anneinco Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I am working with my 5 yo DD on her sounds. I have 3 different programs that I am not sure which to really use. I have All About Spelling, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and Right Track Reading (all picked up or given to me over a few years time). I have been working with AAS for a couple weeks. First step is to make sure the child knows all the sounds. She knows "at" so I started with sounds that would make words with "at." Today I added C. My concern here is will teaching her (for example) that C says /k/ and /s/ right now confuse her when we start putting the sounds together. For instance in the word cat? I am wondering if I should I use one of the other two and then come back to AAS once we finish one of the other two books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I use Right Track Reading (with a very remedial 4th grader). It works just fine and is basically the inverse, from what I have seen and read, of AAS, and uses many of the same methods (tiles, etc). We actually use Spelling Workout for spelling, though, so I may be mistaken about AAS. I have also used Alphaphonics and generally use Jolly Phonics with my regular, no problems readers. All of this to say I would just follow the reading book, whichever one you choose (and of the three you have I prefer Right Track Reading) for a little while until she understands the concept of sounds being represented by letters and is able to blend those sounds when she sees them written down, and then start spelling with AAS. Most phonics programs are pretty well layed out and you will drive yourself crazy trying to do it yourself from a bunch of different sources. Just keep it simple at first - one sound, one letter and then later on introduce alternate sounds. The idea at first is just to make basic sounds and learn how to blend them. It is to confusing when you are trying to learn to blend to have to be trying 3 different sounds for each letter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcjlkplus3 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 We use OPGTR - we are using it with our 2nd daughter, we love it and the only other program I even tried was Phonics Pathways - so keep that in mind. I am not familiar with any of the programs you have. However - we (with OPGTR) don't teach that c or g have two sounds. When we are teaching the sounds we only start with the hard sound (/k/ and /g/). THe exceptions come up later as exceptions (c is only soft wen it is followed by e or 1 - whatever that rule is). I also think that you should pick the program that most appeals to you and just go with it. I would give it at least a month before considering switching to something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneinco Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Thank you for your views. I really like the ideas in AAS but was concerned about teaching the multiple sounds for the same letters. Right Track Reading is very similar and I grabbed that out and she did ok with the letters she knew so I think we will try that. Actually the author of RTR lives in the same city I used to and I bought the book at a small seminar she was doing may years ago. I think I will incorporate RTR with the sound cards/tiles from AAS to keep them familiar to her. I have not seen/heard of OPGTR (will have to look that up) but will keep that in mind if these two do not work with her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Thank you for your views. I really like the ideas in AAS but was concerned about teaching the multiple sounds for the same letters. Right Track Reading is very similar and I grabbed that out and she did ok with the letters she knew so I think we will try that. Actually the author of RTR lives in the same city I used to and I bought the book at a small seminar she was doing may years ago. I think I will incorporate RTR with the sound cards/tiles from AAS to keep them familiar to her. I have not seen/heard of OPGTR (will have to look that up) but will keep that in mind if these two do not work with her. Just for reference-not trying to change your mind just inform anyone with a similar question who might not already own the programs. AAS expects the child to know the consonants, but wont start spelling till about lesson 6-so you have some time to learn them. First is works on phonological awareness, or the ability to hear that cat has three sounds and that bake also has three sounds. Later it dedicate whole lessons to each of the short vowel sounds, so those don't need to be mastered ahead of time. Neither do the double letter phonograms, it will tell you when they become more of a focus. IMO the weakest point of AAS is the lack of additional ideas to teach the phonograms. No matter which program you use you can do a lot of multi-sensory work, like writing in sand, whipped cream, corn meal, or just writing the letters in the air while saying their sounds-they must say the sounds while doing these exercises. (Doubles as handwriting practice.) My kids love playing I spy where you find something in the room that starts with a particular letter sound. I also made sand letter cards they could trace (they don't always remember how to form the letters) by writing on a piece of card stock with glue and covering it with sand. I also use the pre-ETC books (Get Ready, Get Set, Go for the Code). I know nothing about Right Track, but have heard good things. Hope you have a good year with it! Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesteadMommy Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I've only used 100 easy lessons. Its always worked well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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