alisoncooks Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 My oldest will be in 2nd this fall. She is still a beginning reader -- just beginning long vowels now. I'm considering getting VP's First Favorites or Memoria's Storytime Treasures for next year (2nd), though I realize they're marketed as 1st grade programs. We'll continue with our phonics program and I have a spelling program lined up. Is there anything else I should add? Do they include writing or grammar (MP looks like it does)...? Do these seem too babyish for a 2nd grader (DD is somewhat immature, does not like to write and -- like I said -- is still reading on a lower 1st grade level)? Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niranut Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Bumping as I had similar thoughts for my oldest, and was curious about the VP and MP options as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in VA Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 We loved First Favorites. I definitely think you could use it in 2nd grade, especially if the books are at her reading level. They also have 'More Favorites' that they use for 2nd graders not quite ready for the more difficult books they use in 2nd grade. I don't know anything about MP because it wasn't out when my children were that age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted April 17, 2013 Author Share Posted April 17, 2013 Great! I went ahead and ordered Memoria's workbooks since I have all the story books for that on hand. I'll probably look into First Favorites, too. I don't know that DD will be ready to read them independently, but maybe we can work through the books together. She loves *real* books, so I think this will work better than a program with "readers" (our previous plan was to use BJU 2 Reading but I don't think that'll work for us....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sueh16 Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Don't know anything about VP, but I have tried ST. If your dd is just starting long vowels, she might find the books too hard right now. Also, she should know a lot of sight words before she begins. HTH, Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I have to say, I called MP to ask some questions on a 2nd or 3rd grade placement - and they transferred me to a lady that rocked. I can't remember who it was, but she helped me talk thru where to place DD, and discouraged me from my Plan A of buying everything for 2nd, then moving to 3rd later. She told me to find the 2nd grade books at the library, just have her read them, then buy 3rd when she was done. It was one of those really nice conversations where you were expecting the answer that meant the most money for them, but didn't turn out that way!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik Little Bear's Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey Billy and Blaze by C. W. Anderson Stone Soup These books overlap. The rest of the VP books are easier than the rest of the MP books. If she isn't strong on reading long vowel sounds yet, I would go with First Favorites. Or you could read the First Favorites books this summer and go with MP next fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted April 18, 2013 Author Share Posted April 18, 2013 Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik Little Bear's Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey Billy and Blaze by C. W. Anderson Stone Soup These books overlap. The rest of the VP books are easier than the rest of the MP books. If she isn't strong on reading long vowel sounds yet, I would go with First Favorites. Or you could read the First Favorites books this summer and go with MP next fall. Thanks! It's been confusing b/c some reviews have said they feel the VP books are harder or maybe less of a gradual progression in difficulty. (I actually thought I was getting the "easier" choice by going with MP. :p) I will probably end up getting both :D and just pick & choose during the year. Our MP Storytime Treasures books actually arrived today and they're very nice (though I'm not sure why they aren't perforated, since they open up horizontally... I'll probably get the binding removed). I'm getting excited about next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Thanks! It's been confusing b/c some reviews have said they feel the VP books are harder or maybe less of a gradual progression in difficulty. (I actually thought I was getting the "easier" choice by going with MP. :p) I will probably end up getting both :D and just pick & choose during the year. Our MP Storytime Treasures books actually arrived today and they're very nice (though I'm not sure why they aren't perforated, since they open up horizontally... I'll probably get the binding removed). I'm getting excited about next year! I looked at the list again. VP does have a few on the harder end of the spectrum. Though the only two listed after the Little Bear books are Amelia Bedelia and Peter Rabbit. Their version of The Emperor's New Clothes is unnecessarily difficult. VP has many more that are on the easier end of the spectrum: Curious George, Corduroy, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Harry the Dirty Dog, etc. Maybe the main difference is that VP has more books? There are 28 as opposed to 15 (from what I can see) in MP. I also have my kids read a stack of Curious George books, 8 or so Mouse/Moose/Cat books, several Harry books, etc. so they are reading 3-5 books/week. It stretches out those beginning books and gives extra practice. So, I should have said most of the VP books are easier. The overall progression for VP looks easier and seems to start slower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 Thanks for the thoughts, Meriwether! Does anyone know anything about VP's Kindergarten Favorites? I ran across it online but don't see it anywhere. I also don't see it listed on VP's Kinder program, but it comes up when I search it on VP's site....? http://www.veritaspr...p?number=000702 (I wonder if it's something they *used* to have. I'm tempted to try and order it; the books look like they'd be a great place for us to begin...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosesinsummer Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 We started MP Story Time Treasures around 2nd semester of First Grade and finished it up in 1st semester of 2nd grade. We're now finishing up More Story Time Treasures here in the 2nd semester of 2nd grade. We use them as a supplement to other LA programs and love them! Will use the "2nd grade" literature of The Courage of Sarah Noble, Beatrix Potter, and Little House in the Big Woods etc. next year for 3rd grade. We have been very pleased with MP STT/MSTT. The mix of reading comprehension, vocab, writing, and grammar-- even a touch of drawing as a bonus is wonderful. It's been working great here, so we will stick with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 I've never used it. We do Phonics Museum K and 1st and then First Favorites back to back over two years with PM1st split between K and 1st. Adding something else would make it pretty tight. If you do get both FF and ST, I'd be interested in knowing how they compare. I have some sketchy memory of a backstory with VP and Logos that makes me think some of the material would be similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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