Do you continue a Reading Curriculum after your children are reading well?

[michaeljenn]

I am on the fence as whether or not to use a reading curriculum for my 2nd and 4th grader!!!  I know many are opposed to it, so if you do use one, can your tell me why?  I feel like a reading curriculum would be good to help the child really pay attention to what they are reading, and they would learn things like setting, plot, ect....  I know you can do this with Novels as welll.... But I honestly cannot pre read each and every book my child reads.  I also don't want to analyze a novel to death, but just want them to truly enjoy it!!  I would love your opinions.  If you do use a reading curriculum, which one do you use.

[mom2bee]

Listening in! :bigear:

[Desert Strawberry]

We haven't. Sagg finished all of ETC, and Aries is doing Progressive Phonics Advenced, but I don't think that's what you are talking about. 

I haven't found a formal reading/lit program necessary at this point (3rd and 6th). We will probably look into formal lit in the coming years.

[HelenNotOfTroy]

We don't. We discuss and narrate some of his reading (I read that part) and the rest is just him reading. As my son gets older, we will discuss different literature terms and we will probably use some kind of literature curriculum for guidance in that  by the middle school years.

[Mergath]

Nope.  We tried a couple different ones briefly and it drove us both insane.  We do other LA stuff, but not an actual reading program.

[SilverMoon]

No. It sucks the joy out of reading. We read high quality children's literature and discuss it.

[SilverMoon]

You might consider reading Deconstructing Penguins yourself for some fun examples of doing lit study without curriculum.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

No.  CAP has one for 3rd and up before logic that looks interesting and focuses on reading comprehension, but I think our days are long enough already without adding another curriculum.  My son reads all day long and tells me all about what he is reading.  We read history together, and he does narrations in his writing curriculum, history and other things throughout the day.  I think a reading program would be overkill and unnatural.  Most of the reading comprehension programs are designed to test in a classroom environment.  Unless your child struggles, I see no reason when reading comprehension is included with most of their other subjects and phonics rules are included in spelling.  If you are concerned about reading comprehension, you could evaluate it on a monthly quarterly basis to see if there are issues.  But IMHO, it's not necessary for the average child.

[Hunter]

It matters if the reading curriculum is teaching something I want to teach. And it matters where it fits into the whole of the entire curriculum.

 

"Reading" can mean a lot of different things, to different people and publishers.

 

McGuffey's teach a lot of phonics and vocabulary. A lesson or two a week can accomplish a lot in a little time, without the instructor having to over-think anything. An instructor can be brain dead from a new infant or stress, and still juggle multiple children. But depending on what is being used for the REST of the curriculum, McGuffey's could just be overlap and of no real use.

[SilverMoon]

No. CAP has one for 3rd and up before logic that looks interesting and focuses on reading comprehension, but I think our days are long enough already without adding another curriculum.

Fwiw, the Reasoning and Reading from EPS that CAP carries is not a reading curriculum. It's more critical thinking/logic. The lessons barely take 5-10 minutes. A couple of my DC are using it as their logic book this year.

[happyhappyjoyjoy]

I began using literature guides from Memoria Press.  My children still get to pick their own chapter books from the library, but I pick the books for lit. guides.  We also use a lot of living history and they read from the Faith and Freedom Readers daily.  In addition to that, they take quizzes on Book Adventure.  They are collectively earning 10,000 points for a huge reward.

[dbaeimers]

I use a reading curriculum in the very beginning of learning to read.  However, with each of my girls I have found a time in reading where the curriculum is still sounding out c-a-t cat, when my girls are reading sentences.  At that point we drop the curriculum and just read books.  I am sure as they get older we will pick it back up again at some point to learn about plot and such but not for awhile.  

[michaeljenn]

Thanks for the responses! My 10yo is a good reader, but she needs to learn to pay attention as she reads.  Sometimes she has trouble telling me what she has read, so I thought using a curriculum would help teach her that.  I just bought Deconstructing Penguins on my Kindle, so I know that will help as well.  I guess I was also worried about literary terms and things like that.  I just want to make sure that my child is an excellent reader:)

[SparklyUnicorn]

I didn't, but we did use WWE which sort of covers that.  It doesn't cover all the elements of writing like plot, etc exactly, but you read a short passage from a book and then guide the kid into narrating it back. But beyond that we didn't use a reading program.

 

 

 

 

[AMJ]

Yes, sort of.

 

We switched to Michael Clay Thompson's Language Arts (MCTLA, or MCT) program this year, and I really like it so far.  The kids like it, too.  An optional part of this program is to add the reading component, which we are doing.  We don't analyze the books to death (and we don't do every exercise given for the books), but we do take time to briefly discuss them chapter by chapter (especially new or different vocabulary), since the readings are (deliberately on my part) sometimes a bit challenging to my kids.  Written book reports, or any formal reports on the books for that matter, are out, since I want the focus on enjoying the story and not on what they have to produce.  I find the reading they did in their brick & mortar school years has been sadly lacking in substance, quality, challenge, and engagement.

 

In addition to reading classic books on a schedule I also have my kids read a book of their choice (we call it BOC, short for "book of choice"), at least one chapter per day.  It must be a chapter book or similar work (not graphic novels, which DD13 would default to if given the option) and they must show it to me first for my approval (to prevent them picking something I know they read 10 times before, or to stave off the possibility they pull something less appropriate to their ages and tastes from my own collection).  The BOC gets briefly discussed when they have finished. mostly in the guise of simply chatting about it.  In this way I'm letting them find their own voice. their own opinion, and giving them practice in summarizing.

 

There is a Poetics component of MCTLA that we haven't started yet, but will likely do so later this month.  I'm really looking forward to it, since Poetry was paltry in my own childhood education.

 

As for WHY:

• Reading is one of 5 required homeschooling topics in the state of Texas
• We are a family of advanced vocabulary, and love of great stories.  I want my kids exposed to the great stuff through books, and not just passively watching whatever movie version is available.  I have found that 2 books into MCTLA the kids are already grinning and eager about the books they are reading.  They love the quote quizzes, and they consider the reading one of the topics with the least "work" and most fun.  This was NOT the case when we started.
• We all LOVE clever word play, and I want the kids to discover how much of that there is out there

If you have not done so I highly recommend reading Michael Clay Thompson's Classics in the Classroom.  I found it quite enlightening and informative.  It's a short book (especially the non-list portion), but will really get you thinking.  This is a book for you, the parent/teacher, not for class time with the kids, but it will give you food for thought and a bunch of recommendations. 

[AMJ]

Yep! Speed Reading and comprehension is our next step.

 

Timed Reading Drills

Comprehension Drills

 

Also, the use of Speed Reading Software.

 

I was a fast reader in my youth (still am) -- I could outpace the speed reading machines my grade school had.  However, DH is mildly dyslexic and DD13 had vision function issues, so I can't and won't require any particular speed of reading here.  I might, however, look into getting something for DD10 for optional fun, since she seems just as quick in reading as me.

 

It's really interesting discovering just what each child's best learning practices, methods, and strategies are, isn't it?

[rocassie]

I don't use a reading curriculum but we just read.  DD7 reads on her own, I read aloud, we listen to books on CD, and DH reads aloud.  Most of the books that DH and I read aloud are classics.  Some we have read ourselves but some our new to us.  At her age, we generally just discuss in an informal way.  When her writing is better, I will move on to more formal analyzing, but for right now I want her to just enjoy reading, and having her tell me about the books helps her pay more attention to what she is reading.

[Farrar]

I think of a literature curriculum as being different from reading. Reading is about phonics, fluency, comprehension, etc. Literature is about all those literary terms and analysis. I don't use a purchased curriculum. We just read and discuss. However, I have my own plan and choose books as read alouds and occasionally as required as well as a set of required short stories. So in that sense, we use a curriculum.

[Tanikit]

I choose books for my DD7 to read during school time and then she can read whatever is available when she wants to. I do make sure the books I choose are at a higher level then she would normally pick for herself and then we do discuss them. I read a large variety of books to both my DDs and might briefly mention literary aspects (she does know about plot, setting and characters and so on from this, but we have never done a lesson on it). I want my DD to enjoy literature primarily right now so I do not want her having to analyse it. I am reading enough to my child and with the books she reads me during school time I do not feel I have to read everything she wants to read - I would not be able to keep up with all that. If she brings me a book she has finished I may ask her what she liked about it or what she remembered even if I have not read the book - maybe she can persuade me to read it :)

 

[Year Round Mom]

This year I'm having DS read a chapter a day from a good book and copy two sentences from the chapter into his reading notebook. He's done this with Black Stallion and is working on Farmer Boy. We're starting out with copy work. I'm hoping to lengthen the copy work, and then eventually move into written narration. I guess you could start a notebook, then introduce literary terms that way. You could assign something like: read this short quality picture book and identify the protagonist and the antagonist. And move up and in! I keep it really low-key because he's aspie and doesn't like work! I don't judge what he chooses (he started out by finding the shortest sentences in the given chapter, but just today's choice of copy work was meaningful and a complete idea! Yay!) With the structure in place (read a bit each day and do an entry in the reading notebook), you could address all sorts of things!

[Kathie in VA]

Once they are done with phonics they read chapter books. Usually they can tell me all about it. We do have to take yearly standardized tests here. These tend to highlight issues with Q&A. When this is the case I pull out Reading Detective CD. It's a fun way to work on reading, answering questions, and showing which sentences in the reading support your answers. I love the ability to buy once and use with all my kids. :)

[The Princess and the Jedi]

I am on the fence as whether or not to use a reading curriculum for my 2nd and 4th grader!!!  I know many are opposed to it, so if you do use one, can your tell me why?  I feel like a reading curriculum would be good to help the child really pay attention to what they are reading, and they would learn things like setting, plot, ect....  I know you can do this with Novels as welll.... But I honestly cannot pre read each and every book my child reads.  I also don't want to analyze a novel to death, but just want them to truly enjoy it!!  I would love your opinions.  If you do use a reading curriculum, which one do you use.

I vote no on a formal reading curriculum, unless a student is really struggling with reading. If you are exposing your kids to a wide variety of literature and well-written nonfiction, they will be better off than most kids their age. I speak from experience as a former high school English teacher. 

 

Second graders are usually at a stage where they will benefit from reading a book, like Charlotte's Web, with an adult as they transition to becoming independent readers. You read a couple of paragraphs, your child reads a paragraph, and so forth for a chapter a day.

 

Your fourth grader's comprehension will increase with more reading. Practice makes perfect. If you read one book a month your child reads, that will give you plenty to discuss without reading everything your child reads.  The rest of the time, reading can be done independently. 

 

Reading comprehension questions are for classroom teachers who need to assess and hold multiple students accountable at once. They can also turn reading an enjoyable book into a chore. If you get a guide, just use the reading comprehension questions as an oral "quiz." Look for guides that have more enrichment activities that extend the learning from the book.

 

Character, setting, plot, theme, and other literary elements can be taught to both of your kids at once with a familiar movie and then ask your kids to identify the literary elements in the books they are reading. (For example, in The Little Mermaid, Ariel is the main character or protagonist, and Ursula is the antagonist or villain. You are reading Alice in Wonderland, who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist?) 

 

If you talk about books using literary language, "Who was your favorite character?" "What was the setting?" your kids will pick up literary terms very quickly. Best wishes.

[Dory]

I thinking of reading curriculum as teaching phonics. Of course that stops after a certain point. Literature curriculum doesn't around here. I get literature study guides for at least 2 novels every years. The other ones we talk about ourselves. The literature guides are more for my peace of mind then anything. They make sure I'm digging deeper every year as they get older every year. Otherwise it would be too easy for us to sit at the same level in our thinking for too long.

 

They read LOTS and have an hour every day set aside for that. We talk about the books lots. The studied novels only make up a very, very small percentage of our reading.

[FriedClams]

Yes.

 

And we do sonlight.

 

And read a ton.

 

We use CLE reading, which is a TON more than "reading". It's terms, setting, inference, comprehension, vocab..... You can see it all on their website in the scope and sequence. It's awesome, cheap, doesn't take long, and is a great way to make sure all the gaps are filled.