ReadingMama1214 Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I was fairly set on doing ETC books 4-8 for DD to work on syllables. However I am second guessing myself after I looked at Writing Road to Reading. It's so cheap! Dd can read and is about 90 lessons from finishing Ordinary Parents Guide. I plan to finish it but wanted to start spelling soon and hit some parts of handwriting (mainly size and spacing ). How would you do spalding with a reading student? Is it too much? I was originally planning to do AAS and review syllables with ETC4-8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I was fairly set on doing ETC books 4-8 for DD to work on syllables. However I am second guessing myself after I looked at Writing Road to Reading. It's so cheap! Dd can read and is about 90 lessons from finishing Ordinary Parents Guide. I plan to finish it but wanted to start spelling soon and hit some parts of handwriting (mainly size and spacing ). How would you do spalding with a reading student? Is it too much? I was originally planning to do AAS and review syllables with ETC4-8 If you decide to do Spalding, then you should drop OPGTR. It will be way too much, and it won't be necessary. Spalding works just fine with children who already know how to read. And you're right: Spalding is quite inexpensive: the manual and a set of flash cards is all you need for all children of all ages. Children 8yo and older will also need a spelling notebook each year. Some people do the McCall-Harby reading books, but that is optional. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I start my kids on a similar spell-to-read after aar2. They are pretty fluent by then. At that point, the spell-to-read is spelling, phonics, and handwriting. Then we just practice reading from real books at a different time. Continuing opgtr would be overkill for most kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReadingMama1214 Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 I start my kids on a similar spell-to-read after aar2. They are pretty fluent by then. At that point, the spell-to-read is spelling, phonics, and handwriting. Then we just practice reading from real books at a different time. Continuing opgtr would be overkill for most kids. I plan to continue OPGTR until it is finished. I was thinking of adding in spelling and extra work on syllables. OPG is really working well for DD at the moment and I don't want to drop it and start over with Spalding. Would I start Spalding at the beginning? That feels like going backwards a little bit. Did you start the spell to read at the beginning level? I'm just not sure how I would switch. I want her to still progress forward reading wise and don't feel like she's there quite yet to fully drop the program and have her move to another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 We start at the beginning and speed through the basic phonograms. If you're using it for handwriting instruction, you need to start at the beginning. You'll just go quickly for awhile. If you're feeling uneasy about switching, try alternating days with opgtr. Once you get in the swing of things it will probably be clear to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReadingMama1214 Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 We start at the beginning and speed through the basic phonograms. If you're using it for handwriting instruction, you need to start at the beginning. You'll just go quickly for awhile. If you're feeling uneasy about switching, try alternating days with opgtr. Once you get in the swing of things it will probably be clear to you. How long is spalding supposed to take? Would it be possible to do it after OPGTR? I just don't know if I want to quit OPGTR since it's working and Dd is close to finishing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 The spin-off I use teaches all the phonograms and rules in the first year. It also starts sentence dictation. Then from year 2 onward you are working through the spelling list with the word analysis until the end of the lists. Each child will move at his own pace, but you should be done with spelling at that point. WRTR doesn't break it down into a daily lesson like my spin-off does. Iirc though, I think there is a recommendation for how to begin each year. You would move at your own pace though, not a classroom pace. I would think a child who finished opgtr could go through the learning of phonograms and rules in less than 6 months and move more quickly through the early spelling lists. Don't worry that you won't have time. It sounds like alternating days until you're done with opgtr would allow you to sleep better at night. I'm sure either approach will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 How long is spalding supposed to take? Would it be possible to do it after OPGTR? I just don't know if I want to quit OPGTR since it's working and Dd is close to finishing Spalding takes as long as it takes. :-) It is completely flexible. If your child can learn four phonograms a day, and then do 30 spelling words a week, you should get through at least Section O. Spalding doesn't need daily lesson plans, because you do the same thing each day, and you just pick up where you left off. In the beginning, you're going to teach four new phonograms a day, plus do written and oral review of all the phonograms learned. When the child knows the first 54 phonograms, you'll begin teaching the words in the spelling list, plus continue teaching new phonograms and reviewing previously taught phonograms. Rinse and repeat. :-) You can do Spalding when you finish OPGTR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Oh, and you would start at the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReadingMama1214 Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Oh, and you would start at the beginning. So what would you do for a child who knows the phonograms? OPG has it's sections based mainly on phonograms and similar patterns. I've been also going over the phonograms separately with her. We haven't written them, but she can write fairly well. She knows roughly 60 of the phonograms? I have flashcards that I made based off of the Spalding phonogram list. I have a copy of Spalding from the library and plan to buy my own. So you would do Spalding as the spelling and handwriting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 So what would you do for a child who knows the phonograms? OPG has it's sections based mainly on phonograms and similar patterns. I've been also going over the phonograms separately with her. We haven't written them, but she can write fairly well. She knows roughly 60 of the phonograms? I have flashcards that I made based off of the Spalding phonogram list. I have a copy of Spalding from the library and plan to buy my own. So you would do Spalding as the spelling and handwriting? You teach the phonograms that begin with circles, then you teach the phonograms that begin with lines. IOW, you start at the beginning, the same way you would with any child. It is the writing that makes a difference. And then you will drill the phonograms orally (by "flashing" them) and by dictating them, every day. I don't separate spelling from learning to read from handwriting. It's all one. You teach it the same way whether a child is already reading or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReadingMama1214 Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 You teach the phonograms that begin with circles, then you teach the phonograms that begin with lines. IOW, you start at the beginning, the same way you would with any child. It is the writing that makes a difference. And then you will drill the phonograms orally (by "flashing" them) and by dictating them, every day. I don't separate spelling from learning to read from handwriting. It's all one. You teach it the same way whether a child is already reading or not. So it would work to start Spalding while still finishing up. OPG? Just start teaching the phonograms and how to write them while continuing our other lessons? I do want to focus more on handwriting since she can write, but as a lefty she has some funny formation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 So it would work to start Spalding while still finishing up. OPG? Just start teaching the phonograms and how to write them while continuing our other lessons? I do want to focus more on handwriting since she can write, but as a lefty she has some funny formation. I would wait until you finish OPGTR. There is a script in the manual for teaching the 25 single-letter phonograms, with specific instructions on how to form each letter. I would follow that explicitly. For the record, you will need to study the manual before you can begin teaching. All your questions (well, most of them, anyway) are in the manual. I am most familiar with the fourth edition, and it is my favorite, but the fifth and sixth editions will work, as long as you ignore comments about the teacher guides. You don't need those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReadingMama1214 Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 I would wait until you finish OPGTR. There is a script in the manual for teaching the 25 single-letter phonograms, with specific instructions on how to form each letter. I would follow that explicitly. For the record, you will need to study the manual before you can begin teaching. All your questions (well, most of them, anyway) are in the manual. I am most familiar with the fourth edition, and it is my favorite, but the fifth and sixth editions will work, as long as you ignore comments about the teacher guides. You don't need those. Thanks! I have a 6th edition from the library and will start reading it. I plan to buy my own copy used and will start it after we finish OPG in a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Thanks! I have a 6th edition from the library and will start reading it. I plan to buy my own copy used and will start it after we finish OPG in a few months. You will love the simplicity of the fourth edition. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReadingMama1214 Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 You will love the simplicity of the fourth edition. :-) That's good to know! I will make sure to look for that version when I buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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