Phonics Pathways, Alpha Phonics or Dancing Bears

[Blessed with seven]

Hi,

 

If you had a lot of children, one needing remediating for reading/spelling, one that is in the process of learning to read and one wanting to start 5 1/2 years, which program would you use?

 

I am using ETC right now but am getting a bit frustrated w/ book 4 and syllable division, maybe I am making it too hard but there is no answer key.

 

I have one son who needs help w/ longer words, had thought about Rewards Intermediate but am not sure we NEED that.

 

Just would like some opinions on what has worked well..

 

Kim

[coffeegal]

My best readers completed Phonics Pathway. My dd, who I suspect is dyslexic, did not complete PP, but I'm running her through Dancing Bears right now. I love Dancing Bears for her. The stories are hilarious and designed to amuse an older child, but personally, I will not use DB with the younger kids. My babies will complete PP. If they reach 9 or 10 and need remediation, we'll use DB at that time.

 

One note: PP works and works well, but takes time 1.5 - 2 years. :001_smile:

[matilda]

I have used PP with 3 of my children and I am starting on the fourth. I have used it with more than one child at a time and it works very well. I just used book marks for each one and they all moved at their own pace.

[Tenaj]

I have used PP with 3 of my children and I am starting on the fourth. I have used it with more than one child at a time and it works very well. I just used book marks for each one and they all moved at their own pace.

 

:iagree: I'm on my fourth way through it, too. We combine it with Bob Books, Abeka Readers and the beginning readers from Sonlight. Open and go and easy to stick paper clips on pages for different users. I also use it for copywork/dictation.

[corbie]

I'm a big fan of Phonics Pathways too. I'm currently using it with my 6 and 4 yr old. I taught my 9 yr old how to read with it. She is a very strong reader. I also think PP is a great choice for remedial. It is not baby-ish, just simple b&w pages. I would recommend using a blank sheet of paper folded in half to block out everything but the words you are reading. That seems to help my kids focus.

[Blessed with seven]

Do you encounter any problems with the ba/be/bi method, that seems like it would be confusing. What happens when they learn me, we, she etc....will they think those are short vowel sounds?

 

Kim

[matilda]

I have never had a problem with that. While you may have to teach them a few sight words, PP walks them through just about everything they need.

[Tenaj]

Do you encounter any problems with the ba/be/bi method, that seems like it would be confusing. What happens when they learn me, we, she etc....will they think those are short vowel sounds?

 

Kim

 

Yes, they do for a while but as we begin hitting those words, I just explain that at the end of a very short word the vowel says its name. The pages with the ba/be/bi/bo/bu are many pages away from the first "sighting" of "be" or "we" and they've covered a lot of ground by that time: Three letter words, "ck", "sh", "th" "ch" and "tch". We've covered all of these sounds and are just now getting thrown the loop of the two-letter words with the long-vowel at the end. In fact, today my 5yods was reading along and hit the "we" which he mispronounced, I corrected and we moved on. In my experience they pick this up pretty fast and there is a page that covers this rule in Phonics Pathways at some point, not sure exactly where.

 

I think because the ba/be/bi/bo/bu pages are just at the beginning and only used for teaching blending the kids can recognize this fairly easily. In fact, when we are doing the blend pages my kids laugh at the silly "words" because they know they aren't real words. Then amazement hits when they start reading three letter words that they actually recognize!