Can I please just go on a little about Phonics Road? I'm amazed!

[HappyGrace]

I am freaking out about PR1-now that we've been doing it a little longer, I CANNOT say enough good things about it. Ds7's spelling is doing so great, in a matter of weeks (been doing the program a total of 12 wks between the spring and now-we stopped for the summer). He got compliments on his spelling from one of his teachers at co-op!!!! :svengo: This is amazing because six wks ago he was still spelling things like "wtr" for "water"! I have NEVER seen a homeschool curriculum that has worked as well for us as this one (or as quickly). He is applying every single thing he is learning outside of spelling time, which is the true test of a good curric, for me.

 

And he is ENJOYING it so much. We were talking about sports tonight and he says he wants to do spelling for his sport :), and when he grows up, he wants his homeschooling wife to use this spelling for his kids. I can't believe what a Godsend this program is. This is a boy who wasn't all that thrilled about schoolwork, and it is even turning that around; as he gains more confidence in spelling, he is loving reading and writing too! It's like someone gave him a key to unlock it all and now he can enjoy it. I could just cry, thinking about the change that has come over him in so many areas due to this program. Sorry for all the gushing but it has been an answer to prayer. I hope it can help someone else out there too.

 

I want to thank everyone who patiently answered my questions about this program, especially Tina.

 

Caveat: I would also like to mention that ds was reading pretty well before starting the program. I have no idea how it would be for a non-reader using it for a reading program. I tend to think I'd be most comfortable starting it with a dc that is already comfy with reading. YMMV.

[Guest aquiverfull]

:hurray::party:woohoo!!! Praise God! That is so wonderful. I'm so happy for you and your dear son. Thanks for sharing the great report, it gives me the incentive to push on. :)

[HappyGrace]

Thanks, Quiv. I am just walking around on cloud 9, and so grateful to God for using this program to answer my prayers about ds!

[Missouri Okie]

That's great to hear. Congratulations!

 

I'm in PR1 too with my just-turned-6-year-old son who is still in Kindergarten. He was not reading well even though we had gone through 100EZ Lessons. He did okay with that but when we got to real books such as Hop on Pop he seemed to be entirely relying on picture cues and guessing, which was discouraging to me. I did not know where to turn next. My instincts told me I needed to pretty much start from scratch with him to break these newly-formed guessing habits. I don't even remember how I got sold on PR (it was before I got on these boards) but it seemed like a good approach from what I'd read in a HS magazine and from the website.

 

We started in PR1 before I knew that most people waited until their child was reading well to start. We have been going through it VERY SLOWLY, basically covering one sound a day with days off for review. I'm really hoping the Phonics Road does take him to reading.

 

His reading has already improved even though I'm limiting his reading to words that incorporate the sounds we've already covered. We've stopped reading 'real' books. It may seem like a drastic (dare I say crazy) approach, but it's working. Even though we haven't got to the week when the actual spelling words start, he's writing words phonetically on his own as he's playing, in Bible class, etc. Also, he's very consistent in reading the individual words I put in front of him.

 

Bottom line, we're enjoying success from PR too!

[Holiztic]

Why do most people not use this until the child is reading??

 

(I plan to when 3.5 yo DS is 5)

[ElizabethB]

:party:

 

I am glad to hear that, I always like hearing about fun successes like this, especially for my favorite subject!

[HappyGrace]

I'm not sure why people don't use it til their child is reading. I just wanted to add that caveat because I know it is billed as a learn-to-read method too and that is not how we used it. I would be curious to hear how it works as a reading program.

 

Congrats, Okie-glad to hear it's starting to work! 100 EZ did work well for us to get ds reading, but PR is definitely solidifying the phonics.

[abrightmom]

:grouphug: FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:grouphug:

 

I love PR and I am enjoying my "meetings" with Mrs. Beers. :D

[johnandtinagilbert]

Happy Grace,

Thank you so much for the love. You are so welcome. I agree, PR has Made A Difference in our school, so did TOG. I've found after all these years of schooling, we gotta share what works, especially now, when there are a zillion programs in front of us. Sometimes we need easy, sometimes we need effective more, and sometimes, we get both! PR is definitely both!

 

Why do most people not use this until the child is reading??

 

(I plan to when 3.5 yo DS is 5)

I find many people think "early is better" so they look for a program that recommends starting early and learning super fast (3-months in 100EZL). They see PR suggests waiting for age 6 or 1st grade, so they move past it. That's honestly TOO BAD b/c PR is amazing and we are successfully using it, one sound per week, with a young 5 year old. Patience really has its perfect work with reading instruction. Some people, like me :blushing:, had to learn that the hard way -- with gaps abounding. My 5yo won't read "full on" for a long time, but he'll read well, spell well, and understand language as a Whole. In the end, it makes all the difference.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Wanted to add, it gets better and better. I'm in the middle of level 3 with dd right now and I can't believe how well it ties everything together. *I* get our language so much better now and dd even pointed out a latin prefix at bible study last night:)

[myfatherslily]

Tomorrow we will complete Week 10 in PR1 and it's been great here, too! My DD has also been applying the rules outside of school. She adds markings here and there, too:) She does get a little tired of writing but it's not too bad (and she doesn't like to use the cards, so that leaves writing!!).

 

Here is a poem she wrote on her own:) My homeschool-mommy brain realized how well thought-out it was! Thanks to Phonics Road;)

 

the duve

a buve

the erth

boun lo.

The Lod is the Love.

The end

 

P.S. Tina, that's awesome that you can be an affiliate now! Woo-hoo!!:D

[johnandtinagilbert]

Preview of Level 3 Writing ;)

[HappyGrace]

I'd also like to point out that Tina is a PR affiliate, so if you buy new through her, it helps her out! ;) She's done so much to help us all understand PR, especially when their website was not good, it would be great to bless her!

[mytwomonkeys]

i tried to do an advanced search for this, but i can't find what i'm looking for. i'm thinking this might be great for my son in second grade (next year). he's learning to read now, but it looks like that's okay for starting this program. i'm try to understand what all it entails exactly though, and what justifies the high cost. can you lead me to an old thread, blog, website, etc. to help me understand what all is included. how long does it take each day? is it a full LA program?? i looked on homeschoolreviews.com too, but again, not a lot of info there.

 

TIA!

[LoveBaby]

Yay!! So glad PR is going so well for you. It is going well here, too, and I am so thankful to have found it. Although, it does make curriculum shopping a wee bit boring, since I'm set on language arts for the early elementary years...nothing to drool over and dream about! LOL

 

I am using the Phonics Road methods to teach my DS to read, write and spell. He is a 6yo K'er and he will start the full PR 1 program as a first grader. He is learning the phonograms through writing and dictation right now, and spelling out a lot of things using the sounds he knows. He isn't writing a whole lot yet, as we are mostly "writing" in a salt box and on a chalkboard. We are basically going through the first 4 weeks of PR very slowly and then I will add in simple spelling words, then do the last 70 phonograms and more advanced spelling words this year.

[LoveBaby]

i tried to do an advanced search for this, but i can't find what i'm looking for. i'm thinking this might be great for my son in second grade (next year). he's learning to read now, but it looks like that's okay for starting this program. i'm try to understand what all it entails exactly though, and what justifies the high cost. can you lead me to an old thread, blog, website, etc. to help me understand what all is included. how long does it take each day? is it a full LA program?? i looked on homeschoolreviews.com too, but again, not a lot of info there.

 

TIA!

 

It is a full program.

 

Tina has a great blog with a lot of info about PR on it.

 

http://www.lifeofthegilbertgang.blogspot.com/

 

Here is a link to the Social Group:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/group.php?groupid=103

 

I know there are links in the social group to different discussions that will probably be the most helpful.

 

You can also do a search under my username, Tina's username, HappyGrace, abrightmom, aquiverfull, lovetodeath and homeschooling6. We've all posted numerous times about Phonics Road!

[mytwomonkeys]

thank you! :)

 

It is a full program.

 

Tina has a great blog with a lot of info about PR on it.

 

http://www.lifeofthegilbertgang.blogspot.com/

 

Here is a link to the Social Group:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/group.php?groupid=103

 

I know there are links in the social group to different discussions that will probably be the most helpful.

 

You can also do a search under my username, Tina's username, HappyGrace, abrightmom, aquiverfull, lovetodeath and homeschooling6. We've all posted numerous times about Phonics Road!

[Holiztic]

 

I find many people think "early is better" so they look for a program that recommends starting early and learning super fast (3-months in 100EZL). They see PR suggests waiting for age 6 or 1st grade, so they move past it. That's honestly TOO BAD b/c PR is amazing and we are successfully using it, one sound per week, with a young 5 year old. Patience really has its perfect work with reading instruction. Some people, like me :blushing:, had to learn that the hard way -- with gaps abounding. My 5yo won't read "full on" for a long time, but he'll read well, spell well, and understand language as a Whole. In the end, it makes all the difference.

 

Hey, we're moving (very slowly) to CM and Classical from a very strongly Waldorf first 3.5 years. Waldorf will still influence a lot of what we do, but we won't "Do Waldorf" so to speak. Point being--waiting is not a problem for us in theory, except---DS is quite advanced in ability (not in achievement as we're Waldorfy and his exposure has been low, academically speaking). Anyway, he's likely gifted and he picks things up very quickly, with little to no instruction, so he knows all letters, upper and lower, very confidently and knows most sounds (has had no lessons on vowel sounds, even casually, and when he asked how to spell "Pig" and we got to the short i sound he said "i" right away. :confused: No clue where he got that!

 

So I would love to hold off until 5 or 6 but I don't know if he's on board with that!

What would you do if your barely 4 year old was 'teaching himself to read?' (Which seems to be the way he's headed at barely 3.5, but with no instruction it is going somewhat slowly) Try PR very early and somewhat slowly or do something else for just reading and add in PR at 5 or 6?

 

Ultimately I'd love to get him to 5 or 6 before any reading instruction, but I just don't see that happening!

 

Oh: and he cannot write at all, cannot hold a pencil, etc. I'd also hoped he'd start writing before or with reading. Oh well.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Hey, we're moving (very slowly) to CM and Classical from a very strongly Waldorf first 3.5 years. Waldorf will still influence a lot of what we do, but we won't "Do Waldorf" so to speak. Point being--waiting is not a problem for us in theory, except---DS is quite advanced in ability (not in achievement as we're Waldorfy and his exposure has been low, academically speaking). Anyway, he's likely gifted and he picks things up very quickly, with little to no instruction, so he knows all letters, upper and lower, very confidently and knows most sounds (has had no lessons on vowel sounds, even casually, and when he asked how to spell "Pig" and we got to the short i sound he said "i" right away. :confused: No clue where he got that!

 

So I would love to hold off until 5 or 6 but I don't know if he's on board with that!

What would you do if your barely 4 year old was 'teaching himself to read?' (Which seems to be the way he's headed at barely 3.5, but with no instruction it is going somewhat slowly) Try PR very early and somewhat slowly or do something else for just reading and add in PR at 5 or 6?

 

Ultimately I'd love to get him to 5 or 6 before any reading instruction, but I just don't see that happening!

 

Oh: and he cannot write at all, cannot hold a pencil, etc. I'd also hoped he'd start writing before or with reading. Oh well.

Sometimes they have their own path, huh? :001_smile:

 

Since he's not pencil ready, which is the general reason Mrs. Beers suggests waiting until 1st grade, I'd start phonics instruction early and use other mediums for writing: sand, salt, rice, shaving cream, dry erase markers (jumbo sized ones), fingerpainting, etc.. Get him coloring, finger painting, using jumbo map pencils to encourage his motor skills. You can see how to "present" the phonics using non-pencil mediums at my blog under "Letter of the Week" You can get his brain thinking phonetically (which will boost his spelling ability, as well as his ability to decode larger words), including the later phonics of augh, ough, ie or ei, etc. and the many sounds that represent them.

 

Take this as encouragement, not correction :D I share this whenever I can b/c, well, to speak plainly...gaps stink. My dd started teaching herself to read at 3.5, so I started instructing her and we were finished with 100EZL by 4. She wanted desperately to keep up with her brothers and in many things, did. At some point though, she leveled out to a bit beyond grade level and I had to slow down b/c although she sprung ahead in the race that is education, at some point her ability to process (grammar stage versus Logic stage) prohibited some forward motion. Because she was so advanced early on, I skipped phonics instruction...it bit me pretty hard when her spelling came beyond 3rd grade. I say this as a precautionary tale for you, I know it makes the path kind of windy when they get ahead in some spots and at level in others, just be sure you don't skip over foundational parts of the journey, like phonics instruction, because your ds has sprung ahead at the start line. He may very well stay in the gifted curve (dd has in some places), but from experience, foundational application is truly necessary to build a solid foundation ;) and without it, both of you will suffer unnecessary frustration.

 

I'd get ahead of him in learning all the phonics instruction (for yourself) so when he expands his reading vocabulary you can be sure to point out the patterns of language to him. Show him the phonics at his pace, just so long as he gets the "phonics" behind reading. You can translate to: I'd buy PR now and dig into it for myself!

 

Provide quality reading material. E.B. White, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Arnold Lobel. You can surely encourage his desire to read with quality, not quantity! Because he is young, he may also enjoy stories about Biscuit, a dog, and his journeys; Minnie and Moo. Not exceptional reading like the LIttle House Books, but sweet and great practice for a beginning reader. I suggest avoiding controlled readers (books that practice a particular sound over and over and over) as this encouraged memorization over true decoding and reading. The only time we use controlled readers is if for some reason a certain sound just won't stick.

 

What a terrific opportunity you have to instill the LOVE of reading! That is exciting. My second son, Bard and Book Devourer, would read all day long if I let him and he does not read twaddle. He reads, and reads, and has learned to re-read what he enjoys so he can get something wonderful out of it each time. He's a real pleasure to chat about literature! May you have the same good fortune!

 

I hope my post encourages you. You have a great opportunity to DIG IN! And with a child whose hungry to learn...true beauty!

[Holiztic]

Sometimes they have their own path, huh? :001_smile:

 

Since he's not pencil ready, which is the general reason Mrs. Beers suggests waiting until 1st grade, I'd start phonics instruction early and use other mediums for writing: sand, salt, rice, shaving cream, dry erase markers (jumbo sized ones), fingerpainting, etc.. Get him coloring, finger painting, using jumbo map pencils to encourage his motor skills. You can see how to "present" the phonics using non-pencil mediums at my blog under "Letter of the Week" You can get his brain thinking phonetically (which will boost his spelling ability, as well as his ability to decode larger words), including the later phonics of augh, ough, ie or ei, etc. and the many sounds that represent them.

 

Take this as encouragement, not correction :D I share this whenever I can b/c, well, to speak plainly...gaps stink. My dd started teaching herself to read at 3.5, so I started instructing her and we were finished with 100EZL by 4. She wanted desperately to keep up with her brothers and in many things, did. At some point though, she leveled out to a bit beyond grade level and I had to slow down b/c although she sprung ahead in the race that is education, at some point her ability to process (grammar stage versus Logic stage) prohibited some forward motion. Because she was so advanced early on, I skipped phonics instruction...it bit me pretty hard when her spelling came beyond 3rd grade. I say this as a precautionary tale for you, I know it makes the path kind of windy when they get ahead in some spots and at level in others, just be sure you don't skip over foundational parts of the journey, like phonics instruction, because your ds has sprung ahead at the start line. He may very well stay in the gifted curve (dd has in some places), but from experience, foundational application is truly necessary to build a solid foundation ;) and without it, both of you will suffer unnecessary frustration.

 

I'd get ahead of him in learning all the phonics instruction (for yourself) so when he expands his reading vocabulary you can be sure to point out the patterns of language to him. Show him the phonics at his pace, just so long as he gets the "phonics" behind reading. You can translate to: I'd buy PR now and dig into it for myself!

 

Provide quality reading material. E.B. White, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Arnold Lobel. You can surely encourage his desire to read with quality, not quantity! Because he is young, he may also enjoy stories about Biscuit, a dog, and his journeys; Minnie and Moo. Not exceptional reading like the LIttle House Books, but sweet and great practice for a beginning reader. I suggest avoiding controlled readers (books that practice a particular sound over and over and over) as this encouraged memorization over true decoding and reading. The only time we use controlled readers is if for some reason a certain sound just won't stick.

 

What a terrific opportunity you have to instill the LOVE of reading! That is exciting. My second son, Bard and Book Devourer, would read all day long if I let him and he does not read twaddle. He reads, and reads, and has learned to re-read what he enjoys so he can get something wonderful out of it each time. He's a real pleasure to chat about literature! May you have the same good fortune!

 

I hope my post encourages you. You have a great opportunity to DIG IN! And with a child whose hungry to learn...true beauty!

 

Thank you so much!! Yes, that is exactly my concern--that he "teaches himself" by random, not so proper methods--sight reading, and going around phonics rules, etc. I don't want that at all! But it is VERY hard for a Waldorf "trained" (unofficially) and Charlotte Mason-loving mom to formally start teaching phonics at 3.5! So your idea to make myself an expert (going through PR now) and then organically answering his questions or gently 'correcting' him as he learns on his own might be a great compromise.