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I know that recently there was a post about using Explode the Code as a supplement to another phonics program. I was looking for suggestions as far as what to cover in phonics without going overboard. I have TRL which I plan to begin with dd in June when she is finished with kindergarten. She is learning to sound out words, but is not progressing like I expected her to. She will be 7 in two weeks. Last week I went to our convention. One of the workshop speakers said her adopted son was 10 before he was reading well. She said she just kept going through Sing, Spell, Read & Write several times until it finally happened. Then he took off. Anyway, I bought Explode the Code 1 to go along with TRL. A while back, I decided to purchase R&S Grade 1 Phonics. I'm not sure where that lines up as far as TRL. Will R&S Grade 1 be good to use when TRL is finished? Should I run anything simultaneously? I feel dd could handle a little more than just TRL, so would Explode the Code be enough to go with that? Any suggestions are appreciated.

We just finished up K with my dd5. For phonics we used TRL along with explode the code books 1-3. We would do a couple of pages in the TRL and later do a couple of pages in the ETC books. She is progressing and we just started the emerging reader set starting with The Early Readers Bible (She really likes this) . I think all three (TRL, ETC and R&S) would be too much. That's just my opinion, but different things work for different children. She is a little older than mine so maybe it will be ok. From my experience with my little one she didn't want to sit still for very long at a time. Hope that helps. Good luck with whatever you choose .

This year we have used The Ordinary Parents' Guide to Teaching Reading and Explode the Code. While I like OPGTR, I also like the idea of my ds having a little bit of reinforcement and written work to go along with phonics. He does 2 pages a day from Explode the Code and it's just enough for us! We will continue this plan next year for first grade.

My original plan was to do TRL with ETC. Since I have R&S Grade 1, will that be something good to go into when TRL is finished or will it just repeat what dd will have already done?

I am using 100 EZ lessons with ETC series and my dual have been doing well. I looked at other 1st grade programs and they seem rather easy and would be repeating what my son has learned and what my daughter is currently using. Next year we are just gonna do lots of reading and the rest of ETC and spelling lists and go from there.

I have used all of the ETC books with my older DD and I really liked them (so did she). They are funny (after book 2, I think) as well. My 5 year old is doing The Reading Lesson and the ETC books. I don't assign them, they are in her pile of coloring books, etc. and she does them as she wants. I think this is a great way to accomplish learning without them knowing
Amy

Thanks for the suggestions. I plan to do TRL with ETC. I will hang on to R&S Grade 1 if I feel dd needs more instruction on that level later on. I thought I had heard that R&S was somewhat advanced anyway. Is that right? What I'm wondering is, would it work to do TRL & ETC for a year and then the next year do R&S Grade 1, or would we just be repeating everything?

So this may sound silly, but...what is TRL? I am just trying to educate myself!

TRL is The Reading Lesson which Carrie has suggested as a phonics choice. I probably shouldn't have, but I bought TRL and Rod & Staff phonics Grade 1. I think I made a mistake. I'm now more confident that dd will be reading well enough after TRL and some ETC to go to the emerging readers. It's hard with her being in school. I don't know exactly where she is in her reading because she does most of it to someone else. So, I think I answered my own question. I'm getting rid of the R&S phonics. I purposed not to overdo it. We can just do more ETC if she still needs a little phonics after TRL

Hi there - you already came to a good conclusion here, but I just wanted to agree with you! Doing TRL and ETC together with your dd first will help you know if another year of phonics would be good. Children do 1 - 3 years of phonics. Once they are reading a "Frog and Toad" book or an "Amelia Bedelia" book quite smoothly, maybe just sounding out a word here and there, they are ready to move on to the "Emerging Reader's Set" (ERS). If you are still wanting to add a bit of phonics while they do the ERS, then you can have them do some ETC books, MCP plaid books on phonics, or the like for some light review that isn't so intensive or so formal. If at the end of a year of phonics dc are not ready to read books like "Frog and Toad", then another year of phonics with a different program is a good idea. If that is what happens with dd, you'll already be set with your R & S. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

Another silly question...how many phonograms should you teach and where do you find them all?

You know, I really think it all depends on the child. My younger son started with ETC alone. Then, this year, we tried CLE LA along with ETC. Then we went to R&S Phonics (can you say "boring?" - my son hated it!) and dropped the ETC. Now, we are back to ETC and my son is reading at or above a 4th grade level. My plan, going forward, is to have him complete the ETC books and when he reads, he will read aloud to me. Beyond that, we are stopping all other phonics instruction.

My take is that ETC goes more slowly, but the concepts do cement (at least for us). At this point in book 5 of ETC, it is just "easy" for my 6 y/0.

ETA: My son is finishing the Emerging Readers now. He really loved "Tornado." He started the ER's when he had only gone through book 3 of ETC and no other phonics what.so.ever.

Thanks to all who replied. I didn't homeschool my older dc when they were starting out, so this is actually new to me. I was concerned about not giving dd enough phonics before putting her in the emerging readers, but I think I basically know when that should be. Hopefully she will be ready for them after TRL