What phonics program?

[LittleIzumi]

So, dd will be 4 in a few days, and we are starting slightly more "formal" education (mostly because she is bored without it, and her little sis needs structure too, so we are using HOD LHFHG with both of them--previously we just read and did Starfall and EnchantedLearning), but she is already reading. She can read all the basic short-vowel stuff (including longer words like "bumble bee" and "dump truck") and is starting to work out the special rules ("is that a silent e, mama?" and knows that makes it a long vowel sound, etc). I want a program to help her learn all the special rules and exceptions, and twin sounds and such. (Poor kid--there's an e at the end of "apple" so why isn't it silent? Umm.... I forget if there is a grammatical reason or if it's just evolved English nonsense, lol). So I want a program to put into LHFHG for phonics that is at her level, and moves pretty fast (she's sharp) but isn't just copywork over and over. She doesn't like writing her letters ten times :tongue_smilie:--it's fun to write the whole word or fill in a missing letter but not to write by rote. We're reading and looking at letters and tracing in fun tactile ways for that.
So, phonics ideas for that level? I got the WP Acc K IG (used :blush5:) and it's missing all of the worksheets and all of the consumable parts, which are a large part of the beginning program. And I am not a big fan of the WP IG style in general. Any recommendations?

[blessedmom3]

I like Sing Spell read write , readers only .
Fun and colorful .
If you want a workbook , Adventures in phonics is great. I have used it with my ds at this age and worked wonderful.Helps for spelling too.
You have to start in the middle of the book though.
This book isblack and white but works so good.

[Aurelia]

The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading is really good about explaining the rules. There is virtually no writing involved, except for what you have to write if you don't get the additional materials from Peace Hill Press.

ABeCeDarian is good, too. There aren't a lot of in-depth explanations, but it groups words by sound, so the child learns all the spellings for the long-e simultaneously, and goes pretty quickly. I have heard it recommended for accelerated learners. It does require some handwriting, but the only repeated practice is for the regular level A. It sounds like your daughter could probably do the Short Level A if she needs additional blending/segmenting practice and then move on to B.

[ElizabethB]

Blend Phonics on the white board with my rules and syllable division exercises, it's also a perfect intro to Webster's Speller, my favorite phonics program.

It's on my how to tutor page (http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/howtotutor.html), this paragraph (written for a group of remedial students, but good for a young beginner, too.)

Your number one task is to get them to stop guessing and start sounding out each and every word from left to right. Nonsense words are key, they help prevent guessing. Here is a free website that generates nonsense words. Syllables are also helpful, I would use the Blend Phonics Reader (it helps show how guessing is a bad strategy by showing words with similar configuration together) followed by Webster’s Speller. Here is a step by step guide to using Blend Phonics that also adds in syllables, spelling and phonics rules, syllable division rules, and syllable division exercises. There are also readings from Hebrews 12 that can be added to show progress through the program.

[Spring Pea]

The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading is really good about explaining the rules. There is virtually no writing involved, except for what you have to write if you don't get the additional materials from Peace Hill Press.



Me too. We just skipped to the part where it was new stuff and started there. Outside of OPG, I choose books from the I Can Read series that are on her level. But honestly, she picks up most of it from the books she chooses. Lately, a college textbook sized Disney princess story book. Why in the world she wanted that huge book is beyond me.

We also used Alpha-Phonics and hated it. She was four at the time and thought it was tedious and boring. But my girl wasn't quite ready for reading at four, I think. OPG was harder for her last year than it is after the summer break.

[silvermine]

We used Blend Phonics, followed by the Sanborn Speller. (I can't remember why I picked that instead of Webster's.)

The thing is, you have to look in the beginning of each book for the rules -- they aren't really spelled out for the kid or parent in each lesson. If you're looking for that, they might just frustrate you. (On the other hand, they're both free, so it doesn't hurt to try. :D)

[Laurel]

We used OPG as well. No writing at all for the child. Just a simple run through of all the phonics rules. For someone who intuits phonics rules as she reads, you can do more than one lesson a day. We did two lessons a day from about halfway through the book up until the last ten or twenty lessons (which were finally new rules for her, and the lessons were longer too). She actually requested to do two lessons a day, btw, so I just went with it, figuring we could slow down when we needed to.

[LittleIzumi]

Thanks! I got the OPG from the library and we'll see how it goes this week! I love how open-and-go it is. I have very little prep time so that's great :)

[Spring Pea]

Thanks! I got the OPG from the library and we'll see how it goes this week! I love how open-and-go it is. I have very little prep time so that's great :)

So true! I can't stand when I open a lesson and realize I was supposed to prepare! :)

[homemomandnild]

I've used Phonics Pathways for my three so far. It has worked well for us. I've added Explode the Code for the ones that needed something more for extra practice. I might use OPG if I where starting from scratch, but I'm not willing to spend more money.

[LittleIzumi]

Yeah, so after two days she HATES the OPG and doesn't want me to open it :001_huh:. She just wants to read her Nora Gaydos readers, and she liked the plain ol' worksheets better than the OPG. Eep. Maybe I'll read up on the rules myself and just crack that WP back open....