Finishing AAR 1, not ready for AAR 2, what now?

[dessertbloom]

So we're finishing lesson 36 in AAR 1 with dd 6.5 and dd (turns 5 in 1 week). (We've covered CVC words and initial and final consonant blends.) Dd 6 has serious reading anxiety. She can do it when she wants to but rarely wants to. Both girls are still sounding out almost everything. Lessons have been like pulling teeth for a while, even with doing everything possible to try to make them fun. They don't like the Activity book games or the Level 1 games supplement book I bought. We have tried writing on the white board, all kinds of kinesthetic stuff, highlighters, stickers, you name it, we've tried it for making it fun. The only thing they like are the word cards. I've tried doing lessons together with the girls, and with each girl separately.  Feeling frustrated, I pulled out my copy of The Reading Lesson, backtracked a bit, and did that for a week. Morale definitely improved.  Looking again at the rest of AAR 1, I don't think they're ready to start compound words, etc. They really need to build confidence, fluency, and probably know more words by sight.  I really, really like AAR, but they have never liked the activity book games and they balk at the readers and the fluency pages. I'm looking at AAR 2 and how much it seems to involve Activity book games/exercises  and obviously the readers. Unless my girls make an unexpected sudden gain in their reading skills (which I know is possible), I think it's going to be a while before they're ready for Level 2.  Has anyone else stalled out at this point? How did you proceed? We're going to be traveling over the summer (4 months, actually) and the simplicity of TRL really appeals to me. I also have a toddler and a baby running around, and looking at AAR and AAS in the long run is a bit daunting.  Moms of 4 or more, have you managed to do AAR or AAR & AAS with all the littles running around?  I also have the OPG, which I know is more thorough than TRL, but TRL appeals more to my dds.  So I see 3 ways forward:

 

1. Finish AAR 1 and move on to AAR 2 at their pace

2. Take a break from AAR, switch over to TRL for a while for extra practice, then back to AAR 2 when they are ready

3. Switch over to TRL and possibly supplement with the OPG when we're done with TRL

 

As much as I've wanted to stick with AAR, if TRL + OPG would get the job done, it sure would be a lot simpler and less expensive. And I'm all about simplicity with 4 kids ages 6 and under. 

I'd love to learn from the experience of the hive, especially from moms with 4 or more kids close together in age. Thanks! 

[ktgrok]

Take a break and have them read Bob books. Lots of short words to build fluency. We've done it a few times, and it really helps. 

 

Also, where did you get the supplemental book for level 1? My daughter loves the activity book, lol!

[dessertbloom]

Thanks, Ktgrok, I think I will do that, take a break and use Book Books and Progressive Phonics readers.  The AAR supplement book is great! I love it. Sure wish my kids did, lol! http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/053962 

 

[dessertbloom]

Hmm, that link didn't work. If you look at Rainbow Resources for AAR Level 1, it's called the Ziggy Supplement.

[Syllieann]

Go back through the aar readers, starting at the first story, and have them practice unto they can read it fluently. Do that with each story. Keep practicing the word cards and phonogram cards. You can use bob books and I see Sam readers for extra fluency practice. Reading is more fun when it's fluent. It sounds like that is the main problem they are having. Once they are fluently reading the practice stories, move on, but proceed more slowly. Take time to master the stories, fluency sheets, and word cards before going to the next lesson.

[rebbyribs]

I would just do a little easy reader book each day - we used Bob books, the readers from Hooked on Phonics, and the Nora Gaydos readers.  If they like using the computer, you might also try some Reading Eggs or Teach Your Monster to Read (free, but has British pronunciation which might be a little different from what your kids are used to).

[MerryAtHope]

Taking a break and reading some other easy books might be the easiest thing for now. If you weren't going to be traveling, I was going to suggest using AAS 1 for awhile. (That might work anyway, some people do use it while traveling, either with the tiles or with a variation that works for them--anyway, just a thought.) AAS would reinforce reading, but come at it from the spelling angle instead, and sometimes is just what kids need if they are feeling a bit intimidated by reading. Usually if kids are at a point where "reading is work," it IS hard for them to enjoy the process, no matter how fun you make it. I do think, whatever you do, that you might back up and spend more time reviewing easier concepts. Some kids need lots and lots of review. You've probably seen these articles, but I'll post them just in case:

 

Tips for Fluency Pages

8 ways to review word cards

 

 

[displace]

You can try other reading supplements: teach your monster to read is a great, free, phonics based computer game (or you can pay for app access). Or maybe a short term reading eggs membership. These can reinforce and review what is already known while having fun. I find AAR takes a while to build up the required time it takes for us. Also try fluency changes. Highlight in fun colors the words while reading. Cut the words into single strips or single words and put them in a hat to read one by one (and throw them like confetti when done). Read with robot, royalty, animal voices. You read them wrong and they correct you. Put on a silly skit where someone has to act out a scene, and in the middle you have to read a word into the scene. One penny for each correct word.

I also agree with AAS. It will be very similar but feel easier. Use a game like monster spelling app to review spelling words. You can work a few days a week over the summer and may be ready for AAR 2 in the fall.

Edited April 2, 2016 by displace

[dessertbloom]

Thanks, everyone. I think we will try all of the above! lol   AAS may be just what dd 6 needs, although I hadn't planned to start spelling with her until she was reading better.  But she does love to write, so maybe going at it from that angle will help her reading more than anything. We live overseas and will be spending 4 months in the States this summer, so it might be good to go ahead and buy AAS and try it there so I know better what to order before we go back. Thanks, Merry, for the recommendation. 

[ExcitedMama]

Are they sounding out CVC words? Memoria Press First Start Reading might help with their confidence building if CVC words aren't too easy. You just need the workbooks and not the teacher's manuals so they would be portable and cheap. It's starts with gently writing words and builds up slowly with reading longer passages and great reading comprehension questions. I think by book 4 they teach silent E and other phonograms from AAR1. Because it moves slowly and is just writing or reading in the book it might be a better fit.

 

I was nervous about AAS but it really is super easy and the lessons can be very short. It's super easy to teach but far more streamlined than AAR. DS actually loves everything about AAR with all the little activities but AAS is just the teaching part and then using the tiles or writing words. Since they like the word cards they might enjoy it. It's been a great reinforcement to the rules for reading too. I was also pleasantly surprised at the the writing. After learning the lesson and how to spell the words they have short dictation sentences. It's very easy to break up too, I usually go over the lesson with DS and the word cards and then the next day he does more words and then the next day the sentences as he works on his stamina for writing. AAS1 is super easy for the beginning and really focuses on letter sounds so it would start off smoothly for sure and help with any confidence issues from AAR not going smoothly.

[Meadowlark]

I second just having them reread those stories in the AAR 1 OVER and OVER.

 

I've done AAR now with 2 kids and one flew through, and one didn't. When I needed to, I just slowed down and had him keep rereading those stories (mostly to dad at night). Just a "hey, dad wants to hear you read so can you read with him"? If they come to a word that they can't get decode, remind them of the lesson or go back and redo the lesson.

 

I don't recommend introducing other readers because they will encounter words they have not learned yet which could lead to frustration.  Sticking with the AAR readers guarantees success.

[kalusignan]

 

Taking a break and reading some other easy books might be the easiest thing for now. If you weren't going to be traveling, I was going to suggest using AAS 1 for awhile. (That might work anyway, some people do use it while traveling, either with the tiles or with a variation that works for them--anyway, just a thought.) AAS would reinforce reading, but come at it from the spelling angle instead, and sometimes is just what kids need if they are feeling a bit intimidated by reading. Usually if kids are at a point where "reading is work," it IS hard for them to enjoy the process, no matter how fun you make it. I do think, whatever you do, that you might back up and spend more time reviewing easier concepts. Some kids need lots and lots of review. You've probably seen these articles, but I'll post them just in case:

 

Tips for Fluency Pages

8 ways to review word cards

 

 

This is exactly what I did with my dd. After finishing AAR 1, we went completely through AAS 1 (and re-reading the readers), and then moved on to AAR 2. The reinforcement of rules really solidified things for her. She transitioned to AAR 2 very smoothly at that point.

[dessertbloom]

 

Taking a break and reading some other easy books might be the easiest thing for now. If you weren't going to be traveling, I was going to suggest using AAS 1 for awhile. (That might work anyway, some people do use it while traveling, either with the tiles or with a variation that works for them--anyway, just a thought.) AAS would reinforce reading, but come at it from the spelling angle instead, and sometimes is just what kids need if they are feeling a bit intimidated by reading. Usually if kids are at a point where "reading is work," it IS hard for them to enjoy the process, no matter how fun you make it. I do think, whatever you do, that you might back up and spend more time reviewing easier concepts. Some kids need lots and lots of review. You've probably seen these articles, but I'll post them just in case:

 

Tips for Fluency Pages

8 ways to review word cards

 

 This makes so much sense. I know if they could read more words by sight, and they didn't have to sound out almost everything, they would like it more.  And I think going at it from the writing perspective would really help dd 6. We've got about 6 weeks now until we'll be back in the States for the summer. I can't order AAS now, but I can when we get there. Until then, we're going to go back over the AAR 1 readers and word cards, and start a "my words" notebook where dd writes the words I give her. We'll also go back over Bob Books set 1 because they don't detest them. We'll focus on learning more simple words by sight. I think if we take a huge step back to where the words are much easier, the girls will have more confidence. Since we'll have that 4 months in the States, we can see how this review and the addition of AAS goes. Then we can order AAR 2 before leaving again. Thanks so much, everyone!