My son will be 4 in Feb. He already knows all the letters, and the sounds they make. So I started this book, and love it he is/ was doing great. We sped through all the lessons up to about 35. Now we are kind of stuck. I can't get him to sound it out in his head to read the fast way. He sounds out all the words, and can say them fast that way. There are words that he has learned and can read fast without sounding them out like the, was, said etc. But if it is a new word he sounds it out out loud, then says it fast. Do I need to hang out and go over this until he gets that part. Since he is so young I was thinking he would get it later but I don't want to mess up with teaching him to read. He ask to "do reading" everyday so I am not pushing him to hard it is what he wants to do, and he can read it just not in his head. Thanks for you help
At his age I would say let him learn it in his own way. He is so young you can always revisit something if he doesn't pick it up along the way!
It was just that type of trouble that caused us to start using 100 easy lessons. It is so nice to hear someone describe exactly what we experienced. LOL I am thinking that we were past that point (35) in 100 lessons before fluency kicked in, and with an older learner at that. We had come up against that wall and could not get over it. It took a long time. From my experience I recommend that you: Don't doubt yourself. Don't doubt the student. Consider reviewing previous lessons. Consider using a website like starfall.com or other matierals to stretch this stage out and keep things exciting until the learner is ready to move on. I am starting to have the same type of "walls" with other aspects of reading and writing and have come to the conclusion that they are just developmental issues and that we need to work on other subjects and stay low key on the area that has a hurdle until the child gets over it. In the mean time I look for alternative approaches that are fun to use as diversion. I have found that doing such keeps us from getting frustrated and moves the time to subject areas where the brain is ready and waiting to grab and go. I recommend starfall.com because hearing childrens' voices sounding out then saying the word fast might help. Also consider doing earlier reading portions in the 100 book with only sounding out, then with only saying it fast. It could be that your student likes the process of doing one after the other and does not want to deviate from a fun pattern that is reinforced in every lesson. Overall, if he can read what is in that book even with sounding out, do not fret. He is 4 and that book leaves a child with a second grade reading level. Your student is already at an accelerated level.
I do not follow the book directions to a T, we do what works for my son the best. I would just not worry about it right now if I were you. You are a little ahead of us in the lessons, my son is at 31 or 32.
I think sounding out in your head is a more difficult skill. I didn't think you could expect to see that till 6 or 7 at least. He's doing so great for not even being 4 yet. I would add in a lot of reading games, and starfall and study dog and do 100EL in whatever way suits him.
Thanks, you all have reaffirmed what I felt. I just didn't know if the sounding out in your head stuff would matter in the rest of the lessons. I think he will get it later on. I don't want to stop him from learning when he really wants to. I had not used the reading part of starfall, just the ABC section. So I let ds read zac the rat. He did great. I was impressed. I had to teach him the /z/ sound and the /j/ because we hadn't got that far in the EL book. I think that we will continue with the lessons in the book, and not worry to much about quite sounding out. I also will add in the starfall more often. He really likes to read out of "real" books. Thanks again. If anybody else has some more advise to use with this book please let me know. Aggie
If he likes "real" books I would look into the Bob Books. They are about $16 a set (though, I saw a multiset pack at Costco for $30 and am considering it as we only have the first set and it is no longer "complete") Check your library though!! My son read #4 Dot today reading much of it 'the fast way' (though I don't refer to it as that with him). We also like the books that come with the Hooked On Phonics series, It has been a couple months but I saw those sold alone as a set at Big Lots once.
Thanks for those reccomendations. We are looking into finding books that he can read. He really wants to read a real book, I don't want to discourage him from reading since I keep telling him he has to wait. I will check out those two sets. My grandma likes to shop both cosco and big lots so i will set her on the trail.
