phonices? are the programs really any differnt? - Page 2

[Lisa1970]

Try Starfall first. They are free. I like that price. Probably cannot beat that price. I think they are at least as good as any other program too. I have used Explode the Code and Plaid Phonics and liked those too. But, Starfall is fun.

www.starfall.com

[sbgrace]

I See Sam has been terrific (and enjoyable here). I strongly recommend you look into it for him and you can start free to see if it "works". I do like the leapfrog letter factory for letter sounds to start though.

Here http://www.teacherweb.com/CA/PomeloD...o/printap2.stm is a place you can print them out for free--the first 2 sets. Check out www.iseesam.com and www.3rsplus.com for the rest of the sets as well as help and ideas. Don't follow the instructions on the link for free ones. Follow the ones on the 3rsplus site instead.

You simply teach the sounds as you come across them. It's gentle, it's pure phonics (no sight words), and it's structured in the perfect way to prevent reading difficulties, guessing, etc.. There is lots of online help (the sites above and Beginning Reading Instruction group on yahoo groups), works for kids with struggles (and not), is interesting and engaging, etc.

[Jenivere]

What works for each child can be really different. We use Happy Phonics and it works well for my super active 8 yo. http://www.lovetolearn.net/catalog/product/07073

[crunchy_mama]

Originally Posted by sbgrace

I See Sam has been terrific (and enjoyable here). I strongly recommend you look into it for him and you can start free to see if it "works". I do like the leapfrog letter factory for letter sounds to start though.

Here http://www.teacherweb.com/CA/PomeloD...o/printap2.stm is a place you can print them out for free--the first 2 sets. Check out www.iseesam.com and www.3rsplus.com for the rest of the sets as well as help and ideas. Don't follow the instructions on the link for free ones. Follow the ones on the 3rsplus site instead.

You simply teach the sounds as you come across them. It's gentle, it's pure phonics (no sight words), and it's structured in the perfect way to prevent reading difficulties, guessing, etc.. There is lots of online help (the sites above and Beginning Reading Instruction group on yahoo groups), works for kids with struggles (and not), is interesting and engaging, etc.

Do you think the LF DVD interferes any with the I See Sam books? We have started the ISS books and I have the DVD ordered but I am conflicted as to whether or not to use it. I don't want to confuse him w/ the letter names and then the sounds as well.

[meetoo]

Aimee does your son know his letters/sounds. Are you looking for very early phonics, or a full program to teach him to read?

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by meetoo

Aimee does your son know his letters/sounds. Are you looking for very early phonics, or a full program to teach him to read?

both -- how is THAT for a bad answer.

Right now, he is a mild SN child and with speech iessues either does not know all his letters and sounds or can not convey to us all the letters and sounds. He is in ST and also has a tutor at teh school via his IEP in letters and sounds. Again it is hard to tell what he knows and doesn't.

So I am working on the letters and sounds -- for now. I am ordering the LF letter fatcory for example and i am engageing him in helping me teach his 2 yo brother the ABCs.

The actual phoneic programs thought -- are more for me to decided how I want to appraoch it -- summer or fall of 2011 maybe .. if he is ready sooner i will not hold him back, but we are trying to hold back and let his speech get better ... he is techinally kindy age in 2011 so if we do nothing till 2011 or even the spring of 2012 i am fine with that.

I would like to try more of the ETC .. but he doesn't have any handwritting ablity now (ok he can write his name the size of a peice of typing paper ) so they seem like they would only fustrate him. to be honest he / we have enough fustration right now i try to minimize it as i can, and since he really don't "need to" be doing any handwritting, i don't.

my heart is with holding off on academics with all kids, espcially bosy till late 6 or 7 -- but i am sensitve to the massive pressures (being pushed , again, to put him in public preschool in fall for his speech and other needs)... so i guess i am just trying to balance it all and plan ...

[~Boudicca~]

bumping this up because i just found it

So...dd1 is 7. We've had a very relaxed almost unschooly kind of groove around here but I could tell that by spring she could use a little more structure. We started with Starfall and Hooked on Phonics in Kindie but I quickly discovered she just wasn't in to HP. Then we tried 100 Easy Lessons and she HATED it so that got passed onto a friend.

I discovered Progressive Phonics just before Christmas and she really liked it. We would work on it every night before bed in addition to me reading to her and it seemed to help. By the time spring came around though she was bored with it and was trying to read independently but still struggled although she didn't want me to help her. So I looked into ETC online and signed her up for it. She did the demos and really enjoyed it; it gives her a chance to work independently and it is clear that she wants that.

All of the programs work in their own way it is just a matter of finding what will work best for your kid. I guess that is the beauty of homeschooling

[Momma Aimee]

thanks again eveyone -- this is a thing here -- i need to driect him some -- i have to re-read