Phonics Rules are messing up his reading!

[IceFairy]

DS(5) is a good reader. Its pretty instinctive with him....he just knows what the words ars 90% of the time. He was reading level two readers with no problems but...... His phonics curriculum has gone into long vowels and all the sudden he is a hesitant reader, playing the rules out in his head, and guessing words he knows because he is trying to apply rules. He has known 'said' for months, but with his new curriculum, he now works to follow the rules....he gets confused, then frustrated, then wants to quit.

 

Any ideas how to handle this ?

[sueh16]

What if you just put the phonics book aside for a while and just let him read? You can teach the rules to him on an as-needed basis. This is what happened when my dd was your son's age. Her reading took off, and she no longer needed much direct instruction.

 

HTH,

 

Sue

[boscopup]

"said" is a rule breaker, so make sure you teach him that. ;)

 

I think it's probably normal to go through some indecision when first learning long vowel sounds. With more practice, he should become fluent again.

[Familyties]

This is the problem face with my DS. He just picked up reading with the simple beginning vowel/consonant sounds. I too am afraid that if I do a more structured phonics program that I could potentially mess us his ability to read - if that makes sense. I do feel it is important especially once he starts reading larger more complicated words. Good luck! I feel your pain....

[ByGrace3]

I think you need to think long term. Most kids who use sight words or teach themselves stall out around a fourth grade level. Phonics instruction will get him passed that hump. It may slow him down temporarily, but in the long term it will be worth it.

[cherylw]

You may want to look at Reading Reflex as it doesn't use "rules" per say. I'm using it to remediate my ds and I can already see a big difference. I wish I had known about it earlier.

[JessieC]

I would back off on phonics, or teach on an as-needed basis, as a poster above suggested. I disagree that he will stall out at a fourth grade level--my dd is 8 and is reading beyond 6th grade level with not much phonics instruction, and as a child I was the same. Some kids don't need a lot of phonics instruction; it's only one part of the many processes that come together for us to read.

[Matryoshka]

You may want to look at Reading Reflex as it doesn't use "rules" per say. I'm using it to remediate my ds and I can already see a big difference. I wish I had known about it earlier.

 

This. I used Reading Reflex to teach my kids to read. Completely phonetically based, no sight words, but also no rules to memorize. It is fantastic. And you can get it from the library for free.

[Tracy]

That hesitation is a necessary step to internalizing phonics rules, especially for a child that has learned sight words. Both of my kids have had a huge tendency to just try to memorize a word. My dd8, although a very advanced reader, started to have difficulty reading new words. it took 2 year of intensive phonics before she could internalize those rules and start sounding out new words for herself.

[Soror]

I'm having the same issue with dd. I think we went through the short vowels too fast and started adding too much info. Now she seems to be forgetting everything. She has never sight read and her first and only reading instruction was phonograms via LoE. We are on a break right with reading as I contemplate what to do, as she was just getting overwhelmed with continual new information.

[CatholicMom]

I think my oldest went through this. I don't have a clear philosophy on it but I tend to think if you have an intuitive reader, let them read. There were MANY phonics rules I didn't even know until I learned them while teaching, but I am a good reader. I tend to think our brains (at least some of our brains) and wired to pick up on the distinctions and "rules" and apply them without thinking about it or knowing why. Sometimes thinking too much can have the opposite effect that phonics is supposed to have: aid in reading. If it's hindering and he is picking it up on his own, I say let him read.

[*Lulu*]

I was that kid in first grade! (Back in the dark ages when first grade was when they taught reading :p)

 

I did not learn phonics until I was an adult and teaching. Fast forward to today, I use AAS because I do not trust myself to teach them well and am determined not to let my poor phonic skills trip up my kids.

 

FTR- in first grade I was reading on a late fourth/early fifth grade level and purposely tuned out phonics because I felt like I couldn't read anymore. (I loved reading way too much to let phonics mess with it!) By fourth grade I read on a tenth grade level and by sixth grade I was reading college level material. The greatest issue I ran into was pronouncing a word for the first time. For example, chaos. I knew what it meant. If I saw it in context o could read it; if it was on a vocabulary test I could have defined it. I could not, however, pronounce it. Luckily my parents were both well read and well educated and able to help me keep from embarrassing myself too frequently. There were, however,several times I ended up feeling foolish over the improper pronunciation of a word during the late elementary and junior high grades.

 

All that to say, set it aside for a time, but not indefinitely. Maybe even continue, but in a different way that is less frustrating for all of you. I seem to recall Susan Wise Bauer having an excellent talk that covers this subject.

 

 

ETA- just looked it up- The talk is called A Plan For Teaching Writing: focus on the elementary grades.

[poiema]

FTR- in first grade I was reading on a late fourth/early fifth grade level and purposely tuned out phonics because I felt like I couldn't read anymore. (I loved reading way too much to let phonics mess with it!) By fourth grade I read on a tenth grade level and by sixth grade I was reading college level material. The greatest issue I ran into was pronouncing a word for the first time. For example, chaos. I knew what it meant. If I saw it in context o could read it; if it was on a vocabulary test I could have defined it. I could not, however, pronounce it. Luckily my parents were both well read and well educated and able to help me keep from embarrassing myself too frequently. There were, however,several times I ended up feeling foolish over the improper pronunciation of a word during the late elementary and junior high grades.

Wow! this was me exactly. Everything except the part about having parents who saved you from embarrassment. I wasn't that lucky. Nope, it wasn't until I was reading the lyrics to a song I knew that I learned that chaos and "kay-oss" were the same words. :blushing:

[kiwik]

I remember one of my brother's teachers in the nineties complaining about parents who messed up their kids' reading instruction by teaching them phonics. I didn't learn phonics but I kind of know the rule without knowing the rule. I knew the difference between rat and rate but didn't know the silent e rule existed.

[thebacabunch]

I taught my kids phonics, but they took off before I finished any program. I think phonics are the best but don't understand making it a big subject that goes on and on. Once my kids could read they took off. They are also great spellers. My dd12 reads at a 12th grade level and my dd8, with autism, reads at a 5th grade level. She reads at a 7th grade level without the comprehension. If your kid can read, great!