How do you know when your child has had enough phonics?

[1shortmomto4]

In my never-ending story (more like a cyclic nightmare) of trying to make a plan for my ds who is entering 3rd grade, I've come to a big challenge and that is in the area of learning to read. He really struggled to read but after recognizing that he was an auditory learner, we latched on to HOP and he's progressing wonderfully - we are entering Level 4. I had been trying to figure out what to do this fall after we complete Level 5 and thought about switching to McRuffy 2 because when I compared the scope and sequence of HOP levels 1-5, McRuffy 2 begins where that program leaves off. I did read through the Rainbow Resource catalog and it confirmed my thoughts that HOP is not a complete program which is why I was looking for something else. She recommends you finish up with something else - but what?! HOP offers MasterReader (which I bought on Ebay before I read this description) thinking that was the answer but now realize that MasterReader doesn't provide further phonics instruction- just helps teaching comprehension and breaking down big words (ex. compound words). He's an auditory learner - everything I read to him he seems to understand and can narrate beautifully and remembers most details. So here I am trying to figure out how much phonics does a person need? We are doing ETC books alongside HOP and also reading easy readers from the library everyday. Would it be enough to do ETC 4,5,6 along with continuing chapter books or is there more? I've never taught a child to read and this child has been one giant but loveable challenge (which I must admit is causing me great fear as I prepare to teach my youngest to read this year and wonder what he'll be like). I have contemplated McRuffy 2 or using WP LA 2 without the readers (he can't possibly read those yet) as he does enjoy the workbook approach (loves ETC books and some Sight Word workbooks I found at Barnes and Noble). I had wanted to begin a very gentle intro to some basic grammar (he knows how to capitalize the beginning of a sentence and a period and question mark but that is it) and this is why I liked WP's offerings versus McRuffys which seemed more phonics-weighted. So, really how much mooooooooorrrrrrreeeeee phonics does he need?
Heidi:ack2:

[Old Dominion Heather]

Well, I say stop with the phonics when they know all the sounds. Could you get your hands on a copy of Phonics Pathways and look through to see what you haven't covered yet? Either that or OPGTR and just jump in where you think he is.

Just a note, but you will get more responses to questions if you break up your paragraphs a bit. Something about the font on the boards makes posts VERY hard to read if you have more than a sentence or two in the paragraph.

Good Luck!