WWYD if you had an accelerated reader...

[PenKase]

OK....first time homeschooler here with possibly a slew of questions in the days to come for the Hive....

 

Background: In ps last year, dd6 ended first grade reading at a late 3rd/early 4th grade level. I have her read aloud to me a few pages to up to a chapter (depending on length) per day from our current book selection. Right now it's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which she can read with facility.

 

Question: Does an accelerated reader need to continue with phonics instruction?

 

What say you?? TIA

[Pamela H in Texas]

JMO, but YES!

 

I really wish I had continued phonics with my daughter. She wasn't even four by the time she got to your daughter's level. I went through a beginning phonics program with her at four, but then dropped it. What was the point of doing 1st grade level work when she was so far beyond that?

 

Well, except that phonics instruction is generally 1st-4th grade work. So though she could obviously read well and used MANY phonics rules she had picked up, she didn't OWN those rules or many others.

 

I wish I had run through something like OPGTR (which I'm sure was not available when my dd was a young student, but there are plenty of others like AlphaPhonics and such).

 

BTW, dd is almost 18, a jr in college, and has done well. I just think she could have benefited from full phonics instruction.

[LoisLane]

My dd is in a similar boat. She just tested at a 6th grade level and just started 2nd grade. We are going to be starting phonics instruction next week. She got phonics from home, but at ps she was taught more whole word and was taught to skip words she doesn't know but when she goes back she just makes it up to fit the context. When I ask her to sound out the word she completely skips the middle of the word! So even though she is a great reader we are backing up. I am hoping this will also help with spelling. Also, just FYI, you can find some great books on her reading level and at her interest level by using the lexile website.

Hth. I am not a hs expert, but it is what we are doing.

[PenKase]

Thank you!

 

DD has completed HeadSrout and Phonics Pathways. Since then, I've been using ETC exclusively, beginning with Book 1 and inlcuding the 1/2 levels. She will begin Book 4 on Monday. Considering that I do not want to overwhelm her with curricula, do you think it's enough to work through ETC alone; is it meaty enough?

 

 

I wish I had run through something like OPGTR

My library has copy of OPGTR. I'll bring it home to take a look. Thank you.

 

Also, just FYI, you can find some great books on her reading level and at her interest level by using the lexile website.

I was just thinking about googling this very same thing. Thanks for passing this along.

[Staceyshoe]

I do think that it's helpful to have a very strong basis in phonics, even for children who really take off with reading. I'm using All About Spelling for my ds because so many of the phonics programs for learning to read aren't a good fit. I've seen people mention that both AAS and R&S spelling teach detailed phonetics, so it might be another way to get the same instruction.

[robsiew]

Well, I stopped phonics instruction, but we're picking up any skills they may have missed by working through AAS. My kids have all picked up reading very quickly and have despised phonics. We work through Phonics Pathways a good portion of the way, but there's always a point (different with each child) that they buck me too much on the phonics. They just want to read. So, then I go to teaching them through what they read aloud to me (everyone reads about 10 min. per day aloud to me) and once they start AAS (end of K/1st grade for the younger two) we catch anything that has fallen through the cracks. For our kids, I think this has helped to preserve their love of reading...

[Dmmetler]

I have a similarly advanced reader, and we're doing phonics via spelling, which seems to work well without frustrating her.

[angela in ohio]

Yes. 3rd/4th grade is still an intermediate level of reading, and phonics instruction will move the child beyond that.

 

My youngest finished the Narnia series at 6 and is reading the LOTR series now at 8, along with many other similar books. He is a very advanced reader, but he is still finishing phonics.

 

Many people forget the advanced phonics skills that come at the end of a phonics program, often in the late first grade and second grade materials that help students attack longer and more complex words. Students who don't have these skills will get stuck in the "fourth grade slump." Once words start getting longer and more phonetically challenging, they will be left behind the students who finished phonics instruction. I have seen many homeschool children who learned to read early, and whose moms dropped phonics instruction, struggle later with new words. It is sad to see excited, proficient readers fall behind and start to struggle and dislike reading.

 

You can search the board for past discussions for some great thoughts on this, too. It is a common question. :001_smile:

Edited September 11, 2010 by angela in ohio

[JenC3]

My 2nd grader is at 6th grade level too, but I also decided to do more phonics since I noticed a few gaps. We used 100 EZ and I don't think it's as thorough as OPTGR. She is doing SW level C and R & S phonics. These are both independent work and I help if she has a question and check them over for mistakes. She is a great speller, but sometimes gets lazy with sounding out. I just want the reinforcement and we will only do the phonics this year.

[Dinsfamily]

We're also doing phonics instruction via spelling. It's working really well for my advanced readers.

[Dana]

We're also doing phonics instruction via spelling. It's working really well for my advanced readers.

 

:iagree:

 

My son's a self-taught reader. Names were horrible for him to pronounce. We started using All About Spelling and he's really improved with his pronunciation.

[Chris in VA]

I have a similarly advanced reader, and we're doing phonics via spelling, which seems to work well without frustrating her.

 

This is us. Spelling helped us move on to apply those phonics rules.

 

OP, if you have done PP, you've covered the same material as OPGTR, so it'd be redundant.

 

I'd just do the phonics from the spelling angle. Which I just said. Not to be redundant.

 

(Where's my coffee?)

[StephanieZ]

Thank you!

 

DD has completed HeadSrout and Phonics Pathways. Since then, I've been using ETC exclusively, beginning with Book 1 and inlcuding the 1/2 levels. She will begin Book 4 on Monday. Considering that I do not want to overwhelm her with curricula, do you think it's enough to work through ETC alone; is it meaty enough?

 

 

My library has copy of OPGTR. I'll bring it home to take a look. Thank you.

 

 

I was just thinking about googling this very same thing. Thanks for passing this along.

 

Yes, I think ETC is plenty. You can drop the 1/2 levels b/c they are just repeating/reviewing the regular levels -- I think they're intended for remediation.

[twoxcell]

If you have already gone through all of Phonics Pathways I would think she would have a good handle on Phonics. Why not focus on a good spelling program that uses phonograms like AAS?

[ele325]

I have a dd8. She tested at higher than 8th grade reading level last year. We still read aloud. She reads lots to herself. She also has to read aloud to me. We did all of the Ordinary Parents guide to Teaching Reading with her and continued even after she could read at such a high level to make sure that there were no gaps. We have also started All about Spelling this year as yet another way to make sure that there are no phonics rules that we have missed. In my opinion, it is too important to skip even if it seems that they are beyond it.

 

Eleanor

[crazyforlatin]

DD5 (K'er) is reading at about a 5th/6th grade level, and I was thinking about this a few months ago, but we have re-started AAS2 after I re-read WTM. The reason is that even though she reads at an advanced level, she does not spell at the level of her reading level. I'm not sure if this makes sense to anyone and I can't explain why this is the case, except that perhaps sounding out words (she does know her phonograms) is a different process than spelling words. I've been listening to SWB's lecture on writing and my impression is that reading well and writing well are separate skills, so it could mean that advanced readers won't necessarily write or spell well. And so, now we do grammar/copywork/narration/spelling everyday...or try to.

Edited September 11, 2010 by crazyforlatin
It's only my impression, and SWB may not have used the phrase "advanced reader."

[PenKase]

You've given me TONS to think about. Funny thing is that I already have AAS 1 on my bookshelf waiting for me to use. As I mentioned earlier, I'll check out and look over OPGTR to see a bit more clearly which direction to take ( I like to see, touch, smell and feel materials/resources before making final decisions...I'm so glad this one isn't going to cost me any money!!). Since dd hasn't done much formal phonics since beginning ETC, I want to ensure there's nothing too serious that may have been forgotten. Sounds like the majority ruled on AAS though, and you're telling me that if I go that route, I won't need a phonics program, right? Just making sure I square this all in my head, which is spinning just a little.:willy_nilly:

 

Thanks hive! Much appreciated!!

[siloam]

My oldest was reading at a 7th grade level by the end of 2nd grade. I finished 2nd grade phonic anyway. After that I moved to a phonics based spelling program. Now she not only reads well but spells at a 8.8 grade level.

 

Heather

[EKS]

Yes.

 

A program that I like for advanced readers is REWARDS by Sopris West. It's quick and to the point. I would use REWARDS Intermediate for a 6yo.

[brownie]

I didn't bother. I'm sure ds now 7 got some phonics in ps kindergarten, but he also read the entire Harry Potter series. He gets a bit of phonics through spelling but he's using a '4th grade level' spelling book, so clearly it's not hindering his spelling too much either. I use the free time to give us a less pressured, lower workload, keep being a kid 2nd/3rd grade year. He does math, spelling, vocab, grammar, WWE, SOTW and life science. It's plenty. He reads like a fanatic...probably 200 pages a day. He needs time for that too! Brownie