Any PAL reading users completely finish the program?

[edeemarie]

I am just curious if anyone has gone all the way through and can convince me there was success. I thought I was doing well with it but now my ds doesn't want to do the worksheets or the games. I also don't know when they are supposed to learn to sound out simple CVC words. We are at lesson 19 and still no sign of sounding out words. I started him on AlphaPhonics last week and now he is already reading simple words like "dad" so I may just sell PAL (can't return it since I bought it from RR:() unless someone can tell me that the results at the end are different. I understand the point of the sound-structure program, but it just doesn't seem to be working right now.

[mhaddon]

I'm not much help, but I've wondered if something else would be better. We made it through all the games onto the next level. I did help his handwriting, but now he's reversing again. His comprehension has always been great. I have another son I'm going to start it with. I took a long break because it takes so long. I'm not sold on sticking with it, but I've not liked anything else I've looked at either so maybe it is just me...

[edeemarie]

It definitely does take some time to get PAL done, and with several other kids in the house it is hard to get it done! Maybe that is my problem- the time factor. It is just so much easier to bring out Alpha-Phonics, have him read a little, and move on. My ds doesn't seem to be the cut and paste type of kids (he doesn't really seem to enjoy R&S ABC series either unless I do the writing for him:tongue_smilie:). I just love the idea of PAL but it just doesn't seem to work. He is doing so much better just sounding out words instead of finding the phonograms in the words. Anyone want to buy PAL reading?:lol:

[ondreeuh]

I am going to start PAL reading and writing next week. My so is already reading cvc words well, but I am still starting at the beginning of PAL. I encourage you to move quicker through the beginning if your child is ready, but don't give up yet. There is more to PAL the just sounding out words. It builds a foundation for more difficult skills later. I am pretty sure that the writer of PAL says on her intro DVD that it is fine to zoom ahead and customize as needed.

[RachelFlores]

I didn't finish it because it just takes SO much time. It was obviously created for a classroom where it is normal for a student to spend 2-3 hours on language arts. We like to be done with ALL of school 3-4 hours and after PAL dd was ready to be done with school for the day OR she wouldn't want to finish if I put it after our other subjects. I DO think it is a very solid program and my dd definiently made progress last year, it is just too time intensive for us. We switched to Sonlight readers, ETC, FLL, WWE and continued with AAS and we get ALL of that done in half the time PAL took.

 

With all that said. I did not start the program with my dd till she was already sounding out cvc words with reasonable fluency. I think PAL is more of a 1st grade program than a K program. I know some of the begining games teach letters and sounds, but IMO, it is not enough and they start introducing vowel combos with the first lessons. If a child doesn't know their letter sounds and how to sound out short vowel words already, this could be very confusing. I think it would be a great program for a classroom or small group, not so much for homeschooling.

[mhaddon]

Yes I did feel it was written for classroom setting. What I needed to do was alternate math and PAL for the time commitment (when I did RS). It was too much with younger kids. So what I ended up doing was not doing everything every day. I would do the poem on Monday and we would re read through it, I dropped the sticker farm because it wasn't helping and I'd have to rebuy for each child. We played games as needed. I had them all ready to play and we'd pull out them during non school time or maybe do one a day. I would teach the new sounds and we'd talk about it and do a worksheet. We read the sentences before bedtime. FOr the writing we made it through all the ABC basics and we did the copywork every other day or every third day and we would do the questions orally as we read books from the library to check and build on comprehension. We also dropped the journal and we'd just talk about stories as a family when we were driving. It was way more manageable that way :)

[melmichigan]

My DS1 finished PAL Reading with AAS1/2, but we used it as a K/1st grade program with the emphasis on the phonograms and the markings, which we adapted because we then move to PR with SL Readers. He also used the PAL Writing Part 1 and 2, now he moves to CW Primer for 2nd and will do part 3 at the same point his sisters did. My twin girls used part 3 of the Writing during the end of 2nd, beginning of 3rd grade to begin keyword outlines before doing CW Aesop A. We have always used multiple programs so I freely adapt and drop things as needed to make it work. We used all the file folder games until they were mastered (varied for each one) and all the worksheets, which I then made DS color to work on handwriting control. :D