What phonics did you use?

[Jzsnow]

We are starting K in the fall, and I need a good phonics program. He knows all the letters, their sounds and names, but no blends yet.

 

Thanks!

Jessica

[TheCoffeeChick]

My ds is doing really well with OPG supplemented with ETC. I did have him work through the short vowel words, even though he did know them before we started. It has really made a difference in his abilities and his confidence. We checked out a "real" book (his words) from the library yesterday that he could read most of the words (a few sight words we had to cover) and he was so excited. I think he has read it at least 5 or 6 times to me, dh, and dd.

 

I love so much to be able to be home with him while he is learning to read. I think it would make me cry to not experience it!! :)

 

Blessings on your quest for a phonics program,

[Closeacademy]

For my child who did not like workbooks/worksheets, I liked just teaching the phonograms from Spell to Write and Read and I drew pictures to help them remember the sounds of the phonograms.

 

For a child who is willing to do workbooks/worksheets--I think that Rod and Staff Reading is the best. It is very thorough. I did it in this order for level 1:

 

phonics workbook unit 1

Then

reader unit 1

reading workbook unit 1

worksheets unit 1

then

everything for unit 2 through 5

 

By doing the phonics workbook first by itself, I found that we got a good solid foundation in K to 1st grade phonics before starting the actual reader. I do like the reading workbooks because they teach some grammar. We did not do everything in the workbook. The worksheets are just fun activities that they get to cut, color and paste.

 

Once you get to unit 2, I felt like everything just reinforced everything else.

 

I tried with my oldest before settling on SWR: Learn to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, Sonlight K LA (2002 version), Phonics Pathways, sight word activities, Hooked on Phonics, absolutely nothing, Dick and Jane, and a few other books.

 

I really wish, I would have waited until the end of K, started with the unit 0 of Rod and Staff Reading 1, worked slowly through Unit 1 of phonics and went from there. It really works great.

 

This is what I believe and what I wish and what I did. Everyone else will have their own opionions because learning to read is so very individual and each child learns at a different pace and in a different way.

 

Good luck.:001_smile:

[CookieMonster]

My ds is doing really well with OPG supplemented with ETC.

 

This is my recommendation. I have used The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading for my four-year-old. We started at the beginning, with the sounds of the letters. You could skip that part if your son already has that down pat. Or you could condense it (do four shortened lessons in one sitting) as an opening review.

 

I have not used Explode the Code with OPGTR. I would recommend doing so, however. The Well-Trained Mind recommends doing this. (I am going to use something else for review and reinforcement.)

 

OPGTR and ETC together make a "just the basics, M'am" curriculum for reading instruction. They work. But they're not flashy. If you are really wanting flashy and colorful, you might want to look elsewhere.

 

There are other good phonics programs out there. A Beka is another one I am familiar with. It has lots of bells and whistles (cards, charts, and games) which is great if you love that sort of thing. (On some days, I do!)

 

Each phonics program moves at it's own pace. So take that into consideration when you decide.

[CookieMonster]

double post

Edited January 20, 2009 by CookieMonster

[charlotteb]

We are starting K in the fall, and I need a good phonics program. He knows all the letters, their sounds and names, but no blends yet.

 

Thanks!

Jessica

 

We used Abeka's "Letters and Sounds" and "Handbook for Reading". Both of my kids are excellent readers and I attribute it to Abeka.

[hsmamainva]

I used Abeka for my oldest, as she was a very visual learner. The charts and little sound cards worked very well for her.

 

I used Alphaphonics for my second child, as he has special needs and he couldn't "hear" the difference between the short vowel sounds and Alphaphonics uses a word ladder approach (ball, call, hall, tall, wall, etc.)

 

For my two youngest children, I've used Sing, Spell, Read, and Write. It worked very well for my 3rd child, who picks up things very quickly, and it's working wonderfully for my youngest child, who also has special needs, because she loves the songs and games.

[Free Indeed]

We use and love Reading Made Easy by Valerie Bendt. I have used it with 2 children and working on my 3rd now. I did not know about it when my son was learning to read.

[usetoschool]

Jolly Phonics - a British program also available from Amazon.

[JenAL]

We are using Abeka's Handbook for Reading and Letters and Sounds. We also found some small books published by innovative kids that are great. We read one book a week (reading the same book each day) ... each book focuses on a certain short vowel sound, a few sight words, and one or two digraphs.

 

My dd7 learned to read in ps, so this is new for us. :) It's going well, just slow as my ds is not very interested in learning to read yet. So, we're just taking our time for now. He's learned his blends but still stuggles to read words witout breaking it all down (I hope that makes sense).

[Chris in VA]

Phonics Pathways supplemented with the Before the Code ETC books, then Adventures in Phonics C for 2nd grade.

[Homeschooling6]

We use The Reading Lesson for K and R&S Phonics for 1st.

[Caroline4kids]

I have used MECS software (Montessori based) for three children. They all learned a great deal from the moveable alphabet and phonogram lessons.

 

With my four and a half year old daughter I am using a little MECS, but lately we have been using the 70 SWR phonogram cards and a salt box. She enjoys practicing the letters in salt and it certainly saves paper. Once she has it down in salt I move to a gel board or marker board.

 

I am very much enjoying the hands-on aspect of the salt box, which in our case is simply a 13 x 9 inch pan with some salt scattered in the bottom.

 

I am also doing cursive first with her.

[ElizabethB]

Those are all good sound phonics methods.

 

Phonics Pathways is also good, and a free program, Blend Phonics, is a good start as well.

 

I've used most of those methods, and most recently used Webster's Speller. Here's how to teach someone to read (including a link to why not to teach sight words and how to teach them phonetically instead):

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/newstudents.html

 

If you want to try Webster's Speller, here is a thread explaining how to use it. It works amazingly well.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70153

 

It's actually very easy, you just need a lot of repetition. In the days of one-room schoolhouses, teachers, often young girls, taught all their students to read while teaching the rest of the R's. (Of course, they would have seen reading being taught every year they were in school with a good method like Webster's Speller, so they wouldn't have needed much help learning how to teach it!)

[YHZNS]

We used the ETC workbooks and my DD did them with no complaints although, she prefers the Primary Phonics workbooks. You can also purchase the Primary Phonics storybooks. EPS Books publishes both ETC and Primary Phonics. Here is the link: http://www.epsbooks.com/dynamic/catalog/subject.asp?subject=63S

I just purchased the OPG and plan on using it with my younger DD. When she is older, I will incorporate the Primary Phonics workbooks and storybooks. Rebecca

[JudoMom]

For my older 2, I used Phonics Pathways with a couple of the ETC books thrown in for some reinforcement of skills.

 

For my middle son I used ETC and used Phonics Pathways for reinforcement.

 

For my 4th son I used the ETC primers and am using Hooked on Phonics K, and I have 1st as well (I got a bargain at Walmart). He's doing well with them, and I'm liking the break from Phonics Pathways and ETC. I think I'll probably supplement with MCP Plaid Phonics this go-round.

[Tammy]

nt

[coffeegal]

There are many good programs out there. For me, Phonics Pathways has given me my best readers. It's the one I will stick with from now on. :001_smile:

[joannqn]

Both of my kids used Spectrum Phonics Workbooks grade K through 2. I may have my son do 3rd grade level, too, because lanugage arts is his toughest subject.

 

Both of them learned to read easily and now read well above grade level.

[lulubelle]

phonics pathways has really worked well for us. i started my ds 6 this past summer and he is really reading now! the blends were difficult for him in the beginning and putting the letters together like a train really clicked for him. we get the primary phonics out of the library and he also does 2 pages of ETC a day.

[mamaof2andtwins]

I went through several phonics programs before I settled on the one that worked the best. Phonics Pathways won. I never finished it, but it was a great beginning. I had trouble with the order of Reading Made Easy, and Reading Reflex did not work once we got to vowel digraphs and such. My son didn't retain any of it.

 

So, Phonics Pathways gets my vote. ETC worked for some of the children, and we always used the Primer books.

 

Jennie

[Matryoshka]

I used Reading Reflex with all three kids. Really love it.

[iteachmine]

I have a 4dd that is a "bells & whistles" kind of girl. She likes color, she likes worksheets AND she likes hands on.

 

She knew her letters and all of there sounds before she turned three thanks to Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD. I have HOP, Phonics Pathways, and Abeka. (Yes, I am a curriculum junkie;)) I started with PP and every time I took out the book, she was not interested. I copied the lessons on colored paper, still no interest.

 

I then began with HOP, and she liked the color of the books, the tapes etc. She was doing well, but it seemed to me that she was sort of guessing because of the word family endings. So before we got too far, I decided to take the summer off since she was young and begin with Abeka this past September.

 

I had to tweak the program because she already new all her letters and their sounds, but she loved all the worksheets, blend ladders etc. She is 4.7 and is sounding out cvc words and several sight words very well. She is reading the Abeka k4 readers, and the HOP readers and a few library books with help.

 

I have an almost 15dd who used Abeka before we began homeschoolong and it is a solid program. It CAN get pricey, but you can find a lot of the materials used.

 

Just my $.02 :)Sorry for the long post.

[Lovedtodeath]

A-Squared Curriculum/ Accelerated-Achievement demo disk for only $3. After seeing several other programs, I realize how good this is. We started out with it and then moved on. We are using a combo now... OPGTR, HTTS, with supplements from WRTR and AAS. Its working for us, but takes some work.

 

We tried Abeka and she hated the readers with blends and words but no stories. We tried ETC... she got through it relying on sight--not good. OPGTR alone... not enough review and boring. Plus, with no nonsense words she could get through a lot of it by sight too. She really benefits from whiteboard work and phonogram cards with it now, and HTTS has plenty of suggested nonsense words. The MFW technique was good for K, but I had already done all of it with the A2 demo disk, and I was dissapointed at how slow moving it was, with CVC words the whole year.

Edited January 21, 2009 by Lovedtodeath

[Laurel]

OPG supplemented with ETC is working very well with one. I am just barely starting it with her brother, who has a completely different learning style and personality, so we will see how it works for him.

[katemary63]

We used Abeka's "Letters and Sounds" and "Handbook for Reading". Both of my kids are excellent readers and I attribute it to Abeka.

 

:iagree: Abeka is excellent. It was very easy to use with my duaghter, K-2. She is an amazing reader at age 7. I also credit Abeka.

[Amber in AUS]

For us my DD is having a true split between reading phonics and writing phonics, i don't know if her brain is making the right connections but writing is like teaching her another language lol.

 

For reading phonics we have used 100EZ and it worked wonders. She went from being a non reader 6 months ago to reading at a solid grade 2 level now and improving everyday. We have also started with Websters Speller since finishing 100EZ, just using it as a reading list at the moment and that is going very well. I will use again as a spelling list once she is writing better. We have also dabbled with Reading Eggs which is online.

 

For writing phonics we have been using ETC but that has been like pulling teeth, she really doesn't like it and i have tried different ways of mixing it up. I have WRTR out from the library and am thinking of making some sandpaper phonograms from the info there for both DC to use. Also looking at LEM phonics which is an Aussie program which appears to bring together the best of Websters and WRTR in a workbook format.

 

I think the best program is what is going to work for your DC's learning style and you have to be prepared to tweak or add to make it work. Trying something different isn't a crime but a privilege because you HS. At school if the shoe doesn't fit, they will make it anyway.

[Caroline4kids]

Those are all good sound phonics methods.

 

Phonics Pathways is also good, and a free program, Blend Phonics, is a good start as well.

 

I've used most of those methods, and most recently used Webster's Speller. Here's how to teach someone to read (including a link to why not to teach sight words and how to teach them phonetically instead):

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/newstudents.html

 

If you want to try Webster's Speller, here is a thread explaining how to use it. It works amazingly well.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70153

 

It's actually very easy, you just need a lot of repetition. In the days of one-room schoolhouses, teachers, often young girls, taught all their students to read while teaching the rest of the R's. (Of course, they would have seen reading being taught every year they were in school with a good method like Webster's Speller, so they wouldn't have needed much help learning how to teach it!)

 

Oh, I'm so sorry----I used ElizabethB's site and LOVED it too. :001_smile::001_smile::001_smile::001_smile:

[SABE]

I'm currently using Phonics Pathways with my K son, and he is definitely making progress. I plan on adding Explode the Code in the very near future, now that he's more comfortable with writing.

[Honey Bee]

we like The Phonics Road. I'm using with my oldest 6 yr old and 5 yr old. Good Luck!

 

http://www.thephonicsroad.com/index.html

[Ellie]

My older dd already knew how to read when I withdrew her from school (1st grade); the school used ABeka, and I never had to do phonics with her again.

 

I did Spalding with younger dd.

[Jen in PA]

We used ETC and Headsprout. DD knew her letter sounds, so we started ETC with book 1, and got through books 1 - 4 and all 80 Headsprout lessons in K. We took a couple of months off in the summer to focus on fluency, and she's almost done with the ETC books now, in 1st.

[Aurelia]

We tried several things, but what worked best is ABeCeDarian and Leapfrog Talking Letter Factory.

[TimeForClass(ical)]

I'm new to HSing so I'm mostley following the curriculum that my oldest used at her classical private school....sing spell and write,and Phonics museum from VP..for preK and the we will add ABEKA for K-3 while finishing up the other's....long story short DD can read WELL above grade and age level.....Before I decided to HS I looked at some schools where we will be moving and they said that she would have to skip ahead to 4th or 5th grade...My DD is NOT Gifted...just properly educated..

[Lovedtodeath]

I ended up with my hodge podge due to getting the cheapest effective programs. My signature has what I would use if money were no option.