All About Reading and ABeka phonics questions

[ByGrace3]

Can someone help me think through this. I just looked at AAR while at convention and I think I like it. With dd we did ABeka k and 1 and then switched to ETC and AAS. I started using OPGTR for ds but not sure it will be engaging enough for him. He needs hands on and exciting to keep him engaged. Then I thought to use ABeka since I have it, but i don't like how I have to wade through it to find applicable parts and I am not sure I can do the program again :tongue_smilie: so, ent AAR! :tongue_smilie: if we used AAR where would the end result be compared to ABeka k? And after AAR 2, how would a child finishing that compare to ABeka 1? I want to get ds reading AT LEAST that well before switching to AAS but I don't want to have to do a ton of levels of AAR to get there...they are kind of expensive. Did I read there were going to be 7 levels of AAR? :001_huh: if I only used 2 maybe 3 levels of AAR will ds be ready for AAS to be enough? Thanks!

[ByGrace3]

anyone? any info on AAR??? :lurk5:

[Micron4]

I have not used Abeka, but I have used OPGTR and am starting AAR1.

 

AAR1 only has 49 lessons, and approx. 18 or so of those are just "read a story from the AAR reader" lessons. So what I'm saying is that I'm concerned that we will blow through AAR1 quickly and have to wait for AAR2 which is scheduled to come out in September this year. After that, who knows when AAR3 will come out? I will probably have to go back to OPGTR then, but perhaps try to do it using an AAR approach (letter tiles, word cards, fluency sheets...)

 

Not sure on the scope and sequence of AAR2, but the AAR1 scope is on the website. Perhaps that will help you compare with Abeka K. AAR1 ends with open syllable words like "she" and "go".

 

Just my two cents--I hope that helped at least a little! :)

[MerryAtHope]

Marie recommends completing All About Reading Level 1 first, and then adding in the Spelling program. This way students get a solid start in reading first, and have a strong basis for spelling as well. So you don't have to do 2-3 AAR levels before starting AAS.

 

I don't know how it compares to Abeka, but maybe this will help: Level 1 of All About Reading covers CVC words, consonant blends, short open-vowel words, and short-vowel compound words. You can see a complete listing of the words taught in this level near the back of the sample Teacher’s Manual.

 

This thread on the AALP board has the scope & sequence for L2. There will actually be 8 levels of AAR--Pre-reading skills are covered in the Pre-1 level, then levels 1-4 will cover learning to read and phonics. The additional levels will take students up to high-school level reading.

 

HTH some as you decide what to do. Merry :-)

[ByGrace3]

Marie recommends completing All About Reading Level 1 first, and then adding in the Spelling program. This way students get a solid start in reading first, and have a strong basis for spelling as well. So you don't have to do 2-3 AAR levels before starting AAS.

 

I don't know how it compares to Abeka, but maybe this will help: Level 1 of All About Reading covers CVC words, consonant blends, short open-vowel words, and short-vowel compound words. You can see a complete listing of the words taught in this level near the back of the sample Teacher’s Manual.

 

This thread on the AALP board has the scope & sequence for L2. There will actually be 8 levels of AAR--Pre-reading skills are covered in the Pre-1 level, then levels 1-4 will cover learning to read and phonics. The additional levels will take students up to high-school level reading.

 

HTH some as you decide what to do. Merry :-)

 

 

thank you! Question, do you happen to know how long an AAR lesson might take? (average) Also, 8 levels seems like a lot. We did Abeka K and 1 with dd and ended there . . . dd was reading at a solid 2 grade level and we just continued with AAS and ETC at that point. Will it take 4 complete levels to teach all the phonograms? I am seriously considering AAR but I cannot justify 8 levels at that price . . . sot the question I really need answered is where will the end of level 2, 3, 4 leave them?

 

Thanks!

[Syllieann]

:lurk5:

[MerryAtHope]

thank you! Question, do you happen to know how long an AAR lesson might take? (average) Also, 8 levels seems like a lot. We did Abeka K and 1 with dd and ended there . . . dd was reading at a solid 2 grade level and we just continued with AAS and ETC at that point. Will it take 4 complete levels to teach all the phonograms? I am seriously considering AAR but I cannot justify 8 levels at that price . . . sot the question I really need answered is where will the end of level 2, 3, 4 leave them?

 

Thanks!

 

Sorry I missed this!

 

Just like with AAS, the author recommends spending about 20 minutes per day on AAR and taking the program at your child's pace--so you can go as slowly or as quickly as you need to. She also recommends reading aloud to your child for at least 20 minutes per day, which you probably already do.

 

The phonograms will be taught in levels 1-4 of AAR in the "learn to read" portion of the series, so you wouldn't have to do levels 5-7 unless your child needed extra support or if you wanted to continue a formal reading program that takes your child up to high school level reading. (The 8th level is the pre-reading level, which comes before Level 1.) About 34% of students struggle with learning to read, and I suspect that these are the students who would benefit the most from doing all of the upper levels of AAR. Some students (and it sounds like your daughter was one) just need a bit of instruction and seem to take off on their own with reading (and some even teach themselves at young ages). So, kids have lots of differing needs.

 

All About Spelling is a complete phonics program, so all of the phonograms are eventually covered--it just doesn't focus on blending and comprehension or provide fluency practice and so on the way that a reading program will. But there are certainly kids for whom that (plus readers) is "enough" to fill in any gaps once they take off with reading. But you may need to assess that as you go, which you probably did with your oldest too.

 

Not sure if this helps! Merry :-)

Edited June 16, 2012 by MerryAtHope