I have been using explode the code and happy phonics with my son (5 years old) . We completed the ETC book one and are on book 2. He is reading (phonetically sounding out) words and small books (BOB books etc.). Today I ran into a lady that used Abeka reading and once again she sang its praises. I am starting to wonder if I should order Abeka reading to ensure that he becomes a good reader. Has anyone tried both Abeka and ETC? Do I need both...does ETC cover as thoroughly as Abeka?
I don't know about ETC. When teaching my boys I use/ed abeka readers, a free site called starfall.com, and a phonics excersise book. The reader do build on themselves quite nicely and introduce different letter combonations that make the same sound. I found they were a nice additon. You could alway pick up some used ones on e bay and check them out.
We are using ReadingA-Z for my little ones.. and my oldest too since they cover reading through pretty much the elem levels. My little ones are a bit young, but we play with the printouts and stuff. If what you have is working for you, then don't worry about it.. there will always be what ifs in life, no matter what you do.
True - I know there will always be what ifs....but with reading..if you know how to read, everything else comes easier. Just wondering if anyone who used ETC has a successful reader.... It seems to be working for us, but I wonder if it is as complete as Abeka... I may look into getting a used copy. But Really don't need tons of curriculum to bog me down.
We use ETC as the writing component to Hooked on Phonics. I, personally, couldn't have used it as the main source...although maybe I could if I ever pulled out the TE. :lol: I haven't used Abeka but I can outline a key difference between it and HOP....which is important for me because Abeka would not have fit the way my son thinks. He's a very phonetic boy. HOP introduces word families. H-at, s-at, m-at, r-at. Abeka introduces it this way....ha-t, sa-t, ra-t, ma-t. Might not seem like a big difference but to my son, it would have meant the difference between "getting it" and feeling confident about it. He loves HOP. It wasn't even my first choice but had already owned it from my dad years earlier for my oldest (who didn't like it so it was basically unused). We started HOP Level 1 Deluxe when he started K last August and he's completed Level 1, 2, and 3 (deluxe version which has extra readers). He's sailing right along. One more Level 3 Deluxe chapter book and we're moving onto level 4 (of 5). He reads SO MUCH better than either of my girls did at the beginning of 1st grade (they were taught at ps using mostly sight words and a bit of phonics). Not saying HOP is what you need or that Abeka won't work....just wanted to mention that before you add anything else, you might try to figure out if your child thinks phonetically in a particular fashion or not. Oh yeah, we also use Bob Books. Mostly for bedtime reading.
Good point! I will say though (from my experience), that ETC seems to move a bit to slow (for some children) and because it has so much writing, it can "turn off" those kids who don't like to write. Then they associate reading with writing (which is hard if fine motor skills are ready). ETC does have a new online program that's discounted through HS Buyers Co-op. I pondered switching to it for DS but since he mainly uses HOP, I decided to keep using the books (plus I use it for some of his handwriting practice).
We used A Beka and loved it. The reading program is strong. It introduces the words h-a-t, c-a-t... Basically it stresses the sounds of each letter individually before it blends them. Then it goes into blending them. Something to think about is that A Beka might work for some but it just might not work for others. I know a lot of private schools around here use A Beka for their reading program and a lot of the parents really like it.
YES!!!!! IT IS!!!!! And you'll spend all that money and maybe your son won't like it as much. It's taken me 5 years of homeschooling to learn this lesson. Do what works for YOUR kids, not your FRIEND'S kids. I have thought of changing curriculums 100 times because of what others were doing. While all the stuff they're doing is great....when I would sit and look at it, I would realize it wouldn't work for my kids. I debated last year to convert everything over to Sonlight. I love the look of it - but I know if I make reading a requirement, it would take the joy out of reading for them. If I let them read whatever (usually we'll get books at stores or libraries - some fun, some true, some literature)....they read ALL the time. I then had it confirmed by two other families that used Sonlight - it totally squelched their kids desire to read when it wasn't for school. And the school reading they did begrudgingly. Anyway....you have to really think about it. If what you're doing IS working, don't change it. You are not less of a homeschooler for not using Abeka! (it is a good program - never used it - often wondered - but what my kids used worked great - www.starfall.com and I didn't have to spend a dime on anything but paper and ink).
The writing aspect of ETC or any other phonics program can definitely clash with reading readiness in a younger child who is not physically ready to do a lot of writing. I think that the writing aspects of the ECT program could be reduced while allowing the program to teach phonics. Perhaps having the student write only the beginning letter, or some other reduction might help with this.
