...I have a nine year old that was slow to learn to read. She has become a much better reader at this point, but reading fluency is still lacking. I am contemplating purchasing the online Explode the Code for my six year old who is just learning to read. My question is would that program assist my nine year old with her reading fluency as well? Thanks.
Wow, online ETC, I am getting old. If your older reader has some problems with the foundations of reading/phonics skills, the ETC program would likely help, and fairly painlessly. Just inform the student that you feel there are some little bits missing that might be causing her problems and you want to fix that before moving on and that those fixes are mixed in with the skills that she otherwise understands, and for her to just enjoy having some easier reading lessons for a while. I really enjoyed using "Beyond the Code" for me students after they finished up about the 6th ETC book.
I found the online version difficult for my kids. If they weren't reading enough, they couldn't get far before they were stuck. Also the pictures were very vague. They kept getting errors because they misinterpreted the pictures. Could you see if you can find a free trial?
For your 6yo and even the 9yo, I whole heartedly recommend ReadingEggs! My kids LOVED it and learned so much from it. I'm about to buy the youngest a subscription to it.
Thanks for the feedback. From what i've read, the vast amount of frustration comes from the pictures. Watching the online examples, I can certainly see why. This concerns me b/c when my DD gets frustrated, that's when she tanks. She is very rules oriented and if the pictures did not make sense to her, I can see her getting angry and shutting down. Do you know if the books available at homeschooling stores? I'd like to take a look at them. She does enjoy workbook work better than computer work, so that's probably a better option anyway. Selfishly, I like the computer based stuff better. Gotta remember this isn't about me. :lol:
We did ReadingEggs a couple of years ago. She liked it for a while, then kind of lost interest. Thanks for the reminder tho....I may look into again. Her reading is really....strange. She can sometimes read multi-syllable words that I would never guess she could, but then stumbles over other words. Right now we are just reading for enjoyment every day. She loves books about horses, Ranger Rick magazines, anything insect related....just reading. My six year old hasn't given a rip about reading until she realized recently that the nine year old has her own library card. They get their own when they are able to read a beginning reader book (one they haven't memorized). Now she's a little more motivated, but really responds to ipad apps the best so far. Again, thanks to all for their feedback.
