I'm stuck as to what to do here. I don't want to spend any more money experimenting on different curriculum, and need some guidance. So far we've tried: Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons. He found this quite boring past about lesson 25, so I switched Sing Spell Read and Write I thought this would be a great program because of the music and games, but my son isn't much for writing yet. I don't want to force the issue and this program requires a LOT of writing, and really a lot of time. 1-1.5hrs a day, which is more than he is happily capable of for one subject in a day. I want to use HWT with him, which I'll purchase in a month or so, but I don't quite see how I can combine the two programs. Explode the Code online version I thought this would be great because he loves the computer, and it would allow him to learn to read and we could do writing seperately with HWT, but it's not proving to be the greatest. He tends to click and guess till he gets the right answer rather than reading carefully. If I sit with him to work on it, it does work alright, so it does have some value, but can't take centre stage as our main learning tool I don't think. But perhaps I should just combine it with more readers from the library. Thoughts? So, I'm thinking what would work best is a games-based phonics program that doesn't teach writing alongside with reading and doesn't take more than 30mins a day?? I could put this on a seperate post, but I'm wondering if anyone here has switched writing programs to HWT from something else, and how it worked out for them re-teaching in the HWT format for writing with the different letter formation and lines? Also, I'm feeling so unnerved with teaching reading. Overwhelmed. I'd say that was one of my biggest anxieties with undertaking homeschooling, and of course I feel like I'm failing a bit here, and I hate starting so many different things and not finishing them. Feels like a really bad example to my son. I'm wondering too, is he on track for his age? Am I not pushing enough, or too hard? He's 5yrs old, nearly 6, and is able to read simple readers with short vowel sounds.
Sounds perfectly on track to me. Don't stress yourself. First, I think the ETC books are WAY better than the online version. We did them almost entirely orally, and once he got it, he got it. We didn't keep plowing through every single exercise simply because it was there. Second, look into www.progressivephonics.com if you want something free.
What exactly CAN he do with reading? And what doyou mean by teaching "writing along side of reading"? Teaching reading to a child works best when done in a natural way. First of all, do LOTS of reading aloud. Second, have regular Silent Reading times. Personally, I did (and still do!) this during my "Mommy Time". I would push for 30 minutes of looking at books alone or listening to stories on tape/CD. But depending on the child you might want to start with 15 minutes and work up to 30! After reading a story to your child, have him "read" (ie: tell) it to you. Get the paper that has space for a picture at the top, and lines to write down below. Have him draw a picture, then tell you about it. You can write what is happening below, and then he can read to you what was written. Don't worry if his reading back isn't accurate! Read books with LOTS of repetition, such as "Jump Frog, Jump". Have HIM red the repetitive line. Also books with lots of rhyme. Check out "Real Kid Readers" from the librarian, and make the librarian your best friend! I also made phonetic books. "Johnny's B Book" contained pictures (from clip art) of things starting with the letter B, one picture per page. You can write the word, or he can trace it or write it himself, whichever is most appropriate for him. Then he "reads" it to Daddy when he gets home, go G'ma when she visits, to the neighbors, etc. and is very proud of himself! In the same way, you can make Word Family books. "Johhny's AT book" which has a cat, rat, bat, a "fat" person, hat, etc. Point out words as they appear in life. "Oh, look! There's a PEPSI truck! It has two P's, just like your first name, Peter!" Write a grocery list and have him cross off things as you buy them. "OK, I've got bananas! Can you find BANANAS on my list? It's the word that starts with a B!" (It helps to use a clipboard for this!) Most of all, make reading FUN! At this stage, you're really working more on attitude. If you can build a good attitude toward reading, you've got it licked.
I highly recommend a program through Catholic Heritage Curricula called "Little Phonics for Little Folks." There was another thread where I talk about it and how we liked it, and many others contributed with programs they liked as well: http://homeschoolspot.com/showthread.php?t=21522 I hope this helps!
We worked a lot on our phonics skills through games. We used the Phonics Game for my oldest since she loves playing card games (found that used) and found a few cheap computer games at Big Lots that taught phonics skills. They never seemed to complain about playing the games and over time figured out the phonics rules without complaining.
www.starfall.com My oldest learned to read with this, as did my son, and now my youngest. You can download and print the workbook pages...and all of it is FREE. With my oldest I tried 100 EZ Lessons, Scaredy Cat Reading, then I found Starfall completely by accident. She picked it up almost immediately. My son, too. I didn't really "teach" him, I just let him play on Starfall...and he came to me reading. I thought that it couldn't be for real, and someone had just given me some really simple readers. He read them without issue. I've had that exact same experience with my youngest.
I totally agree with Jackie, natural learning to read is best for gaining a strong reader. The interest must be peaked . read aloud often and then stop now and then have your dc hold the book and keep the space for you while you --- get a drink of water etc, then come back and ask where you were, what word you read last, etc. eventually as you get to the point where your dc can read out some of the words you can ask them to read while you get your water.. step by step as you feel comfortable have the child read along with you. If you get to the point where they are reading read along with in your head and if they get stuck on a word speak the word and have them repeat it looking at the word, but dont make a big deal about sounding it out at first. that what I was told and my kids read very well on higher levels than average.
Oh, and before they can read any book, even pre-primers, they really need a sight vocabulary. Many of the sight words are ones that you can't really sound out. They are words that are high-frequency, and ones that a child should be able to recognize right away. Do a search on-line for the Dolch list, and you can make them into flash cards when he's ready for them. They are catagorized by grade level.
I looked at the bottom of your name is your child you are teaching 5 years old. Well give him time he will get it and once it clicks they are so excited. try letting him read a book into a tape record and listening to it back, they will be shock at all the mistake. Also, read out loud and let him too. It will come don't worry he is still young.
I know you said you did not want to spend anymore money, yet this is the only suggestion I have. Now like Sommer mentioned, McRuffy. I really really like this program. I have been through the 100 ez, ETC, LLATL, and a few others with no success. Then I found McRuffy, my son loves it. It has games, minimal writing (good for mine since he is not strong in this area yet), bright colorful, and takes maybe 20 minutes a day. Longer when you play the games. It has the sight words taught with it though out the program. I read somewhere not too long ago, on the WTM board that it is better to teach the site words in your phonics program not by themselves. Not to sure why, but it was stated any really good phonics program will incorporate all the site words they need.
I would stop combining learning to read and writing. Those are two totally different skills and the program I use suggests teaching them separately to avoid slowing a new reader down. I agree on starfall too and you may have to sit there and play it with him for a couple minutes each day to make sure he's not just guessing randomly.
He's only five, and you've tried a lot of programs already. Not all children read at five. I'd just take a slow and steady approach. Sit with him through ETC online and make him read the choices aloud. When he gets three or four butterflies, he may quit for the day. Then pick lots of books to read together even if you have to supply most of the words at first. Some children read via lightening strike meaning it just clicks; one day they can't read and the next day they can. My daughter was like that. Others, plod along slowly like the determined turtle in the fable. My son is like that.
Well that sounds like the level my son is on. He's in public kindergarten right now. (we're going to homeschool for 1st grade) All they have taught him in school is short vowel sounds. I'm going to buy the hooked on phonics program but right now we just use starfall and some stuff from havefunteaching (free resource) (sorry I'm new and can't post links)
I like the natural approach also. My boys were slower to read than their sister and I found the key is letting them choose the reading material. Even if it seems too advanced for them. We find a lot of conventional readers really quite boring which doesn't help. the Discovery Channel has a wonderful set of readers also about the natural world. That got my son more interested in reading. Find something that interests him. And gather as many books as you can on that topic. Read to him, with him and allow time for him to just peruse them at his leisure. You'll be surprised how much he picks up.
I am using starfall both my boys love it. I orded McRuffy Press but I have not started using it yet. We start K in May. In the meantime I am using The Three R's. That book is awesome and it only cost $6. He may not be ready for all that you are trying to do with him right now. Relax that's the beauty of homeschooling you can pace to his needs. Ease up a bit and then introduce it later. See if you can check out The Three R's from the library its a quick read.
Thanks for all the advice!!! Very much appreciated. I really do need to do writing and reading seperately, because he's really interested in reading, but not in writing. I just feel like I'm floundering and slowing him down because I can't figure out how to teach reading well. He's ready for more than the short vowel sounds. All the suggestions were wonderful, and I'm feeling confident that I will be able to continue!
