BookShark -- best way to adapt readers?

[Cake and Pi]

We just started BookShark level 2.  My DS#3 is younger, but reads very well.  Content-wise, the readers are perfectly appropriate and he enjoys them.  However, we're on day two, and he easily finished the reader that was scheduled for the first 5 days yesterday, and then expected more today.

 

I'm not sure if I should just pull out the next reader and have him go through them in order, but at his own pace and separate from what we're doing in history, or if it would be better to only bring out the next reader on the first day it's scheduled.  In the meantime I could supply random things from the library or...?  Books from another list?  Obligatory other?

 

What did or would you do?  Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I'm paralyzed by indecision!  

[maize]

Either pull out another reader or pick up some similar level books from the library.

 

Coin toss if you can't decide :)

[Syllieann]

There are some differences in what one comes away with after plowing through a book in one sitting vs enjoying it in tiny morsels. The latter will usually stick much better in the long run. The former is great for building reading stamina and just plain enjoying a juicy fiction book. I would try to pace the readers with the history as the curriculum lays it out. Just get loads of readers from the library that correspond to current studies in science or history, other quality children's literature, or anything else that strikes a fancy. Don't forget non-fiction. When I start a book with ods for English, I also pick up an author biography, relevant non fiction for the historical context, tourist-style guide books, non fiction on any plant/animal themes, and other books by the same author. These are available whenever he wants them throughout the book study, but I do try to draw out the reading of the actual English book for the scheduled time so that we can really suck the marrow out of it.

[SebastianCat]

We are long-time Sonlight users (Bookshark's sister company) and my kids are voracious readers. The Reader portion of the program is easy to supplement with library books. Don't over think it, but make sure he has good comprehension. I assume Bookshark's follows the same sequence as Sonlight, but the Readers don't tie into history until you get to the 3rd grade/Core D/ Intro to American History package. Until then, I'd just supplement from the library with content appropriate books. If you need to supplement American history, look up Guest Hollow's American history curriculum.

[TheAttachedMama]

I have a question (if you don't mind Lace)---but do you guys have your kids read the readers aloud to you?   Or do you just let them free read and then ask the questions in the IG (or have them narrate) to check for comprehension?

 

 

[BatmansWife]

My daughter does the same....she reads her reader much faster than what the schedule is.  At first I started having her go on to the next reader on the list...but then I was juggling between two different schedules...the one I was on with the read-aloud, and then one a week or two ahead that she was on with the reader.  I didn't like that.  Now, I'm just having her start the new reader the day it starts on the schedule.  In the meantime (after she's done with one and before it's time to start the next one) she does her own "fun" reading (not the the BkSk books aren't fun....well, some are and some aren't).  Her fun books to read have nothing to even do with the history we are doing.  But you could choose books at the library that tie in. 

 

BTW, this year I bought about 20 some "fun" books for her to read.  She has no idea what the books I've chosen are.  I wrapped them each up so it's a surprise.  This is a HUGE incentive to read and she is LOVING it!  

 

I have a question (if you don't mind Lace)---but do you guys have your kids read the readers aloud to you?   Or do you just let them free read and then ask the questions in the IG (or have them narrate) to check for comprehension?

 

My daughter reads her reader to herself; she doesn't like reading aloud to me.  She really enjoys her independent reading time.  She doesn't stick to the schedule though (she reads faster than the amount of pages that are scheduled)....so I don't ask the questions daily....I usually just ask her, every few days, to tell me what's going on in the book, or use some of the questions as a guide in knowing what to ask.  I read aloud the read-alouds, of course...which she really enjoys.  

[Cake and Pi]

I have a question (if you don't mind Lace)---but do you guys have your kids read the readers aloud to you?   Or do you just let them free read and then ask the questions in the IG (or have them narrate) to check for comprehension?

 

My DS#3 read the first chapter to me and then read the rest of the book to himself because he wanted to.  I went ahead and had him read the remaining chapters aloud to me on the days they were assigned for the rest of the week because I found Syllieann's comment compelling and I figured it'd be good to begin the habit of sticking to the schedule from the beginning.  He didn't mind at all.  I grabbed a bunch of books from the library to supplement too.

 

But in general the plan is that DS#3 reads the readers aloud to me, DS#1 reads every other page of the read-alouds to DS#3 and me together (and then I read the other pages), and we pause during reading occasionally to discuss/predict/review/etc.  I want them to have good reading comprehension, but I also feel that oral fluency is very important.

[LauraBeth475]

My strong reader has sometimes 'popcorn read' the read alouds with me.