Sing Spell Read and Write

[chfriend]

So we're in the homeschool store a couple of weeks ago. dd1 is picking stuff out. She asked to buy SSRW. My knee-jerk response....I don't think we need that. She agreed to wait until another time.

So, my objections...well, I don't know what my objections are. It's expensive. I sing all the time with them.

She did get a cd call "Advanced Phonics" with chipper song on it about homonyms and antonyms that she sings in the car.

She's a smart bug, 6, not reading particularly well, which frustrates the snot out of her.

I got a Gillingham-Orton computer cd with a very straightforward learn to read format based on a multi-sensory model. I asked her to do one lesson a day.

She's stopped being so mad at me about not being able to read as well as she wants to. (Yeah, I know she's projecting.)

But, opinions, should I buy her SSRW? She's hardly ever wrong when she picks out materials, but ouch that thing is expensive...and not really in line with my not particularly specific waldorfy, childhood respecting, unschoolingish, sort of imaginary homeschool. Which I don't even know it isn't......

[Lillian J]

I think you could easily spare the expense. A friend of mine had it for her daughter, and they didn't particularly like it, found it repetitive and not that creative musically.

[EDIT: Wait, I'm not sure this is the same program - I think the one she used might have been just called Sing and Read or something like that... It was quite a long time ago... ]

I just posted some links to other possibilities in the HOP thread. Has she tried Starfall yet? I'm not one to relish the idea of children sitting at a computer to learn, but I've read so many raves about it... - Lillian

[chfriend]

We have dial-up...she thinks starfall is okay but with dialup it's really slow. I downloaded Study Dog when it was free...she likes that but something is missing...

Her thinking abilities are way ahead of her reading abilities if that makes any sense. Dp and I are willing to read to her as much as she wants (and her 2 year old sister will permit what with book snatching as a hobby).

We read to ourselves as much as the two of them allow. Dp teaches literature.

I think she imagines herself locking herself in her room with the materials and emerging as if from a slumber reading books about mummies and valiant women warriors.

Numbers are a snap for her. She does math for fun. Scientific concepts: poof she's got them.

This learning reading in incremental steps makes her really mad. I have always bought the things she asked for when she asked for them unless I had a great explanation of why it wasn't what she thought it was.

I still don't quite understand why I asked her to defer it until later, except I think I feel like if she had a little more patience with herself, she'd have it. I'd really love any insights you have.

I've posted about her and reading before...I wish she'd get off her own back, yk?

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by chfriend

Her thinking abilities are way ahead of her reading abilities if that makes any sense.

TOTALLY! And I think most in that situation are quite content to not read yet - but her attitude about wanting to be an immediate full-fledged reader isn't, unfortunately, that uncommon. Good luck! - Lillian

[OakdaleMama]

Hey chfriend,
Pretty sure we're in the same area (I'm Nancy with Dream and Discover) . . . so where's "the homeschool store" you mention? Is it the Homeschool Gathering Place in Raleigh? I haven't visited yet and would love your review. Thanks! OT, I know!

[chfriend]

Yes! It is that store. They were really nice. It's clean and well-organized.

We both went with both kids. dd1 is just at that point of wanting to get her hands on the "stuff" and see what's out there. So we made it a field trip.

The biggest problem is that books and learning stuff are crack to our family. It's a bit dangerous to the wallet.

We've kicked around the idea of opening up a similar store with more of an emphasis on play and learning being connected over our way. Perhaps when dd2 become slightly less of a hip tumor.