Teach Your Child to read in 100 Easy Lessons?

[Kissy]

Is this supposed to be fun..it was recommended to me for the 2 kids I am teaching for this year and it is kind of boring. Has anyone tried it and it did not work? I have only heard good reviews of it so I am very hesitant to quit doing it.

[LizzyBee]

I wouldn't call it fun, but the lessons are short and my dd likes to cuddle while we do the lessons. And the more my dd learns, the more she doesn't mind the lessons.

 

As for effectiveness, I've tried several things for my very wiggly 7 yo, who I am pretty sure has dyslexia (we're in the process of having some testing done now), and 100 Easy Lessons is the first curriculum that's worked for her at all.

[cathmom]

It didn't work at all for me or my dd and we quit at about lesson 25.

[Parrothead]

It worked for us quite well the second time we tried it. Dd was just too young the first time. I waited six months then tried again. Everything clicked and she hasn't looked back.

[Julie]

I did not have sucess with this at all. Like you I had herd nothing but rave reviews. I found it hard to follow and boring, I was not sure how it was ever going to work. I have been going through phonograms, using Expolde the Code, and having her read Bob Books. We are both happier now.

[Mom-ninja.]

We hated that book. DS could read the lessons but did not transfer that to other books.

[LizzyBee]

We hated that book. DS could read the lessons but did not transfer that to other books.

 

Wow, it really depends on the learning style of the kid, I think. We are cautiously excited about the progress our 7 yo is making, because 100 Easy Lessons is the first curriculum where she has been able to transfer the information to other other books.

[Mom-ninja.]

Wow, it really depends on the learning style of the kid, I think. We are cautiously excited about the progress our 7 yo is making, because 100 Easy Lessons is the first curriculum where she has been able to transfer the information to other other books.

 

 

Yes, I still suggest the book to others to try. I know people who have used it sucessfully.

[8filltheheart]

It works, but I don't recommend it unless $$ is a serious issue. :)

 

I taught my oldest using WRTR and 100 EZ. Now I use Sing, Spell, Read, Write. Looking back......the comparison that comes to mind is torture vs fun.:tongue_smilie:

 

When I bought SSRW, it was the most expensive homeschool purchase I ever made (now I can look back and laugh at that!! It is cheap in comparison to most of my purchases now!)

[KarenNC]

It worked really well for my best friend in teaching her son, was a really horrible fit for my child (as was Phonics Pathways-the programs recommended in the edition of WTM that we had). We ended up doing best with a combination of Explode the Code, Dolch sight word cards, leveled readers from the library and (whispering ;)) Dick and Jane books. She responded best to a mix of sight words and phonics instruction. Her reading and spelling levels are well above her age level now, so not sticking with pure phonics has not been a detriment to her.

 

Basically, trust your gut. If it isn't working for you, drop it and look at other options. No one approach or curriculum fits all children (or all teachers).

[mama25angels]

It worked really well for my best friend in teaching her son, was a really horrible fit for my child (as was Phonics Pathways-the programs recommended in the edition of WTM that we had). We ended up doing best with a combination of Explode the Code, Dolch sight word cards, leveled readers from the library and (whispering ;)) Dick and Jane books. She responded best to a mix of sight words and phonics instruction. Her reading and spelling levels are well above her age level now, so not sticking with pure phonics has not been a detriment to her.

 

Basically, trust your gut. If it isn't working for you, drop it and look at other options. No one approach or curriculum fits all children (or all teachers).

 

 

How long would you give before deciding it's not working? We are using this book and it worked for the first child I used it with, it does not seem to be working this go round. What would you use? I have WRTR already, i'm thinking of giving it a try.

[mo2]

We hated it, but every child is different. It's inexpensive enough to warrant a try, but if it doesn't work, you can always resell it.

[GailV]

Dd begged to learn how to read, so I got 100 Easy Lessons. By lesson 3 she was in tears, wailing that it was boring. So, okay, I put it away immediately. And she refused to have anything to do with learning to read for over a year after that -- I guess she thought that all reading programs were just like 100 Lessons.

 

Overall, not a good experience.

 

Most helpful for her was a book about teaching reading according to Montessori methods.

[KarenNC]

How long would you give before deciding it's not working? We are using this book and it worked for the first child I used it with, it does not seem to be working this go round. What would you use? I have WRTR already, i'm thinking of giving it a try.

 

For us, it was evident very quickly that this was not a program that would fit. In part this may have been because my daughter was quite young (4) so the crying and pitching a fit every time we brought it out was a clue :). In contrast only a couple of weeks later when we tried ETC she was bringing the books to me asking if we could do more and not wanting to stop once we started. I don't expect that everyone's experience is going to be that black and white, particularly with an older child (and now that she's older, I do indeed require her to perservere with things that she is not as fond of if I think they are what is needed).

 

If you have WRTR and think it will fit, then I would go ahead and try it. I have no experience with it. As I said, we used a combination of ETC, leveled readers (Bob books and others), sight word flashcards and Dick and Jane type books.

[sjp]

i glanced through it and it seemed way too complicated to me. so we use opgttr and the results have been fantastic. my 3 year old enjoys it and it is simple and straightforward.

[chaik76]

I found it really easy to use but ds did. not. like. it. It just doesn't suit his learning style at all so we switched.

[Vanna]

...it's not a one-size fits all kind of curriculum (are there really any out there that are?).

 

My sons *excelled* in it and are voracious readers till this day (ages 6 and 10, completed 100EZ when they each were age 4).

 

My daughter is a different story. I suspect I started her on it before she was ready. She found it to be a "tear jerker". :tongue_smilie:

 

I outlined on my blog (my blah-gg) what worked for us. Definitely, putting it aside for months on end and starting again when we felt time had brought some maturity helped at times.

 

What a great time we live in... so many options... so little money:D.

 

HTH!

[74Heaven]

All I can say is that 100 EL is cheap, easy-to-use, quick and it works. Fun, I don't know about that :(). I agree with the other poster who said it well that the snuggle time was the fun part. And also the excitement of learning to read at lesson 13 or so! Sometimes I wonder if the early success of sitting on grandma's lap at age 4.75yo and amazing Grandma has led to my five very confident learners.

 

100 EL was a huge success for us - all five of mine learned to read with it. We would start between 4.5yo and 4.75 yo and they would be reading well by age 5. We go from 100 EL to the Pathways and Rod & Staff readers. All are voracious readers who love books.

 

I know it won't work for everyone but I have a pet peeve about taking something as simple as learning-to-read (for most kids) and making it expensive, flashy or complicated. Certainly 100 EL is not for every kid

 

OTOH, we are all blessed because there are so many options.

 

Rambling when I should be schooling!

Lisa

[Sarah CB]

Is this supposed to be fun..it was recommended to me for the 2 kids I am teaching for this year and it is kind of boring. Has anyone tried it and it did not work? I have only heard good reviews of it so I am very hesitant to quit doing it.

 

As with any curriculum, it is what you make it. I started it with my eldest when she was 3.5. We had a *blast* with it. Maybe my kids are easily amused, but we turned the "say it slow...say it fast" thing into a silly game where we'd say it *really* slow and then say it *really* fast. The rhyming parts were fun as well. I approached it with enthusiasm and dd was eager to read and eager to take part in my enthusiasm so we had a great time with it. And it worked... Once she finished 100 EL we worked through the last set of BOB books using many of the techniques from 100 EL and after that she began reading children's literature and hasn't looked back. She read The Secret Garden, Black Beauty, and The Chronicles of Narnia in kindergarten. I personally don't see why anyone would pay more to learn to read - a little lighthearted fun can make the 15 minutes per day very enjoyable.

 

Second child had a harder time, but he takes longer with many things. I felt like I banged my head against the wall for 18 months, but we finished 100 EL (and *he* enjoyed it, I was biting my tongue and asking for breaks because I'd say "a", he'd say "a" and then we'd flip the page, see "a" and he'd look at it like he had never seen it before!). Anyway, we finished 100 EL and worked through some easy readers and now he's sitting on the bed with me as I type reading The Magician's Nephew...maybe not in kindergarten, but he's in third grade and that's still pretty good.

 

Third child *loved* the fun we had with 100 EL. He also loved trying to overtake his brother who was finishing the book still. He's now in grade 1 and is reading Magic Treehouse books.

 

Attitude and enthusiasm can make such a big difference. I look at what 100 EL accomplishes in terms of reading skills - in just 100 lessons that are really quite short - and I see the worth in that. I don't want to spend a reallllllly long time doing a whole song and dance and a lot of busy-work when learning to read is actually a fairly straightforward process. I can thank my first child for that - she wanted to read and she wanted to learn as efficiently and effectively as possible. To her, the reward was actually reading. When she got to lesson 13 and read her very first sentence...well, that was just incredibly motivating for her.

 

I'm looking forward to using 100 EL with my fourth child.

[bowenks]

I tried this and it was boring for us and I just couldn't get it.

 

We have used a different phonics program calle mcguffy phonics and reading and my son really took off.

[KarenNC]

As with any curriculum, it is what you make it.

 

This is true, but it is also a cost/benefit issue. There comes a point where the cost in terms of the problems, effort and sheer aggravation required to try to make a curriculum work for someone for whom it is a bad fit outweigh any benefits one may gain from it. It's at that point I suggest switching curricula if one can afford it.

 

We switched to what I described and my daughter was reading well in a few months and I still had my sanity and my hair ;).

[warriormom]

I highly recommend this book. I set up a few reward charts 1-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80 and 80-100. I set up mini-rewards for every chart/20 lessons completed (pizza/movie night, trip to favorite jumpee place, cheap toy etc.)

Mini-rewards helped my son stay motivated with the material. This change made a "night and day" difference with my child. He now asks to do his lessons. I also made sure that I used LOTS of verbal praise, high fives, call family members to tell them how many he completed etc. He also LOVES to show his g-parents what he is learning!

[Mama2two]

We hated it, but every child is different. It's inexpensive enough to warrant a try, but if it doesn't work, you can always resell it.

 

Same with us, didn't work at all!

[texasmama]

I am using it with my just turned five year old. She loves it. I don't love it so much, but as long as it is working for her I will deal.:001_smile: We also use Bob books.

[ChandlerMom]

As with any curriculum, it is what you make it. I started it with my eldest when she was 3.5. We had a *blast* with it. Maybe my kids are easily amused, but we turned the "say it slow...say it fast" thing into a silly game where we'd say it *really* slow and then say it *really* fast. The rhyming parts were fun as well. I approached it with enthusiasm and dd was eager to read and eager to take part in my enthusiasm so we had a great time with it. And it worked... Once she finished 100 EL we worked through the last set of BOB books using many of the techniques from 100 EL and after that she began reading children's literature and hasn't looked back. She read The Secret Garden, Black Beauty, and The Chronicles of Narnia in kindergarten. I personally don't see why anyone would pay more to learn to read - a little lighthearted fun can make the 15 minutes per day very enjoyable.

 

Second child had a harder time, but he takes longer with many things. I felt like I banged my head against the wall for 18 months, but we finished 100 EL (and *he* enjoyed it, I was biting my tongue and asking for breaks because I'd say "a", he'd say "a" and then we'd flip the page, see "a" and he'd look at it like he had never seen it before!). Anyway, we finished 100 EL and worked through some easy readers and now he's sitting on the bed with me as I type reading The Magician's Nephew...maybe not in kindergarten, but he's in third grade and that's still pretty good.

 

Third child *loved* the fun we had with 100 EL. He also loved trying to overtake his brother who was finishing the book still. He's now in grade 1 and is reading Magic Treehouse books.

 

Attitude and enthusiasm can make such a big difference. I look at what 100 EL accomplishes in terms of reading skills - in just 100 lessons that are really quite short - and I see the worth in that. I don't want to spend a reallllllly long time doing a whole song and dance and a lot of busy-work when learning to read is actually a fairly straightforward process. I can thank my first child for that - she wanted to read and she wanted to learn as efficiently and effectively as possible. To her, the reward was actually reading. When she got to lesson 13 and read her very first sentence...well, that was just incredibly motivating for her.

 

I'm looking forward to using 100 EL with my fourth child.

 

:iagree: and I agree with the PP about importance of snuggle time. The book itself is a bit dry, but then that's why I'm there! :D

 

With DD#1, when we first started it was a bit of a struggle (she was 4.5yo) so I tabled it and tried again just before her 5th birthday. The first time we were doing 1-2 lessons a day and I think she hit a point around lesson 20 and resisted. The second time I was more relaxed, we did half a lesson a day and somewhere between lesson 25 and 50 it clicked. There is a point about 3/4 of the way in that they transition style and so we backed up and redid about a dozen lessons (dd is a perfectionist, so doesn't like to struggle). We finish at the start of K (about 5mo total), and 2 years later and she's testing in reading at the 6th grade level.

 

I'm in the middle (lesson 56) of teaching DD#2, opposite in personality, but doing great with 100EZ. The more relaxed and fun I have with it, the better she does. I like that at the end they really are pretty proficient (I'd say 2nd grade level). It's definitely special one-on-one snuggle time she loves, and the last thing she needs to do to get on the Wii. Lots of motivation to NOT be bored! <g>

 

Anyway, I think the first 30 lessons or so are too much per lesson to do (even when they can do it, they need time to soak it in). It's also nice she can read 50+ word stores already and by the end of the book, they are reading more per page (2 page stories are over 200 words) than is in an entire early reader book. I think it does a better job of training their eyes to read lines of text instead of just single lines.

 

Of course, YMMV. Snuggle, bribery, and fun will make any curriculum succeed. :p