ByGrace3 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 We are currently working through Abeka 1, (finished K early April), and I am looking forward to mid next year when we will complete it. We have flown through and skipped alot of the beginning lessons (all review) and dd is seriously begging for *new sounds. She is doing wonderfully with what she has learned and all of the review is not necessary, so what is next? I believe I have read many stop Abeka phonics after first and have said 2nd and 3rd are just review/repetitive of k-1st. Is this true? We will also be adding AAS, WWE, FLL 1 for LA in the fall. So, is it necessary or beneficial at all to continue with Abeka phonics 2nd+ or will AAS be sufficient at that point. I really am looking for what is *best and not just easiest or convenient. Or maybe something else entirely? (Also, I planned to add Sonlight readers after finishing Abeka 1). Thoughts? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 My son hadn't had much of a phonics program before starting AAS, and it's been exactly what he needed to help him get past the 4th grade reading level hump. For us, AAS has been enough phonics. Maybe if you go slower you might need something else as a refresher. If you needed it, you could throw in a MCP Plaid Phonics workbook for review. I think it covers a lot in one book (someone can correct me if I'm wrong!) AAS covers all the phonograms, though I'm not sure how many levels that takes. We're almost done with level 2. I haven't felt like we needed anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 If your daughter has picked up the special sounds easily, she will be bored by Abeka 2nd grade phonics. It starts all over again with the first special sounds. I dropped the phonics book and just used the Language book. I also switched to SL readers. My daughter loved reading real books instead of the Abeka readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 Thanks everyone. I do have some of the ETC books and like them, so I thought maybe we could do them for review after? I am waiting to start AAS until the fall, so we shall see how we like that, but it seems like dd will love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aconnolley Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 My daughter just finished up Abeka 2 phonics. I would say that the new things that are covered (at least with more depth and practice) in the second half of the year are the rules for adding suffixes and more dictation. I used the tests, basically as an end of the year review since I didn't really use the curriculum guide. (I had used it with my older kids) The final tests in the book had her add suffixes (like -es, -s, -ed, -ing, and -est) to words, making any needed changes like doubling the final consonant (sit, sitting), changing the y to i (happy, happiest), or dropping the silent e (ride, riding). They also used these words in dictated sentences. If you are going to use AAS, I'm sure that all of these things will be covered. Without a rule based spelling program, I think that you might be missing out on cementing some foundational concepts by skipping the 2nd half of Abeka phonics 2. I thought about using AAS for my daughter next year (she will actually be in 1st grade) as a review of the spelling rules that she has learned, but we would have to start at level one (for the syllable rules) and I think the rest would be so redundant for her that it wouldn't be worth my money to have to buy the first 3 levels or so mostly as review. So now I don't know what to do for phonics/spelling rules review. I am hoping to find something a little more independent and a bit cheaper. It sounds like AAS might work out well for your daughter. I hope that she enjoys it. :001_smile: Angela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 We stopped after Abeka 1 also. I found that a good spelling program and additional readers etc. covered what we needed for reviewing phonics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Well, we never did the 'whole-shebang' A Beka phonics package. We got the Handbook for Reading, and all the grade 1 readers (though we didn't finish them all, we just went according to progress/need). I would do a page out of the Handbook each day, she would read me a reader story out loud. Day in, day out. When we got to the end of the Handbook, we stopped phonics because she was reading fairly well. THEN we started AAS 2 (we had already done 1) and will continue with that for the REALLY in-depth phonics and spelling. We are using the SL reader sequence to build fluency :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Well, we never did the 'whole-shebang' A Beka phonics package. We got the Handbook for Reading, and all the grade 1 readers (though we didn't finish them all, we just went according to progress/need). I would do a page out of the Handbook each day, she would read me a reader story out loud. Day in, day out. When we got to the end of the Handbook, we stopped phonics because she was reading fairly well. THEN we started AAS 2 (we had already done 1) and will continue with that for the REALLY in-depth phonics and spelling. We are using the SL reader sequence to build fluency :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted May 5, 2011 Author Share Posted May 5, 2011 Thanks for the input! Sounds like after Abeka 1, we should be fine with AAS and SL readers. Now to decide whether or not to start AAS in the fall as planned, or just wait until spring when we should be finished with phonics? Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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