what next for Kers who are reading really well?

[craftyerin]

I have twin kindergarteners.  They went from sounding out CVC words around Christmas to reading at about a 2nd grade level in May.  They turned 5 in June.  This blew me away!  This summer they've continued to add reading skill at an astonishing pace.  They never put the books down!  I've been filling in holes with Phonics Pathways, and we're almost finished with it.  I know the general answer for "what's next?" is a phonics-based spelling program and continue having them read aloud to me and on their own. That's fine with me.  I just didn't expect to get here at the very beginning of our kindergarten year!  

 

The complicating factor is that they are very typical for beginning Kers in terms of writing ability.  We are still very much in the "learning to form letters correctly and consistently" phase.  I'm stumped on how to do spelling with them because of that!   I own WRTR and have borrowed the first level of AAS from a friend who will need it back in a few months, but I'd have time to try it and see if I liked it.  I imagine the amount of writing in Spalding would be frustrating at this point.  I'm afraid AAS is going to be too slow?  We dropped ETC at some point mid-spring when they rocketed past the level they were working on, skill-wise.  I could pull those back out and continue with ETC this year for spelling and phonics reinforcement.  The material would be easy, but the writing not too painful.  Is there another program that would be *perfect* that I should consider?  

 

What would you do with these little people? 

[SilverMoon]

My 5yo hasn't had a problem keeping up with the writing in WRTR. They'll start out by learning how to write the letters correctly as they learn the phonogram cards. You don't skip that introductory stage even if they're already reading. When they've gone through it they'll be ready for the K amount of spelling words when you get to them.

[craftyerin]

My 5yo hasn't had a problem keeping up with the writing in WRTR. They'll start out by learning how to write the letters correctly as they learn the phonogram cards. You don't skip that introductory stage even if they're already reading. When they've gone through it they'll be ready for the K amount of spelling words when you get to them.

I should have mentioned that I've been teaching phonograms as we get to them in Phonics Pathways, using the Spalding cards, and they already know more than enough of them to start the word list in WRTR.  They know them forwards and backwards, but their writing is SO slow and I get "how do I make a ____ again?" most of the time.  I guess I could spend some time just drilling phonograms and working on writing them down in preparation for doing the WRTR word list.  In the long run, Spalding certainly would be the most straightforward. I used it the classroom, so I'm comfortable with it.  Hmm...

[SilverMoon]

Sounds like a good plan to me. :)  Mine keeps trying to get her letter formation right precisely because she wants to be in the spelling words instead of the introductory stage. :001_smile:

[AmandaVT]

I have a 5 year old DS who sounds similar to your two. He reads confidently - Charlotte's Web, Winnie the Pooh and Stuart Little are recent books. He can sound out most words. His writing ability is closer to grade level. I started AAS with him and we're only a week in, but we're both enjoying it. 

[Crimson Wife]

I started my DS in AAS 1 after he finished the Hooked on Phonics K-2 kit and was reading "Magic Treehouse" type books. I did have to modify AAS to use only the letter tiles for spelling as he was not writing at that point. He did AAS 1 & 2 fairly quickly and then slowed down. Somewhere in the middle of AAS 3 he switched from using the spelling tiles to preferring to write on the whiteboard. He'll be 8 in November and just started AAS 5.

[craftyerin]

Since I have AAS 1, I may give it a go. I suspect they'd like using the tiles. I need to pull it out and look at it more carefully, but do you think I could use it with both if them simultaneously? Like, is there enough in a lesson to take turns and such?

[Tanikit]

How did you teach them to read - what did you use? I ask because my DD picked up reading and phonics very easily and was also reading at the level your K'ers are at the beginning of K - we end K in December. Basically we have had her reading aloud and increasing the level of what she is reading - she is now at a 4th grade level. Then I taught hadnwriting - she knew all letter formation and we just worked on forming the letters more neatly and also writing in lines - she is still doing handwriting lessons working mostly on neatness now. Then we added in spelling using dictation and I taught her phonetically by myself - I used the ABCs and all their tricks as well as OPGTR to help me teach spelling - we started with very short sentences so her handwriting could develop and I also used single lines for her to write ON (rather than writing between lines) for spelling as this made her concentrate more on the spelling than the handwriting. And finally I started some creative writing with her as she loves to make up stories and also because she can do copywork and is able to cope with dictation for the spelling she is also able to write some on her own. We may move to WWE2 next year if she is ready for it.

 

What I did if we came across a writing issue - where it was handwriting that was slowing her down, was to choose another way to teach the same thing while simultaneously gradually increasing her stamina for handwriting - so I'd write for her, or use tiles or cards to find the right letters or just decrease the amount of writing expected and do it every day rather than a few times a week.

[Crimson Wife]

The lesson parts of AAS could be done together, but you'd probably want to have them individually spell the words as there aren't that many of them per chapter.

[craftyerin]

How did you teach them to read - what did you use? 

Phonics Pathways, mostly.  Some Happy Phonics games, some phonics readers (Bob, Nora Gaydos), some ETC.  Basically, a little of this and a little of that.  Phonics Pathways has been the only constant, though. I've thought about DIYing spelling, but I don't really want to. LOL

 

The lesson parts of AAS could be done together, but you'd probably want to have them individually spell the words as there aren't that many of them per chapter.

OK, that's what I was thinking, based on what I remembered.  It's been a while since I've looked at it.  I'm going to pull it out later and look through more carefully.  I actually borrowed it from a friend thinking I might try it with DS6, not the twins, so I need to look at it with new eyes. ;)  

[Kerileanne99]

I have a very young dd3.5 who is reading very well. We have 'buddy read' (she reads aloud all odd-numbered pages whilst I do the evens) Charlotte's Web, Mr. Popper's Penguins, and recently, The Tale of Despereaux this summer.

Because she was very interested in writing and how to spell, we spent the last six months going through the first level of AAS. What has really worked for us is a combination of things:

 

1) because she learned to read very quickly with minimal phonic instruction, we spent quite a bit of time making sure she had memorized all the phonograms. She loved this, and we did it separate from spelling time to keep it in VERY short blocks of time.

 

2 We do use the tiles, but she frequently gets frustrated with the 'fiddliness' and gets bored. So we use an app called Word Wizard. This kept her attention MUCH more.

 

3) we do quite a bit of review of the rules, and although she seems to be more of a natural speller I have not really taken her into level 2 as I want to make sure she has fully internalized all of level 1. So much of level 1 can be done outside of 'school' and in a very fun manner. Counting syllables on a drum, silly rhymes for rules. Her favorite is pulling a sad face and saying "No -ng for poor little e."

[kiwik]

Could you just supply them with heaps of books until their writing catches up a bit?

[Sherry in OH]

Could you just supply them with heaps of books until their writing catches up a bit?

 

I agree.

 

 

My kindergartener’ language arts study consists of HWOT and Language Smarts.  For reading, he is working through the last few multi-syllable word pyramids in Reading Pathways.  He also  buddy reads one story or chapter with me each day.   

[craftyerin]

I agree.

 

 

My kindergartener’ language arts study consists of HWOT and Language Smarts.  For reading, he is working through the last few multi-syllable word pyramids in Reading Pathways.  He also  buddy reads one story or chapter with me each day.   

I can, and I might.  My husband asked me the same thing over dinner.  I guess I don't have any compelling reason to start them on a formal spelling program, except that I figured that was the next most logical step.  I'll think on this a little more!

 

and thank you for reminding me that this book exists!  I think that could be an awesome thing to work through with them while they work on cementing their decoding skills. 

[MeganW]

Since I have AAS 1, I may give it a go. I suspect they'd like using the tiles. I need to pull it out and look at it more carefully, but do you think I could use it with both if them simultaneously? Like, is there enough in a lesson to take turns and such?

You are at getting close to the age where they start becoming more aware of each other's strengths & weaknesses, and comparing them to their own. Because of that, I would NOT do skill subjects (math, language arts) together much longer if I were you. Combine them for content subjects (history, science, etc.).

 

We do AAS separately. Times four kids, who are all roughly at the same place in the book. :( I think it is worth it though - fantastic program!

[craftyerin]

You are at getting close to the age where they start becoming more aware of each other's strengths & weaknesses, and comparing them to their own. Because of that, I would NOT do skill subjects (math, language arts) together much longer if I were you. Combine them for content subjects (history, science, etc.).

 

We do AAS separately. Times four kids, who are all roughly at the same place in the book. :( I think it is worth it though - fantastic program!

Yes, I have these two and then they have a brother that is only 12 months older.  I have already had to split out skill subjects with the older DS and the twins, so right now I do 3Rs with big brother, and then 3Rs with twins.  I am aware that at some point I may need to split the twins, but right now, they are RIGHT at the same place, and LOVE working together.  I'm not going to complicate my schedule any further until I have to. ;) Of course, they do their reading aloud to me independently, although they sometimes beg to buddy read for me, and do it by themselves all the time for fun.  :tongue_smilie:

[pollo_la]

I've had a couple like that. :-) I think Apple and Pears (covers spelling and handwriting) would be perfect!

[Peplophoros]

This is the age my ds blasted through EVERY encyclopedia he could get his hands on.  Fill the house with books, and enjoy this time (don't rush writing...it can wait)!  Not all kids are wired this way (as I'm finding out with my dd!).

 

 

[go_go_gadget]

I started my DS in AAS 1 after he finished the Hooked on Phonics K-2 kit and was reading "Magic Treehouse" type books. I did have to modify AAS to use only the letter tiles for spelling as he was not writing at that point. He did AAS 1 & 2 fairly quickly and then slowed down. Somewhere in the middle of AAS 3 he switched from using the spelling tiles to preferring to write on the whiteboard. He'll be 8 in November and just started AAS 5.

 

This was going to be my suggestion. Just let them spell with tiles until the handwriting catches up, then they can spell on paper.

[Hunter]

They are only 5. It's okay to LET them do what they do well, but they shouldn't have to skip grades in other skills and subjects, too, just because they can read. SOME students have to write and spell to learn to read. Yours don't. So the need to do spelling is not critical until they need to write, and obviously they are not ready to write yet.

 

You might want to sign up at the AO forum and look at the year 0 suggestions, which are a LOT more than books and the 3Rs.

https://amblesideonline.org/forum/ The focus is on lots of time outside doing home geography and nature study.

 

Waldorf focuses on lots of cooking and art and holidays for K, and K is for 4-6 year olds. First grade is not till age 7. Even at age 7, children write in all caps with crayons.

 

Waldorf Essentials often goes on sale for 50% off

http://waldorfessentials.com/store/products/early-years-curriculum-age-0-6-digital/

 

Free African Waldorf. Read the child development pdf, especially.

http://www.entwicklungshilfe3.de/?id=786

 

When children are early readers, and like to read, they need a lot of time to just read, and then some time doing something more physical, and where their eyes are focused on something further away.

 

You might want to check out the Robinson Curriculum where students do math, write a bit, and then mostly just read for the rest of the day. Just reading is so effective.

 

There is no need to get these babies writing yet. In fact there are those who think it would be a bad idea.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

We were in a similar situation and moved into McGuffey's Eclectic Readers, starting with the second reader.  We read each lesson until my son can read it fluently, then move to the next.  :-)