100 Easy Lessons

[Tohru]

I've talked to a few people that have raved about 100 Easy Lessons, but I just can't get past all those funky symbols and weird writing style - it really bothers me and it looks like a lot of sight work rather than traditional phonics. 

 

If you used or started 100 Easy Lessons, did you think it was fantastic for setting the foundation for more advanced reading or did you regret it afterwards?  If you used it completely, how did your reader do later, for upper grades reading?  Did they have problems with learning phonic rules for more advanced reading and spelling?

 

Thanks :)

 

 

[73349]

I figured hey, it's a system, we'll try it. But DS hated it. I dumped it after two lessons in favor of Phonics Pathways, and now LOE. It seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it item.

[KarenNC]

My daughter hated it as well, along with Phonics Pathways. Cried and tried to hide when she saw the books! We ended up having the most success with a mix of Explode the Code, Bob books, leveled readers from the library, some Dolch sight word cards, and Dick and Jane. With those, she asked to do extra, which I figured was a good sign. :) 

[prairiewindmomma]

I hate it. I burned my copy as soon as I discovered OPGTR.

[Guest celloplayermom]

11 years ago I switched to it after trying to get my 5 year old to read in Kindergarten with Sonlight grade 1 (because I was convinced it was going to be easy to teach her to read  :001_smile:).  It was a fail so I stopped what I was doing and started over again with 100 Easy Lessons and haven't gotten her out of a book since.  She is a junior in HS now and has been an advanced reader since 1st grade.  I used it again with dd2 and she too has excelled in reading (spelling, not so much but she would argue that is what spellcheck is for!!). 

amy

[In2why]

Didn't work for us.  Phonic Pathways was a much better fit.  

[MistyMountain]

It didn't work to get my kids fluently reading. My daughter got stuck halfway through and my son tired of it faster. I do like the first few lessons and how it teaches blending though because that is what taught them both how to blend so for that I give it credit. I found it for $1 at a thrift store so it was worth the $1. ;) I know there are kids out there that that is all they need though.

[HS Mom in NC]

It's usually love it or hate it.  We hated it.  Phonics Pathways was much better.

 

I threw mine away rather than pass it on because no one should be subjected to that mess.

[Calm37]

I used 100 EZ to teach all 4 of mine to read. I had to get away from the scripted stuff pretty quickly. We just sounded out the words and I kept the picture covered up until after they had read the little story. They thought it was cool to see the picture after reading it. We only read the words one time and then when Dad got home that night they would "show him" all that they knew. :) Pretty easy routine for us.

 

The special script begins to disappear fairly quickly. The only problems I had with 100 EZ Lessons was with my first when I stuck too closely to the script. She especially hated having to reread the words.

 

We followed up with Explode the Code & Pathway Readers.

 

 

[Beth S]

Just adding in that all 5 of our kids loved it.

However, I always clarify that it is NOT 100 Lessons.

It is NOT Easy.

 

My kids liked the goofy cartoons, which are funnier when the child reads the adjacent text.

 

We did a lot of cycling back, so we'd do #1-50 then go back and do some of the older cartoons as review, etc.

 

I just wanted something no-frills and straight-forward.  We would have changed it if didn't work.

And the kids were usually reading other easy books around Lesson #60 or so.  No URGENT need to finish the book.

The symbols are gradually phased out, and the cartoons-with-captions are repeated without the symbols in the last 20 lessons or so.

 

 

 

[nwmama]

I got it only because someone threw it in with some other used curriculum I was buying. I was so glad that I didn't pay full price. The symbols were too distracting. It sat around collecting dust until we moved and then I gave it away. OPGTR is just perfect for us. 

 

I'm just glad I'm not the only one who hated it. I was a little worried I just wasn't smart enough for it!

[BrittanyM]

I had it passed down to me and didn't even try it. It didn't seem to flow well for me and being that I already had three years of Saxon Phonics (also a hand me down) I was much more comfortable going with that.

[RootAnn]

If you used or started 100 Easy Lessons, did you think it was fantastic for setting the foundation for more advanced reading or did you regret it afterwards?  If you used it completely, how did your reader do later, for upper grades reading?  Did they have problems with learning phonic rules for more advanced reading and spelling?

 

 

I'm on my 4th kid using Teach Your Child To Read in Way Over 100 Very Painful Lessons. (Only sorta kidding!)

 

I, too, don't stick with the script. I don't do the writing portion at all. Handwriting is completely separate. I've never regretted it. Only some of my kids have finished it - not everyone uses all 100 lessons. Every kid has been in a different "reading" place after going through it and of the ones that finished it, none have made it to that "second grade reading level" they tout. 

 

I always follow it up with a phonics-based spelling program. My oldest is a voracious reader. My dd#2 picked up with reading awhile back & hasn't looked back. My dd#3 is a competent reader, but doesn't love reading like #1 & #2. 

 

Ds#1 is on a "break" from 100EZ right now. We're working through some other materials and hope to return to 100EZ sometime this summer. He & I needed a break because the sections were too long & difficult and he couldn't remember a word from line to line.  :banghead:  He's doing better, so I think we'll be in a much better place when we go back to it.

 

However, it definitely isn't for everyone. I'd borrow it & try it before buying it. Phonics Pathways & OPGTR are other options.

[Jackie]

We started it but tossed it aside around lesson 12. It was already far too painful for us. We ended up using Bob Books, occasionally supplemented with Progressive Phonics.

[edelweiss]

It definitely seems like people love it or hate it.  There isn't much in between.

 

I used it for both of my children.  It worked really well for us.  I recommended it to my sister and she had great success with it as well.  All of our children are now very confident readers.  No complaints at all.

 

We tried Phonics Pathways too, but absolutely HATED it.

[AndyJoy]

The jury is still out for me. DS is on lesson 9 and it's going well so far. I'm skipping a lot of the repetition in the script because he's getting it the first time so far, having already learned his letter sounds from Leapfrog Letter Factory as a toddler. I tried to start it some months back, but he wasn't interested. Now he is and begs to do a lesson. We're using the BOB Books too. I wasn't planning to have him write yet but he insisted. We just do it on a Boogie Board (writing tablet) and play around.

[eternalsummer]

We've just about finished with it (we're through 70 or so, and he's reading other books separately now, so we may not finish).  We didn't follow the script or do the handwriting.  It has been painless, largely.

[Mama Geek]

I bought 100 EZ lessons and got stuck when dd didn't know what rhyming was and wasn't ready to grasp it.  I started early with her and she could do some of the blending but, the other stuff was just beyond her.  I have switched to Webster's Speller and Blend Phonics and that is going smoothly.  I have slowed down some and started her on Bob books to try to get her confidence up.  I am really happy with where she is now and probably won't go back to 100 EZ lessons.

[duckens]

We used 100 Easy Lessons.

 

It is adequate, but was tough to push ahead at times.

 

Don't feel as if you have to follow the script.  Do what works for you.

 

Once we got past 50 or 60 lessons, we restarted the book.

 

We also use/used:

--PAL Phonics (NOT from IEW, but an old book a schoolteacher friend gave to me years ago) before 100 Easy Lessons 

--Saxon Phonics K and 1 after 100 Easy Lessons.  We will do Saxon Phonics 2 next year. 

--ETC series, and even the 1/2 books for extra practice.

--Bob Books and Sight Word Readers: I would put a post-it in the back with this list:

1) Mom

2) Dad

3) Baby Sister

4) Cat

5) Other (friend, grandpa, etc)

She would read the book to a different person each day, and I would check it off.  She earned 25c for each book she completed.  By the time she read the same book 5X on 5 different days to 5 different people, she knew the vocabulary well.

 

Dd is now 7, and she reads graphic novels voraciously.  Anything we read together as shared reading, she does quite well IMO, and I am curious what "Reading Level" (the alphabet system) she is.  However, a friend's daughter returned to public school this year, and she is waaaaaaaaaay behind in reading.  :(  I don't want to be blind if my daughter is behind in a key skill like reading.

[eternalsummer]

yes, we didn't do the script at all

[Mrs Twain]

100 EZ was fantastic for my kids. They are amazing readers, high above grade level and love reading. My youngest was 3.5 when she started it and finished in about 9 months because she was determined to learn to read like her older siblings.

 

I recommend following up 100 EZ with phonics practice, maybe Phonics Pathways or similar.

 

Don't do the writing. Spend only 10-15 minutes per day, and take as many days as needed to finish a lesson. Give rewards for every X many lessons completed.

[Tohru]

So for everyone that did use it and enjoyed it, how is their reading AFTER, like waaaay after, not just elementary grades?  I don't want my children to just get through the book and start reading elementary readers, I want to go beyond that and have them be able to spell, enjoy, and eventually comprehend college-level reading material. lol! 

 

But really, what happens after 100 EZ?  They're at 1st or 2nd grade reading level, but then what? 

What do you do to get beyond 100EZ's level with phonics and learning spelling rules?  It seems like you'd have to teach the same thing again, but differently?   

[Clear Creek]

So for everyone that did use it and enjoyed it, how is their reading AFTER, like waaaay after, not just elementary grades?  I don't want my children to just get through the book and start reading elementary readers, I want to go beyond that and have them be able to spell, enjoy, and eventually comprehend college-level reading material. lol! 

 

But really, what happens after 100 EZ?  They're at 1st or 2nd grade reading level, but then what? 

What do you do to get beyond 100EZ's level with phonics and learning spelling rules?  It seems like you'd have to teach the same thing again, but differently?   

 

100 EZ was great for teaching my kids their letter sounds and blending; it got them reading. For explicit phonics rules I followed it up with Rod & Staff Phonics 1&2.

 

[Tohru]

We used 100 Easy Lessons.

 

It is adequate, but was tough to push ahead at times.

 

Don't feel as if you have to follow the script.  Do what works for you.

 

Once we got past 50 or 60 lessons, we restarted the book.

 

We also use/used:

--PAL Phonics (NOT from IEW, but an old book a schoolteacher friend gave to me years ago) before 100 Easy Lessons 

--Saxon Phonics K and 1 after 100 Easy Lessons.  We will do Saxon Phonics 2 next year. 

--ETC series, and even the 1/2 books for extra practice.

--Bob Books and Sight Word Readers: I would put a post-it in the back with this list:

1) Mom

2) Dad

3) Baby Sister

4) Cat

5) Other (friend, grandpa, etc)

She would read the book to a different person each day, and I would check it off.  She earned 25c for each book she completed.  By the time she read the same book 5X on 5 different days to 5 different people, she knew the vocabulary well.

 

Dd is now 7, and she reads graphic novels voraciously.  Anything we read together as shared reading, she does quite well IMO, and I am curious what "Reading Level" (the alphabet system) she is.  However, a friend's daughter returned to public school this year, and she is waaaaaaaaaay behind in reading.  :(  I don't want to be blind if my daughter is behind in a key skill like reading.

 

Sounds like you incororpated a lot of extras :)

 

So, did your friend's daughter use 100 EZ lessons too?  This is my fear, that yes, it helps children read the easy stuff and gets them to 1st or 2nd grade level quickly and sometimes early, but then beyond that with spelling and phonetic rules and actual comprehension....

 

[classicmommy]

We LOVED it. My 5 1/2 year old started it at four and now she is reading at a 5th grade level. I loved how simple it is. I didn't read all the script though. My kids begged me to do reading.

[classicmommy]

At about lesson 40 or 50 we started on WRTR. So her her spelling and printing have really benefited from that program great. But 100 Easy Lesson really got the reading off to a wonderful start for us.

[RootAnn]

100EZ isn't going to help with spelling. At all. It is NOT a spelling program.

 

If you don't already know how, 100EZ helps you to understand how to ask questions to check the child's reading comprehension. (This should be a 'duh' thing, but I've met several people who don't understand how easy it is to ask a few questions to make sure the kid is understanding what they are reading.)

 

100EZ isn't the "end" of reading instruction and shouldn't be the end of phonics instruction. It is one way to get a child reading on a fairly quick path (or not - depending on the child's learning style and ability).

 

You should definitely follow up with another phonics program at the appropriate level or a spelling program that incorporates phonics / decoding rules as part of the instruction. If you have a kid who just naturally learns how to learn to read, 100EZ and the rest of my recommendations won't necessarily be a good fit for your kid. 

[duckens]

 

Tohru asked of me:

So, did your friend's daughter use 100 EZ lessons too?  This is my fear, that yes, it helps children read the easy stuff and gets them to 1st or 2nd grade level quickly and sometimes early, but then beyond that with spelling and phonetic rules and actual comprehension....

 

 

I don't know what my friend used.

 

I do know that my friend has either worked at or owned a small private bookstore for most of the time that I have known her, which makes it very unnerving.  However, there may be an issue with dyslexia going on.

 

The good news is that the school approved intervention with the reading specialist.

The bad news is that this was assigned for during the child's math class. So at the semester break, the teacher shared with my friend that her formerly "strong in math" daughter was falling behind in math.  *needing a facepalm smiley*

[duckens]

 

Tohru asked:

So for everyone that did use it and enjoyed it, how is their reading AFTER, like waaaay after, not just elementary grades?  I don't want my children to just get through the book and start reading elementary readers, I want to go beyond that and have them be able to spell, enjoy, and eventually comprehend college-level reading material. lol! 

 

But really, what happens after 100 EZ?  They're at 1st or 2nd grade reading level, but then what? 

What do you do to get beyond 100EZ's level with phonics and learning spelling rules?  It seems like you'd have to teach the same thing again, but differently?  

 

We are not very far.  We have just finished 1st Grade, but I am obsessed with good reading skills.  Children who read well do better in ALL subjects.  My plan is multifaceted for all the aspects of reading, writing, spelling, comprehension, grammar, etc. Some were listed in my original post.

 

Consider if a 4th Grader is reading at a 2nd Grade level.  Yes, they will get a poor grade in 4th Grade Reading Class, but also, their Science and History (Social Studies) reading will also be on a 4th Grade level.  And is it possible to write at a higher level than you read (write at a 4th Grade level if you only read at a 2nd Grade level)?

 

----------------------------------------------------------

A reading specialist was once asked, "What is the best reading program for teaching kids to read?" 

Answer: "The third one."

 

Learning to read is complicated.  Yes, there are kids that learn to read at age two, but for most of us, it is years of daily study, review, and practice to learn to read well.  When children are learning, it is the rare child that can learn things after being told it only once (unless it is disseminated by the Kratt Brothers :)  )

 

----------------------------------------------

Our plan since 100 Easy Lessons:

1) Saxon Phonics K, 1, & 2 -- A lot of K was skipped because dd was already comfortable with letters & sounds and some basic reading. 

 

I've also used Abeka (with other peoples' kids), and they have an excellent program.  However, there are many good Phonics programs out there.  Find the best fit for you as the mom/teacher and your kids.

 

2) Logic of English Essentials -- I have not purchased this yet, but it is what I like the best so far.

 

3) Also, check out lewelma's posts about training kids to read college textbooks (over several years).  Post #1 is an overview; post #7 is a sample sequence.  The thread is "Developing Advanced Reading Skills."  I can only hope to be as wise as she someday.

 

ETA: to fix embarrassing bad grammar

[Indian summer]

We loved it. Dd's reading took off around lesson 40-something so we ditched the rest. It gave her a solid foundation and she's a very strong reader now. I love the accents, it's how I learned to read and i found the transition from accented words to non accented words very intuitive, for me as a child and for dd, though for me it also involved a language switch. But if your child will eventually learn an accented language - this system may help.

[zimom]

I happens to have it on my shelf when my daughter was immobilized after surgery. I've read over and over how most hate it. Maybe because my daughter really had nothing else to do, so we had a good bit of time to spend on reading, she sailed right through the book and is a great reader today.

 

Most days we would do two lessons, repeating the earlier lesson before going on to a new one. We followed up with Explode the Code and of course lots and lots of reading.

[Courtney_Ostaff]

I agree that it is a love-it-or-hate-it type of thing. It wasn't our first choice, because it seemed kind of dry (and the scary, scary type-face).  However, it worked really well for my daughter. 

I tried the BOB books, and she hated them with the passion of 1,000 fiery suns. So we tried 100 EZ Lessons, and she loved them. Took us about 6 months at bedtime, and this is when blending *clicked* (took that entire 6 months). (Grade 1, 2 reading at that point) So, at 5.5 (summer after PreK-4), transitioned to OPGTR and Phonics Pathways (PP). Child *hated* reading for me, so I only focused on phonemes. Reading was still difficult, blending was occasionally iffy. (Grade 2-3 reading level). We did that until November, when I got a full-time job, stuck her in kindergarten at same school where preschool happened. Wacky curriculum, much higher than grade level, made her feel bad about her reading ability. Took her out in mid-March (I'm on maternity leave), and we've gone back to OPGTR and PP. She's now voluntarily fluently reading to baby sister at the 3-4 grade level (Yertle the Turtle, etc).