Is reading/phonics necessary after K/1?

[Learning Together]

First time posting here, so be patient with me!

 

We use The Reading Lesson until they are reading decently. My first DD is really plugging along and gaining confidence in her reading although she isn't into chapter books yet. I have CLE readers for 1st & 2nd grade and we also use Pathway readers. She has finished all the 1st gr Pathway books & is working her way through CLE "I Wonder". We just do 10min of reading every day along with AAS 2. She is in 2nd gr this year.

 

We tried FLL1 (combined her and next younger child for sanity sake) but we all hated it by lesson 20. I can tell they are beyond bored and need more of a challenge. I ordered R&S LA 2 for DD and DS (1st gr) is going to do the first 4 explode the code books along with his reading lessons LA. I just noticed CLE and R&S have reading/phonics books/workbooks beyond the initial learning to read stage.

 

Now for my question.... Do we need to do the phonics/reading books? Am I going to have a huge gap if we don't do them? Can anyone tell me why we should do them? Is it more of a practice practice practice to solidify what they've learned? The light units from CLE look like fun and do-able, especially since we have the readers. I'm just wondering if it would be overkill. Will she get all her bases covered between LA & AAS? Or is it something that should be done maybe in 4th grade?

 

 

[HomeAgain]

We still do reading here.  My kid learned to read early, and well.  We split his reading time now (2nd grade) between two exercises:

 

Reading aloud:  I purposely picked a reader below his level.  We're using the Elson readers which steadily progress and include a variety of pieces in each volume. Having him continue to read aloud lets him work on his fluency, comprehension, and speaking skills.  Being comfortable hearing your voice *tell* the story, not just *read* the story helps develop the inside voice.

 

Reading assignment:  I give him a chapter or small book to read each week on his own time and come back ready to discuss what he read about.

 

 

[Learning Together]

Thanks HomeAgain. I plan on continuing to have her read aloud for a while for the reasons you stated. Maybe I should clarify a bit...I was wondering if the reading workbooks like CLE has are necessary. I like the samples I see online but I was wondering if AAS and R&S LA2 would cover all that & throwing in these light units would be overkill?

[Crimson Wife]

If you're doing AAS (ETA my 2nd child did levels 1-6), then no, you won't need phonics.

 

I personally like using some reading comprehension and literary analysis workbooks but if you're comfortable teaching those topics on your own, then it's certainly possible to do so.

 

Some things I like:

Inference Jones from Critical Thinking Press

Beginning Reasoning and Reading from EPS

Figuratively Speaking

 

Edited September 21, 2017 by Crimson Wife

[ElizabethB]

I keep teaching until they are reading at the 12th grade level, it improves their reading speed and the ability and speed with which they can read their workbooks and read books for leisure and for assignments. Spending a bit of time every day until they are reading well should give you gains in productivity in the long run.  

 

Reading ability is more highly correlated with earnings than IQ.  What percentage of U.S. adults do you think are reading well enough to be able to correctly answer questions at the 8th grade, 12th grade, and college level?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They dropped the college level from the most recent adult literacy test because so few Americans were reading that well, it was around 3%.  The percent reading at around the 12th grade level has held steady over the last several decades at around 15 - 16%.  (The 12% from 1992 does not include the 3% at level 5 literacy, the level they dropped in the most recent literacy test.)

 

Those reading at the 8th grade level, around 50%. (They do not give grade levels, but I have analyzed the reading passages from both of the most recent Adult literacy surveys and this is my estimate based on Fry Reading Grade levels and standard reading passages given in high school and college.)

 

I would work through my free syllables program and then continue with Webster or another multi-syllable word program until they are reading anything well.  The nonsense word fluency drills and a daily drill of sounds should improve reading speed.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

 

Here are the adult literacy statistics, you can read the full reports and see sample questions and passages if you are interested.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/litpercent.html

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/profitable.html

 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2017 by ElizabethB

[ReadingMama1214]

I keep teaching until they are reading at the 12th grade level, it improves their reading speed and the ability and speed with which they can read their workbooks and read books for leisure and for assignments. Spending a bit of time every day until they are reading well should give you gains in productivity in the long run.

 

Reading ability is more highly correlated with earnings than IQ. What percentage of U.S. adults do you think are reading well enough to be able to correctly answer questions at the 8th grade, 12th grade, and college level?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They dropped the college level from the most recent adult literacy test because so few Americans were reading that well, it was around 3%. The percent reading at around the 12th grade level has held steady over the last several decades at around 15 - 16%. (The 12% from 1992 does not include the 3% at level 5 literacy, the level they dropped in the most recent literacy test.)

 

Those reading at the 8th grade level, around 50%. (They do not give grade levels, but I have analyzed the reading passages from both of the most recent Adult literacy surveys and this is my estimate based on Fry Reading Grade levels and standard reading passages given in high school and college.)

 

I would work through my free syllables program and then continue with Webster or another multi-syllable word program until they are reading anything well. The nonsense word fluency drills and a daily drill of sounds should improve reading speed.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

 

Here are the adult literacy statistics, you can read the full reports and see sample questions and passages if you are interested.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/litpercent.html

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/profitable.html

A question about multi syllable level programs. I bought Wise Owl Polysyllables from Don Potter but didn't know what level it goes to. My daughter did OPGTR and we've been doing Wise Owl as a follow up.

[ElizabethB]

A question about multi syllable level programs. I bought Wise Owl Polysyllables from Don Potter but didn't know what level it goes to. My daughter did OPGTR and we've been doing Wise Owl as a follow up.

 

That is great, I like all Don's Stuff!  It goes up to a pretty high level.  I haven't bought it and have only seen samples, at least a 6th grade level, that should keep you busy for a while.  Also, OPG goes to about a 4th grade level.  You can use it for a while and use my grade level tests to figure out where they are, then do a follow on like Marcia Henry's Words or Webster if they need more.

 

The grade level of the program is not always what gets to the brain!! Also, some children do surpass their reading program but with such an important foundational skill, I don't recommend relying on that idea as an instructional strategy.

 

ETA:  It looks like Don sent me a PDF to preview before he published it.  I would say 8th to 10th grade level based on the words.  There are no sentences to analyze, it is harder to gauge words in isolation than to analyze sentences.

Edited September 21, 2017 by ElizabethB

[purduemeche]

Based on time we don't do any targeted reading programs after our children complete "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Steps."  The only exception is if a problem arises in reading at grade level.  In this case we will assign a load of reading slightly below grade level to improve confidence and use a spelling program as "backwards phonics." 

 

Outside of this, we rely on the Tapestry of Grace reading lists every week to make sure they are constantly reading. :)

[MerryAtHope]

All About Spelling is a complete phonics program, so you will eventually cover it all and fill in any gaps. It just doesn't have fluency/reading practice built in. Some kids really need that, while some kids seem to take off in reading on their own. If your daughter isn't struggling with reading and is making steady progress, having her read aloud to you daily would seem to be working. If she hits a road block with learning to sound out longer words, then you may want to add a reading program.

[Learning Together]

Thanks for all the help! I think I know where we are headed now!