Beast Academy and independent reading

[zejh]

How important is it with Beast Academy that a child be able to read (and write!) independently?  I was looking at the 2A pretest, and my not-quite-7-year-old could probably answer everything if questions are read out loud--she's learning to read, but isn't a precocious reader by any measure, but very verbal otherwise, and arithmetic is pretty easy for her at this point, as long as her attention holds. She also easily gets fatigued writing numbers (I'm actually considering getting her evaluated for OT) though she can do it.  So, does anyone have experience with using Beast Academy this "2e" kind of situation? 

[kokotg]

Are you looking at online or the books? We do the online version largely because my 6 year old gets tired of writing pretty quickly. He reads well, but I usually read the comics to him and sometimes the word problems, too, depending on his mood. 

[Cake and Pi]

I don't see any reason for reading and writing to limit a child's math at this level. I think it's fine to offer support where it's needed and/or wanted.

Two of my boys preferred that I read the guides aloud to them, even though they were able to read just fine. Another of my boys liked to read the guides to himself, but then still wanted me to read everything aloud with fun character voices after. My DS#1 with dysgraphia did little to no writing until the 5th grade books. He did it all in his head and would write some answers and dictate others while I scribed for him.

[4KookieKids]

All of my kids ages 5+ are dyslexic. So I read it to them. It's not a problem.

[Condessa]

I read the guides and questions to them at that phase, and I start out mostly scribing for them and gradually transition to them doing more and more of the writing.  That way neither being very young, nor the one’s dyslexia, or another’s fine motor skills being behind, ever slowed down their math learning.

However, they can’t do Beast Academy Online until they can read the questions to themselves.  My youngest is very motivated to work on his phonics specifically because he wants to do BA Online like his older siblings.

[zejh]

3 hours ago, Michelle Conde said:

I read the guides and questions to them at that phase, and I start out mostly scribing for them and gradually transition to them doing more and more of the writing.  That way neither being very young, nor the one’s dyslexia, or another’s fine motor skills being behind, ever slowed down their math learning.

However, they can’t do Beast Academy Online until they can read the questions to themselves.  My youngest is very motivated to work on his phonics specifically because he wants to do BA Online like his older siblings.

So, if I waited a few months til my daughter is reading, would it matter that she is still way behind with fine motor? Or is the reading the important part for online?

[Condessa]

On 8/14/2019 at 11:56 AM, zejh said:

So, if I waited a few months til my daughter is reading, would it matter that she is still way behind with fine motor? Or is the reading the important part for online?

I don't think the fine motor would make a difference for BA Online.  You might have to help her on some of the questions when she gets to the chapter on decimals, and they have to grab and move the decimal point to the right place.

On 8/14/2019 at 1:07 PM, CuriousMomof3 said:

Is the rule about no BA online your rule or is there something about it that doesn’t work with a reader?  

 

It doesn't read the questions out loud, so for non-readers, I would have to sit with them the entire time to read every question to them.  I could do that, but I figure I will either invest my time to do all the reading and/or scribing needed to scaffold for the kid, or I will invest my money so they can do the program semi-independently online.  (We do still read the guidebook pages and do the practice questions together before they start on a section).  I don't want to pay both time and money.

 

Sorry I took so long to respond.  I've been moving and haven't been on the forums in a while.