nknapp5 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I am still a beginning hser. I am currently using OPGTR with my DS 6. We try to do 2 lessons a day and are on lesson 100. Are we already behind? I want him to be a good reader, since I am not. I like OPGTR but there are many days I wonder if it is "meaty" enough. We also do ETC and are on book 3. So my question is, first are we behind? Second, if you used OPGTR did you supplement anything? I really don't want him to fall behind already! Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Okie Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 My son is 6 and we are only on lesson 61, so you're not behind us.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_JWM Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I think many parents start OPGTR earlier than you did. That is not meant to make you feel behind, but just to give you information! After all, the first lessons cover the alphabet and letter sounds, which an older child can most likely skip if they already know it. I don't consider what we do in addition to OPGTR supplementing; instead, my daughter reads books appropriate to her reading level. This real-life practice reinforces what she has learned in our lessons. Since you mention that you are new to HS and that you feel you're not a good reader, I can understand your concerns. Doing two lessons a day with a 6-y-o is most likely a perfectly appropriate pace. Adding additional practice with whatever you feel appropriate and necessary is great. Do you enjoy reading, or do you still struggle with it? Showing your children a genuine love of reading and an appreciation for good writing is important; continuing to read aloud to them as they get older is also critical. I bet you are doing fine if you are seeing consistent progress over the medium-term, if that makes sense! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in CA Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 OPGTR is plenty meaty. You are not behind. My older son didn't finish it until his was 8. Once he finished, however, he could read ANYTHING. Susie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 We took all of first grade (and a little before and after) to finish the book. There's no hurry. You also don't need to supplement, unless you want to. I know it seems odd that 15 minutes a day is all it takes, but it really is all that's needed for the average student to become a good reader. Book 3 in ETC for 1st grade is also a really good place to be. What I'm realizing more and more is that less is more. The amount of time needed to convey a concept is so short because we're giving our student exactly the very thing they need next tailored perfectly for them. You can always add extras to the basic teaching, but the basic teaching takes very little time. To cover the core reading/writing/math skills really only takes one hour a day for my second grader. Everything else is bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCJessieRN Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 We just finished lesson 61 and my daughter is almost 7 and we are nearing the end of her 1st grade year. So, I would say you're not behind compared to us.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim.4dogs Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I also use ETC with OPGTR. It works well for us. I think the combination is plenty! And I would not say you are behind at all. I've never done more than one lesson a day in OPGTR with any of my kids. My youngest is 5, and we spend a few days on each lesson right now. (We'll speed up as his reading skills become stronger.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skueppers Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I don't know about the current edition, but in the first edition of TWTM, it is suggested that reading lessons be broken up into two sections: phonics at one time of day, and the same amount of time spent reading from an easy reader at some other time of day. This edition of TWTM predates the OPGTR. So if you're not already doing it, how about "supplementing" with reading from real books? Disclaimer: We gave up the OPGTR after lesson 118 because it bored my daughter to tears. I switched to just having her read from real books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waa510 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 OPGTR is plenty meaty...you're just not at the super-meaty part yet. :D It will start to come together. You are not behind if you are meeting your kid where he is at! IME, we started off slowly but once we got to a certain section..DD just took off!! I've read that frequently happening with kids using OPG. I would continue with ETC, OPG and make sure he's doing some reading on the side starting for 10 minutes and working up to 30 by the close to the end of the book. We have done the above and are almost finished, with DD reading level 4-5 readers..she could do more but is intimidated by a huge amount of words on a page in books like MTH so I'm giving her some time to ease into them. Not saying any of this to brag, but to show you that if you keep on keeping on that it will work out. If he is even mildly enjoying the lessons and progressing, then you're doing great IMO. I often broke up the monotony by writing the lesson on a whiteboard (with DD choosing which color marker to use) or with magnetic letter tiles on a magnetic board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nknapp5 Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Thanks all for the encouragement! My next question is I have some Bob books that my DS reads and is bored with and I try and let him pick out books to read that will interest him. Then he picks out books that are too hard and he gets discouraged! Any suggestions for reading? He is developing a love for reading, just slowly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monalisa Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 We started at lesson 42 at the beginning of first grade (where they started blends), and doubled up (or more some days) like you. My dd was already reading, but I wanted to make sure she didn't have phonics holes. You aren't behind. My dd liked the BJU Press readers, and the Nora Gaydos books (Now I'm Reading). We also had good success with the readers that the library had -- I just picked out ones that would be at her level (loved anything by Cynthia Rylant). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinapod Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 My DD6 is on ETC3 (halfway through) and on OPGTR lesson 87, so we're behind you! I'm fine with it, as she needs more practice on the last 10 lessons or so. Actually, my 2nd grade DD8 is not even going to finish it this year, but she could probably sail through the rest without trouble. For readers, we LOVE Sonlight readers (not the I Can Read books), just Cat in the Hat and stuff like that. We have Bob books, Nora Gaydos, tried yucky readers from the library that were mostly sight readers, and the SL books are the most engaging for our girls. I pushed our first one and thought she should have that "reading leap" everyone always talked about in the middle of 1st, and when she didn't, I was freaking out, but she is coming along nicely and "caught up," whatever that means. She can read short chapter books, but I don't even push that. I may not be as rigorous as some, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Dr. Suess books are great hits with my 5yo reader...easy enough but not too easy. She also likes the Little Bear "I Can Read" books, and anything with those "I can read" labels and old-fashioned illustrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Thanks all for the encouragement! My next question is I have some Bob books that my DS reads and is bored with and I try and let him pick out books to read that will interest him. Then he picks out books that are too hard and he gets discouraged! Any suggestions for reading? He is developing a love for reading, just slowly! I don't think you're behind. We don't really supplement with any other reading books, but he gets his practice reading regular age appropriate books. My son is 5 and LOOOOOOVES the Froggy books by Jonathan London. He also likes Baby Brain and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books. What I do is have him read to me, if he gets stuck on a word I help him out with it. When he's hit his limit, I take over and finish reading the book for him. He can read for longer periods of time than he could when we first started, but he doesn't get frustrated because he knows I'll help him and that he can quit whenever he needs to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golfcartmama Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I didn't start until second grade b/c I pulled him out after finishing 1st in ps. We're on lesson 206 and he's 8. We started in Sept and we'll finish this month. We took some time off in Dec and 2 weeks earlier this year, but we always do at least one lesson a day on school days, plus etc and assigned reading aloud to me (from Pathway Readers and Abeka Readers). He's gone through the first 5 ETC this year and he just started book 6. So...no, you're not behind! You are where you are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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