First grade reading frustrations

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

So my daughter learned to read using ABEKA phonics.  She did OK (not great) until mid-first grade when it clicked and she took off.  She is now entering third grade reading on a 6th grade level and loves books.  

 

My son is starting first grade, but is ahead (on lesson 55 for ABEKA 1st grade phonics).  He can do the worksheets and drills just fine.  When I give him a book (the ABEKA readers) he goes so slowly I want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon.  His fluency is just horrible.  Do I keep moving forward or pause and just read easier books?  I feel like with my DD I felt this way and then all of a sudden it just clicked.  I don't want to stop with DS and stall him unnecessarily.  

 

What are thoughts from more experienced Mamas?  Thank you!!

[HomeAgain]

Throw Back Thursdays.  They're fantastic.  When mine was learning how to read we'd spend each Thursday with a lesson 20 prior to where he was at the time.  He gained confidence in reading something "so easy" and practiced fluency, and then was ready to pick up again the next day with the new work.  After he was done with reading lessons I still would offer simple books at bedtime to help him along.

[desertflower]

I agree with HomeAgain.  I would just let him read for 5 mins (if 5 mins is too long 3 is fine as long as he isn't complaining) and then let him read something easier for 5 mins.  Just to build confidence.

 

I can so relate to gouging out eyes.  LOL  Sometimes I had to pinch myself to stay awake.  :D 

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

Thank you so much! I think what I may do is allow him to choose an easier book or story to read to his father at night (see what I did there?? I'm preserving my eyes).  ;-)    We'll start tonight!  

 

 

[ReadingMama1214]

I can definitely relate! We are at that stage now. Finally Dd has started to gain some fluency with easier words

 

We occasionally take review breaks. We are using Ordinary Parents Guide and before we start a new section I take about a week to review earlier material. It seems to help Cement in concepts.

 

I like the throwback Thursday idea!

[UCF612]

I filled a basket with easy readers of various levels, printed up a reading log, and filled a jar with rewards written on them (things like trip to the park or you pick movie night or ice cream at Twisty Treat). Every ten books he reads he draws from the jar. He hated reading before. Struggled to the point we got him evaluated. But doing this encouraged him to practice regularly for a reason. I think before he didn't see a reason to do something so hard for him. Some of the books were "The cat sat. The cat on a mat." I didn't care how low the reading level was, if he read it we counted it. His fluency is improving more than ever before. Reading isn't easy for him yet but I'm seeing growth like never before! We have kept moving in his phonics lessons at the same pace as before.

[Hobbes]

I started knitting during reading lessons. It helped with enduring the painful slowness of it all... I could at least see my project progressing!

 

I also made a basket of a mix of readers, some at level and some well below.

[MotherGoose]

In my experience it will click. I'd stop moving ahead with the formal lessons for a bit and let him read and catch up the fluency. Or maybe check out something like Progressive phonics (free and printable online) that has you read most of the story and child fill in the words on which the lesson focuses.

[rachelpants]

The I see Sam hooks helped us with fluency more than anything else we did