Can AAS be tweaked to be used as a phonics program for a beginning reader?

[three4me]

I'm going to be starting Level 2 of AAS for my DD who will be in second grade next year. I've also got the Level 1 materials. DS will be in kindy and is starting to show interest in learning to read, spell and write. Is it possible to begin with the Level 1 materials and use them to teach him phonics? Has anyone done this? I think he'd really like the hands-on aspect of the program, and is constantly asking me how to spell things and trying to sound them out on his own. He's beginning to sound cvc words as well. 

 

I'd love some input. With DD I used 100 Easy Lessons and he's just never been very interested in that like she was. And I'd really rather not buy another program/book if AAS can be tweaked to work for him. Obviously if this is a terrible idea then I'll come up with another plan! Thanks :)

[mathmarm]

No first hand experience with this matter so take this with a grain of salt. I was reading Susan Wise Bauers blog and she mentioned that little kids fidgeting/ being bored or unattentive isn't a sign of "Not ready to read" but as a sign for "being a little kid." I got the impression that kids could be started when they are ready, but you have to just work with them at their level.

 

If AAS will work for him, then I say use it--at least on a trial basis. But there are some (several?) programs out there that teach reading via spelling so I think its perfectly possible that you can teach spelling first and a child will learn to read as they learn to spell. It will be nice if this works, because then you will be twice as far along the path of literacy since you'll have a good speller that can read instead of having to go back and teach a reader how to spell.

 

1) I have been rummaging through the archives and it seems that some people did use AAS (All About Spelling, right?) to teach reading prior to All About Reading coming out, so yeah, it would seem possible. I say to go back and fish through the archives for information on this and also pay attention to people who used AAS with younger kids. Just take it slow and steady, but I think it would be perfectly safe to start.

 

2) If AAS doesn't pan out, you could try using 100EZ in a tweaked/different manner. For example if you think that your son will like the hands on part of AAS but he might not be ready for it then what about using letter magnets/tiles to do the lessons from 100EZ? You don't even have to bring out the book--just spend some time copying the first several lessons out on a piece of notebook paper and keep that as a guide while you build the words and sentences from those lessons.

 

3) No matter what you do, or don't do, keep reading with and to your kid from a variety of books.

 

These are just some ideas of mine, not based on tons of experience or anything.

I just got a copy of 100EZ to read through, I'm debating using it with my own very young son and I saw someone mention that it was helpful to read through if its your first time teaching reading even if you don't use the book so that is what I'm doing.

 

ETA: I added 3) to the post

[Tranquility7]

I taught my DS to read using AAS. I began with WRTR and then SWR (both phonics programs based on teaching spelling as PP mentioned). I found those too difficult to implement and then heard about AAS, bought it, and found it to be perfect for DS. I looped through it twice with thim - the first time concentrating on reading (and continuing to move forward in the program if he could read all the words and sentences in the chapter). When he was at Level 4 or 5 for reading, I then kept continuing with that level and the later levels for reading, but I simultaneously started him at level 1 again this time emphasizing the spelling concepts. It worked great for us.

 

By the time DD was ready to learn to read, AAR had been published, and since I had loved AAS I bought AAR figuring it would be even better. Honestly, for us it was way too basic and slow moving for her. I pressed on because I thought I should, but I finally set it aside when we started AAR 2. She had already learned a lot of phonics from her leappad, starfall, and especially from listening to audiobooks while following along in her own book, and she was already past AAR 2 before we even really got into it. I've now started her in AAS for spelling since her reading is already extremely advanced and fluent. I wish I had just tried AAS for reading with her from the start - AAR was really overkill for us, and it was an expensive mistake for me to make.

 

I will say that both of my DS and DD appear to be natural readers and spellers. I am hanging on to AAR for my youngest DD (now only 13 mos) just because who knows, maybe she will need it in a way that my DS and older DD did not. But I'm planning to try out AAS on her first anyway, LOL!

[SevenDaisies]

Absolutely. I used it to teach my oldest. When we started they were just releasing the first reader (now V1 Book 3). We moved through the manual slowly for spelling and more quickly for reading, so we were working out of two different places in the book. For reading, I discussed the rule and had her read the words, then phrases and finally the reader as it was scheduled.

 

If your child likes the hands on he may really like AAR. It has a lot more hands on games and activities. I have used it with my second child who was very reluctant to read unlike my first.

[Five More Minutes]

I used AAS to teach my youngest to read when the phonics program I'd used with our eldest didn't click. I did get the accompanying readers, which really helped.

[8filltheheart]

I will be the counter opinion. I couldn't use it to teach reading. It progresses very slowly. Most kids can pick up reading much faster than the presentation of phonograms in AAS. My avg readers were reading words at a much higher level than their spelling abilities and higher than AAS presents in level 5 or 6.

[three4me]

Thanks! I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

[SevenDaisies]

I will be the counter opinion. I couldn't use it to teach reading. It progresses very slowly. Most kids can pick up reading much faster than the presentation of phonograms in AAS. My avg readers were reading words at a much higher level than their spelling abilities and higher than AAS presents in level 5 or 6.

 

For spelling we did the lessons as planned. For reading we moved much more quickly. We were always working in two different places in the book (or books). My daughter was a fairly natural reader so after going through AAS 2, she was able to read without further phonics instruction. I agree that to learn to read at the pace of spelling would be slow. You would have to buy the books much more quickly than if you were only using them to spell.

 

AAR is certainly a meatier reading program and for my struggling reader, it works much better. AAS with the readers worked well for my oldest because reading came quite easily to her.

[8filltheheart]

My kids tend to be horrible spellers. They could have been spelling out of book one but reading words with the phonograms out of book 6. I would rather use an approach that makes introducing the phonograms simpler.

[SamanthaCarter]

I started my K-er on level 1 as soon as we were done with The Reading Lesson. Seems to be working well for us!

[MerryAtHope]

You can always try it and see how it goes, since you already have AAS. Here's a post from the All About Learning Press forum that addresses this topic.

[FO4UR]

My kids tend to be horrible spellers. They could have been spelling out of book one but reading words with the phonograms out of book 6. I would rather use an approach that makes introducing the phonograms simpler.

 

I agree.

 

 

Use the tiles if you already have them, but I would use something different for teaching reading.

[ElizabethB]

You could use Blend Phonics from a white board, reading and spelling the words. I integrated reading and spelling with my children, I found that every word they spelled was worth as much memorization as reading 8 or 10 words. My son liked spelling better than reading, I spelled more and read less with him. My daughter liked reading better than spelling, I had her read all the words on each list but just spell a few of each type.

 

Blend Phonics is free online from Don Potter.