Reading Curriculum for ds7

[tiffany k]

I have almost all of my curriculum decided for next year, but I need help with a reading program. Ds7 and dd6 used Sonlight Readers 2 Regular and 1 this year, but I don't want to go that route next year. We finished very quickly and then I felt like the rest of the year just fizzled out. They read whatever they picked up at the library and lots of picture books/early chapter books but I didn't know what to expect from them beyond a short narration and maybe a picture. My husband likes to see progress and I don't have anything to show for the year after they sped through SL's readers.

 

I looked at BJU Reading 3 sample with my son and he really liked the look of it, especially the workbook. It seems so expensive though. Would I really need the teacher stuff? I just want something that he can read the daily lesson in and complete the assignments mostly independently. He likes the workbook, I don't really care one way or the other. My husband wants a program that increases in difficulty through the year. This is the main reason he's not sold on my alternate plan of a book basket with different genres and a reading notebook. How will I organize it so ds is progressing as the year goes by?

 

I feel stuck on this decision and it is annoying me. Any advice about BJU Reading or making a book basket plan stimulating and challenging?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Tiffany

 

___________

 

My littles: ds7, dd6, ds4, dd2, ds1

[HollyDay]

I used BJU 3 with my oldest. Are you looking at the complete set: Readers, TM for Readers, Worktext, TM for Worktext?

 

If you are only going to do the readers, I really dont think you need the TM. The comprehension questions are in the TM but you can make those up yourself. The TM for the Worktext is more helpful. Also, the required pages that go along with the reader jumps around a bit. Sometimes there are pages in the back of the workbook that are required. If you are going to do the Worktext, then you might be better off to get the Worktext for the TM. It has been a couple years since I used BJU for reading. It is a great program, but the expense was a bit much for us. We switched to DITHOR.

[BizyPenguin]

You can definitely use it just fine with just the student reader, student worktext, and teacher's worktext (answer key). There was plenty there IMO to make for a successful reading curriculum. The main TM was way too much for a homeschool setting, IMO. We were using their 5th grade program this way earlier this year, but the workbook pages drove my ds nuts...We also tired of some of the stories, so we dropped this is favor of a living books approach to reading. I simply have a few age/grade level appropriate books in ds's reading basket and he is required to read one of the books in the basket for 30 minutes per day. We then discuss the books at our leisure. This is working, but I'm still considering Mosdos Literature (just the student reader) for 6th grade...Along with the living books too. You can buy BJ stuff from ScriptureTruth.com for cheaper than BJ's website. HTH!

[tiffany k]

Thank you, Holly and Stacy! This is really helpful! Maybe I can finetune the reading basket a bit more and avoid the curriculum. It helps to know what I would need and that it's a good program!

 

Thanks again!

 

Tiffany