SWR/WRTR/AAS/PR/OPGTR/PP and HTTS, Oh my.

[eloquacious]

My head is spinning. That is all. Thank you for listening.

[eloquacious]

I could start a similar thread titled "Zaner-Bloser/D'Nealian/Getty-Dubay/Peterson and all the others OH MY."

 

Similar thing.

 

 

As to math, at least there my head isn't spinning ... I'll simply do them ALL. Muahahahaha.

:lol:

[kristinannie]

It is a blessing and a curse to have so many choices!!!!!! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[boscopup]

Look at samples of each, look at what you realistically think you and your child will do well with, then narrow it down to a couple choices and read threads comparing those (use google to search for acronyms: aas vs pr site:welltrainedmind.com).

 

It is very confusing, but you'll narrow it down and pick one that hopefully works. ;)

[crazyforlatin]

I could start a similar thread titled "Zaner-Bloser/D'Nealian/Getty-Dubay/Peterson and all the others OH MY."

 

Similar thing.

 

 

As to math, at least there my head isn't spinning ... I'll simply do them ALL. Muahahahaha.

:lol:

 

:lol:

 

What about writing? Of course, your child is very young. Anyway, that's why for almost every subject we do here, I bought most of the choices I considered.

[MerryAtHope]

LOL! Been there...many times!

 

Merry :)

[SorrelZG]

As to math, at least there my head isn't spinning ... I'll simply do them ALL. Muahahahaha.

:lol:

 

 

:lol: I don't want to do them all though. I want to reform.

 

 

I'm working on selling off my phonics collection ... maybe even my math ... well, at least the kindergarten math collection. :001_rolleyes:

[LittleIzumi]

As to math, at least there my head isn't spinning ... I'll simply do them ALL. Muahahahaha.

:lol:

 

:lol::iagree:

[Homeschooling6]

LOL! Been there...many times!

 

Merry :)

:iagree:;)

[Hunter]

You forgot Riggs and the Eagle's Wing's version :-) I wouldn't want you to miss out on TOTAL confusion :-)

 

I wish I could just sit down and USE one of them, instead of just reading them.

[Aspasia]

I wish I could just sit down and USE one of them, instead of just reading them.

 

This is totally me. I started out buying Happy Phonics because dd loves to play games. Of course I bought ETC to go with it. Then I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything, so I bought OPGTR (which she HATES). Then I finally succumbed to the Progressive Phonics bug. Technically, they can all kind of work together, but I hate knowing that I could have accomplished this without spending so much money. (I've spent almost $100! I eschewed SSWR because it was so expensive and just look at me!)

 

As for math, I researched my head off and finally decided to go with Miquon and transition into Singapore later. I'm still pretty set on that, but I get really confused by talk about RightStart and Math Mammoth.

[eloquacious]

Hmm hadn't heard of Eagle's Wings. Riggs I am somewhat familiar with, but only because that is what the charter my husband would like to send our son to uses.

 

I'm not sure what Riggs does to alter/change Spalding, or if it's just teacher training/implementation stuff. Didn't realize that it was for home, too.

 

SIGH.

 

Yes my problem is that I want to look at / assimilate them all, then make my own thing anyways... and that my son is atypical. A very early reader, not so great on the fine (or even gross) motor skills, so traditional straight-up Spalding with writing wouldn't quite work for us yet.

 

I was inspired to give it another go last night when I saw a video linked to by one of the handwriting threads showing a young boy my son's age "writing" letters into salt and then writing them on a really big scale with chalk. That I think my son could do, and would have fun doing ... and it would help cement phonograms and prevent his letter reversal issue, which is minor, all things considered. (Just has trouble with lowercase b and d.)

[Dinsfamily]

Hmm hadn't heard of Eagle's Wings. Riggs I am somewhat familiar with, but only because that is what the charter my husband would like to send our son to uses.

 

I'm not sure what Riggs does to alter/change Spalding, or if it's just teacher training/implementation stuff. Didn't realize that it was for home, too.

 

SIGH.

 

Yes my problem is that I want to look at / assimilate them all, then make my own thing anyways... and that my son is atypical. A very early reader, not so great on the fine (or even gross) motor skills, so traditional straight-up Spalding with writing wouldn't quite work for us yet.

 

I was inspired to give it another go last night when I saw a video linked to by one of the handwriting threads showing a young boy my son's age "writing" letters into salt and then writing them on a really big scale with chalk. That I think my son could do, and would have fun doing ... and it would help cement phonograms and prevent his letter reversal issue, which is minor, all things considered. (Just has trouble with lowercase b and d.)

 

I don't thnk your ds is atypical...at least not in my house. :D. Both of my school age boys were early readers with average/slightly below average FMS. SWR has worked great for us but I don't start the writing/spellng portion til they are 5yo. Two things have worked really well for us: 1. Salt box and 2. Cursive. Not sure where we'd be without those two things.

[Hunter]

I bought Riggs because the newer edition attempts to be more compatible with the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary and most of the other Spaldings are not comaptible with any modern dictionary :-0

 

Eagle's Wings I just bought the handbook. I like all of this author's products as well as just CGC.

[eloquacious]

1. Salt box and 2. Cursive. Not sure where we'd be without those two things.

 

 

As to cursive, I'm still not sure where I stand on that... I do want him to learn a nice cursive (not just linked italics) eventually, but in general I prefer the look of D'Nealian or even blocks for basic stuff... and it seems easier to implement with the clocks. I found two things that will be helpful today: a little cheapie foam clock that I had been meaning to discard because the boys yanked the minute and hour hands off ... and now I realize that it is perfect for teaching letter formation! And secondly, I went to TJ Maxx and found an Alex Toys Sand Box for over $10 less than the Amazon price. Granted, it was still $13 and therefore more than a bag of salt and a plate, but I like that it is self-contained and doesn't need setting up each time we use it. Also, it's quite a bit bigger than a plate with sand/salt.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Toys-706W-Sand-Box/dp/B000CBSO1E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1308968730&sr=8-4

 

As I was driving home it occurred to me that the steering wheel (10 and 2! 10 and 2!) would be good for allowing him to run his hands around a curve, and I began to think of what else could mimic this without sitting in a car in Arizona in the summer. Perhaps an embroidery hoop? Not quite as smooth, but the circle is about the same.

 

So I do want to teach him letter formation. I saw a box of 1" chalk pieces being sold somewhere to be used on a slate board, as they were so short that kids had to hold them more or less correct... so I thought I'd just break up our chalk and use that. ;) I think I'm going to try to use some electrical tape to mark the major points of the circle/clock on his little black chalkboard and he can practice on that. I haven't found any good printouts of the Spalding clock that I could laminate and use as a reusable letter formation grid... any ideas on where to find a graphic, or should I just create one? Hmmm... my husband and my older son are camping, maybe I can create it tomorrow.

 

So yeah. We've been using the Preschool University reading and spelling apps (currently the spelling apps are unavailable in the app store, maybe he's revising them) which involve blending exercises (just sounds, the child has to blend them into words), segmenting exercises (the child is given the sound of the word and asked to break it into phonemes) and then finally reading (the child is given text and then asked to pronounce it). The segmenting exercise sounds like SWR finger spelling, so we've been doing that already with our words...and then he spells them with magnets or on the app with the movable tiles. Now I just mainly want to incorporate the phonograms and their multiple sounds and getting my son to start forming letters on a large scale (sand, chalkboard).

 

Once I've processed that I'll wait until my copy of WRTR 5th edition arrives (I have the 4th out from the library) to see what else I can incorporate before having him actually write out words. I don't want to halt his reading progress until he can write words, but I do want to have him begin to progress towards that writing, do you know what I mean?

 

 

Is there any value in getting the WISE guide beyond the WRTR and without the Sanseri book proper? Can it be used with WRTR independently?

 

JoAnne

[eloquacious]

Also I think I'll do the German transition from pencils for manuscript to fountain pens for cursive.

[Dinsfamily]

As to cursive, I'm still not sure where I stand on that... I do want him to learn a nice cursive (not just linked italics) eventually, but in general I prefer the look of D'Nealian or even blocks for basic stuff... and it seems easier to implement with the clocks. I found two things that will be helpful today: a little cheapie foam clock that I had been meaning to discard because the boys yanked the minute and hour hands off ... and now I realize that it is perfect for teaching letter formation! And secondly, I went to TJ Maxx and found an Alex Toys Sand Box for over $10 less than the Amazon price. Granted, it was still $13 and therefore more than a bag of salt and a plate, but I like that it is self-contained and doesn't need setting up each time we use it. Also, it's quite a bit bigger than a plate with sand/salt.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Toys-706W-Sand-Box/dp/B000CBSO1E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1308968730&sr=8-4

 

As I was driving home it occurred to me that the steering wheel (10 and 2! 10 and 2!) would be good for allowing him to run his hands around a curve, and I began to think of what else could mimic this without sitting in a car in Arizona in the summer. Perhaps an embroidery hoop? Not quite as smooth, but the circle is about the same.

 

So I do want to teach him letter formation. I saw a box of 1" chalk pieces being sold somewhere to be used on a slate board, as they were so short that kids had to hold them more or less correct... so I thought I'd just break up our chalk and use that. ;) I think I'm going to try to use some electrical tape to mark the major points of the circle/clock on his little black chalkboard and he can practice on that. I haven't found any good printouts of the Spalding clock that I could laminate and use as a reusable letter formation grid... any ideas on where to find a graphic, or should I just create one? Hmmm... my husband and my older son are camping, maybe I can create it tomorrow.

 

So yeah. We've been using the Preschool University reading and spelling apps (currently the spelling apps are unavailable in the app store, maybe he's revising them) which involve blending exercises (just sounds, the child has to blend them into words), segmenting exercises (the child is given the sound of the word and asked to break it into phonemes) and then finally reading (the child is given text and then asked to pronounce it). The segmenting exercise sounds like SWR finger spelling, so we've been doing that already with our words...and then he spells them with magnets or on the app with the movable tiles. Now I just mainly want to incorporate the phonograms and their multiple sounds and getting my son to start forming letters on a large scale (sand, chalkboard).

 

Once I've processed that I'll wait until my copy of WRTR 5th edition arrives (I have the 4th out from the library) to see what else I can incorporate before having him actually write out words. I don't want to halt his reading progress until he can write words, but I do want to have him begin to progress towards that writing, do you know what I mean?

 

 

Is there any value in getting the WISE guide beyond the WRTR and without the Sanseri book proper? Can it be used with WRTR independently?

 

JoAnne

 

I actually wasn't sold on cursive either and started ds7 with print. He begged to learn it when he started 1st grade and I agreed. We haven't looked back. His reversal and spacing issues were resolved immediately.

 

That sand box looks very cool. I made a salt box out of a cut-down shoe box so it is always ready but I really like that one you found.

 

The WISE guide would be very useful with WRTR IMHO. I needed SWR because I didn't understand how to implement Spalding despite reading WRTR many times. If you know how you want to implement it then you wouldn't need SWR. The WISE guide reorganizes the Extended Ayers List a bit (maintaining the integrity), provides sentences for each word, and gives ideas for enrichments to practice spelling words or include grammar/writing lessons. Very useful to me. I would wait until you digest WRTR before buying it though. You might decide you don't need it.

 

It sounds like you all are on your way. I learned with my boys that you can't stop an early reader. My 5yo learned about 30 phonograms from his brother and was off and running before 3yo. He's just now learning to write at age 5. Once he can write well enough, we'll start the spelling lists at the beginning. He can already spell the first few lists orally but I think it will be good for him writing-wise to start easy. He'll still get the reinforcement of learning the rules formally and mastering all 70 phonograms during those early lists. He'll also have the benefit of getting the hang of dictation before the words get challenging. My oldest was an early reader too but not on the level of his brother so we took SWR a bit slower during Kindergarten. One day, the fluency switch clicked-on and he was good to go.

 

I'm going to check out those apps you mentioned for my 3rd ds. He's asking to read but isn't anywhere near reading developmentally. It's more of a "being like my big brothers" type of thing. Maybe some fun preschool apps will appease him. My 5yo is using a few handwriting apps and loves to practice on the iPad.

[eloquacious]

Incidentally, I keep telling myself that all this reading/curriculum buying won't be for naught... I'll tutor or teach reading someday. ;)

[CountryGirlShake]

This is totally me. I started out buying Happy Phonics because dd loves to play games. Of course I bought ETC to go with it. Then I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything, so I bought OPGTR (which she HATES). Then I finally succumbed to the Progressive Phonics bug. Technically, they can all kind of work together, but I hate knowing that I could have accomplished this without spending so much money. (I've spent almost $100! I eschewed SSWR because it was so expensive and just look at me!)

 

As for math, I researched my head off and finally decided to go with Miquon and transition into Singapore later. I'm still pretty set on that, but I get really confused by talk about RightStart and Math Mammoth.

 

:lol: Sounds like me, LOL.

[Ecclecticmum]

Happy Phonics takes way too long to put together, lol, one day I suppose I will finish putting it together!

 

We used SL LA for a while, but its too tied in with writing, as well as other things I didn't like about it.

 

BUT A did retain more of the letters than what we are currently doing with OPGTR. I think I will make a few little adjustments to the scripts & songs of OPGTR, and add in the letter page we used to make for SL, as well as the Picture cards we have for ETC.

 

I agree, its very confusing LOL, esp if you try one and the child doesn't "get it" but I think OPGTR is a big help and I would recommend purchasing it, and reading, even if you are planning to use another program.

 

I'm going to tweak it a little like what I mentioned above, and then I think we will do quite well. :D We also use a big whiteboard instead of index cards, and I just leave the letters we've done/are using up there. We're also going to purchase All about Reading Pre-level 1. and I think I will change round ETC primers to mimic the way OPGTR does it.

 

Once we are upto a certain point with OPGTR, we will start using AAS (I think its lesson 140 it says to start FLL, so we'll use that same mark as the beginning of our next curriculum year.

 

Its very hard working out what will work for BOTH you and your child. I wish you the absolute best of luck lol :001_smile::grouphug:

[eloquacious]

I am completely incapable of reforming. I now have the 4th and 5th editions of WRTR (got both used for less than a new copy of the 5th) and I just bought SWR and the WISE Guide from the homeschoolclassifieds.com site.

 

Sigh.

 

Oh, and I still have and use OPGTR/PP. And 100 EZ lessons, which our preschool co-op will be starting in the fall, though by then my poor son will be bored to tears.

 

I actually think that the 100 EZ lessons methodology, adapted to Spalding methodology, might work best in conjunction with WRTR. Instead of a line above the a to signal a long a, you could have the number, etc. ;)

 

Still trying to figure out how to coordinate the Spalding methodology with what we are already doing, so of course we'll be doing a total mishmash, but I do think there's so much there that's worth digging into, and of course the prospect of my son going to that classical charter that does Riggs phonics looms on the horizon.

[Hunter]

If we just buy them ALL, maybe we will somehow start using ONE, right? :-)

 

I have made NO progress with spelling. Sigh! And it's not from lack of spending money or READING the curricula I buy.

[Ellie]

I'm not sure what Riggs does to alter/change Spalding, or if it's just teacher training/implementation stuff. Didn't realize that it was for home, too.

Riggs doesn't alter Spalding. Riggs doesn't do Spalding. There is only one Spalding, the manual for which is WRTR.