Manamana Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 I think my younger DD6 is a Socialable Sue so I found OPGTTR was not working well for us last year. She needed reading to be fun, very interactive and include lots of review. This year we're using PAL Reading and it has made a big difference for her. She loves MUGS the dog, those squealy ee's, the parking lot game, the Phonetic Farm and she loved making the creature who eats the word cards she feeds it. The games are excellent at reinforcing the lessons and all the letter stories are helping her make a connection with the letters and phonograms that are hard for her to remember. She can have a lot of fun while learning. We're still trying to catch our stride using the poetry. I see the value of returning to the same poem over several days. without realizing it, she's memorizing the poetry which will give her a memory reference for the sounds of words and letters down the road. The format of the program makes it very easy to implement with minimal prep work. We're going through the lessons at our own pace just picking up where we left off yesterday even if we don't finish a whole lesson. I also like the worksheets and reading practice sheets to reinforce each lesson. Are others using PAL Reading? How has this been working for your child? Have you been working through a lesson per day or taking it more slowly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabertmom Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 I would love to hear the answer to this too as 100 Easy Lessons has become like pulling teeth. We're already doing All about Spelling, though, and Explode the Code so I'm wondering about just getting the reading portion and not the writing portion. I don't want to take over the thread. I would just love to hear other people's experience with PAL so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 We are also using PAL Reading for the phonetics. My DS is now reading well but isn't ready for PR handwriting wise. PAL is a great introduction with all the markings and he likes the folder games as reinforcement. I think marking the words on the worksheets and then the cutting, pasting, and coloring are appropriate skills for this DS who needs the fine motor practice and likes doing them. I use AAS as a gentle introduction to spelling, I just teach it with the PR sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 We haven't started PAL/Reading {hope to next week} but my son is loving PAL/Writing and Mugs is a hit here too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perogi Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 Feeling pretty tempted by this program....I had looked at AAR but it looked a little behind what dd is already able to do. She's not strong phonetically so I would like something to reinforce that and am not sure if ETC and then AAS will be enough. I wonder if it's something I could do with my dd 6yo and my ds 4yo together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 I am considering PAL reading for DD3 when she starts learning to read. Would you use this after AAR or could you use it instead of AAR? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Looks like it would definitely come AFTER AAR Pre-1 Kristin :). I'm thinking about it after we're done. It jumps into the more complicated phonics pretty fast, so I'd do it AFTER. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genny Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Could someone link...I would love to look into it:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manamana Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 Here is the link to IEW's website and the Primary Arts of Language page. http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/pal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazzie Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 We are loving it here, too. I am using it with my 8 year old, and we end up doing more than one lesson per day. He didn't spend much time with Mugs, although he liked him. But it's such a good program for him - the games for review rather than no review or drill-type of review. I'm hoping that PAL will help him become a fluent reader this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhaddon Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 We love PAL. I highly recommend it. So many different ways to teach the same concept. He loves the phonetic farm and the stickers too. We bought everything HWOT because it was supposed to be for kids like him having trouble. I'm sorry, but just the start at the top song didn't work. He was having trouble with reversals bad and not remembering letters at all. He'd have it down and then gone. The little letter stories have stuck and wow his HW is amazing and beautiful. It has even given him the confidence to start drawing as well. I really don't think it was just him waiting to bloom because the difference was immediate after switching and it was like he just couldn't get it before and now it clicks. My DS is 6 with an end of May bday if that helps :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhaddon Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Oh and he loves the journal and I was having trouble with writing prompts so I picked up the Silly Starters write- abouts and even my 4 year old has a journal to take along it is so much fun! He could never remember "the" and it was sooo frustrating and now he has it after one time with PAL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjins Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 So many of my friends are using it, I love the way the program is laid out and organized, the children are excited to keep doing lessons. GREAT GREAT GREAT.... My problem? My youngest is 8, at the end of her first yr of PR, which we use for spelling because she read GREAT and is in her third year of IEW. We do not have any children to share this program with and I want to be able to us it. I wrote to the women who put the program together and told her that because of HER program, I want another child. :lol: I really do find the program fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Does PAL teach all of the O-G phonograms? About what reading level would a dc be on by the time they finish the program? TIA. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom&nana Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 For the ladies using this and also using PR... Can you share how PAL and PR compare with each other? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genny Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Here is the link to IEW's website and the Primary Arts of Language page. http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/pal thanks:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genny Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 cute program...love the dog idea! It looks like my kids are too advanced for it though... maybe when my youngest gets older. Thanks for drawing this program to my attention:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_Household Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I guess I'm the only one who didn't really care for it and returned it. I guess I must tell you I disliked PR also. I realized that I'm a very systematic person who likes reading (and math) taught a certain way. Though I wanted to love PAL Reading for using the poems, farm and games....I ended up deciding that it might just be a good review tool for my kids but didn't like it for teaching O-G phonics the way I wanted. I use a very systematic program to teach phonics along with AAS for spelling which might not be as fun as PAL but uses visual marking which has made a big difference for my kids. I think PAL is great for certain kids and I like I said, I would use it for review if needed but it just didn't do as well as what I already had. I am thankful for IEW's return policy. However, I did keep the PAL Writing which I'm using with my 1st grader over this year and next to prepare for TWSS. So even though it didn't work for me, I suggest if you're interested, give it a try. However I would buy it from IEW so if it isn't a fit...no problem....they are great and will take it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazzie Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 IEW even pays the shipping costs if you send something back. I think that is really awesome of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieH Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 What does PAL stand for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazzie Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Primary Arts of Language Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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