How to manage when child below grade level

[Eupatobe1]

I am in the process of completely transforming our homeschool after the realization that what I was providing wasn't rigorous enough. Unfortunately, my 8yr old who is finishing up 2nd grade, is basically a year behind level for reading and math. She has just started level 2 All About Reading (though we should be able to move through the level quickly, as her reading has taken off), and we are switching to Singapore math, for which the placement test puts her at level 2A. 

How do I manage moving forward? I would like to get her back on track for her grade level, as I already delayed starting academics for a year from the beginning (late summer birthday, so chose to wait a year to start). Any recommendations for how to 'catch up' moving forward? She's a bright child, without learning issues....just took ME awhile to get up to speed and make better academic choices. 

Thank you!

[Porridge]

Welcome to the boards!

All About Reading and Singapore are both great, solid programs! If you are diligent in implementing the programs, your DD should make good progress. I wouldn’t rush either program for the sake of catching up. Those are foundational skills (phonics, basic number sense and arithmetic), and you want her to have a solid foundation. It doesn’t sound like you have any concern about learning differences — if so, she will probably naturally “catch up” to grade level without you having to rush the programs. If she seems to grasp concepts quickly, move forward more quickly.  If she seems to run into snags where she doesn’t seem to be able to grasp concepts or move forward with AAR or Singapore, feel free to post a question here, as there are lots of experienced people who can help you trouble shoot!

I would also suggest, if you aren’t already doing this, reading, reading, and more reading. At that age, we’d read from a stack of high quality picture books or chapter books together every morning. Encourage her to read on her own, but also read out loud to her. The books you read out loud to her can be “above” her reading level - she will absorb vocabulary and concepts from hearing the books, and that will give her an expanded fund of knowledge from which to draw when she is reading on her own. 

There are lots of great book lists out there —

Honey for Child’s Heart

Sonlight / Bookshark

1000 great Books list

I’m sure others can suggest good lists from which to hit your library catalog...

[Eupatobe1]

31 minutes ago, WTM said:

Welcome to the boards!

All About Reading and Singapore are both great, solid programs! If you are diligent in implementing the programs, your DD should make good progress. I wouldn’t rush either program for the sake of catching up. Those are foundational skills (phonics, basic number sense and arithmetic), and you want her to have a solid foundation. It doesn’t sound like you have any concern about learning differences — if so, she will probably naturally “catch up” to grade level without you having to rush the programs. If she seems to grasp concepts quickly, move forward more quickly.  If she seems to run into snags where she doesn’t seem to be able to grasp concepts or move forward with AAR or Singapore, feel free to post a question here, as there are lots of experienced people who can help you trouble shoot!

I would also suggest, if you aren’t already doing this, reading, reading, and more reading. At that age, we’d read from a stack of high quality picture books or chapter books together every morning. Encourage her to read on her own, but also read out loud to her. The books you read out loud to her can be “above” her reading level - she will absorb vocabulary and concepts from hearing the books, and that will give her an expanded fund of knowledge from which to draw when she is reading on her own. 

There are lots of great book lists out there —

Honey for Child’s Heart

Sonlight / Bookshark

1000 great Books list

I’m sure others can suggest good lists from which to hit your library catalog...

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. I should've added that we read stacks and stacks of quality literature, history, non-fiction, biographies, art, music etc. So in those areas we're on top of it! 🙂  

This eases my mind as far as trying to 'catch up' in math and reading. I'm not quite sure how to complete the 2nd grade level as well as the third grade level of the books by the end of next year, but maybe as I go along it will work itself out if she is able to move more quickly through some of the content. 

[MomN]

You can make very quick progress through AAR.  There are about 55-60 lessons per book, so if you work through 5 lessons a week, you can complete level 2 this year, and levels 3 and 4 next year.  

[MomN]

For Singapore, I'd say as you work through level 2, start to have her memorize her multiplication facts because these are what slowed us down on level 3 books.  If she has her multiplication facts down when starting level 3, she will breeze through long division.  Also, if she is doing well in Singapore, I would think it would be fine to skip over reviews and even some of the last few chapters which usually bring up topics like probability and such.

[Porridge]

If you want some skip counting songs / chants to help learn multiplication tables, hit me up by PM and I’d be happy to share the ones I made up for my son. They worked well for him. I taught him one chant/song every month or so, and he had them memorized within 6 months or so. We’d just chant / sing it every morning for a few weeks until it was second nature. (This assumes your child understands multiplication as repeated addition)

[Kiara.I]

1 hour ago, Eupatobe1 said:

This eases my mind as far as trying to 'catch up' in math and reading. I'm not quite sure how to complete the 2nd grade level as well as the third grade level of the books by the end of next year, but maybe as I go along it will work itself out if she is able to move more quickly through some of the content. 

Don't try to complete them both by the end of next year. Seriously. You'll just stress yourself and her out. Figure out what pace will let you complete a book in a year. Then see if you can increase it just slightly. For instance, if the regular pace would be four days a week, maybe do five. You'll gain a bit of ground that way.

 

But when I read your title, I was expecting 4-5 grades behind. Not one grade, in early elementary. There's so much developmental variation through the early years anyway, that "grade level" is almost nonsense words. My third, for instance, couldn't read at all starting second grade. Just painfully sounding it CVC words, so more of a beginning K level. Halfway through grade 2, the switch flipped, and the reading level jumped six levels in six months.

 

So really, don't put a ton of stress on yourself or on her. Progress through the material at a rate that makes sense for her, but without pushing her to accelerate. Condense bits that she grasps easily, and let her take the time with the parts that are harder.

[ElizabethB]

You can do a quick overview of all the phonics to read at a 12th grade level in a few weeks and then go back and do the rest of AAR.

http://thephonicspage.org/On Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

[HomeAgain]

One of the hardest things for me was to learn how to accept a kid where they were or where they needed to be.  As the parent/teacher, it's HARD.  I felt like I failed if my kid wasn't doing comparable work to his peers in a subject, and it was a lot of internal pressure I put on myself.  I don't have any advice for making that feeling go away, because it's going to be different for everyone.  However, it's the feeling that's the issue, not the reality.  Reality is real no matter what.  Dealing with the feelings changes.
What did help me feel more comfortable was using alternatively-leveled or age-spanned curriculum, things that didn't put specific grade levels on their products.  We started a new spelling program last summer with a rising 5th grader and started back at level 1, even though he's done spelling before.  He hadn't learned the rules as well as he should have.  So, we started with CVC words and silent 'e', just to get into the new routine.  Rather than a book a year, we're now on level 3 (out of 4) and he'll finish the program next year.

You've chosen good, solid programs, and they'll take the time needed.  The time at each level will vary. I don't think you can rush it beyond her pace.  And that's okay.  There is so much ebb and flow in learning that it's nice to be able to work toward mastery at one's own pace.

[8filltheheart]

I also would strongly recommend ignoring grade levels and just working with your child where they are and progressing forward at whatever pace they do naturally.  There is so much variation in how kids learn/progress, especially when they are little, that "a yr behind" can easily become 1+ yrs ahead in a blink.

I personally would not use AAR bc it is a very slow-paced program.   My personal favorite is OOP, so I can't recommend it anymore.  But, a good phonics based reading program can go from non-reader to 3rd grade+ in a yr (and that is for younger age children, so your child w/o any LDs should be able to progress to grade level reading without stress.)

I know that SM is praised, but it is not a math program that I enjoy teaching.  Make sure that you enjoy teaching it and can explain the concepts well in addition to its outside reviews as a great math program.  A math textbook is only good if it can taught/learned.  If it matches you, then it should be good.  If not, you might want to look around for a program that matches your teaching strengths.

[Garga]

I had a son who started slowly in math. At about the 4th grade level, he was about 2 years behind. Math just didn’t click for him when he was young. 

For the math program I settled on with my son (CLE-Christian Light Education), it was pretty easy to figure out what parts to skip (the quizzes and tests, which totaled about 30ish lessons, if my memory serves me right, so I could gain 30 days of instruction each year—6 weeks—if I simply skipped the quizzes and tests.) I don’t know if there are any obvious things to be skipped in Singapore. I wouldn’t skip things that are important, but maybe if there’s a day with a quiz, that could be skipped? Don’t know.

However, I also remembered...summer! There are months of time in summer that can be used. During summer months, we’d do math lessons, and also during Christmas break, we’d do math lessons.

I didn’t expect to catch him up by doubling his math instruction. I didn’t expect to saddle him with two entire years of math in a single year. I hoped to get through about a level and a 1/2 each year. After 3 years, he’d be caught up. By somewhere in 7th grade, he was caught up. 

He’s in 10th grade geometry now and is doing just fine. He was in algebra last year and did fine then, too. His slow start to math hasn’t affected him now that he’s in high school. He’s on the same track that the majority of students are. He’s not a math whiz, but he’s on track.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Garga

[Eupatobe1]

1 hour ago, 8filltheheart said:

I know that SM is praised, but it is not a math program that I enjoy teaching.  Make sure that you enjoy teaching it and can explain the concepts well in addition to its outside reviews as a great math program.  A math textbook is only good if it can taught/learned.  If it matches you, then it should be good.  If not, you might want to look around for a program that matches your teaching strengths.

Thanks for this. I’m also looking into saxon for the reasons you’ve expressed. 

[Eupatobe1]

Thanks everyone, great points. I have such a hard time letting go of “grades”, it’s so ingrained! You’re right- grade should not be the focus, but rather the learning engagement and progress. It’s so hard for me to let that go- it made me panic to think of my daughter being at a second grade level for math and reading. 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Eupatobe1

[ElizabethB]

Instead of AAR, good programs to catch up quickly in reading are the free online Word Mastery, Phonics Pathways, or OPG. (After my syllables lessons!!) 

Word Mastery (goes to 3rd grade level) 

http://www.donpotter.net/pdf/word_mastery_typed.pdf

Also, if you drill the sounds daily and use my charts, you should progress much faster. 

How to drill sounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5tU0HviZAE&t=100s

Phonics Pathways goes to a 4th grade level and is inexpensive. Many libraries have a copy.

Edited April 3, 2021 by ElizabethB

[Emily ZL]

There's a school of thought that says to ignore grade level and just keep going. And I think that's generally good advice. However, in those early grades, there is so much that is repeated in next year's book, and so much practice, and so many problems, that they don't literally need to do every single thing. When my son was most of the way through 3rd grade without having learned much, due to using a curriculum I thought was good but just wasn't working for us, I decided in desperation to just figure out what he needed to learn that year. I made a list of skills, and then bought Math Mammoth and selectively chose worksheets for those topics. It only took us about 6 weeks to entirely get through the main skills we were supposed to learn (multiplication tables, borrowing and carrying large numbers, etc.). And then when we started up again in the fall with 4th, there was review built in too. I don't know if that would result in a shaky "house of cards" for your child or not, but for us it was fine. In 2nd grade, you're mostly talking about adding and subtracting 1-3 digit numbers, with some borrowing and carrying. If you can get that solid, you can move on without having to do an entire year's worth of math pages. I don't know that that's worth it. 

[barnwife]

FWIW, I have a close to 8 yo DS who is not currently reading independently. We recently made the switch to AAR. And yes, it moves slowly. Yes, it's a lot of moving pieces to keep track of. But...his whole attitude around reading is changing since we switched. Before, he did his phonics every day because not doing it isn't a choice. Now? There are times he actually smile and laughs about AAR. And that alone makes me like it for this particular child. Especially because I highly suspect he has some as yet unknown learning challenges. 

But, for a neurotypical child who is just on the late of reading falling into place, it wouldn't be my recommendation. I'd suggest OPGTR or the lessons by ElizabethB or Webster's Speller. 

As for the math, I'd just choose a program and stick with it consistently. At the elementary level, the first chapters of a book are often review, so if you just keep going without a long break, you can probably skip some of the beginning of a level. And sometimes you'll hit a topic and fly through it because your kid just gets it. 

Finally, as others have said, teach the kid you have. Don't stress about grade level labels on things, as long as you are teaching your child where they are at. 

[Not_a_Number]

What's she working on in math? Is she having trouble with anything?

[Momto6inIN]

We use AAR and level 1 always goes sooooooo slooooowly. Most of my kids have hit the "click" where reading just falls into place at about the middle of level 2 and fly through the rest. Whereas level 1 can take a week to go through the lessons, by level 3 and 4 we can do a lesson every day or two.

 

I agree with all th PPs who are saying that meeting your kid where they are and making progress every day = success. But I also wanted to encourage you that level 1 and level 2 frequently take a lot longer than the rest of the levels do. It's not meant to be a 1 level per grade year kind of curriculum.

[countrymum]

I agree with momto6inIN about AAR. With a struggling kid we even did level 1 twice! 3 and 4 always seem to go fast eben for that child, but later I sometimes have to remind them of material from those levels as words with those advanced phonograms and borrowed sounds don't often come up in reading...

[kiwik]

One year behind at 8 is not awful.   Just keep chugging along.  If they end up 2 years behind at 10 maybe buried they just stick 6 months to a year behind there are a lot of kids in that boat.

[MerryAtHope]

On 4/2/2021 at 9:15 PM, Eupatobe1 said:

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. I should've added that we read stacks and stacks of quality literature, history, non-fiction, biographies, art, music etc. So in those areas we're on top of it! 🙂  

This eases my mind as far as trying to 'catch up' in math and reading. I'm not quite sure how to complete the 2nd grade level as well as the third grade level of the books by the end of next year, but maybe as I go along it will work itself out if she is able to move more quickly through some of the content. 

AAR levels are not the same as grade levels, because the order of the words in AAR is not “grade-level” order. For example, a child completing AAR 2 can read most first and second-grade level words and many third - fifth-grade level words too.  All About Reading groups words in a logical manner based on similar rules or patterns regardless of their supposed grade level, which allows students to progress quickly and confidently.

At the end of Level 4, students have the phonics and word attack skills necessary to sound out high school level words, though they may not know the meaning of all higher-level words. (Word attack skills include things like dividing words into syllables, making analogies to other words, sounding out the word with the accent on different word parts, recognizing affixes, etc…)

All that to say--don't feel you need to "rush" and finish 2 and 3 this year or 3 and 4 next year. Go at her pace and establish a solid foundation for reading. When she's done, she'll be able to read anything age appropriate. For now, keep reading enjoyable and keep encouraging her. She'll get there! 

[Eupatobe1]

Thanks everyone. Switching to classical education model from less rigorous approaches can expose inadequacies and lead to panic! 

[Eupatobe1]

32 minutes ago, MerryAtHope said:

AAR levels are not the same as grade levels, because the order of the words in AAR is not “grade-level” order. For example, a child completing AAR 2 can read most first and second-grade level words and many third - fifth-grade level words too.  All About Reading groups words in a logical manner based on similar rules or patterns regardless of their supposed grade level, which allows students to progress quickly and confidently.

At the end of Level 4, students have the phonics and word attack skills necessary to sound out high school level words, though they may not know the meaning of all higher-level words. (Word attack skills include things like dividing words into syllables, making analogies to other words, sounding out the word with the accent on different word parts, recognizing affixes, etc…)

All that to say--don't feel you need to "rush" and finish 2 and 3 this year or 3 and 4 next year. Go at her pace and establish a solid foundation for reading. When she's done, she'll be able to read anything age appropriate. For now, keep reading enjoyable and keep encouraging her. She'll get there! 

Great info, thank you!

[Not_a_Number]

9 minutes ago, Eupatobe1 said:

Thanks everyone. Switching to classical education model from less rigorous approaches can expose inadequacies and lead to panic! 

As a minor quibble, "not classical" doesn't necessarily mean "less rigorous" 😉 . 

[Eupatobe1]

9 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

As a minor quibble, "not classical" doesn't necessarily mean "less rigorous" 😉 . 

Noted. "Less rigorous approaches"- meaning the approach I personally was taking, which was less rigorous. 

[Not_a_Number]

14 minutes ago, Eupatobe1 said:

Noted. "Less rigorous approaches"- meaning the approach I personally was taking, which was less rigorous. 

Yeah, I understand! Sorry, that was me being pedantic. (Also, as a non-classical educator, I am probably sensitive!) 

[SDMomof3]

When I read the title, I thought several years behind. One year behind at 8 is not really behind. My son didn’t really start math until about this age. He didn’t  learn his time tables until 3rd grade. My son was just not interested until 8 to start a math curriculum. We started him on Kahn Academy and moved him over to AoPS in 4th grade. My son is now in 7th grade and taking Calculus at the Community College. 
We took advantage of the summers and just had him do a little everyday. Then at some point it just click and he went speeding forward.
You don’t have to rush at this age, just let her go at her own pace, do a little everyday and she will get there. I know it is hard not to worry or feel that she is behind, I had the same feelings. But now looking back, I am glad that we went at my sons pace and let him take the lead. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by SDMomof3