Phonics Help
Phonics Help
I have tried Reading Made Easy, The Reading Lesson, Explode the Code, CLE Learn to Read, and reading, reading, reading to help my teach my 6yo (7 in Dec.) to read. He is ready and wants to learn, we will be moving along just fine and then BAM it's like he runs into a brick wall. We will stop for awhile and try again on the same curriculum but we never get past the wall. I am not sure what happens. I am lost at this point and not sure what to do. Any help? TIA
Married to my best friend since Oct. 1989
DS 25
DS 20
DS 12
DS 10
And one - waiting in Heaven
I am way outnumbered and loving it!
DS 25
DS 20
DS 12
DS 10
And one - waiting in Heaven
I am way outnumbered and loving it!
Re: Phonics Help
How far have you gotten in the lessons? Is it the same stuff in each program that he struggles with? or does dc just get bored with it? We are using The Reading Lesson after using two other programs with my five year old almost six... There are some websites that have games that help enforce things I think one is called starfall - I hope it is okay that I list that I won't list a link you can look it up lots of people recommend it and I think it is free.
I would almost suggest just scrap the programs and get out a book and let your dc read it to you and help when needed...but I am no expert for my oldest learned to read in public school so this is my first year teaching reading...
Praying you find an answer!
I would almost suggest just scrap the programs and get out a book and let your dc read it to you and help when needed...but I am no expert for my oldest learned to read in public school so this is my first year teaching reading...
Praying you find an answer!
Elisa help meet to my husband Luke of 12 years and mother of three awesome children:
ds9 - Bigger
ds6 - Beyond - Half Speed
dd3 - Little Hands -
ds9 - Bigger
ds6 - Beyond - Half Speed
dd3 - Little Hands -
Re: Phonics Help
Thank you for your reply. I forgot to mention that we have tried Starfall and Reading Eggs.edsnyder wrote:How far have you gotten in the lessons? Is it the same stuff in each program that he struggles with? or does dc just get bored with it? We are using The Reading Lesson after using two other programs with my five year old almost six... There are some websites that have games that help enforce things I think one is called starfall - I hope it is okay that I list that I won't list a link you can look it up lots of people recommend it and I think it is free.
I would almost suggest just scrap the programs and get out a book and let your dc read it to you and help when needed...but I am no expert for my oldest learned to read in public school so this is my first year teaching reading...
Praying you find an answer!
No, it's not the same place that he gets stuck everytime and therefore, I don't know if he is just getting bored or what. I try to have fun and make up games and stuff, but he always goes along aways and then, STOP! If we take a break and go back to the same program it doesn't ever work like it did before.
Thank you for your prayers.
Married to my best friend since Oct. 1989
DS 25
DS 20
DS 12
DS 10
And one - waiting in Heaven
I am way outnumbered and loving it!
DS 25
DS 20
DS 12
DS 10
And one - waiting in Heaven
I am way outnumbered and loving it!
Re: Phonics Help
Phonics is always something that personally takes a huge amount of patience on my part to teach! Let's just say I need my coffee first each day. 
Looking at the list of phonics programs you've mentioned I'm assuming he has not done all of them from cover to cover, or start to finish. I would suggest picking whichever formal phonics program seemed to work the best for him, and I'd do it from start to finish. When our kiddos have hit a wall in phonics, I keep the lessons short - like about 15 minutes each day, and I redo yesterday's "page" or story first before moving on. It also has helped for me to pull out a markerboard and model sounding out each word, writing each sound in black marker on a whiteboard, and then modeling sounding it out as I write them. The BOB books are inexpensive and fun to add to any phonics program too. I know your little guy is going to get over the hump and be reading - I've seen each of our 3 sons do so! HTH, but keep on pressing on! 
In Christ,
Julie
Looking at the list of phonics programs you've mentioned I'm assuming he has not done all of them from cover to cover, or start to finish. I would suggest picking whichever formal phonics program seemed to work the best for him, and I'd do it from start to finish. When our kiddos have hit a wall in phonics, I keep the lessons short - like about 15 minutes each day, and I redo yesterday's "page" or story first before moving on. It also has helped for me to pull out a markerboard and model sounding out each word, writing each sound in black marker on a whiteboard, and then modeling sounding it out as I write them. The BOB books are inexpensive and fun to add to any phonics program too. I know your little guy is going to get over the hump and be reading - I've seen each of our 3 sons do so! HTH, but keep on pressing on! In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Re: Phonics Help
How long are you doing phonics? I use two different programs- Phonics Pathways as the main program and ETC as a supplement. Between the two programs, we don't spend more than 15 minutes on phonics per day. The author of PP suggests keeping the lessons short, and at first I wasn't sure if it was going to work on only 10-15 minutes a day, but I've seen my daughter make great strides from the beginning of last year until we quit for the summer this year. Maybe if you just shorten the lessons a bit, you can get through your preferred program. She does occasionally groan when I pull out the phonics books, but I tell her that if she can paint for 2 hours, she can do phonics for 15 minutes and she usually says, "True." I also don't feel like I need to move along in a program before she is ready. If she seems stuck on a certain concept, for example r-controlled vowels, I'll do the 2-3 pages dedicated to that lesson all week in even shorter lessons until it clicks. Good luck. I love to teach literature and reading, but the whole how-to of it is my least favorite part.
As a side note, a friend of mine who used a much more rigorous reading/phonics program and curriculum with her child last year couldn't believe that I only spent up to 15 minutes on phonics each day. She didn't say anything real negative, but I could tell she was thinking it wouldn't work. At the end of this school year our children are reading on the same level, except she told me how much she worried that her child would hate her by the end of the year because she had to push her so hard to finish it. She's now decided not to homeschool next year. Just go with your child's lead, and it should fall into place without you getting burned out.
As a side note, a friend of mine who used a much more rigorous reading/phonics program and curriculum with her child last year couldn't believe that I only spent up to 15 minutes on phonics each day. She didn't say anything real negative, but I could tell she was thinking it wouldn't work. At the end of this school year our children are reading on the same level, except she told me how much she worried that her child would hate her by the end of the year because she had to push her so hard to finish it. She's now decided not to homeschool next year. Just go with your child's lead, and it should fall into place without you getting burned out.