Phonics/Reading help!

[Katydid]

Argh. I thought I had this all settled, but now I'm just not sure...

 

I have an upcoming 5th grader who taught himself how to read at age four and is a natural speller. I mention him because I think having him first has skewed my expectations when it comes to teaching reading. But my DD has not caught on naturally and instead has needed explicit instruction for learning to read.... something I have not been consistent enough about providing up to this point.

 

DD (upcoming 3rd grader) has been slowly & steadily working through All About Reading and is about 10 lessons from finishing up level 2. She enjoys AAR, but sometimes gets frustrated at the length of the stories in the readers, even though she can get through them with lots of encouragement. She is still not very fluent and she still mixes up sounds like b and d (though that has been getting less and less over the last few months). I like the program, but my frustration with it is that she still hasn't been introduced to all of the phonograms so she can't just pick up readers from the library that she is interested in because so many of them include rules she hasn't yet learned. Yet she gets bored reading the sames stories over and over in the AAR readers. So she hasn't really been getting enough fluency practice, honestly.

 

She is also working through Explode the Code for extra reinforcement and has just finished book 3. She learned a few phonograms from that that she hadn't learned in AAR yet and did fine with the activities in the book. So I'm wondering if the extra slow introduction to the phonograms plus the high fluency expectation of AAR is not the right fit for her?

 

Also, though she does well with copywork and doesn't seem to mind the physical act of writing, she is not at all confident in her spelling. I have AAS but I have been waiting to start until her reading was more developed, but I'm wondering if a program that teaches spelling alongside reading might be a better fit. I really need something open and go, so I've had my eye on Logic of English and Reading Lessons Through Literature...

 

Lastly, I also have an upcoming young Ker who I want to get started with learning how to read. I think I started too late with dd thinking she would pick it up like her older brother and now I regret it. I don't want to make that mistake with ds2. I had been planning on AAR pre-level with him, but I'm not sure I want to continue with AAR, so I wonder if I should start with something that will hopefully work for the long run with him.

 

It would be a struggle for us to pay for two levels of AAR right now, anyway, so I'm hoping whatever we move to will be cheaper. Anyone have any thoughts or advice?

[Flowergirl159]

Your son teaching himself to read, is the exception. I think most children need to be taught, need to have someone sit down and go through the ins and outs of reading. So yes, you will need to think about how you are going to you teach your younger two.

 

There are so many more reading programs out there other than AAR. A couple of cheap ones, that you could use with both your younger two are: Teach your child to read in 100 Easy Lessons; Phonics Pathways. See if you library has these and try them first before you buy them. There are also a number of free options: if you look at the Don Potter site he has a free reading program that you can download (I am using that one with my DD5); Have a look at reading basics at old fashioned education .com . Lots of free goodies on there too.

 

Basically you will want to teach them how to sound out words, along with a few sight words, then have them read to you each day for 5 minutes for the next several years. I have each of my children read to me from their McGuffey Readers (available free online, though I have since purchased hardcopies of these books) each day.

 

Once they are reading simple stories, probably grade 1 reading level, I start AAS with them. Love this program as it helps them to break up words phonetically.

 

Hope this helps :)

[siloam]

I don't know the sequence of AAR, just AAS.  Have you covered the EE phonogram yet?  If you have you can use the I See Sam readers, which would provide lots of supplement.  Also most of the early easy readers follow a similar sequence.  Bob readers, Now I'm Reading are two I have used.  There are also a ton of Step into reading readers. 

 

What you are talking about in introducing all phonograms early is a difference in philosophy.  AAR follows traditional Orton/Gillingham sequence which starts with short vowels, blends, long vowels...etc.   There are programs that do teach all the phonograms up front which I term Spaulding because she was the first to introduce the idea.  Writing Road to Reading (WRTR) is her program and was written in coordination with either Dr. Orton or Dr. Gillingham (I forget which) to make a program that move more quickly for children who could learn faster where traditional o/g was crated more for dyslexic and struggling students.  Spell to Write and Read (SWR) and Phonics Road to Reading (PRTR) are off shoots of Spaulding's program. 

 

My concern is that if your child is struggling with what she has already covered, giving her more won't necessarily help.  It may make it more difficult because there is more to memorize/learn causing more confusion and confusing what they have already learned.  If, on the other hand, they were reading what they were given fluently and asking for more, that would be indication to me that they need a program that moves more quickly like WRTR.  The other thing you don't want them doing is memorizing the text and not really reading it, so if you can get hold of some other books, or add in some nonsense words to keep them using their blending skills that would be good.  I would also encourage you to continue to review phonograms daily so they are more automatic.  I know it is not fun but sometimes it is just necessary.  My son is dyslexic and has memory issues and has to cover phonograms every homeschool day for 5 years.  He is almost to the point of having such an automatic response that we can go to weekly, but still isn't quite there.  Both of us are tired of it to say the least.  He being my last student, I had already done it for 5 years with the other kids...this is 10 years for me...it is beyond old....but sometimes what needs to be done isn't what is fun.  KWIM?

 

You might also want to look at dyslexia, as b/d confusion (as well as m/n and q/p) is a very common sign of it.  Many kids can have the symptom early but most grow out of it by 7yo.  Dyslexic students can learn to read well and spell...well that one will always be a struggle (mostly because we focus on content and not presentation), and eventually develop great analytical skills (into their 20's), but they are also often developmentally a little behind and need direct instruction.   Or they may be a young 3rd grader who is developmentally behind and will catch up and do just fine.  Kids that stuggle with reading often do well with math, so that might be the silver lining in this cloud. :)

 

Heather

[Katydid]

Thank you both for your input!

 

Right now, I am leaning towards doing LOE essentials with dd mostly for spelling and phonics reinforcement (instead of AAS) and also continuing with AAR (moving on to level 3) because dd really loves the cut and paste activities and the readers.

 

Then I will start ds2 in LOE Foundations. I think the games and movement based instruction will be a better fit for him than the cut and paste crafty activities of AAR. I will probably do the AAR readers with him, though. I really love those.

 

Now I just have to figure out how to pay for it all. LOL. I guess Essentials is cheaper than buying 7 levels of AAS, though, right?

 

I would love to hear other thoughts!

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

I have not used AAR, but I think at this stage, I would stick with it so she can progress where it's at.  Maybe you can speed it up if she is comfortable with it so she can learn the phonograms she hasn't learned, but I don't know the pace of the program.

 

We use SSRW.  It is not cheap, but it is very effective and really helps them retain the phonograms.  The raceway to the 36 steps of reading is very motivating, and the songs are fun.  The Treasure Chest is also rewarding for them (But I put together my own.)  My oldest took off with it (although he is more of a natural speller.)  We have started it with my second son, and he loves it too.  Only possible drawback is that it includes writing.  I think this is a plus because writing and feeling the shape of the letters is, to me, important.  But some children may be developmentally ready to read before they are ready to write.  Has not been an issue with my two.  Spelling is also included in the 1st grade program.  

 

Hope you find something that works for you!

[IfIOnly]

I would just start AAS with her and forget a super intensive reading program.  Get her reading quickly with a reading program she can fly through since she's rearing to go and is frustrated with beginning reader books.  

 

ETA. You could always decide to do something more intensive if flying through something was a bust.  ITA with having her read to you 5 min. a day after phonics lessons. I think it's invaluable to do that with you dc if they're a struggling reader.  Get some phonogram cards and a children's dictionary and guide her in figuring out words phonetically and for looking words up she doesn't understand/vocab..

[IfIOnly]

I don't know the sequence of AAR, just AAS.  Have you covered the EE phonogram yet?  If you have you can use the I See Sam readers, which would provide lots of supplement.  Also most of the early easy readers follow a similar sequence.  Bob readers, Now I'm Reading are two I have used.  There are also a ton of Step into reading readers. 

 

What you are talking about in introducing all phonograms early is a difference in philosophy.  AAR follows traditional Orton/Gillingham sequence which starts with short vowels, blends, long vowels...etc.   There are programs that do teach all the phonograms up front which I term Spaulding because she was the first to introduce the idea.  Writing Road to Reading (WRTR) is her program and was written in coordination with either Dr. Orton or Dr. Gillingham (I forget which) to make a program that move more quickly for children who could learn faster where traditional o/g was crated more for dyslexic and struggling students.  Spell to Write and Read (SWR) and Phonics Road to Reading (PRTR) are off shoots of Spaulding's program. 

 

My concern is that if your child is struggling with what she has already covered, giving her more won't necessarily help.  It may make it more difficult because there is more to memorize/learn causing more confusion and confusing what they have already learned.  If, on the other hand, they were reading what they were given fluently and asking for more, that would be indication to me that they need a program that moves more quickly like WRTR.  The other thing you don't want them doing is memorizing the text and not really reading it, so if you can get hold of some other books, or add in some nonsense words to keep them using their blending skills that would be good.  I would also encourage you to continue to review phonograms daily so they are more automatic.  I know it is not fun but sometimes it is just necessary.  My son is dyslexic and has memory issues and has to cover phonograms every homeschool day for 5 years.  He is almost to the point of having such an automatic response that we can go to weekly, but still isn't quite there.  Both of us are tired of it to say the least.  He being my last student, I had already done it for 5 years with the other kids...this is 10 years for me...it is beyond old....but sometimes what needs to be done isn't what is fun.  KWIM?

 

You might also want to look at dyslexia, as b/d confusion (as well as m/n and q/p) is a very common sign of it.  Many kids can have the symptom early but most grow out of it by 7yo.  Dyslexic students can learn to read well and spell...well that one will always be a struggle (mostly because we focus on content and not presentation), and eventually develop great analytical skills (into their 20's), but they are also often developmentally a little behind and need direct instruction.   Or they may be a young 3rd grader who is developmentally behind and will catch up and do just fine.  Kids that stuggle with reading often do well with math, so that might be the silver lining in this cloud. :)

 

Heather

 

:iagree:   For some children, memorizing the phonograms is really important.  We do this painlessly and almost effortlessly through games.  When my dc have memorized all the phonograms and finished the ETC series then their done with phonics lessons.  This my second oldest showing his grandma his big accomplishment:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0fkhSNFrPk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJfm_3mkLBc