Cottage Press Primer One and Two

[Ting Tang]

Is anyone familiar with these?

They link resources for spelling and phonics, but they seem like resources for the parent, which might work well if you know how to plan and schedule for a year.  I wondered what anyone used alongside the primer series.  I'm hoping to use the Poodle Series from MCT as well.  This would be for 2nd grade.  

We're coming from Abeka language arts.

Still exploring....  narrowing it down, though...   Torn between Memoria Press and Cottage Press mainly.

[KSera]

I used these for a couple of my older kids. They were a good fit for one of them, and the other one was too discrepant in their various LA skills such that some of it was the right level, some was too easy and some was too difficult. I have found that an issue in general with combined LA programs at the very young ages (when kids are still working on their reading and handwriting skills). In our homeschool, for 1st and 2nd grade, this would be a complete program and we wouldn't use it in addition to other programs. A student who still needs phonics and specific handwriting instruction I wouldn't use this kind of program with personally.

[Ting Tang]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

I used these for a couple of my older kids. They were a good fit for one of them, and the other one was too discrepant in their various LA skills such that some of it was the right level, some was too easy and some was too difficult. I have found that an issue in general with combined LA programs at the very young ages (when kids are still working on their reading and handwriting skills). In our homeschool, for 1st and 2nd grade, this would be a complete program and we wouldn't use it in addition to other programs. A student who still needs phonics and specific handwriting instruction I wouldn't use this kind of program with personally.

Thank you so much for sharing!  Yes, I was actually thinking Primer One would be on the easy side for her, and we'd use the MCT Poodle books alongside it.  She probably doesn't need phonics, but I feel like somehow it might backfire if we don't review phonics.  Do you think the Primer reviews a lot of phonics?  I saw a little bit in the samples.  I just didn't know to what extent.  

[KSera]

8 minutes ago, Ting Tang said:

Thank you so much for sharing!  Yes, I was actually thinking Primer One would be on the easy side for her, and we'd use the MCT Poodle books alongside it.  She probably doesn't need phonics, but I feel like somehow it might backfire if we don't review phonics.  Do you think the Primer reviews a lot of phonics?  I saw a little bit in the samples.  I just didn't know to what extent.  

I would have to go back and look, but I don’t recall phonics having much to do with it. It’s possible they revised it? When we were doing it, I recall primarily reading aloud and then dc doing related copy work and dictation and A light grammar exercise and some kind of nature study. On the other hand, mine were all reading well by the time they did this, so it’s possible there were some phonics and we just skipped that..

[Ting Tang]

2 hours ago, KSera said:

I would have to go back and look, but I don’t recall phonics having much to do with it. It’s possible they revised it? When we were doing it, I recall primarily reading aloud and then dc doing related copy work and dictation and A light grammar exercise and some kind of nature study. On the other hand, mine were all reading well by the time they did this, so it’s possible there were some phonics and we just skipped that..

One of my children has really struggled with reading and comprehension, so I am worried about not spending extra time on phonics, even though she is a pretty intuitive reader.  I don't want to hold her back, though.  The sample showed just a small section that was phonics/spelling related.  

[KSera]

1 hour ago, Ting Tang said:

One of my children has really struggled with reading and comprehension, so I am worried about not spending extra time on phonics, even though she is a pretty intuitive reader.  I don't want to hold her back, though.  The sample showed just a small section that was phonics/spelling related.  

I would definitely take the extra time with phonics with a kid that was not super solid on it yet. Definitely worth it. Until that is solid, we just work on phonics and handwriting and then listening to read alouds and that is language arts until the basics are strong. Cottage Primer is a nice, relaxed program though, except the copy work/dictation can be too long for a student who is a little earlier in that whole process.

[Ting Tang]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

I would definitely take the extra time with phonics with a kid that was not super solid on it yet. Definitely worth it. Until that is solid, we just work on phonics and handwriting and then listening to read alouds and that is language arts until the basics are strong. Cottage Primer is a nice, relaxed program though, except the copy work/dictation can be too long for a student who is a little earlier in that whole process.

Thank you so much! I feel like it can't hurt. I think for literature, I am leaning towards Memoria Press.  The teacher guides have instructions for going over phonics, and the enrichment program has a lot of great books (some of which we own).  She also loved the MCT Poodle samples we looked at, so I think I will purchase those, too.