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Ladies,

I know that this question is probably one of the most common out there on the board, but I must just think out loud! We just started LHFHG, and I'm second guessing the "teaching him how to read" aspect. In the past, we have tried AlphaPhonics. I am re-vistiting it again. I myself don't enjoy using it, and I'm not sure Evan does either. I own Phonics Pathways--not sure I like it either (and I've read it over and tried a lesson with him). And I also own McGuffey readers, Spelling to Write and Read (in which I need to teach myself how to use it in order to use it effectively--takes a lot of time to learn the system). I also have all three complete sets of BOB Books, of which he was reading back when he was 4 yrs. old, but with all of our family changes, he no longer reads. Anyway, yes, I was a collector of curriculum, and I don't want to be anymore. Please help!!!

I have been leaning toward The Reading Lesson, but I really don't want to spend anymore money unless it's really, really going to work! And then I've pondered Reading Made Easy since it incorporates a caterpillar, and Evan adores caterpillars--but it doesn't look as open and go as TRL. SIGH. What to do...

What would work best for a wiggly worm that doesn't have a super long attention span, but who does seems to want to learn how to read? Evan has a fantastic vocabulary, and has since he was very young. He just can't read.

I appreciate any help or advice that you ladies can give!!!

Evan is a wiggly worm

I have used the reading lesson with two kids. I love it. The lessons are very short, you just do a couple of pages a day so attention span does not have to be long. There are short little "stories" all through the book so the child feels accomplishment as they read a "story". you can see samples on their website. It worked great for us. I never used the cd as my copy was used and the cd didn't work. We still loved it even without the cd.

Oh, all the decisions to make! I will keep you in my prayers. TRL is open and go and seems a little less complicated. I have not yet used it, but am looking through it during the summer (borrowed it from my sister in law) to see if that will work for my daughter when she is ready for reading.
You can always incorporate the idea of the sight word worm/caterpillar with TRL.
Here is a great thread where Carrie describes the TRL vs RME. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3931#p29197
Success

We are currently using TRL. I love how it is setup, with short lessons and stories throughout. We do one prior page as a review and then add two more. We are on 4-18, and its amazing that she is already learning 4 letter words and punctuation. I love TRL!!!! I own hooked on phonics k, but have not even opened the box as it hasnt been needed. Good luck!!!!

We also LOVED The Reading Lesson! My little guy is also a wiggly worm! We started off with just one page a day and moved it up to 2 pages a day when he was ready for it. It probably took until close to the middle of the book for him to "take off" with it. He also loved starfall.com on the computer--free and fun review of phonics, etc. I wish I had used TRL for my first DS when I was teaching him to read...

Thank you ladies, for your help!!!

Okay, Shannon, I'm joining you in this thinking out loud stuff...

ForHisGlory wrote:...In the past, we have tried AlphaPhonics. I am re-vistiting it again. I myself don't enjoy using it, and I'm not sure Evan does either. I own Phonics Pathways--not sure I like it either (and I've read it over and tried a lesson with him).

I wouldn't use either based on this. Whether we like teaching a program or not, matters. Really matters! There are too many phonics programs out there to use one you don't like, and if Evan doesn't like it, then that's 2 strikes.

ForHisGlory wrote:And I also own McGuffey readers, Spelling to Write and Read (in which I need to teach myself how to use it in order to use it effectively--takes a lot of time to learn the system).

If something takes a lot of time to learn the system, that would be out for me too, but maybe that's the stage of life I'm in. When it comes to phonics, I like it to be straight-forward and easy to implement. Lots of fumbling around, gathering this or that, planning a bunch, it just leaves my child learning the phonics looking at me like, "Wow, this phonics business must be h-a-r-d! Mom looks so flustered." Again, this really could just be me though.

ForHisGlory wrote: I also have all three complete sets of BOB Books, of which he was reading back when he was 4 yrs. old...

Wow - good for Evan! If he was reading BOB books well at age 4, I am thinking a quick no frills trip through phonics really would do he trick.

ForHisGlory wrote: ...but with all of our family changes, he no longer reads. Anyway, yes, I was a collector of curriculum, and I don't want to be anymore. Please help!!!

He will read again, and he will read well. I am confident of that! I get the wanting to hang up your curriculum collector shoes.

ForHisGlory wrote: I have been leaning toward The Reading Lesson, but I really don't want to spend anymore money unless it's really, really going to work! And then I've pondered Reading Made Easy since it incorporates a caterpillar, and Evan adores caterpillars--but it doesn't look as open and go as TRL. SIGH. What to do... What would work best for a wiggly worm that doesn't have a super long attention span, but who does seems to want to learn how to read? Evan has a fantastic vocabulary, and has since he was very young. He just can't read. Evan is a wiggly worm

I am thinking TRL would be good. It is just right for wiggly worms. It is no prep, easy to teach, and you can clip along with it. You can get Evan a caterpillar from the pet store or maybe from the backyard , but for phonics, I think I'd get him TRL. Whatever you do for phonics, whether it's TRL, something you own, or a different phonics program, the list of things you're looking for looks like this to me (again, I could be off )...
*easy to use
*little to no prep
*short lesson method for your wiggly guy
*straight-forward, so you can clip along
*nice if it has caterpillars, but not a must
*inexpensive
*something you and Evan can enjoy

HTH as you continue to think this through!
In Christ,
Julie

Hi Shannon,
Looks like you've gotten some great responses. My advice is don't stop! Keep up the daily incremental phonetic instruction with PATIENCE and love. Keep it joyful and please note that it is not uncommon for reading skills to take several years to cement. Learning to read takes good instruction (which you are providing!), consistency, lots of patience, lots of confidence that your work will pay off, and hard work. TEll your little guy that this is hard work, but it will get so much easier and in a few years he will not even remember that he was struggling. My advice when helping him sound out words, put your finger on the end of the word and slowly move off the letters phonogram by phonogram so he can sound it out left to right. That keeps his eyeball movement working in the correct habit. Go ahead and help him sound it out -- over and over until it gets easier. This is much better than letting him struggle for too many seconds and then having him guess wrong, which reinforces the wrong sound. Keep working (15 minutes day) and then when your son is in Beyond, the spelling level activities will help it stick. Then all of a sudden, (he may be 8 or 9yrs old?), he will take off! And like childbirth, you'll forget the pain. Blessings

Just wanted to chime in. My daughter (13 now and an advanced reader) also read at 4 and then quit for awhile. She liked the Starfall books...we didn't use the website, but I have heard wonderful things about it. She also LOVED the Nora Gaydos books. I never read them to her, because both my kids would just memorize the words. Instead I used them as a reward. When she could read it to me she would get to place one of the included stickers in the cover. She LOVED that! Another thing she loved, which would be perfect for a wiggly worm was Happy Phonics (all games). We just used a mishmash of things we had whenver she wanted to do things. Another thing that really worked well for us was the Explode the Code primers. She went to public 1st grade (the only year she's ever attended school away from home). By the end of 1st grade she was reading at 4th grade level. So, do not fear. Each child "Takes off" at his own pace...but once they do, what an exciting journey.

Again Ladies...THANK YOU!!! I appreciate the time and thoroughness of everyone!!! You have each given me a great deal of wonderful advice and wisdom. Now I have a lot of thinking and praying to do as to what step to take next. SIGH! LOL Thanks again!

My little girl who loved to sit and learn - and would love to sit her stuffed animals and dolls down to do school - loved The Reading Lesson. And...my little guy that is just bursting with energy and literally bounces and pounces and rolls while we do "school" also happens to be loving and thriving with The Reading Lesson! We moved along quickly at the beginning and then when the pages got a little longer to read, we moved back to just one page per day. We were only spending about 5 min per day on phonics - which I figure was just about perfect for a little guy who is enjoying learning to read...as long as it's short!

For my little wiggler, I fould that laying on our bellies in front of the book for our page or 2 a day worked the best. This seemed to keep him "still" the best. I won't be belly-laying for a few more months though.

Kathleen