After Phonics Pathways...

[SeekingSimplicity]

Where should we go?

DD8 will still need a lot of work on reading for fluency and comprehension. Should we pick up some sort of reading program?

[ElizabethB]

1908 Webster's Spelle (http://books.google.com/books?id=onoKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA7&dq=webster+1908+spell&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=1800&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=1923&as_brr=0&cd=7#v=onepage&q=&f=false)r. It has words to sound out and spell, then reading selections, phonics and spelling to the 12th grade level.

Parker's Readers, linked from my Webster page, and the 1879 McGuffey series are also good. (Free from Gutenberg, or $37 for the whole set from Amazon if you like them and want a real book.)

[Hillary in KS]

We did one of two things. Both worked well. :)

With ds 14, I had him go straight into reading library books after PP. We started with him reading for 15 minutes a day, and slowly increased the time until he was reading 30 minutes a day.

When you want to increase reading fluency and comprehension, you want to have the child reading books that are easier than what he *can* read. We started with very easy picture books, Rookie Readers, etc. I used the library's Accelerated Reader's book list as a guide. (Renaissance Learning also has an online tool where you can enter titles and see their reading level. It's not necessarily a universal level, but all of their books are "leveled" using the same mathematical formula, so their levels are consistent with each other. KWIM?)

We began with 1.0-1.9 level books (first grade, zero months - first grade, ninth month) until ds was reading more fluidly, and then we moved up a level.

Also, Calvin and Hobbes. I cannot say enough good things about Calvin and Hobbes. Those comics got all 3 of my boys to love reading and see that reading could be fun. :tongue_smilie:

Now, with my younger two boys (9 and 6) I gave them the "Pathway Readers" basal series to read after PR. ("Pathway Readers" are available through Rainbow Resource> They are a series of readers written for and used in Amish schools. Very sweet stories.) The boys also read library books for 30 min. a day, but I wanted some of the reading to be more structured. We don't do the PR workbooks. They read stories aloud to me, and we discuss them.

You can buy a curriculum if you'd like, but I think the best thing to do is to schedule lots of reading time into your day. Well-chosen library books will be just fine! :D

[Ottakee]

I would check out the I see Sam books from www.3rsplus.com The would really help with fluency and comprehension---in fun, easy to read stories.

[Leonor]

What is it with Calvin and Hobbes, it got my ds reading too.

I have tried so many different types of book and nothing did it like Calvin.:lol:

[SeekingSimplicity]

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

I have a set of McGuffey readers, but the print in them is so small and my kiddo needs large print books. I did find an accelerated reading list and I'll look at the library to see what titles I can find for her.
Do you know we've never read Calvin and Hobbes?!? I'll have to fix that. lol

[flmom2008]

One program that I used with a lot of success for fluency is called "One Minute Reader" from Read Naturally (www.readnaturally.com (http://www.readnaturally.com)). They use the guided reading method where a child reads a story with a CD recording and then by herself a few times and sees her progress as she goes along by plotting the number of words per minute that she can read.

The stories are all expository and include Interesting animals, places of the world, amazing people, etc. The booklets have also a glossary for new vocabulary and a comprehension quiz after each story. You can do a simple test to see which level would be appropriate for your child (check website). We started on the lowest level and she moved up quickly as her fluency improved and she gained more confidence.

Dr. Shaywitz recommended this method in her book "Overcoming Dyslexia" and I found it to be very helpful to increase my dd fluency, once she had mastered decoding. You can do it at home, a few times a week.

Best of luck to you.