let's talk about phonics instruction...

[mommyofgirls]

i am using Abeka phonics. i really like the order in which the sounds are taught, i like the teacher's guide...i like many things about it. i am using 1st grade, however, at the recommendation of many people who said the 1st grade started at the "beginning" just like the kindergarten did, and i could always slow it down if i need to. well, i think i'm coming to the place i need to slow downa little. she is memorizing the special sounds (diphthongs, etc.) just fine, but we are not really "mastering" anything at this point. i feel like we need to pause, work on fluency, really read a lot of books before moving any further. but, i have the nagging, "what if we get behind?" feeling (even though she is in kindergarten this year).

i basically need someone to tell me it is okay to stop the phonics instruction for a time to work on fluency and mastery of what we have learned.

eta: i guess another option would be to switch phonics curriculum completely to reading made easy or the reading lesson...but i don't know that it is necessary to "re-learn" anything. unless, of course, we would benefit from doing lessons from either of those options from here on out...idk...

[momof4]

Last year, we did exactly what you are looking at doing (we used Reading Made Easy, though). DS just got to the point he couldn't fit anything more into his little head. We stopped for a month and just read Bob Books and other books that he could handle. Then we started up again and he did just fine.

This year, he sped right through the Early Readers Bible and the beginning books in the Emerging Readers list. After Amelia Bedelia we decided to stop and just read level 2 books for a while. He was spending too much time figuring out the words out that he lost the story. He was having no fun. It was frustrating him. We will work on some Level 3 from the library after Christmas and then continue with the Emerging Readers schedule. He just needs to cement it in his head before he moves on.

As for being behind, I just talked with a mom who has her daughter in 1st grade in a private school and they are only reading level 1's. I'm not comparing, but it is nice to know that by doing it at ds' speed we are doing just fine.

Hope that helps.
Laurie

[mommyofgirls]

yes, that does help, thank you! it makes me feel better knowing that deciding not to "forge ahead" for a while worked for someone else. i think we are going to try it. i just need to shed that nagging feeling that tells me we have to keep going...

[Carrie]

mommyofgirls,

I agree that sometimes it is necessary to go into a sort of reviewing mode, when you hit a roadblock in phonics. Along with reading from a variety of books that are at the level your child needs, I would also recommend either reviewing the sounds your child has learned so far with flashcards or doing 8 to 10 words each day on markerboard, having your child run his or her finger under the letters and saying the sounds to sound words out. I would just use words within your ABeka program or word or phonics flashcards you may already have with your program. It is likely not necessary to switch phonics programs at this point, unless your child is not able to progress with the program again after a month or two of reading books. Then, a switch may be in order. Maturity usually does wonders for kiddos!

Blessings,
Carrie

[kamariden]

Have you heard of a Running Record? Years ago when I was thinking about going for my teaching degree I took an entire semester on teaching kids to read, with a focus on the Kindergarten through 2nd grade levels. THE most valuable thing I think I got out of the class (and it was great class) was how to take a Running Record. It is a really great tool for assessing where your student is when it comes to literacy. It can help you assess which books are too difficult and which are too easy as well. The best part is you can use them really at ANY grade level and it's fairly simple to do. Do you remember learning the different symbols for peer editing someone's paper? Like the P with a line through it for "new paragraph" and the upper arrow for "insert here" etc. Well, Running Records use symbols kinda like that. You use the symbols to take notes on a simple chart as your student reads aloud from a text you selected. When you're done you do a little math based on the symbols you recorded and you end up with an assessment of how easy or difficult the text your student was reading was for them, in addition to some ideas on HOW they are reading (i.e. are they using sentence structure or pictures as clues for guessing), and you'll maybe see where he/she might need some extra practice or help.

Below is a quoted explanation that I think you'll find helpful:

"There are conflicting views on whether students should be assessed using a book they have never read versus using a book they are familiar with.

Taking a Running Record
Running records are taken most often at the earlier stages of reading. Students who are not progressing at the expected rate should be assessed even more frequently than the schedule suggested below.

* Early Emergent readers (Levels aa – C): every 2 to 4 weeks
* Emergent readers (Levels D – J): every 4 to 6 weeks
* Early fluent readers (Levels K – P): every 6 to 8 weeks
* Fluent readers (Levels Q – Z): every 8 to 10 weeks

Taking a running record takes practice. Before attempting a running record, read the procedural steps below, then go to the section on Marking a Running Record Form.

1. Select a book that approximates the student's reading level. Explain that she/he will read out loud as you observe and record her/his reading skills.
2. With the running record form in hand, sit next to the student so that you can see the text and the student's finger and eye movements as she/he reads the text.
3. As the student reads, mark each work on the running record form by using the appropriate Running Record Symbols and Marking Conventions shown below. Place a checkmark above each work that is read correctly.
4. If the student reads incorrectly, record above the word what the student reads.
5. If the student is reading too fast for you to record the running record, ask her/him to pause until you catch up.
6. Be sure to pay attention to the reader's behavior. Is the student using meaning (M), structural (S), and visual (V) cues to read words and gather meaning?
7. Intervene as little as possible while the student is reading.
8. If the student is stuck and unable to continue, wait 5 to 10 seconds, then tell her/him the word. If the student seems confused, provide an explanation to clear up the confusion and say, "Try again."


For a good key to the symbols and a VERY detailed explanation on every step involved in taking & calculating a Running Record visit this website: http://www.readinga-z.com/guided/runrecord.html

They want to charge you for the Running Record template, but if you look at it, you'll see it's fairly simple and you can either draw one out yourself with ruler and pencil or fix up your own template on a Microsoft Works Spreadsheet or Excel.

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope this is helpful. I used this with my son in August to assess whether my pace was truly good for him, or if we needed to move faster or slower. Turned out we were moving at a perfect pace and I have to admit I was a bit disappointed because I was realizing we weren't going to meet my goal of finishing a certain number of books by a certain date. We had missed about 3 weeks in July due to serious illness (prolonged flu) and I was hoping we could go just a touch faster to make up lost time. Like you I was feeling that "we're getting behind" pressure. Doing the Running Record forced me to stay the steady course and just accept that we'd finish the books a few weeks later than hoped for. Considering that he's already ahead for his age anyway, it's not even close to a big deal. Funny how those little voices can get to us, though, isn't it?

[mommyofgirls]

thank you very much for you responses! i do think i am happy with our phonics program...it goes move a litle fast and has a little too much busywork for my taste, but there's no doubt she has grown leaps and bounds with her reading this year...she is worlds ahead of where we were in August. i just think we need some time to slow down a little. Yes, Carrie, i agree reviewing the sounds and words is a good idea. i'll go back throught the sounds we've really focused on in earlier weeks and do some practice words with those sounds. i gave her a DORA reading assessment this afternoon and she tested at about K level for reading skills, and 1st grade level for phonics decoding. i will check into the that reading assessment program as well. thanks!

i have a question about spelling too, but ill put that in a new post.

[Mommamo]

The running record is super helpful!! I'm definitely going to use this with my daughter soon. Thanks so much for including this. I can see how it will be a wonderful tool to use every now and then.