All About Reading (AAR) - do you need to do All About Spelling + more questions

[Ting Tang]

We received our Phonics and Reading Pathways books for our 8 year old 3rd grader who struggles with reading and comprehension, but I started to look at "Orton-Gillingham" programs.  I like how AAR looks because it is colorful.  We did most of the placement tests for level 2, 3, 4.  He got a couple of words wrong on level 2 and a few more on level 3.  I thought he did pretty well considering. I'm torn on the levels. I am guessing level 2 will be on the easy side for him, but I wouldn't want to have any more gaps, so we are leaning toward level 2 if we purchase this program.  I can tell he is already self-conscious about the level number, even though they don't correspond with grades.  He says he wants to do level 3, sigh. 

He is currently doing Rod and Staff Spelling grade 3.  He normally gets As on his spelling tests.

If we do AAR, can he continue his Rod and Staff?  Or is there a reason to do All About Spelling alongside this curriculum?  

 

[Kanin]

8 minutes ago, KrisTom said:

I can tell he is already self-conscious about the level number, even though they don't correspond with grades.  He says he wants to do level 3, sigh. 

You need to start where he is, not where he'd like to be. In the future, try your best to keep any "levels" from him if possible.

Just keep explaining that the levels don't correspond to grade levels. 

[Ting Tang]

Just now, Kanin said:

You need to start where he is, not where he'd like to be. In the future, try your best to keep any "levels" from him if possible.

Just keep explaining that the levels don't correspond to grade levels. 

Yes.  We did the test on the computer, so it was easy to see.  I told him the levels have nothing to do with grade, and I will keep hitting that point home. I hesitate to spend more money. I just hope I am not going too far backwards, and I hope it will improve his reading if we do this program. 

[Ting Tang]

3 minutes ago, Lovinglife123 said:

It might be helpful to start with PP and see where & if he starts to struggle.  He might not at all.  Phonics pathways is thorough.  It sounds like he actually is quite good at decoding.  AAR would be overkill in that case.  Have you tried getting him lots of readers at the library that are on his level?  Honestly he sounds like a typical beginning reader and just needs more practice/ quick review of phonics.

Well, we do not have the luxury of a library in our area, but we do own lots of books. We have been doing Memoria Press literature studies this year from their 2nd grade (which had some phonics review in the guides) and are now onto Paddington. But we could certainly go back to lower level books.  I just didn't know if he needed more time working on phonics and if things like "letter tiles" would help his brain.  I feel so lost. I feel like we've had a bad year. He is an obedient student and has learned spelling and math, but his writing/composition and reading skills are really lacking.  

[Ting Tang]

6 minutes ago, Lovinglife123 said:

It would help in the same way that a dry erase board helps..  if he needs multi sensory you can have him write some of the words each day.  AAR 3 wouldn’t hurt- and you could use phonics pathways to fill in any gaps before you start. 

6 minutes ago, Lovinglife123 said:

If rod and staff spelling is working for him, there’s no need at all to switch.  I wish you the best, and hope you find what works for him!  It sounds like he’s doing a great job!  The literature guides, if they are taking away from him enjoying the books, can always be set aside.  For writing we just do copy work until 9 or 10.  They might write up comic strips and stuff like that, but nothing formal.  So to me.. he sounds right on track for 8.

I'm so torn on the levels. Do you know if there is "review" built into AAR? It wouldn't be the worst thing to get through level 2 quickly and then move onto level 3, aside from the cost.

He is definitely on the younger side for grade 3, but if he were to return to a brick and mortar school, they wouldn't make that excuse for him. The public school used the whole language method, so really, last year was the first year of reading instruction, and I feel like this year he could have used more.

[Ting Tang]

1 minute ago, Lovinglife123 said:

That’s so crazy they used whole language.  I really think your best bet is to go through phonics pathways and see if he even has any issues aside from just filling in gaps.  If you start with 2, he will have missed out on all of 1.  Phonics pathways is the equivalent of all about reading 1-3 (maybe even 4).  In all about reading There is not review built in, it’s mastery.  The fact that he is doing well in spelling tells me he has no trouble picking up the phonics rules once he is familiarized with them 😅.

Thank you so much, this is very helpful. I appreciate you chatting with me here!  I think the school is under-resourced and hyperfocused on sports.  We wanted to trust the methodology, though, because our oldest is such a good reader.  I realize now how much of a mistake that was, though I did have little "clues" about the school not being the right fit for him. Well, we will definitely get started with our Pathways books since those are at least here!

[Kanin]

17 hours ago, KrisTom said:

Yes.  We did the test on the computer, so it was easy to see.  I told him the levels have nothing to do with grade, and I will keep hitting that point home. I hesitate to spend more money. I just hope I am not going too far backwards, and I hope it will improve his reading if we do this program. 

I don’t think you can go too far backwards - even if it’s easy, it’s great practice! 🙂

I wish reading programs, math programs, etc. would get with it and stop putting grade levels or ANY levels on the stuff where kids can see. It’s so frustrating! Especially with remediation materials, it’s obvious that the kids are below grade level. Ugh.

[Ting Tang]

2 hours ago, Kanin said:

I don’t think you can go too far backwards - even if it’s easy, it’s great practice! 🙂

I wish reading programs, math programs, etc. would get with it and stop putting grade levels or ANY levels on the stuff where kids can see. It’s so frustrating! Especially with remediation materials, it’s obvious that the kids are below grade level. Ugh.

Thank you so much!  I hesitate to spend the money on more curriculum, but I feel like he needs activities to help the process.  I agree---for homeschool materials, it'd be nice if they did not use number levels.

[Ting Tang]

37 minutes ago, KrisTom said:

Thank you so much!  I hesitate to spend the money on more curriculum, but I feel like he needs activities to help the process.  I agree---for homeschool materials, it'd be nice if they did not use number levels.

Well, I ended up purchasing it.  We are still going to do the Pathways, but I chose level 2 for AAR.  Maybe it will be super easy, but I feel like he needs more "activities," or perhaps I need more help with them laid out for me.  

[Clarita]

1 hour ago, KrisTom said:

We are still going to do the Pathways, but I chose level 2 for AAR.  Maybe it will be super easy, but I feel like he needs more "activities," or perhaps I need more help with them laid out for me.  

I think AAR level 2 will be a good choice. It is a good thing to build up confidence in reading. Using AAR below level for us have been working much better than when I was trying to use it at level.

[Ting Tang]

1 hour ago, Lovinglife123 said:

Also- I don’t think of any curriculum I’ve bought as a waste of money, it all has taught me something, whether I use the product or not.

I've bought so much of it this year, lol.  I'm looking forward to trying it with him!

[Ting Tang]

57 minutes ago, Clarita said:

I think AAR level 2 will be a good choice. It is a good thing to build up confidence in reading. Using AAR below level for us have been working much better than when I was trying to use it at level.

Thank you so much for sharing! That is good to read. I am hoping I see an improvement.  I was glad to read they mention comprehension because that is another worry--the ability to read words develops, but he still isn't sure about what he just read.  

[Clarita]

2 hours ago, KrisTom said:

I was glad to read they mention comprehension because that is another worry--the ability to read words develops, but he still isn't sure about what he just read.

My son is on level 1, but I let or encourage him look back at the story to answer comprehension questions. I think some of this seems easy to us because we've been doing it for decades, we forget kids are just starting and it's challenging work for them.

[Ting Tang]

2 hours ago, Lovinglife123 said:

Just to encourage you my 8 year old doesn’t always know what he just read.  He works on decoding and there’s not much left for anything else.  He just did this today 😊.  He’s in all about reading level 2 and it’s perfect!! Love it.  For any snags we hit we just take a break for a day or so and work in phonics pathways.  He struggled with contractions recently and needed to take it slow/ have time to absorb it.  

Thank you so much. I appreciate that!  I have to keep reminding myself what I did when I was 8 in school. It is nothing near what is expected of kids these days, and I still got a good education.  I think we are definitely going to be using the two programs together.  I think my son will like the art in the readers of AAR.  Hopefully he can get past the thought it is "level 2" and not "grade 2."

[Ting Tang]

56 minutes ago, Clarita said:

My son is on level 1, but I let or encourage him look back at the story to answer comprehension questions. I think some of this seems easy to us because we've been doing it for decades, we forget kids are just starting and it's challenging work for them.

That is so true!  And there should be no problem allowing them to look back, but sometimes I feel like they think they are being tested.  

[Ting Tang]

16 minutes ago, Lovinglife123 said:

It is Especially too advanced nowadays for boys!!!!  I hear this scenario over and over again, with my own boys and friends.  They just take longer (girls sometimes too).

Yes!  I remember in 2nd grade doing a major project---making a book that was "All About Me."  And my literature was thin, paperback books about circles with faces on them, LOL.  In 3rd grade, I wrote a poem about Halloween.  It consisted of rhyming sentences about cats, bats, and rats.  ha ha  

[GreenFrog]

On 1/23/2022 at 5:57 PM, Ting Tang said:

...  I just didn't know if he needed more time working on phonics and if things like "letter tiles" would help his brain.  ...

Just on general principles, dyslexics so often benefit from multisensory approaches that I would go for the letter tiles, particularly ones that have the vowels in a different color. Handling them, moving them around, helps learning.  I see that in the Barton program a student is even supposed to use a particular hand to use the tiles. I know that is a solid program, so I don't argue with it.

When I was a kid we had felt boards. The felt letters would stick to the felt board. We even cut our our own letters. (4 year olds can sometimes do that better than we can write. I remember doing it. And it you needed another copy of a letter, you could make your own! Even pick the colors for the letters in your name! Very empowering...) Multisensory is not just for dyslexics.

[Ting Tang]

On 2/24/2022 at 8:00 PM, GreenFrog said:

Just on general principles, dyslexics so often benefit from multisensory approaches that I would go for the letter tiles, particularly ones that have the vowels in a different color. Handling them, moving them around, helps learning.  I see that in the Barton program a student is even supposed to use a particular hand to use the tiles. I know that is a solid program, so I don't argue with it.

When I was a kid we had felt boards. The felt letters would stick to the felt board. We even cut our our own letters. (4 year olds can sometimes do that better than we can write. I remember doing it. And it you needed another copy of a letter, you could make your own! Even pick the colors for the letters in your name! Very empowering...) Multisensory is not just for dyslexics.

Thank you so much!  We are using this program now and the physical letter tiles.  We really love it!  And I am glad we started on level 2.  It has contained a few surprises in terms of challenge.  It makes me think I need to consider other multisensory curriculums for my children. My oldest doesn't have learning challenges, but I switched his Latin to something that is more multisensory (and gentle), and it is going so much better!