular... how about R&S!! We're using R&S phonics 1 with my K4 and R&S phonics 2 with my 1st grader. It's not religious at all. We're learning phonics very thoroughly and I love it. The kids don't mind it either. Phonics 2 starts from the beginning and covers the topics a little quicker than phonics 1, so if you start with phonics 2 (like we did) you won't miss any rules.

 

Am I looking at the wrong thing? The spelling appears secular enough, but the phonics book is stories about Jesus. :001_huh:

[Caraway]

I feel some need to comment on all of the advice to "chill"...

 

I really don't feel like I need to relax on this... we are SO relaxed that we aren't doing ANY of it formally. I eliminate and eliminate in order to have a simple and relaxed day - but occasionally I look up and think, um I should at least know what I am not doing!

 

Also, I think that if one wants to use certain programs later, than there is prep work to be done. I think that it is more relaxed to do the prep now, slowly, than to wait, realize that we haven't done it, and then panic and cram it all in.

 

For me it is helpful to have an understanding of the foundation/structure of what needs to be taught. Then I can judge if we are doing that, or if I need to add it. For example I found math choices very stressful until I realized that really we just need to cover how to add, subtract, etc. Then I could figure out how to do that in a way that worked for us. Some of these programs have so many bells, whistles, manipulatives, and busy work that I struggle to see the core of what needs to be done.

 

I was not taught phonics or grammar as a child. Spelling appeared to be random. I look at these programs and struggle to process what they are doing with my understanding of being a functional reader. Now we are in OPGTR and it is like "this is the rule, except for in these 45 other examples, when we will present sub rules until every word has it's own freaking customized rule." And then my son looks at me and asks "why am I learning these rules that aren't rules when I can already read the sentence anyway?" and I have a hard time answering him because I am wondering the same thing.

 

It does not help that my husband and I are the same age, and went to many of the same schools. So I turn to him and say "What spelling rules did you learn?" and with a blank expression he says "I don't know, i before e, except after c? We're all of those spelling things just random???" :lol:

 

Anyway, I certainly don't think that my son is suffering under my anal examination of LAs. If anything my processing leaves him in a more relaxed setting.

[Ellie]

Am I looking at the wrong thing? The spelling appears secular enough, but the phonics book is stories about Jesus. :001_huh:

Rod and Staff Publishers is a Mennonite company. If it's possible to include Scripture or godly content in one of its products, it will. As you can see, it's more likely to be evident in reading (English, history and science, too), less likely in spelling.

[Caraway]

I'm still up in the air about what I want to use for writing. I was thinking about WWE, so I'm quite curious what your ds didn't like about it.

 

I'm also curious what you mean by a "global or holistic experience."

 

Anyway, I thought I'd throw out a few more resources for you to check out. :001_smile:

 

WWE - My son thinks that the passages are boring or strange, and in many cases I agree. He also hates the writing. Child can draw for hours, but ask him to copy a sentence and his hand cramps right up. :glare:

 

Global or Holistic - There are so many programs, many of them very specialized. I sense that we could spend all day every day on spelling, and get so lost in the rules that we forget we are trying to learn to spell. I also worry that I will forget an entire category of something. Like spelling or handwriting. So I was trying to find a broader perspective for myself - like he needs to be able to read, spell, print, etc...

[SailorMom]

I am anti-phonics :D

My kids both learned to read (even the dyslexic one) without phonics, and are both far and away above grade level... Too many rules - too many exceptions to those rules!

A suggestion for keeping it interesting: Figure out which subject he loves best (Science? History?). Use new words in whatever you are studying that week as your spelling words. Read, Read, Read - aloud, with him, and have him read on his own in that subject. Most grammar rules are taught without my dc even knowing - they just learned proper sentence structure through their reading, and hearing the language read aloud.

Simple editing exercises for his age level are also a very effective way of learning the "rules" - there are great secular books out there that focus on editing.

At that age - parts of speech are useful (noun, verb, etc) - but really, is he going to retain anything more complicated? I don't remember grammar from second grade.....

[Susan in TX]

Am I looking at the wrong thing? The spelling appears secular enough, but the phonics book is stories about Jesus. :001_huh:

 

That's the Reading book. The Phonics curriculum is just a set of workbooks and has no religious content.

 

Susan in TX

[Susan in TX]

Basically I looked up today and realized that the only things we are routinely doing for LAs are lots of reading, audio books, and poetry memorization.

 

I am worried that I am going to get so far off track that I am never going to be ready for ...... whatever comes next.

 

I have tried searching, but I cannot find a thread that gives me a more global or holistic perspective.

 

So, can you tell me... What I should be doing now, and what I should be doing next year???:bigear:

 

The goal of phonics instruction is learning to read...not learning all the phonics rules. So if your child is reading without learning the rules, then he may not need anymore phonics. He just needs to read, and gain fluency. The best way to do that is just to have him read. The more the better.

 

You may find later that learning the phonics rules will be helpful with spelling, but I would not worry about that now. If he has trouble with spelling, you can teach those rules when the time comes. Don't worry about spelling right now.

 

There is no reason why you need to teach any grammar until 3rd grade or even later. I have started kids in Rod and Staff Grammar in 3rd grade and I have started them in the 4th grade book in the 6th grade...either way they end up in the same place. If you start later, the child just learns the material faster.

 

As long as your child is learning to read and gaining in fluency, you aren't getting off track. I would add a spelling curriculum in 3rd grade, and maybe Grammar. Until then, keep reading and maybe do some copywork.

 

Susan in TX

Edited July 15, 2010 by Susan in TX
typos

[helena]

We used Primary Language Lessons. It's open and go, gentle, structured, and covers many aspects of language arts.

http://www.amazon.com/Primary-Language-Lessons-Emma-Serl/dp/0965273512

Adding this to what you already do would be a great program.

 

If PLL seems too old fashioned, there is a new version of the book which has more contemporary illustrations and wording.

[Devotional Soul]

Child can draw for hours, but ask him to copy a sentence and his hand cramps right up. :glare:

 

Maybe he would prefer waldorf style language arts and form drawing, which are arts based and uses word families. Maybe Oak Meadow or Christopherus or A Little Garden Flower.

[nansk]

For me it is helpful to have an understanding of the foundation/structure of what needs to be taught. Then I can judge if we are doing that, or if I need to add it. For example I found math choices very stressful until I realized that really we just need to cover how to add, subtract, etc. Then I could figure out how to do that in a way that worked for us. Some of these programs have so many bells, whistles, manipulatives, and busy work that I struggle to see the core of what needs to be done.

 

 

I would suggest getting The Three R's by Ruth Beechick. It will give you general guidelines on what should be covered in each grade and then you can plan how to do it on your own.

 

EDIT: You may also join the BasicallyBeechick Yahoo group. They have these guidelines in the Files section.

WWE - My son thinks that the passages are boring or strange, and in many cases I agree. He also hates the writing. Child can draw for hours, but ask him to copy a sentence and his hand cramps right up.

 

 

Does he prefer complete stories to random passages? If yes, you may try the stories used by CW Primer for narration - Aesop Fables by Milo Winter, Fifty Famous Stories by Baldwin (there is also another book by Baldwin about Famous People) and Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse by Thornton Burgess (Burgess also has other books). THe CW Primer requires only oral narration and then a picture drawn to illustrate the fable/story.

 

As for the cramping hand, I can't really help. We also struggle with getting copywork done at our home. I found that a 10mm body height helped.

 

HTH

Edited July 17, 2010 by nansk

[Mandy in TN]

AARGH, I typed a massive reply that didn’t post.

The gist of it was that you are not off track. Children this age have incredibly varied skill sets.

As to a list of goals, why don’t you get What Your First Grader Needs to Know and What Your Second Grader Needs to Know from the library. I think these will have a list of secular resources at the ends of the chapters.

My youngest will be in 2nd grade. We will be using MCT- Island, SL LA with adv2 readers and the optional MCP Word Study D workbook, and Handwriting Help for Kids- Create Cursive. We are not using a formal spelling program next year.

Here is a brief and somewhat vague list of what I hope to accomplish with these materials.

1. To learn cursive: Ds likes to finish quickly, so a new handwriting method is going to slow him down and irritate him. For this reason, I am not planning on him doing his lessons in cursive. However, I want him to be able to confidently transcribe a typed sentence into cursive.

2. To learn the grammar presented in MCT- Grammar Island: He should master labeling the parts of speech in a sentence and dividing that sentence into the subject and predicate. If I am still helping him with the rest of the information presented, I am fine with that.

3. To expose him to usage, mechanics, and spelling: Usage and mechanics will truly be exposure through SL LA/ MCT with only offhanded explanations. In spelling the goal is that through SL copywork and word study that ds will continue to be able to spell the words he can read.

4. To be able to independently compose a sound sentence appropriately using the vocabulary he is able to use in speech

5. To advance his reading skills

6. To gain a greater appreciation for language- both written and spoken

HTH- Mandy

[4peasinapod]

Okay I'm with Caraway - do you really NEED to know all the Phonics rules? I mean, I'm a good reader and I don't remember many phonics rules from my school days! (Other than some of the most obvious ones...) ??? How much should I really be focusing on all of those crazy rules that made me panic when my son and I used ETC book 4???!!

[Guest]

Start over with McRuffy. Lots of fun games, tghe first part will be easy and fun for him.