First Grade Language Arts confusion

[tdbates78]

Hi everyone! I'm still new to homeschooling, having pulled my 7 year old twin daughters out of public school first grade right before winter break. I wanted to get everyone's opinions or suggestions on language arts. I'm a bit confused! Right now we do grammar (First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind), and an Interactive Notebook that goes along with those lessons. We also do Explode the Code (getting ready to start book 4) and Reading Eggs for phonics, Sequential Spelling, Draw-Write-Now for handwriting and a Kumon writing workbook. And we do a Daily Comprehension workbook where they read a short passage and circle/write answers pertaining to the story, as well as A Beka Aesop's Fables for comprehension. So we do grammar, spelling, writing, handwriting, phonics and reading comprehension (in addition to actually reading books, of course).

 

It seems like several of these cross over each other. For example, the girls practice quite a bit of spelling while doing Explode the Code and the writing workbook. Handwriting is being worked on throughout the day, not just Draw Write Now. It's starting to feel a little like some of this is just busy work, as so far they aren't really struggling with any of it. Granted I'm starting in the middle of a school year so some of our current lessons may be overlapping what they have already learned. I guess I'm trying to figure out if each of these alone are necessary? Is there one well-rounded Language Arts curriculum? Or does everyone do each component separately like we are?

 

Sorry if this is a silly question! :)

 

Tracy

Edited January 30, 2017 by tdbates78

[Ms.Ivy]

I think many people do either phonics or spelling, but not both. I have never felt the need for reading comprehension programs, either. You probably could drop the reading comprehension worksheets, too, and do something like oral narrations for more of a challenge without more pencil work. (That can be incorporated into history or science, too).

[HomeAgain]

There are a couple of well rounded curricula out there.  One thing is that most people don't do spelling and phonics concurrently.  It's usually phonics first, spelling when the child is reading well.

 

We do handwriting, grammar, reading, and spelling.  Next year we're switching to English Lessons Through Literature which has most of those components built in (reading is separate).

[knitgrl]

A lot of people on this forum will say don't bother with spelling until a phonics program is completed, as it can be a bit redundant. A lot of people would skip a formal reading comprehension curriculum and just talk about the books they read with their kids. And a lot of people would not even bother with grammar at all until 4th or 5th grade. You could drop half of what you are doing (it kind of looks like you are doubled up on phonics, writing, and reading comprehension) and you will still be fine. And the girls can have time to read, or do some kind of crafty thing (my 7yo dd has been doing some simple book-making), or to play.

[tdbates78]

Wow! Thank you all so much! It does feel like we don't have time for many fun things because I have this long list of work to get done each day and by the time those things are finished the girls, and I, are over it and ready for the end of the day.

 

I assumed we should work on comprehension because it's one area where both of their previous teachers' said they struggled in. I always thought that was silly. They were in kindergarten and sometimes it's difficult enough to figure out how to read the words. To expect full comprehension is a little much imo.

 

So should I put off FLLOTWTM? We were a few weeks into our first grade Kumon writing workbook when we got stuck on a section that involved nouns and punctuation, so I added FLLOTWTM because I assumed we needed to work on those things. Is this something we should continue working on? They are responding pretty well to it, but we just completed lesson 7 today so we are very early in the book.

 

Tracy

[wendyroo]

I agree with previous posters.  I don't start spelling with my kids until they are done with basic phonics.

 

Last year my first grader spent the first semester finishing up Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and the first 5 Explode the Code books.  Then he started WISE OWL Polysyllables and All About Spelling.  He also did Writing with Ease, and read and discussed chapter books at his level.  He did copywork as part of AAS and WWE, and we discussed basic grammar as it came up in WWE.

 

Wendy

 

 

[wendyroo]

So should I put off FLLOTWTM? We were a few weeks into our first grade Kumon writing workbook when we got stuck on a section that involved nouns and punctuation, so I added FLLOTWTM because I assumed we needed to work on those things. Is this something we should continue working on? They are responding pretty well to it, but we just completed lesson 7 today so we are very early in the book.

 

Tracy

 

If you want to introduce parts of speech, I would recommend The Sentence Family.  It just covers the basics in an entertaining, engaging way.

 

As for punctuation, I would not expect a first grader to know anything more than: Sentences start with capitals and end with either a period, question mark or exclamation point.  And since the world is full of sentence, you don't really need a curriculum to cover that.

 

Wendy

[knitgrl]

So should I put off FLLOTWTM? We were a few weeks into our first grade Kumon writing workbook when we got stuck on a section that involved nouns and punctuation, so I added FLLOTWTM because I assumed we needed to work on those things. Is this something we should continue working on? They are responding pretty well to it, but we just completed lesson 7 today so we are very early in the book.

 

Tracy

 

I don't know what Kumon expects for writing. The WTM suggests for this age to just focus on copywork and narration, possibly some really simple dictation. I am still shedding the schooling mindset after doing this for three years. At the start of this year, I tried doing more creative writing with my dd because I had a hard time believing that writing would just happen through the osmosis of copywork. By December, I gave up because it was growing cumbersome and I didn't know how to steer it well. I think I have decided just to do WWE and have faith that it will work. For right now, you could use WWE for writing and grammar and call it good.

[Ellie]

Wow! Thank you all so much! It does feel like we don't have time for many fun things because I have this long list of work to get done each day and by the time those things are finished the girls, and I, are over it and ready for the end of the day.

 

I assumed we should work on comprehension because it's one area where both of their previous teachers' said they struggled in. I always thought that was silly. They were in kindergarten and sometimes it's difficult enough to figure out how to read the words. To expect full comprehension is a little much imo.

 

So should I put off FLLOTWTM? We were a few weeks into our first grade Kumon writing workbook when we got stuck on a section that involved nouns and punctuation, so I added FLLOTWTM because I assumed we needed to work on those things. Is this something we should continue working on? They are responding pretty well to it, but we just completed lesson 7 today so we are very early in the book.

 

Tracy

 

It's possible that your children "struggled with comprehension" because their phonics instruction was poor. You might spend time focusing on Explode the Code, and reading just for enjoyment, until they are reading well. Children *should* be able to comprehend what they read. Most often, especially in public schools, that's an issue because the children are not given the skills needed to decode words, so there may lots of guessing, which results in wondering what they heck they are reading. 

[tdbates78]

Okay so I will drop spelling and the reading comprehension (except Aesop's Fables, as they do enjoy the stories) and probably the writing. We will focus on Explode the Code, handwriting and the FLLOTWTM, since they do seem to be responding to it well thus far and we like the stories in it. Dropping the spelling, writing and comprehension will give us time for more reading for enjoyment.

 

I will probably look more into spelling next year, after we finish up all of the Explode the Code books.

[tdbates78]

It's possible that your children "struggled with comprehension" because their phonics instruction was poor. You might spend time focusing on Explode the Code, and reading just for enjoyment, until they are reading well. Children *should* be able to comprehend what they read. Most often, especially in public schools, that's an issue because the children are not given the skills needed to decode words, so there may lots of guessing, which results in wondering what they heck they are reading. 

 

You are probably right. We've had really good luck with Explode the Code and Reading Eggs, both of which seem to help quite a bit with their reading. The other problem is that they have never really enjoyed being read to. I actually posted about that on here a few weeks ago. I've started reading the Magic Tree House books to them based on their interests (Titanic last week, tornadoes currently) and it's really helping as they seem to finally enjoy, and comprehend, what is being read to them.

[Ellie]

You are probably right. We've had really good luck with Explode the Code and Reading Eggs, both of which seem to help quite a bit with their reading. The other problem is that they have never really enjoyed being read to. I actually posted about that on here a few weeks ago. I've started reading the Magic Tree House books to them based on their interests (Titanic last week, tornadoes currently) and it's really helping as they seem to finally enjoy, and comprehend, what is being read to them.

 

When you say "and comprehend," what does that mean? Do you ask them questions or otherwise try to engage them when you read?

[Syllieann]

You are probably right. We've had really good luck with Explode the Code and Reading Eggs, both of which seem to help quite a bit with their reading. The other problem is that they have never really enjoyed being read to. I actually posted about that on here a few weeks ago. I've started reading the Magic Tree House books to them based on their interests (Titanic last week, tornadoes currently) and it's really helping as they seem to finally enjoy, and comprehend, what is being read to them.

Reading comprehension has two sub skills. The first is decoding, or phonics, as Ellie pointed out. It's likely that they were subjected to whole language or balanced literacy in school, but it sounds like you are on the right track now. Ordinary parents guide to reading would be an inexpensive all-in-one option to shore up gaps and complete phonics. Once decoding has become automatic, it frees up the working memory to keep the beginning of the sentence in mind until they reach the end of the sentence.

 

 

The second subskill is vocabulary. This is built in a variety of ways. You can search the forums for plenty of advice on that. You will want to make sure you are reading aloud books that have rich vocabulary and complex sentence structure. You also want to read above their independent reading level at this point.

 

Your time will be better spent working on phonics and vocabulary (via rich read-alouds, conversations, and experiences) than on reading comprehension.

 

Welcome to the forums and to homeschooling!

Edited January 31, 2017 by Syllieann

[tdbates78]

When I say comprehension, I mean that there seems to be a disconnect, almost a lack of interest, in the book. They are very good readers, a d read above grade level per their previous teacher, but seem to space out (for lack of a better term) when I read to them. When they read to me, they read very well but struggle with answering basic questions about the book without quite a bit of prompting. They read fast but it's like the content isn't really sinking in, if that makes sense. Reminds me of my college years when I had to read books that just did not interest me and I would have to re-read the same paragraphs over and over in an effort to actually retain the information.

Edited January 31, 2017 by tdbates78

[tdbates78]

And thank you again everyone for your responses! I'm taking it all in. I've been researching Writing With Ease and I think I'm going to give it a try.

[Ellie]

When I say comprehension, I mean that there seems to be a disconnect, almost a lack of interest, in the book. They are very good readers, a d read above grade level per their previous teacher, but seem to space out (for lack of a better term) when I read to them. When they read to me, they read very well but struggle with answering basic questions about the book without quite a bit of prompting. They read fast but it's like the content isn't really sinking in, if that makes sense. Reminds me of my college years when I had to read books that just did not interest me and I would have to re-read the same paragraphs over and over in an effort to actually retain the information.

 

Well, then, it might not actually be a problem with comprehending what they read, but that you haven't found the books that really interest them. It might also be that they aren't used to having to have an oral discussion with anyone about what they read, and that, doubled with the fact that they aren't engaged with what they have to read, makes them struggle to answer basic questions.

 

They're young. Were I in your position, I would work on good phonics instruction, and read aloud to them from good books, without asking for any feedback. I'd save the feedback from actual "subjects" like history or science or something, and I'd try to make the feedback just be more of a discussion than that I'm trying to get them to respond.

[tdbates78]

Well, then, it might not actually be a problem with comprehending what they read, but that you haven't found the books that really interest them. It might also be that they aren't used to having to have an oral discussion with anyone about what they read, and that, doubled with the fact that they aren't engaged with what they have to read, makes them struggle to answer basic questions.

 

They're young. Were I in your position, I would work on good phonics instruction, and read aloud to them from good books, without asking for any feedback. I'd save the feedback from actual "subjects" like history or science or something, and I'd try to make the feedback just be more of a discussion than that I'm trying to get them to respond.

 

THANK YOU!! You don't know how freeing that is. I was trying to read Little House in the Big Woods to them a few weeks ago and they just were not interested. At that point I almost gave up but then, based on a recent fascination with the Titanic, I picked up the "Tonight on the Titanic" Magic Treehouse book and finally found something they were interested and engaged in. While they didn't pay attention through the entire book, overall it was a vast improvement. Yesterday we rented "Twister on Tuesday" by the same series as they are also fascinated with tornadoes. I'm going to stop forcing the comprehension part and trying to follow specific literature lists and just let them steer me in the right direction on what chapter books to read aloud. I'm hoping that, over time and with the right content, we will get to a point where the comprehension because more natural and we can go from there.

 

I put away our comprehension workbooks! :)

[Ellie]

THANK YOU!! You don't know how freeing that is. I was trying to read Little House in the Big Woods to them a few weeks ago and they just were not interested. At that point I almost gave up but then, based on a recent fascination with the Titanic, I picked up the "Tonight on the Titanic" Magic Treehouse book and finally found something they were interested and engaged in. While they didn't pay attention through the entire book, overall it was a vast improvement. Yesterday we rented "Twister on Tuesday" by the same series as they are also fascinated with tornadoes. I'm going to stop forcing the comprehension part and trying to follow specific literature lists and just let them steer me in the right direction on what chapter books to read aloud. I'm hoping that, over time and with the right content, we will get to a point where the comprehension because more natural and we can go from there.

 

I put away our comprehension workbooks! :)

 

:party: :party: :party: