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What do you LOVE for teaching your child to read?


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We started the year out with MFW K and it was a flop for dd5. I feel like I have failed because all but 1 of my choces for her kindy year have flopped for her. We have been using the ETC workbooks and she really loves those (she's working on ETC level C right now), but I would really like to find something to use over the summer that will really help her with reading. She knows most of her letters & sounds, but is still working on blending those sounds together. So, what do you LOVE for teaching a child to read?

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I taught all 6 of my dc to read using the Abeka 1st grade program. It really gets the job done! I ventured away one year to try OPGTR...it just didn't work well for one of my sons, so I went back to Abeka. It is extremely thorough and you can make any program as fun as you want it to be. :D

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I love that my 2nd son is a natural reader. When I think of the people saying "teaching reading is not hard" and I then I think of my eldest son, I just want to slap that person and run screaming into the hills.

 

Wait, that didn't answer the question...

 

For eldest we like SWR, lots of spelling and lots of writing (and typing since he's older). It really slows him down, drives home the lessons, and is not torture reading (or repeat reading, which he also doesn't like). For the 2nd son, I don't think it mattered what I did, but we used SWR's phonograms and Blend Phonics on the whiteboard. I was going to use Word Mastery for my 3rd son, but I've decided to mentally simplify and all three will be doing SWR. My youngest son can blend, but I think the writing things down would benefit him as well.

 

My dream version is to send my son to Elizabeth for tutoring... but I don't think she's in Montana...

 

(Sorry for the mini-rant.)

 

Edit to add: My eldest just got blending in the last year. If she can't blend, I highly recommend spelling the words instead, especially if either of you are frustrated. She doesn't have to write the words, she can just tell you spelling bee style, or use letter magnets, or a salt box.

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We've tried Phonics Pathways and then switched to OPGTR (not sure why, come to think of it). Luckily, I just picked up Phonics Pathways and Reading Pathways for $1 each at a used curriculum fair (!) so we're switching back. We also use ETC and readers from Progressive Phonics, Bob books, anything else I come across.

 

No experience with Sonlight.

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For blending, I liked Phonics Pathways. I used a sticky-note to mark our place and move it along each day; we spent about 3-5 minutes per day, 5 days/week, sitting on the couch together.

 

I also had Sonlight's LA-K, but didn't end up finishing it. It seemed easier and more efficient to use Phonics Pathways and then have the kids read aloud maybe a few lines or a page from an early reader (Hop on Pop, etc.). Still love the SL read-alouds, though. :)

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I loved OPGTR and I just finished the book with my two 6 YO sons last week!! :lol: We were all so excited. And I am happy to report that they both love to read and are reading quite well (they read aloud to me out of a 5th grade Pathways reader with no problem).

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I haven't found that my daughter has loved any of the programmes we have used to teach her to read - what she has loved is the stories she has read and that is why I believe in introducing books as soon as possible into any reading programme. OPGTR is pretty comprehensive though I never used it as scripted. My DD has also liked playing around with starfall and reading eggs though no programme I have used on the computer has lasted long with her and I only use them for fun and to reinforce things we have already covered.

 

We did have Sonlight LA K but I found it unbalanced - the writing expected was well beyond what my DD could do at the time and the phonics was well behind what she could already do. They had a lot of good ideas for creative writing (though I would have to do it orally with my DD) My DD is well beyond the reading in the Fun Tales now. I think even without the asychronicity I see in my DD that it is still at too many levels to work for the average kindergartener.

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This is my first year homschooling and my ds5 did not know how to read at all when I started the year. We started with OPGTR and using BOB books and it worked well but went a little too fast for him as we approahed the middle of the book. I am now using AAR 1 and will return to OPGTR after we finish AAR1

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Thank you all for all the great programs. It sounds like I have quite a bit to look into. Out of curiosity...does anyone have any experience with Sonlight LA K? I know it seems to be a love/hate curriculum, but most of what I hear is from using it in the older elementary years.

 

I used SL K for DS12 when he was 5 yo. So, 7 years ago. With all the changes at SL, I have no idea if it's even the same program anymore. He was a precocious bugger and I was pretty laid back about his schooling (and I basically had 2 babies at the time). That said, he was blending and reading CVC words at the end of K. He could write simple sentences. That was good enough for me. His reading took off the following year (and he was in private school for that), but I think the SL laid a good foundation.

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My first attempt to teach DS to read was with OPGTR, didn't go so well.

 

A friend recommended A Beka's Handbook for Reading and the workbook and readers that go with it. Another friend recommended Hooked on Phonics. Yet another thought Phonics Pathways and Reading Pathways was excellent and I should give that a try and use Nora Gaydos readers with them.

 

I looked at all of them, and they each have their own advantages. The one that stood out for me was the A Beka program - everything is coordinated and the readers are progressively more difficult, while still controlled for what's been learned to that point.

 

I used the A Beka program and for DS it was like magic, he went from struggling to sound out words to reading really well in under six months. I don't know if it was the program per se, or just that he was ready - whatever it was, his reading took off quickly.

 

I spent a few hours initially going through the Handbook for Reading and aligning the workbook pages and readers, so we'd go step-by-step through the program. I didn't see (not sure it exists) a lesson plan for the program, but setting up a schedule wasn't all that difficult, just time consuming.

 

Be aware if you consider this one - A Beka is a Christian based program, so there are lots of religious things within the reading parts. It's not overwhelming or a perspective that offends at this level, but if you're looking for strictly secular, this isn't it. Originally I wanted a secular program myself, but opted to go with the A Beka program since, once I really looked at it, it was solid and well coordinated. I haven't seen any other program as well put together to teach reading - I'm sure they exist, I just haven't found them!

 

In addition to that, DS has done the ETC workbooks - he likes them, and I think they're good reinforcement, but I'm not sure they're designed to "teach" reading skills. I also did buy the Nora Gaydos readers, from level 1 to level 3. They're cute and DS loved them, but I don't think the difficulty is there as reading progresses; even at the higher level, the stories remain very short and sweet, but are not really challenging. The A Beka readers grow in length and difficulty over time, and font size grows smaller with more words per page to read.

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Phonics Pathways. It's simple and inexpensive and most importantly it works. My daughter was having trouble because she wanted to just guess at the word based on a letter or two in it. She was also kind of skipping around and not necessarily reading the first letter first, in a left to right progression. Phonics Pathways changed all of that and had her reading phonetically in no time, with a minimum of pain and fuss. Great program!

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Phonics Pathway used successfully here. :D

 

Using with my 2 middle children right now and wished I had found it for my oldest. It is so simple, easy, and inexpensive. We're also liking the companion book, Pyramids, to help with eye tracking and building stamina in reading sentences. But it isn't necessary.

 

We were using ETC. Phonics Pathway is doing such a good job that ETC is boring and overkill for the kids. I do use the Primers to start them before reading. I'm dropping the regular books and will only use them to review "trouble" areas if needed.

 

3 kids so far have used the BOB books to practice reading. They have all giggled when "Mat sat on Sam". ;) I also have some Pathway, McGuffey, and other assorted readers for practice.

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We love Reading Made Easy, Click 'n Read, and Pathways readers.

 

Lara

 

We love Reading Made Easy too. It doesn't get much press here, but it has been perfect for us. It's effective and efficient and very on-the-couch-snuggly. My kids love the picture study and little stories. #3 is going through it right now, and I am hoping my manual lasts for the last two as well.

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[quote name='MrsBear;3800321t.

I spent a few hours initially going through the Handbook for Reading and aligning the workbook pages and readers' date=' so we'd go step-by-step through the program. I didn't see (not sure it exists) a lesson plan for the program, but setting up a schedule wasn't all that difficult, just time consuming. [/quote']

 

 

Yes, they do have a TM for this... it's called A Beka Phonics and Reading 1 Curriculum and lesson plans

 

I too love Abeka's phonics.. this year I am going to try out AAR though. I am ready for a bit of a change after teaching 2 children to read with Abeka's program. I have Abeka already though... so I may go ahead and use them both.

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I start off with Hooked on Phonics so they get to reading books right away, then I move on to Sing, Spell, Read and Write. SSRW is where the magic happens. I know lots of people think it is too pricey, but I think it is awesome! My two oldest have been able to read pretty much anything by the end of the first grade program!

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