PR 1 question

[Hedgehogs4]

We are doing PR 1 this year. I am on week 8, but only because we started last spring. I find that the PR material takes A LONG TIME to get through, and I rarely, if ever, get through everything she recommends in a given week. I am supposed to cover, the spelling words, usually a building code, and a spelling test of those 20 words, plus we started the stories, as she is already reading. We try to do one page of a story per day, so she can illustrate it. Between this and math, it could be the totality of my school day, leaving no room for other things that we have to read and do. It just seems like A LOT for a 6yo. Do most of the PR 1 users get the material covered in the time recommended? Do most people finish the curriculum in a year?

 

tia

[bbrandonsmom]

You can go at your own pace. We did most of it how she outlined it, and I added in a few extra worksheets on things like endings for more practice. We stopped around wk 23 though last year and then picked it up this year. Ds just wasn't ready.

I'm not sure what you mean for the words. How we did it was five words daily, a day or two for the building codes depending how long they were, and then a page per day for the stories. Some of the building codes she has go over more than one day, so make sure you review that prior to doing them.

[grace'smom]

I thought that same thing when we first started. We got through week 12 last year in Kindergarten. We spent the earlier portion of the year doing Webster's and Blend Phonics and took PR 1 VERY slowly. I remember thinking often in those first weeks that PR was overwhelming, but once we got through the initial flurry of learning ALL those phonograms and getting through those first building codes things were much easier. I think that initially PR takes up a lot of brain power, but as you get used to it things (the markings, the phonograms, the rule tunes) get easier. I'm not positive though because we're not much further ahead of you and I've modified how we use it so it may seem easier to me than it really is, LOL. We're starting our first "real" week next week, after taking these last few weeks to retest all her words and make sure she still knows them. I have also taken a month to teach the last section of phonograms. I do not think there is any way my child could have learned them all in two weeks as instructed in the manual. I wondered if maybe she meant they were to be reviewed but not memorized? I don't know, but we've been learning them for a month and she STILL has trouble with two particular groups of phonograms (the ci,ti,si, sh group and the kn,gn thing).

 

I was thinking that once my DD had the phonograms memorized well we would start reviewing the cards only 3 times per week, then down to two and then down to once a week unless she starts to have trouble. That will save a bit of time and as long as we don't lose ground it doesn't hurt anything.

 

I also do not do 20 words per week. Maybe we will as she gets older and can do it faster but right now we do ten words a day and I use a modified system to keep track. Here's a link to how I use it: http://givingourbest.blogspot.com/2011/05/phonics-road-to-reading-writing-and.html

 

As far as the stories... If you are using the pathway readers as it says in your siggy, I would just wait until the readers are brought up in the program rather than trying to do them early. It's dragging out your day and you don't need them right now.

 

Hey, if it makes you feel any better- don't write "Week Whatever" at the top of the test paper. Write "List 5" so you don't feel behind. It's better to go slowly and really learn it than rush to get through and realize it's not being retained.

 

I hope that helped!

[Hedgehogs4]

 

I hope that helped!

 

actually, it did help me to take a deep breath. I appreciate your insight, but truthfully, we have not gone over the last set of phonograms yet. I thought I'd wait a bit on those. She's doing great with the ones we've covered, but I don't want to overwhelm her. At what point do you think we should cover the last p-grams? I haven't seen in the teacher's manual when they are introduced...

 

I will get into a groove soon, I'm sure, and yes, perhaps I will drop the readers for now.

[kht2006]

We're doing PR 1 very slowly...about 3 days of material in 5 days of instruction. Last year even slower 2 days of material in 5 days of instruction. We are still heavily reviewing Weeks 3-4 of phonograms daily through practice games. Even though it's very slow, it is so rich! DD has the rule tunes down. She has the phonograms, too, but yes it goes slow very very very slow, and it's OK. Aready in the first month of kindergarten her skills far exceed what is being taught in K and even 1st in public schools.

 

I think the pace outlined in the book would be great for remediation for already reading older kids, though.

 

PR takes about 30-45 minutes/day. I would hold off on the readers until it's time for them b/c then there won't be as many construction codes.

[grace'smom]

actually, it did help me to take a deep breath. I appreciate your insight, but truthfully, we have not gone over the last set of phonograms yet. I thought I'd wait a bit on those. She's doing great with the ones we've covered, but I don't want to overwhelm her. At what point do you think we should cover the last p-grams? I haven't seen in the teacher's manual when they are introduced...

 

I will get into a groove soon, I'm sure, and yes, perhaps I will drop the readers for now.

 

You don't have to introduce those until week 13 and 14. You have plenty of time. Don't do it now because it could push you over the edge, LOL. I was just saying that when we got to week 13 I saw that was what we were supposed to do and it took a month rather than 2 weeks.

 

In your Foreman's manual there is a section with spelling lists, behind the DVD section. The rule tunes are there and then the spelling lists. If you flip to Week 13 and 14 you will see where the last set of phonograms are introduced. Also, I got my set used so I don't know if this is supposed to be in there and just wasn't in mine, but you can print out a scope and sequence from her website and it will give you a good idea of the curriculum timeline.

[BriannaG]

I agree with grace'smom. Once you get through the majority of the phonograms and building codes, then it should be a bit easier, you should have the routine down for you as well. I'm using PR1 with a young Ker so if we extend a week here or there I don't mind. I just lost two weeks to colds, so we'll start up on Week 9 next week. We're playing phonogram games and reviewing words from previous weeks currently. My two youngest are still sick and are big time interrupters...well the three year old is as we do PR during the baby's 45 minute nap.

 

You'll get to the last of the phonograms on week 13 and 14. If you turn to the sheet just after week 12, you'll see the lay out of weeks 13 and 14 just like the first four weeks were done. After you get the last of those phonograms down, you'll add the readers in Week 15.

 

I've read that some people take a year and a half to complete a PR level, especially those upper ones. You're giving your child a great foundation.

 

Oh, just a heads up, in Week 9 you do two full sheet building codes 15 and 16. I'm probably going to make those separate lesson days and just add in review/drill of phonogram teamss

 

Good Luck

[Hedgehogs4]

Thanks for the encouragement, ladies...I will forge ahead...

[TKDmom]

I don't manage to do everything she suggests in a day. We aren't doing spelling tests, but I can still see that my ds's are really improving in spelling while they are doing their day-to-day work. Ds(7) is on Week 23. We have been using the program since Feb. I'm pretty sure it'll take more than a year to get through the whole level. My ds(6) is going even more slowly--he's on week 8.

 

I find that I usually have to give building codes their own day. Sometimes I can make up for that by talking ds into doing extra spelling words another day, but I never push them to do more writing than they can comfortably do. When they start whining about too much writing, I end the lesson. There will be plenty of time when they get older to teach endurance.

 

I have also modified the building codes to reduce the amount of writing. For ex. when we were covering plurals, and the word was "boy", dc were supposed to write "boy", "-s" and "boys" on one line. It was too much to do dozen words writing each one twice. I started writing out the base word and the suffix, then had ds just write the completed word.

[bbrandonsmom]

There's a scope and sequence that you can follow. You only introduce certain phonograms at certain times. Not all at once. That would be overwhelming :) We just kept reviewing them. I'd flip through at the start of the week and see what ds got stuck on. Some of the bc's we spent more than one day on due to the amount of writing, but we'd go over it by talking each day.

 

gracesmom-it's only asked to do 5 words per day :) I think a few weeks might have 6, and that's usually because a bc is introduced during the week

[mothergooseof4]

Definitely take it at your pace. I am doing it with a 2nd and 3rd grader. I know many accelerate that level with these ages, but honestly, mine get tired and stop paying attention. Granted we are on week 29, but we started last January, worked a little through the summer, and are now finishing up. We may speed through a couple of days of the spelling lists if the words are really simple for my kids. New building codes are often split up over a couple of days because my kids get tired. Then we are able to speed up again.

 

We don't "test" the words. I have a box set up a la AAS with sections for words labeled REVIEW, MASTERED, and FUTURE. All new words go in the review section for the next day. I pull some from the review section each day and call them out for them to write on whiteboards. Once they have gotten it right a few days, I move it to mastered.

 

I have read that PR is enough for LA through grade 6. My oldest is in PR3 and I can really see how this will be true. Therefore, you really don't have to worry about finishing a level per year. Plus, realize that the first several weeks of the next levels are review. I am finding with my oldest that you can really speed through those weeks if your kids have a good grasp of the material.

 

As for the advance phonograms, I introduced them and reviewed them for the weeks scheduled, but my kids did not master them. We just keep reviewing and moved on. I find that some of those advanced ones don't stick until they start to use them anyway. And, yes, drop the readers until you get there in the guide. We actually haven't done them because my kids were already reading other things that we were happy with.

[grace'smom]

gracesmom-it's only asked to do 5 words per day :) I think a few weeks might have 6, and that's usually because a bc is introduced during the week

 

It says to do five words a day, but we were not successful going over only five words in a day in our family. Maybe I didn't get the directions quite right as far as how to review the words for the week, but my DD needs more time and review than five words per day. I can't give her five new words on Thursday and have her remember them on Friday for a test- or any of the other days for that matter, LOL. My DD needs a bit more review than that. She can comfortably do 10 words per day, which allows for more review, by doing 2 words between each subject on the whiteboard throughout the school day. I keep a card file of the words and if she gets a word without help 3 days in a row I take that card out of the "To Learn" section and put it in the "Review" section. Every other week I'll pull a couple of Review section cards out and if she gets them right I put them in the "Completed Section." My blog gives more detail for how we do it. I know it's not the "right" way, but this way works well for wiggly daughter's needs. ***But to the OP- please don't think I was saying you needed to do ten words per day- I was just telling you how we did it at our house to make it easier for us.

http://givingourbest.blogspot.com/search/label/Phonics%20Road

[grace'smom]

We don't "test" the words. I have a box set up a la AAS with sections for words labeled REVIEW, MASTERED, and FUTURE. All new words go in the review section for the next day. I pull some from the review section each day and call them out for them to write on whiteboards. Once they have gotten it right a few days, I move it to mastered.

 

As for the advance phonograms, I introduced them and reviewed them for the weeks scheduled, but my kids did not master them. We just keep reviewing and moved on. I find that some of those advanced ones don't stick until they start to use them anyway. And, yes, drop the readers until you get there in the guide. We actually haven't done them because my kids were already reading other things that we were happy with.

 

That's so neat- we're doing the same thing with the card sections! Also, that is a huge relief to know they don't have to master those cards before starting back up. Thanks for sharing that info because I've been trying to decide whether to just start back up without her knowing them completely or to stay where we are at now.

[Hedgehogs4]

I do AAS with my ds 10, so I like the idea of having the sections for review, mastered, and future. At this point I have to review nearly all the phonograms several times a week, so I will incorporate that system later.

 

I'm glad to hear that going slower is working for people. I just can seem to power through it at the pace she recommends, especially with the bug guy coming to spray, my sister calling with veterinarian emergencies, my husband trying to sell his car...

 

Barbara Beers reminds me a little of Marry Poppins, anyway. I'll never live up to "practically perfect in every way."