How have you used an "Emerging Reader" set?

[LynnG in Arizona]

My daughter will be a young first grader this fall. She's completed McRuffy K and knows cvc words, many diagraphs ("sh", "ch", etc.), and long vowels (with the silent "e", plus a few other combinations like "ay", "oa", and "ai"). So she is a beginning reader but also still has a ways to go.

 

(And if it matters, we're also half way through All About Spelling 1, so she has a really good handle on her letter sounds and is doing well with the program.)

 

I'm not really sure what to do with her this year for phonics. I simply can't do OPGTR, I just can't (looked at it many times, bought it, just don't like it, finally sold it). I am starting McRuffy 1st and will probably just pick and choose from it. (It's a great program, but too all-in-one for my taste, and heavily weighted toward spelling; we prefer AAS.)

 

Anyway . . . I bought all of the Emerging Readers from both Sonlight and Heart of Dakota, because it does seem likely that she'll make the leap this year from fledgling reader of phonics readers to fluent reader of "real books".

 

But I'm wondering, when do I start these books with her? When is a beginning reader considered an "Emerging Reader"? How do I use them?

 

So far I have ordered them according to reading level and plan to just go through them one after the other, but I'm wondering how most people use the so-called "Emerging Reader" sets? There is definitely a wide range of reading levels in them - from early 2.0 to late 3's or even 4. So do most kids take more than a year to complete these? I'm sure it varies individually, but I'm just trying to get a sense of what is typical.

 

I am an "experienced" homeschooler but have never schooled first grade before, hence my hesitation.

 

Thank you all so much! :)

[daybreaking]

I am not familiar with Sonlight's emerging readers, but we used the Emerging Readers Set from HOD. We followed the HOD guide for the set and found it very helpful. I enjoyed having the questions already prepared and the pacing set for me, plus the progression through the books was very gentle. If you use the guide, you will cover the books in 34 weeks. From your description of your daughter, I think the ERS would be a perfect fit for you and then you could use the Sonlight readers as reinforcement and supplementation.

[Dinsfamily]

We use SL Readers. Which sets did you buy? We skipped the ICRI books from the Grade 1 package and started the rest when he was reading fluently. We follow the SL reading schedule. DS7 made huge jumps in reading level both his K and 1st grade years so the readers are now well bellow his actual level. That hasn't been a problem at all because they're great books and he enjoys reading them. He also reads harder books from the library on his own. It'll be the same for my 5yo who has been reading fluently for a couple of years.

[LynnG in Arizona]

We use SL Readers. Which sets did you buy? We skipped the ICRI books from the Grade 1 package and started the rest when he was reading fluently. We follow the SL reading schedule. DS7 made huge jumps in reading level both his K and 1st grade years so the readers are now well bellow his actual level. That hasn't been a problem at all because they're great books and he enjoys reading them. He also reads harder books from the library on his own. It'll be the same for my 5yo who has been reading fluently for a couple of years.

 

I bought the Grade 2 regular readers (I think) - one step up from The Cat and the Hat, Put Me in the Zoo, etc.

 

I figured that she's now ready for most of them now - but probably will be at some point this school year. :)

[Dinsfamily]

I bought the Grade 2 regular readers (I think) - one step up from The Cat and the Hat, Put Me in the Zoo, etc.

 

I figured that she's now ready for most of them now - but probably will be at some point this school year. :)

 

That's what my K'er will be using...as soon as I locate our Beginner's Bible. Dr. Seuss and the like are fun to start with once they are reading fluently. Both of my both enjoyed the rhythm of the words. It made reading fun. My oldest was quite proud of himself when he finished the Beginner's Bible for the first time.