2nd Grade Phonics Review Options - Rod & Staff?

[Ting Tang]

I hastily sold our 2nd grade Abeka materials last year and am considering some phonics review options with Memoria Press.  (A full curriculum didn't work for my boys, but I do really like the literature for 2nd grade, so we will likely use it.)

I also like how the Phonics Program looks for Rod and Staff.  It seems like the company really wants you to use their reading curriculum alongside it (Bible Stories and more workbooks).  

Has anyone used Rod & Staff Phonics without its reading program?

It looks doable to me.  I am hoping to use MP literature, Michael Clay Thompson Poodle Level for grammar, and Rod & Staff for spelling, phonics, and penmanship.  I may need to find some kind of pre-writing/sentence writing curriculum as she is already doing some of that with Abeka 1st grade.

[Servant4Christ]

@2_girls_mommy has experience with this if you search her posts. She uses both their reading and phonics for first grade, but then ditches their reading in favor of WTM recommended literature in second grade and uses the R&S phonics with it.

[Ting Tang]

1 hour ago, Servant4Christ said:

@2_girls_mommy has experience with this if you search her posts. She uses both their reading and phonics for first grade, but then ditches their reading in favor of WTM recommended literature in second grade and uses the R&S phonics with it.

Thank you very much!  I tried to search for posts with her name, but I couldn't find anything. It is good to know someone else has done this!  It would really be just for review and reinforcement. 

 

[2_girls_mommy]

On 4/26/2022 at 11:15 AM, Ting Tang said:

I hastily sold our 2nd grade Abeka materials last year and am considering some phonics review options with Memoria Press.  (A full curriculum didn't work for my boys, but I do really like the literature for 2nd grade, so we will likely use it.)

I also like how the Phonics Program looks for Rod and Staff.  It seems like the company really wants you to use their reading curriculum alongside it (Bible Stories and more workbooks).  

Has anyone used Rod & Staff Phonics without its reading program?

It looks doable to me.  I am hoping to use MP literature, Michael Clay Thompson Poodle Level for grammar, and Rod & Staff for spelling, phonics, and penmanship.  I may need to find some kind of pre-writing/sentence writing curriculum as she is already doing some of that with Abeka 1st grade.

Yes, the phonics stands alone.  I did first grade reading with the phonics and the full program over k and 1st grade with all of my kids, but then dropped the reading in 2nd grade and just kept the rest- phonics, spelling, and English- the best parts of Rod and Staff, imo!  We are currently wrapping up 2nd grade with my last homeschooler.  She is finishing up unit 3 of the grade 2 phonics, and we will just keep going with it on top of her 3rd grade work next year until we get through it.  (She had a lot of medical issues this year.  We kept up math and a lot of LA work, and she is a great reader.  I was ok with slowing down on the phonics work each week since I know she can just keep going with it, since there isn't phonics in the 3rd grade anyway.  She isn't getting behind on anything. ) 

ETA even though I did use the reading in 1st grade alongside the phonics, you wouldn't have to.  It really would stand alone.  It just worked for me as I was getting my readers going to do a reading program over K and 1st.  By 2nd grade, we just fully do WTM style readings.

Edited April 27, 2022 by 2_girls_mommy

[Ting Tang]

6 hours ago, 2_girls_mommy said:

Yes, the phonics stands alone.  I did first grade reading with the phonics and the full program over k and 1st grade with all of my kids, but then dropped the reading in 2nd grade and just kept the rest- phonics, spelling, and English- the best parts of Rod and Staff, imo!  We are currently wrapping up 2nd grade with my last homeschooler.  She is finishing up unit 3 of the grade 2 phonics, and we will just keep going with it on top of her 3rd grade work next year until we get through it.  (She had a lot of medical issues this year.  We kept up math and a lot of LA work, and she is a great reader.  I was ok with slowing down on the phonics work each week since I know she can just keep going with it, since there isn't phonics in the 3rd grade anyway.  She isn't getting behind on anything. ) 

ETA even though I did use the reading in 1st grade alongside the phonics, you wouldn't have to.  It really would stand alone.  It just worked for me as I was getting my readers going to do a reading program over K and 1st.  By 2nd grade, we just fully do WTM style readings.

Thank you so much for sharing!  I think this might be a possibility for us then.  We used the spelling for our 3rd and 4th graders, and I really like it.  The only thing I dislike (and this is minor) is R&S doesn't print the spelling words for 2nd grade in cursive that I could see.  She learned cursive in K because that is what Abeka does----but she still needs those reminders to write in cursive. Her print is terrible, LOL.  

[Ellie]

On 4/26/2022 at 11:15 AM, Ting Tang said:

I hastily sold our 2nd grade Abeka materials last year and am considering some phonics review options with Memoria Press.  (A full curriculum didn't work for my boys, but I do really like the literature for 2nd grade, so we will likely use it.)

I also like how the Phonics Program looks for Rod and Staff.  It seems like the company really wants you to use their reading curriculum alongside it (Bible Stories and more workbooks).  

Has anyone used Rod & Staff Phonics without its reading program?

It looks doable to me.  I am hoping to use MP literature, Michael Clay Thompson Poodle Level for grammar, and Rod & Staff for spelling, phonics, and penmanship.  I may need to find some kind of pre-writing/sentence writing curriculum as she is already doing some of that with Abeka 1st grade.

Understand that R&S expects people to use all parts of the Bible Nurture and Reader series: the flash cards (which includes the sight-word cards), the readers, all of the workbooks (reading and phonics), everything; and to do it all, you also need the teacher's manuals, which script everything. Oy. I used it one year in my little one-room school, because I needed to be able to give my little 6yo independent work so I could teach the other children. I would never do it again. Way too much sight reading.

However, there is a book called "We Learn Letter Sounds"which is an actual phonics course. R&S used to call it "Unit 0,"and it could be what you're looking for.

I don't love R&S penmanship, because it first teaches the dc to write RILLY BIG LETTERS, as well as a slanted printed to "transition" from manuscript to cursive.

Also, why not use R&S's Building Christian English series? You'd have your grammar and writing all in one place.

[Ting Tang]

10 hours ago, Ellie said:

Understand that R&S expects people to use all parts of the Bible Nurture and Reader series: the flash cards (which includes the sight-word cards), the readers, all of the workbooks (reading and phonics), everything; and to do it all, you also need the teacher's manuals, which script everything. Oy. I used it one year in my little one-room school, because I needed to be able to give my little 6yo independent work so I could teach the other children. I would never do it again. Way too much sight reading.

However, there is a book called "We Learn Letter Sounds"which is an actual phonics course. R&S used to call it "Unit 0,"and it could be what you're looking for.

I don't love R&S penmanship, because it first teaches the dc to write RILLY BIG LETTERS, as well as a slanted printed to "transition" from manuscript to cursive.

Also, why not use R&S's Building Christian English series? You'd have your grammar and writing all in one place.

Thank you very much!  I like the R&S spelling we've used for 3rd and 4th grade this year, but I didn't care for the math I purchased for my daughter to do after completing her 1st grade math.  I actually really like scripted lessons----but what I absolutely do not want is the "whole language" method of teaching reading.  She is pretty intuitive and has done well, so phonics review isn't absolutely critical, but I feel it can't hurt to review.  Sometimes I think it'd just be easier to re-buy Abeka.  Maybe I need to do that---the handwriting for 2nd grade R&S doesn't sound like a good match since she started cursive young. Her print is not as nice, so maybe she could benefit there, but....I want her to stick with cursive.

I will look at the BCE series you mentioned.  On the Milestone website, I think it called it remedial, so I didn't even bother.  I am good with Bible stories, but I do want her to read other stories, too, knowing that she will need to do that for the rest of her academic life at the very least.  🙂  

[Ellie]

59 minutes ago, Ting Tang said:

Thank you very much!  I like the R&S spelling we've used for 3rd and 4th grade this year, but I didn't care for the math I purchased for my daughter to do after completing her 1st grade math.  I actually really like scripted lessons----but what I absolutely do not want is the "whole language" method of teaching reading.  She is pretty intuitive and has done well, so phonics review isn't absolutely critical, but I feel it can't hurt to review.  Sometimes I think it'd just be easier to re-buy Abeka.  Maybe I need to do that---the handwriting for 2nd grade R&S doesn't sound like a good match since she started cursive young. Her print is not as nice, so maybe she could benefit there, but....I want her to stick with cursive.

I will look at the BCE series you mentioned.  On the Milestone website, I think it called it remedial, so I didn't even bother.  I am good with Bible stories, but I do want her to read other stories, too, knowing that she will need to do that for the rest of her academic life at the very least.  🙂  

Milestone says that R&S English is "remedial"??? Holy cow. Perhaps you should just go straight to the publisher. 🙂 There's no website, but you can call them at (606) 522-4348 and ask questions. You can also request free curriculum samples; I think Milestone has them on the website, but when you have the samples in your hand, you can make notes and everything. And you don't have to be in front of a screen. 🙂

FTR, R&S's primary math is my all-time favorite. 🙂 But its reading series...no. Sight reading through and through.

Also, if your dd is reading well, the best "review" is to let her read. 🙂

[Brittany1116]

RS BCE is not remedial. Milestone offers additional support in a link marked Remedial English. It is separate from the textbook series for grades 2-10. This is from the website, RE: remedial

 

Rod and Staff Remedial English Programs

Supplementary/Remedial Worksheets

These courses provide drill in three core aspects of grammar, and are available in two levels: grades 3-5 and grades 6-8. They are useful as supplementary reinforcement exercises for students working at the specified levels, or for students beyond these grade levels who need some remedial catch-up and review work.⁷

 

These are not the standard RS English materials. BCE is very thorough and compared to many programs, advanced. Memoria Press and I believe WTM recommend it.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Brittany1116

[Ting Tang]

Oh shoot, I am badly mistaken.  The remedial course is Developing Better Reading.  Somehow my brain linked "building" to "developing."  I am sorry about that!  Whoops, I am sorry to confuse anyone with my mistake.

 

But I am going to have to say no to sight reading.  My oldest son did learn to read that way, and he is 10.  He asked me the other day if I could teach him phonics.  He gets a bit of that through his spelling with R&S, but it almost felt too late. Maybe it is not.  He reads very well, but I think it would help him figure out spelling better.

[2_girls_mommy]

You are fine to not use the reading.  That is why the lesson plans are broken up separately so that they can be taught separately.  In 1st grade the spelling lessons are built into the plans with the phonics, and the beginning grammar and writing are all together woven throughout the reading and the phonics lessons, so in 1st grade it is harder to separate out all of the parts.  But you can take out just the phonics.  

By 2nd grade their different parts are separated out completely.  The spelling, English, and phonics are all completely different and can be used completely independently.    I have never used the 2nd grade reading, but I have always used the spelling, phonics, and English.  The phonics are very thorough.  The English is extremely thorough, much more than anything else out there.  And the writing is fine that is included, but some take out those exercises (which are clearly marked as composition sometime after 2nd grade.  I am not looking at the 3rd grade book to see when that starts as my ydd is still in 2nd,) to use better writing programs at a certain point.  I used both.  We just worked through the English including the writing exercises that are interspersed throughout the English and did another writing alongside once they were older elementary.  

The handwriting I do not like.  The early grades are tracing.  And the cursive font is very old fashioned with weird shaped letters.  I don't know the name of the font used, but it had my 2nd grader writing lower case ps that went up to the top line.  It was pretty, but too formal and frilly.  I used it one year then switched to another font with her, then never looked back at it with the others! 

The math isn't for everyone.  We use it, and I like it a lot.  But it is very traditional and different from other programs.  

[Ting Tang]

2 hours ago, 2_girls_mommy said:

You are fine to not use the reading.  That is why the lesson plans are broken up separately so that they can be taught separately.  In 1st grade the spelling lessons are built into the plans with the phonics, and the beginning grammar and writing are all together woven throughout the reading and the phonics lessons, so in 1st grade it is harder to separate out all of the parts.  But you can take out just the phonics.  

By 2nd grade their different parts are separated out completely.  The spelling, English, and phonics are all completely different and can be used completely independently.    I have never used the 2nd grade reading, but I have always used the spelling, phonics, and English.  The phonics are very thorough.  The English is extremely thorough, much more than anything else out there.  And the writing is fine that is included, but some take out those exercises (which are clearly marked as composition sometime after 2nd grade.  I am not looking at the 3rd grade book to see when that starts as my ydd is still in 2nd,) to use better writing programs at a certain point.  I used both.  We just worked through the English including the writing exercises that are interspersed throughout the English and did another writing alongside once they were older elementary.  

The handwriting I do not like.  The early grades are tracing.  And the cursive font is very old fashioned with weird shaped letters.  I don't know the name of the font used, but it had my 2nd grader writing lower case ps that went up to the top line.  It was pretty, but too formal and frilly.  I used it one year then switched to another font with her, then never looked back at it with the others! 

The math isn't for everyone.  We use it, and I like it a lot.  But it is very traditional and different from other programs.  

Thank you so much! This is very helpful information.  I think the cursive from RS might be similar to Abeka's, and I think that is why I hesitate to switch styles, but I know what you mean!  It's good to know the phonics may be an option still, and I do like the cost, lol!

[Ellie]

4 hours ago, Ting Tang said:

Thank you so much! This is very helpful information.  I think the cursive from RS might be similar to Abeka's, and I think that is why I hesitate to switch styles, but I know what you mean!  It's good to know the phonics may be an option still, and I do like the cost, lol!

I was thinking about the penmanship the other day. 🙂 You could have your dd jump right into the third grade book, which would bypass all that other stuff and go right into cursive.

[Ting Tang]

12 hours ago, Ellie said:

I was thinking about the penmanship the other day. 🙂 You could have your dd jump right into the third grade book, which would bypass all that other stuff and go right into cursive.

I was thinking that was an option, too!  Thank you.  🙂  I know I could just buy the Abeka workbook, but I still like lesson plans and scripts for teaching penmanship.  With Abeka, phonics is integrated into the writing, though.  I just really do not want to buy an entire Language Arts package for 2nd grade from Abeka because I was hoping to use other things and everything is lumped together.