Sing, Spell, Read, & Write?

[~Summer~]

Have you used this program? Did you like it?

My dd (5) knows all her letter sounds but is having problems putting sounds together to read a word. She will sound out the letters of a word but doesn't know how to blend it together to make the word....or she will say the last half of the word and leave off the first sound. She has had lots of tears already this year over reading. I really want learning how to read to be a fun positive experience for her.

We just started learning letter sounds two months ago and she already knows all her letter sounds...and she is halfway through Get Set for the Code doing excellent. So I know she is doing great learning. She has been doing Headsprout and is on lesson 10 and scoring a 94% or higher on her episodes. But she still has problems reading the first book from lesson 5. For some reason she can pass the episode...but then has a hard time away from the computer remembering what she learned....(I am a little skeptical of computer programs anyways...although Headsprout is really helping my ds (7) and dd (8).

Do you think she would benefit from SSRW...or should I just be patient and keep doing the ETC workbooks and Headsprout?

[Lovedtodeath]

Honestly? I would drop it for a while. Give it a month or 2. No 5 year old should have tears over learning to read.

If you don't want to stop altogether, I suggest you sound out the words, modeling left to right, revealing one letter at a time, do this for a good couple of weeks to a month. Don't make her sound out to you. In PS, the whole class sounds out a word together. A little child is not put on the spot. We took a break from sounding out and it was great.

Another option is to stop making her sound out, but go on with more phonics rules. This worked very well for DD. When blending clicked, she was already far along in the program. In addition, FWIW, I think blending is something that for most kids is developemental. With DD we never got around to practicing blending again, we just went through the rules and one day it clicked for her. Tons of practice blending is something that many children do not need, if they are ready.

[8FillTheHeart]

I, too, would back off the reading part and just play games with the 26 basic phonemes.

I love SSRW and have taught 5 of my 7 children to read that way. My oldest was tortured with WRTR and 100 EZ.......I know others love the program, but after finding SSRW, I have always felt guilty how my oldest was taught!:tongue_smilie: (#7 just turned 3, but one day she will be using SSRW, too. Though she already knows the songs. :) )

Even though I love SSRW......I would not jump into it until your dd approaches things with anticipation. You can do arts and crafts with letters (construction paper, glue, beans), eat letters (make them from m&ms or shoe string licorce), build letters from blocks, popsicle sticks, scavengar hunt sounds.......lots and lots of fun ways to still be learning and practicing sounds.

You might also want to read this thread to help decide if it is a mental maturity issue or a simple age issue (I would still back off and make things pure fun). 5 yr olds should be thrilled with what they are doing. The drudgery of heavy academics comes soon enough.

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55901

[Ida]

When my oldest knew all of his letter sounds down pat but could not get over the blending hump the SSRW Ferris wheel did the trick. I am now headed into step 25 (out of 36) of my third and last trip around the raceway. I resisted this program for a long time because I thought it looked too gimmiky, but once I finally gave in I wished I had gotten it sooner. It is easy to adapt to fit your needs. I do agree with others who say there is no need to push, but I do like SSRW and found its method of teaching blending extremely effective. -Ida

[CactusPair]

I love SSRW, but I think 5 is too young to benefit from the complete program. I'd take a break for awhile and do something light and fun.

HTH

[HFClassicalAcademy]

My ds was having trouble blending when he was 5, although he knew all his letters. I decided to drop it and just do fun phonics games, arts & crafts. I was using PP back then and he hated it! I finally gave in and purchased SSRW. When we started back up, he had no problem blending. We LOVE SSRW!!

My dd4 is using the K level and loves it as well. But she has been teaching herself to read for awhile now. I just formally started this year.

I agree that you should take a break. Just because a child knows the letters and their sounds, doesn't mean they are ready to read. Give it some time for her brain to make all the connections. It is better to wait until she is really ready, than to push her and have a tearful child. DD knew all letters and sounds by the time she was 20months. She did not start blending sounds until she was 3, and is now reading at 4. Ds knew all letters and sounds by age 4, didn't blend until a later 5, and is reading at 6.

All kids are different!! Give yours some time!! But I do recommend SSRW!! ;)

Liz in NC

[~Summer~]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I will definatly give her a break when it comes to learning how to read. I really wasn't the one pushing her...she saw her older siblings doing headsprout and wanted to join in. She did really good passing all the lessons...but when she got her first book after lesson five she struggled. She has been doing ETC primer books and loves them so we will keep up with that.

Thanks!