Going into 1st, Strong Reader but I still want to use 1st grade materials?

[Ann.without.an.e]

DS is rising 1st and he has quite an advanced reading ability and comprehension.  Rarely do I need to help him with words and he reads books like The Boxcar Children, etc.  I got out his materials for next year and I see that he is beyond what they are doing but I lean toward moving through it anyway (just a faster speed?) so that he has the phonics knowledge to match his reading ability.  What do ya'll think?  I can keep challenging him by adding more advanced reading but keep with his grade in phonics to make sure there isn't any gaps?  Does this seem like a good plan?

 

If it helps to understand what I am using..

I use BJU for 1st grade Phonics because I like their approach.

I am planning to add First Language Lessons to it though and transition of to SWB materials completely for 2nd grade and above.

 

 

Thanks for any thoughts on this!

[SilverMoon]

Sounds like a solid method to me. *shrug*  :001_smile: 

 

I would be more inclined to try something like Phonics Pathways or Ordinary Parent's Guide just to save $$ on something he's going to chew up and spit out, and put the $ toward grade 2 materials.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Sounds like a solid method to me. *shrug*  :001_smile:

 

I would be more inclined to try something like Phonics Pathways or Ordinary Parent's Guide just to save $$ on something he's going to chew up and spit out, and put the $ toward grade 2 materials.

 

 

If I didn't already own it, I would have definitely gone that route :thumbup:   He's my fourth so I have it all :D

[Ellie]

I'd just go straight to FLL and call it good. 

[Musicmom]

Sounds fine (and familiar) to me! :) My ds was like this also--very advanced reader (reading at 4th gr level) going into 1st grade.  I let him go ahead and read at his level, and continued with the phonics anyway so he would have all the background. It seemed to work well. He enjoyed doing the phonics.

 

You're likely to find, too, that your ds's writing abilities (and emotional maturity for language exercises) are not as advanced as his reading (this was the case with my ds), so continuing with 1st grade phonics in BJU and language materials like the First Language Lessons sounds like a very good plan to me.  I had my ds in a 2nd grade spelling/language book (Horizons maybe??) when he was 1st grade age, and I remember having to skip a lot of the writing/language stuff because he just wasn't ready for it. Better for things to be on the easy side than too hard. I found that with my dd too.  She didn't read early, but she was about a year ahead in language/writing abilities (exact opposite of ds), and at 3rd grade I was going to have her do the 4th grade A Beka grammar book (Language A) recommended by WTM.  She cried when she saw it at the book show! She didn't get any of the cute humor and was totally overwhelmed by the format (even though I thought she could probably do the exercises). On her own, she found the A Beka Language 3 book and fell in love--it looked so doable to her and she was so excited about it, I got that one for her instead and never regretted it.

 

Best of luck to you!

 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Sounds fine (and familiar) to me! :) My ds was like this also--very advanced reader (reading at 4th gr level) going into 1st grade.  I let him go ahead and read at his level, and continued with the phonics anyway so he would have all the background. It seemed to work well. He enjoyed doing the phonics.

 

You're likely to find, too, that your ds's writing abilities (and emotional maturity for language exercises) are not as advanced as his reading (this was the case with my ds), so continuing with 1st grade phonics in BJU and language materials like the First Language Lessons sounds like a very good plan to me.  I had my ds in a 2nd grade spelling/language book (Horizons maybe??) when he was 1st grade age, and I remember having to skip a lot of the writing/language stuff because he just wasn't ready for it. Better for things to be on the easy side than too hard. I found that with my dd too.  She didn't read early, but she was about a year ahead in language/writing abilities (exact opposite of ds), and at 3rd grade I was going to have her do the 4th grade A Beka grammar book (Language A) recommended by WTM.  She cried when she saw it at the book show! She didn't get any of the cute humor and was totally overwhelmed by the format (even though I thought she could probably do the exercises). On her own, she found the A Beka Language 3 book and fell in love--it looked so doable to her and she was so excited about it, I got that one for her instead and never regretted it.

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.  It sounds like your ds was a lot like mine. I would guess ds to read at about a 3rd-4th grade level.  It sounds like my plan might be a good one since it worked for you :)

Thanks :thumbup: