[WednesdayO]

I am an early childhood professional and have plenty of knowledge about pre-reading literacy skills, but now that my daughter is 5.5 and showing interest in reading, I feel like I don't know where to start! I'm doubting my abilities! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment"><br><br>
Does anyone have any idea for resources that do not push a child into reading too quickly? I am NOT interested in things like "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". I would like a more active approach relevant to her everyday life. I am a "no worksheets" kind of teacher as well. I am fond of the basics of Zoophonics, but I am hesitant to purchase anything if I can do it on my own.<br><br>
Any help is greatly appreciated!!

 

[ocelotmom]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>WednesdayO</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15403049"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Does anyone have any idea for resources that do not push a child into reading too quickly? I am NOT interested in things like "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". I would like a more active approach relevant to her everyday life. I am a "no worksheets" kind of teacher as well. I am fond of the basics of Zoophonics, but I am hesitant to purchase anything if I can do it on my own.</div>
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My favorite resource has been <a href="http://www.progressivephonics.com/" target="_blank">Progressive Phonics</a>, which has free printable/viewable on-screen books which are designed for the parent and child to read together. There are worksheets available if you choose to use them, but they aren't required.<br><br>
I don't know if it's at all what you're looking for, but I always recommend it since it's free, and has worked so well for us!

 

[PGTlatte]

I like the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD and the other DVDs in that series; the Bob Books; the jumbo-sized lowercase letter magnets; Click'n Read Phonics; the Progressive Phonics website; and my latest "discovery", for after basic phonics are covered, is the Elson Readers from the 1920s. They are public domain now and can all be downloaded for free from Google Books. Here is a link to the primer:<br><br><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=nC3QAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_slider_thumb#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">http://books.google.com/books?id=nC3...page&q&f=false</a><br><br>
It took a bit of searching but I have links for all the rest of them too...let me know if you want them - they go from level K up to what was grade 8 level in the 1920s.

 

[Marimami]

I didn't want to use any program because I'm just not that into curriculum. But, my now 5.5 year old wanted to learn the rules. We've had good luck with a mix of Ordinary Parents Guide and All About Spelling. They complement each other well, and I have to admit that she likes the spelling one a LOT. She loves learning all the rules.<br><br>
We also use Progressive Phonics, word games, Read Together books, and lots of reading and practice together. She hated the BOB books and well, most easy readers. But, she loves the books we read as a team.<br><br>
We learned she needed glasses a few months ago and we had to restart a few things once she was able to see better! She had started teaching herself to read last year (4-4.5) but was having a lot of fatigue, etc. that in hindsight was likely because of the vision issues. So, I've been taking it very slow since we got the glasses.<br><br>
She really wants to read high level non fiction books, and she's not there yet! So, it's hard for me to find books that keep her interest.<br><br>
Oh! I'm not far from you--in Chapel Hill--if you wanted to try to get together and see any of our materials before you ordered!<br><br>
Holli

 

[Just1More]

When I learned to read, my mom just picked a book that repeated the same word frequently. She read, following along with her finger. When we got to that word, it was MY word, and I got to read it. Slowly, she increased the words I was reading, and decreased the words she was. Every now and then she might mention a phonics hint as I started reading more and got stuck.

 

[sbgrace]

I was so intimidated by teaching reading but it's working out.<br>
I love the I See Sam readers and suggest them. Here is a link with the first two sets free. <a href="http://www.teacherweb.com/CA/PomeloD...o/printap2.stm" target="_blank">http://www.teacherweb.com/CA/PomeloD...o/printap2.stm</a> The instructions on this link are bad. Go to a site that sells them (BRI for example) and/or the yahoo group below and read instructions there instead--especially for the notched card to use as you start. There is also a yahoo group called Beginning Reading Instruction for the I See Sam readers (BRI/ARI reading) that has been a big help to me in teaching my kids to read. There are reading tutors, teachers, and BRI experts on there and they've helped me so much. They are supportive of and seem to enjoy helping homeschoolers. It's been wonderful for me. I could have done it with just I See Sam had I found them initially. And it's no prep. When she's doing pretty well with a book you go to the next book. It's a genius program--they have introduced sounds in a perfect sequence. I'm impressed. It's really helping my struggling child and both kids and even I really enjoy the books--pretty impressive for a completely decodable (no sight words) set of beginning readers!<br><br>
For curriculum if I had it to do again (or we needed it at this point) ABeCDeDarin looks like a really solid phonics program that's multi-sensory. The sample lesson I found was entirely scripted. I found a ABeCDeDarian lesson online and used it to get going on blending. <a href="http://www.abcdrp.com/docs/ABCD_WABS_02.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.abcdrp.com/docs/ABCD_WABS_02.pdf</a> That was all we needed (one kid didn't even need that) but my kids were/are older.<br><br>
I started with Headsprout because I was so intimated by the idea of being responsible for reading. I regret that. It was expensive and for my kids (and some others I've talked to as well) it promoted too much sight reading. I have one kid who was inclined that way anyway and for him it was especially bad in that respect because it was repititive enough that he could memorize every single thing they taught. He seemed to be reading (half way through the lessons) and then I realized he couldn't sound out/blend even the easiest novel words. He was completely memorizing. We did the lesson I linked above to introduce the concept of blending and the launched into I See Sam and it's going great.

 

[elizawill]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>laundrycrisis</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15403252"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I like the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD and the other DVDs in that series; the Bob Books; the jumbo-sized lowercase letter magnets; Click'n Read Phonics; the Progressive Phonics website; and my latest "discovery", for after basic phonics are covered, is the Elson Readers from the 1920s. They are public domain now and can all be downloaded for free from Google Books. Here is a link to the primer:<br><br><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=nC3QAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_slider_thumb#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">http://books.google.com/books?id=nC3...page&q&f=false</a><br><br>
It took a bit of searching but I have links for all the rest of them too...let me know if you want them - they go from level K up to what was grade 8 level in the 1920s.</div>
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oh! i want them! also, the mcguffey readers are free too. if you don't have them - they're worth downloading as well. i also love the treadwell readers from ambleside online. those were my dd's favorite when learning to read.<br><br>
OP, you've gotten some great recommendations. depending on your style, another option is <a href="http://www.free-reading.net" target="_blank">www.free-reading.net</a> it is used in public schools. it is very gentle, thorough, easy to teach & free. hth.

 

[One_Girl]

We started with magnet words on the fridge once my dd knew the sounds the letters make. Once she could sound the word out and remember what she had sounded out we moved on to short sentences until I exhausted my creativity to make the sentences you can make with only one set of magnets. We then started the Animal Antics short and long vowel books, talked about the long sounds, and moved on to level one readers. I pulled some stuff off line about letter combinations and some sight words and we talked about the different things letters say together out of context for a month. I mostly just tell her what the letters say together when she encounters new combinations and asks though. I was very intimidated by reading instruction, but it has been much easier than I thought it would be even without a formal curricullum. Reading daily has been the biggest key to dd's success.

 

[kittie313]

I LOVE k12 phonics K. lol I have the entire program and am doing it with the worksheets for dd2 (dd1 just finished phonics K) but plan to do it again without the worksheets for dd3 and dd4 when its their turns. I do plan to make the unit assessments on my computer for them to do, but other than that I have no plans to use the worksheets. It is REALLY expensive (so happy that we got it through our virtual academy this school year) but it is really easy to do and effective imo. It is super scripted, but you don't have to do the scripted reading of the lesson. We spend time with sight word flashcards, magnetic letter tiles, and such for the lesson. I like it a lot.

 

[pigpokey]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>WednesdayO</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15403049"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Does anyone have any idea for resources that do not push a child into reading too quickly? I am NOT interested in things like "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". I would like a more active approach relevant to her everyday life.</div>
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I read this and think "well it's not the tool but how you use it." Both my kids used 100 EZ at the same time, at ages 3&4 to 4&5. It did not "push them into reading" but rather gave them the skills to decode words in a way that built skills gradually, in short kid-friendly lessons, and was, I thought, quite gentle. It doesn't say "100 Days and your child will read or else." I think we used it for about seven months and they had a very good foundation for continuing their development as readers.

 

[meetoo]

My 4 yr old is really enjoying Hook on Phonics K. He loves "earning" new books and putting stickers on his chart. He rereads the books often and his fluency is great because of that. Our version comes with a workbook(no writing needed) some flash cards (never really used) 2 cds, a cdrom (loves this) and about 36 leveled readers. He is doing wonderfully with reading and most importantly enjoying i!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love">

 

[eclipse]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>kittie313</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15405092"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I LOVE k12 phonics K. lol I have the entire program and am doing it with the worksheets for dd2 (dd1 just finished phonics K) but plan to do it again without the worksheets for dd3 and dd4 when its their turns. I do plan to make the unit assessments on my computer for them to do, but other than that I have no plans to use the worksheets. It is REALLY expensive (so happy that we got it through our virtual academy this school year) but it is really easy to do and effective imo. It is super scripted, but you don't have to do the scripted reading of the lesson. We spend time with sight word flashcards, magnetic letter tiles, and such for the lesson. I like it a lot.</div>
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See, we HATED k12 phonics. However, it could be that DD was a secret reader and I didn't find out until I tried to teach her. I think it might be good for a kid who wanted a very, very systematic approach.

 

[skueppers]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>ocelotmom</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15403095"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">My favorite resource has been <a href="http://www.progressivephonics.com/" target="_blank">Progressive Phonics</a>, which has free printable/viewable on-screen books which are designed for the parent and child to read together. There are worksheets available if you choose to use them, but they aren't required.<br><br>
I don't know if it's at all what you're looking for, but I always recommend it since it's free, and has worked so well for us!</div>
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We also had good success with Progressive Phonics at a certain stage of my daughter's reading journey. She really liked the reading together format, and we played a lot of word memory with the cards you can print out.

 

[elizawill]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>meetoo</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15405962"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">My 4 yr old is really enjoying Hook on Phonics K. He loves "earning" new books and putting stickers on his chart. He rereads the books often and his fluency is great because of that. Our version comes with a workbook(no writing needed) some flash cards (never really used) 2 cds, a cdrom (loves this) and about 36 leveled readers. He is doing wonderfully with reading and most importantly enjoying i!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"></div>
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yes, this is what my little boy uses too. we also have the deluxe version & it is going really well (and i love that there's no handwriting!). we've never used the CD, but we love the CD-ROM. HOP goes nicely with the "i am sam" readers too. i own the 1st grade, 2nd grade, and mastr reader levels too. we used them with my daughter & they were a huge success! lastly, we use reading eggs. they keep extending my already <b>free</b> account. it's insane! i just got an email saying we could use it until august 15th!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love">

 

[yllek]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>WednesdayO</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15403049"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Does anyone have any idea for resources that do not push a child into reading too quickly? I am NOT interested in things like "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". I would like a more active approach relevant to her everyday life. I am a "no worksheets" kind of teacher as well. I am fond of the basics of Zoophonics, but I am hesitant to purchase anything if I can do it on my own.</div>
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I am not familiar with Zoophonics, but I hear what you are saying about avoiding scripted programs and connecting reading skills to more active, engaging activities.<br><br>
My ds5 loved starfall.com during the pre-reading stage, and my dd2 currently LOVES more.starfall.com (the subscription service of starfall). We also did the Leapfrog videos (not a lot, because I am actually not a big fan of lots of screen time for littles). And of course, we read a crazy amount of books All. The. Time.<br><br>
Ds5 began recognizing sight words, decoding simple words and blending a bit on his own at age 3, but didn't really get going until age 4. We played with magnetic letters, made simple handmade books, pointed out a lot of environmental print, decoded words that he already recognized (STOP, cat, enter, up, etc.), did very simple shared reading activities (where we would both read a familiar book and he would "help" me at certain points by following along with my finger, using his finger, supply the correct word at the right time, etc.). At 5, I began some phonics instruction, but really, our phonics work has always trailed behind his reading ability. Still, both he and I LOVE the reading activities available at the <a href="http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/SCAindex.htm" target="_blank">Florida Center for Reading Research</a>. Many activities, manipulatives and games available to print for free.<br><br>
We also love the word sorts and games from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWords-Their-Way-Vocabulary-Instruction%2Fdp%2F013223968X%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1273895400%26sr%3D1-1" target="_blank"><i>Words Their Way</i></a>. This one is especially good if you have a natural/sight reader like my ds. This process makes phonics rules more explicit to a child who naturally intuits the rules from just reading.<br><br>
We have also used Bob Books, Progressive Phonics, Phonics Pathways, and for a very brief period, Sing, Spell, Read and Write (or whatever that name is), but we didn't stick with any of these for very long. Ds went from reading books with cvc words to reading level 3 readers and short chapter books in the space of 6 months, so I've been struggling to keep up with him. Looking over all we have done, I'd say that plenty of games and plenty of books were the keys to unlock reading for my kid, and the best phonics work was not worksheet- or "repeat after me"-driven activities

 

[AAK]

My 4 yr old dd is doing zoo phonics at preschool, and while it is fun and she is enjoying it (and includes movement while focusing on the sound) I wouldn't purchase it.<br><br>
I am using ABeCeDarian with my 7 yr old and really like the program. I would definitely use it again! I started with the B level though because we first used "Reading Reflex". I liked it too, but like the organization of ABeCeDarian better with the advanced code. And, as a pp mentioned, it is entirely scripted. They also have a yahoo support group (the creator answers questions himself!). We also use the I See Sam books which have been great. My dd needed slower progression than the Bob books had to offer. For comprehension, I like Beyond the code. But your child needs to be reading a bit before using those books.<br><br>
Amy

 

[Kindermama]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Just1More</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15403351"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">When I learned to read, my mom just picked a book that repeated the same word frequently. She read, following along with her finger. When we got to that word, it was MY word, and I got to read it. Slowly, she increased the words I was reading, and decreased the words she was. Every now and then she might mention a phonics hint as I started reading more and got stuck.</div>
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that!<br><br>
Best thing to do is read to her as much as you can!

 

[WednesdayO]

Like I had mentioned, I've been in the early childhood field for over 10 years so the foundation is not a concern. It's the moving forward part I'm unsure of. Reading a lot is not a problem. We own tons of books in a large variety and read several every day. We're also library addicts.<br><br>
Anyway, thanks for all of these suggestions/ideas! I have heard of several of them, but will look into the others.<br><br>
Oh... does anyone have specific experience with Phonics Pathways that you can share??

 

[yllek]

Of all the "packaged" phonics programs, I stuck with Phonics Pathways the longest, and I still use it as a reference sometimes. For us, the cons were:<br><ul><li>The visual layout of the page drove both ds and me completely nuts. It's a very cluttered page for a beginning reader. I ended up rewriting a lot of the book on my computer so I could print out flashcards or a cleaner page.<br></li>
<li>There are only a few suggestions for games, which you basically had to make yourself. The games were not winners with ds.<br></li>
<li>We didn't start PP until after ds was already reading cvc words. A big chunk of the book is blending two sounds (ba, be, bi, etc.).<br></li>
<li>The phonics rules are not very adequately explained. The phonics patterns are presented (usually one or two per page), but I had to use other references for further detail.</li>
</ul><br>
The pros were:<br><ul><li>The lessons are pretty much open-and-go, without being scripted.<br></li>
<li>There are lots of practice words and phrases for each phonics pattern.<br></li>
<li>The lessons can done entirely orally. Phonics programs that depended on a lot of writing did not work for us.<br></li>
<li>The progression of phonics concepts were pretty good.</li>
</ul><br>
For what you are getting, however, I think that the free phonics curricula at <a href="http://donpotter.net/ed.htm" target="_blank">Don Potter's site</a> are a good deal better than Phonics Pathways (either <a href="http://donpotter.net/PDF/Word%20Mastery%20-%20Typed.pdf" target="_blank">Word Mastery</a> or <a href="http://donpotter.net/PDF/Reading%20Made%20Easy%20with%20Blend%20Phonics%20justified.pdf" target="_blank">Blend Phonics</a> - both are pdf links). The stuff at Don Potter's and PP utilize basically the same approach - lists of practice words illustrating a phonics pattern.

 

[PGTlatte]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>yllek</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15413888"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
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<ul><li>The visual layout of the page drove both ds and me completely nuts. It's a very cluttered page for a beginning reader.</li>
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ITA with this. I had borrowed these (Phonics Pathways) from the library to review. I chose not to use this program because of the way the pages looked. To me they were completely chaotic. This was before we knew what was going on with DS1's vision, but at that point I already knew he could only tolerate things that were visually very simple and to me these pages were a cluttered mess.