Aludlam Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 This is the last "major" decision to make (even that makes me laugh!). Anyway, I really think we need to add oral reading back to our school day (dd9). We haven't done any since the end of phonics (HOP/ETC). She is a super good reader. The light bulb finally flicked on about a year and a half ago. She is going to read through the Sonlight 4-5 (Is that what they are calling 2 Adv. readers now?) She should have no trouble at all reading any of these. I picked them b/c I need the cheat sheets this year. Anyway, I thought I would use the McGuffey reader 4 for this year to brush up on some common mistakes she makes, primarily skipping articles, etc. I spoke with some ladies on here on the weekend who brought it to my attention that level 4 was actually a much higher reading level. So, at first I backed away from it. I have The Harp and Laurel Wreath, which actually came in my very first box of homeschool books in the mail. It has been patiently sitting on the shelf for 4 years. I thought, why not read that? But, I'm not sure if that would do everything I would want IT to do. I would like to stop the skipping, but I would like it to stretch her phonics skills. Advancing vocabulary is just a hidden bonus in this oral reading exercise. Which brings me back to McGuffey 4. If SWB says use 3 right after phonics... surely we should be on 4 now. We did look at them online. She could easily read the first and last selections of 3. She stumbled on the first one of 4. So, even if 4 is "over her head", would it do the job of stretching her phonics? Not to even mention vocab. Or would it be 3 to work on fluency? Or something else entirely? My brain clouds over. Ok, this post is getting excessively long with my rambling. Please just somebody tell me what to do! Thanks to you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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PeterPan Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Not to be dumb, but why don't you just pick up the book she's reading and ask her to read a page aloud? And while you're doing read aloud time, remember you have laundry to pull out and ask her to keep reading. And just keep going like that, weaving it into normal life. Personally, I have bad memories from being taught with the McGuffey readers back when I was little. I can't fathom what compels people to continue to pull them out. If that book didn't click, get something else. Anything will do. And as far as stretching vocab, well I still like audio books for that. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I agree with Elizabeth on this one. There are all sorts of ways to incorporate having a child read aloud to you from the good books you're already reading together. If I'm reading aloud, sometimes my throat will get dry, and I'll need a break for a couple of paragraphs. ;) Or, as she said, I need to pull the laundry out. Or go turn on the oven. Or my eyes are tired. etc. I do this with Story of the World or with other read-alouds pretty regularly. I don't have fond memories of McGuffey either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homemama2 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 We use McGuffey's the way you are suggesting. I will be using 4 this year with my 4th grader (we used 3 when he was in 3rd). All I did was have him read it outloud and any words he struggled with, I'd put a dot by them and he'd practice them and then read the same selection the next day. At the beginning of the year it would take him 2-3 days per selection, but by the end of the read he was doing really well. McGuffey readers are what finally helped him become a really good reader. They were challenging yet SHORT. Before we started them, I couldn't get him to read on his own at all but now he loves to read. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkermamaof4 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 We got to the point where we didn't have the time to add in something totally extra, so I began alternating paragraphs with my kids in books I would be reading out loud anyway. That way they all practice and they hear me reading the very same material with good intonation, etc. It has worked wonders! The person who tested my kids a year ago tests oral reading skills and mentioned that 2 of the kids skipped middle syllables in very long words. I was pretty stunned. But then as I pondered I realized I hadn't heard them read out loud in a very long time! Now I hear every child every day. We alternate paragraphs in Bible, Science, and everywhere else we get a chance. And I am really enjoying it. All that to say, I agree that maybe a different curriculum isn't needed for this. And try not to stretch them so much that it is torture. My kids beg to read next. I love that! But if I'd put them in a level reader that would have stretched them, I don't think this would be the case. Just food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Reading aloud makes me hungry, so I have DD read to me when I need to take a few bites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 For out-loud reading, I picked books from our list or curriculum that were just a bit above our DSs reading level, and did it "popcorn style" ("you read a page, I read a page"). We've done that even through high school. All along, reading aloud gave DSs great practice in phrasing and adding emotion; it also gave them great exposure to vocabulary in context and in talking about what made it a great book. It was especially helpful when we started doing Literature works in middle school -- we could discuss vocabulary in context, practice Victorian/pre-Victorian sentence structure, discuss literary elements and analyze the work as we read... During the elementary years, we would out-loud read a chapter or so -- about 10 minutes for gr. 1-3, 15 minutes for grade 4, and no more than 20 minutes for gr. 5-6. In middle school/high school, we were able to go about 30 minutes. BEST of luck in deciding which books and for how long works in your home school schedule! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Our oral reading has always been Bible and poetry. At tea time the kids take turns reading fun poems they've picked out. At dinner time, we sit as a family and take turns reading from the Bible. That's worked for us for the last 6+ years. I especially like that we take turns with the Bible because that is going to be the most likely book my children are asked to read aloud in public whether it be Sunday School or homeschool group. Every now and then I ask for a bedtime story and the kids will read to me while I'm hiding in the bed. They think this is very funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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