LOE Foundations 7 yr old

[Targhee]

DD will be newly 7 this fall. She did half day K at the public school this year and is coming home in the fall.  She reads at about a mid first grade level, spells CVC words ok, handwriting motor skills are fine but letter formation is self-styled. The school uses some crazy whole language approach, which I do not like.  We started using 100EZ (which I used with 2 of my older 3 kids) and it is going well. She'll be done with it in a month or so and reading at a roughly second grade level.  I have NOT been working on handwriting, spelling, or phonics directly. She has clear speech, but she is a little sloppy with end sounds. It's not bad, just doesn't fully pronounce final sounds clearly - uses a kind of 'stop' and moves into the next word's beginning sound - in words like get and that (it is a local way of speaking here, and so it isn't corrected well in the schools). I am trying to decide what to do for next year with her.  I used LOE Essentials with older siblings and I liked it, however I passed it along to a friend.  I want to use their approach to spelling as well as sound awareness, and to teach cursive.  So, do you think using foundations starting with level A this summer is a good idea for the instruction in sound awareness and in cursive, and because I think she will find the materials much more appealing than Essentials? We would move on to B-C for 1st grade.

 I already own a digital copy of Rhythm of Handwriting cursive, though I no longer have the references page or the tactile cards (they went with Essentials to my friend). I remember some of the sound awareness activities but definitely not all, so I would want either Foundations A or Essentials again I think in order to teach this.  I think she could "handle" Essentials (I did it with a 6 year old before) but I am wondering if the materials in Foundations would be that much more appealing to her to keep her engaged? I also own AAS 1-3, but I didn't like it as much as LOE.  Any input welcome.  

[smarson]

I think that sounds like a great plan!  I have and have used both Foundations and Essentials and for that age, I much prefer Foundations.  If you want to go ahead and work during the summer through A, you might even be able to double up some lessons, as the lessons begin very gently and you could even skip a few here and there.  There are only 40 lessons per book so working through the summer on A and then starting up the school year in B sounds perfect!  I always spend more time reviewing the phonograms from memory ("please write /b/") than the book has because I found that while my kids could read them to me just fine, coming up with the formation of the letters themselves from memory was much more difficult.  So I always spend a little extra time reviewing whatever phonograms we've learned or whatever phonograms in which that child is struggling.  Have fun!  I think she'll enjoy it!

[blondeviolin]

I would absolutely use LOE Foundations over Essentials. However, I would skip A and pick up with B.  

[Targhee]

Just now, blondeviolin said:

I would absolutely use LOE Foundations over Essentials. However, I would skip A and pick up with B.  

I’m glad to hear that - we liked Essentials but Foundations looks more fun and engaging for the younger set.  So, would you use Rhythm of Handwriting cursive prior to B? Also, how much does B review the 26 one letter phonograms?

[blondeviolin]

1 hour ago, Targhee said:

I’m glad to hear that - we liked Essentials but Foundations looks more fun and engaging for the younger set.  So, would you use Rhythm of Handwriting cursive prior to B? Also, how much does B review the 26 one letter phonograms?

 

I started with B with my dyslexic son when he could read about 2nd grade level. He was aware certain letters said different sounds but didn't remember all of the rules. LOE really did help him cement those rules.  A was really about phonemic awareness and how to form the letters. If your child is already reading I'd take the summer remediating letter formation (because I'm picky about that) and then move forward with B in the fall.