MrsBanjoClown Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I posted this on the K-8 forum last night, but haven't gotten any replies. DS6 is technically in K, but I am doing Abeka's 1st grade reading program with him. He is reading very well, but I don't know how to test to see what level he is actually on. He is reading mostly 2nd grade level books from the library,but I have seen him read things that are above that level. He shocked our pastor's wife by reading the Lord's Prayer out of his Bible to her. This was not from memory, as we don't recite the Lord's Prayer at home. We have decided that we don't want to go with Abeka again next year, so I am looking into other reading programs. He has read all of the books I could find at our library from the MP, VP, and Sonlight 1st grade readers. He had some trouble with Miss Rumphius . When he is reading aloud, I have to tell him to slow down. He tends to read very quickly, and he rushes through the words, and I can't always understand him. I make him slow down and pronounce each word and he gets them right. Any suggestions as to what to use next year, or a curriculum with a good placement test? He did take the Sonlight placement test and tested into the 4th grade level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I don't know if it would work with your style, but we use McGuffey for my strong reader. If you were to start at a level he can read very easily, you could probably go through it very quickly and work on proper reading technique and timing. They don't match current grade levels and I don't believe they have a placement test, so you would have to look through to see where he fits. I use it because we've moved past me worrying about teaching how to read and now we're focusing more on vocabulary. Plus it's an easy way to make sure I catch mispronunciations that crop up when a child reads a word often but rarely hears it out loud. One of the tricky things about Sonlight's test is that it focuses on reading words, while the books that they indicate for the level you reach might require a stamina that a child's decoding ability doesn't match yet. If I recall correctly, some of their readers for the higher grades might not be as enjoyable for a young reader because of more mature content, but that depends on the child. If I'm looking for a quick gauge of current reading level, I'll check out the grade levels listed on Scholastic's Bookwizard for books I've noticed my daughter reading. It's a rough estimate at best because of the way the formulas calculate the book level, but it's good enough to point you in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 What exactly are you trying to accomplish with a reading program? Do you think he needs more phonics? Does he read well but struggle with comprehension? I would be very hesitant to place a 6yo in a 4th grade reading program, because the reading content is likely to be too mature and too voluminous for him, and there is likely to be writing assignments that he would not have the fine motor skills and writing stamina to keep up with. My dd7 was an early reader, and I ultimately decided that I would fill phonics gaps through a phonics-based spelling program (SWR) and that we would be working on comprehension through WWE. I also make sure she has a lot of opportunities to read good literature on her own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pollyanna Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I have a first grader who is a strong reader (after phonics last year). I encourage daily reading (and set aside time for it). At this point she can read so I am not concerned with a reading program so much as her comprehension, read aloud skills, and speed. I encourage her to move forward in reading levels, to read to her brother and to me, and use various methods to gauge her comprehension (Tell me whats happening in your book!). We're getting some phonics review/reinforcement through phonics based spelling (AAS), and doing some light grammar (primary language lessons for now). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 My DD is a little younger (turned 5 in September) - we read aloud various books at or slightly above her level every day - there are reading series where the content of the books is suitable for young children but the vocabulary is more advanced (we are using corgi pups and young puffin readers at the moment and plan to move to longer chapter books with suitable content when she has more stamina) We did OPGTR when she was very young and now phonics is being repeated now by teaching spelling though her writing is still at the early level so concentrating on handwriting is even more of a priority. We have also been using Reading for the Gifted Student Grade 1 for comprehension. We will start a silent reading period sometime next year. If you are happy working without a formal curriculum then I would just pick books he can read aloud to you, let him read to himself for a certain length of time each day and work on any issues he has when you spot them. What do you want to get from a reading programme - is it finding the level he is at and challenging him appropriately or phonics or comprehension, do you want the variety that most programmes hopefully provide or the actual content of the readers (some programmes do seem to pick books with a more historical or geographical viewpoint) or just to feel that you are covering more bases? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Hi, I don't think we've ever used a formal reading program. I have my kids read to me periodically from McGuffey's Readers (when we have time). This is probably the closest thing to formal reading that we've done. I do require my kids to have a book going at all times. Have you seen this website (just letting you know there is some religious content)? http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html We choose readers from these booklists. Also, we use this book list: http://homescool-ed....-trained.html�� This lady's website has been a huge help to me. We also have a lot of Sonlight readers. I let my kids choose whatever books they are interested in. Like the other posters, I'm not sure if you're looking for more phonics...or a place to choose books that are on your student's level...or learning literary elements (like setting, plot, etc)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metrodorus Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 I'm currently recording McGuffey's readers - these are on YouTube Here is the link to the playlist as it stands: Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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