Tsutsie Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Hello So just when I thought I had LA all sorted out with bits and pieces of this and that - I stumble upon Phonics Road. It really looks fantastic. I just have a few questions I hope the PR-experts over here might be able to answer. 1.) I have no problem starting with level one with my 6 year old who is reading at a 3th grade level (at least). The only question I have here is about the readers...Are the readers basic, beginner little stories, or are they engaging, beautiful books like the sonlight readers, for example? The same question in regards to the Level 2 and 3 books. 2.) How does the student manual/workbook/pages look? My son writes very nicely for a young six year old - are the lines on the pages spaced for K - 1 students? Do they use colour? (I wish I could see these on their website.) 3.) Are the lessons fun for a young child? I don't mind it being hard work, but it should at least have some joyful experiences for a little. We are currently using Horizons Phonics, and even though the workbooks look nice, it's very boring and repetitive. I was thinking FFL seems to be more entertaining, but not as strong. I need a strong program, especially since we don't speak english as a first language. Well, I have to get back to our math lesson here - I don't even know where my student disappeared to! To be continued.. (Thanks in advance) Yvette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 1.) I have no problem starting with level one with my 6 year old who is reading at a 3th grade level (at least). The only question I have here is about the readers...Are the readers basic, beginner little stories, or are they engaging, beautiful books like the sonlight readers, for example? The same question in regards to the Level 2 and 3 books. The Level 1 readers are black and white text with a space for your child to illustrate what he read. My 6yo loves them. She has so much fun deciding what to color. The other levels use real books. My 8yo is working (quickly) through Level 2 and the book for that level is Little House in the Big Woods. In addition to the PR readers, my kids read many other living books that tie into our history and literature studies. 2.) How does the student manual/workbook/pages look? My son writes very nicely for a young six year old - are the lines on the pages spaced for K - 1 students? Do they use colour? (I wish I could see these on their website.) The pages are all black and white. Many of the pages are simply empty lines. My 6yo has no trouble with the Level 1 lines. 3.) Are the lessons fun for a young child? I don't mind it being hard work, but it should at least have some joyful experiences for a little. We are currently using Horizons Phonics, and even though the workbooks look nice, it's very boring and repetitive. I was thinking FFL seems to be more entertaining, but not as strong. I need a strong program, especially since we don't speak english as a first language. My kids enjoy the lessons and we have a good time, but the lessons are very to-the-point. I love that about PR. We were spending hours on language arts and now we spend minutes. Hallelujah! :) My girls enjoy the reading sections and I love seeing little light bulbs go off as they understand a new concept. It would be boring for your child to watch the DVD (he isn't meant to), but you have total control over how you present the lesson to him. I watch the DVDs by myself and then teach with enthusiasm. :) My kids are happy that we no longer have 4+ programs for LA. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Hello So just when I thought I had LA all sorted out with bits and pieces of this and that - I stumble upon Phonics Road. It really looks fantastic. I just have a few questions I hope the PR-experts over here might be able to answer. 1.) I have no problem starting with level one with my 6 year old who is reading at a 3th grade level (at least). The only question I have here is about the readers...Are the readers basic, beginner little stories, or are they engaging, beautiful books like the sonlight readers, for example? The same question in regards to the Level 2 and 3 books. Level 1 stories are computer generated stories, printed on computer paper, that incorporate all the words learned to that point. The child will narrate them. Levels 2-4 are using the books: Little House in the Big Woods; Robert Fulton, Boy Craftsman; Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin; and Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. The goal of PR is supply your child with the skills to spell, write and read and use those skills to learn using whatever other books you provide. For the most part, your child can read most anything after level 2 is complete and will be spelling at a 13th grade level by end of level 4. 2.) How does the student manual/workbook/pages look? My son writes very nicely for a young six year old - are the lines on the pages spaced for K - 1 students? Do they use colour? (I wish I could see these on their website.) You can see the pages here as you look through the videos. This is not a colorful program, as it focuses on content and skill far more than pretty colors :) . The TM will provide a copy of the entire student materials for you, as well as a completed student notebook w/ answers in full. The pages are black and white. The goal is to complete the student materials and have created a reference notebook for your student. They don't look exciting, but they are effective. The fun comes through the music and the excellent stories used as teaching tools. 3.) Are the lessons fun for a young child? I don't mind it being hard work, but it should at least have some joyful experiences for a little. We are currently using Horizons Phonics, and even though the workbooks look nice, it's very boring and repetitive. I was thinking FFL seems to be more entertaining, but not as strong. I need a strong program, especially since we don't speak english as a first language. This will surely give you the work and we enjoy the program over here. It is Solid. We love the stories and generally can't wait to get to the next page. The activities are meaningful every step of the way, so you're never wasting time. Mrs. Beers, the author, is masterful at application and activities with intent, not fluff. Well, I have to get back to our math lesson here - I don't even know where my student disappeared to! To be continued.. (Thanks in advance) Yvette Always happy to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyz Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 The readers are plain black and white copy pages with a space at the top for your child to illustrate what they have read and text at the bottom. I wouldn't exactly call them engaging. :D But, they do a good job of getting my son to think about what he has read to be sure he has properly illustrated the page. The student pages are plain black and white copy pages with 1st grade line spacing. They are basically pages with lines on them. You could use a plain notebook if you had a second child going through the program. The lessons are mostly very straight forward. I say a word with a sentence, he writes the word on his paper and then I write it on the white board, he comes to the white board to do the markings, we have fun when we sing the rule tune songs (he's still young enough to really enjoy them), he then goes back to his paper and does the markings on his list. A couple of times a week, we do a spelling quiz on spellingcity.com so I can see how he's retaining and go over words that he has missed. You're supposed to have them write one sentence per week using one of the spelling words, but we do this two or three times a week in journal format. I would not say that the program is super FUN, although my son does like it and doesn't complain. He reads at a beginning 2nd grade level and the readers are too easy for him, but we do them because I do feel that it helps him with the comprehension. We use it because it works, not because it's pretty and fun. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Havent made it that far through yet... :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Havent made it that far through yet... :lurk5: You're pulling up all the threads that make me salivate...and I have a lot of work to do! :auto::D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.