OPGTR Question?

[~Summer~]

I am on lesson 30 with my 5 year old daughter. She is able to sound out the letters and read individual words with me. My question is about the sentences at the end of the lesson. She can sound out the individual words...but can't read the sentence all together even after sounding out each word...once she sounds out each word...she has to go back and sound out each word again...she can't just read the whole sentence.

Is this fine? Can we just move on or sit on these lessons for a while until full sentence reading is possible? She loved OPGTR at first...but is now dreading it because she can't say the sentences "together". Even if we pull out a bob book...she can read the individual words...but not read the sentence as a "whole". Is this ok right now...do we just keep moving along? I know not to push a 5 year old in reading...I am just not sure if I should move on in OPGTR...or if what she is doing is good?

[LlamaMama]

Since she doesn't have a problem with the individual words, I recommend continuing with the lessons. I think most likely she will naturally ease into reading the whole sentence as she progresses.

Are you covering up the entire sentence except for the word she needs to read? That is what I would do for now. I would actually emphasize that she only needs to read one word at a time so that she gains confidence and desires to continue with phonics instruction.

[~Summer~]

Since she doesn't have a problem with the individual words, I recommend continuing with the lessons. I think most likely she will naturally ease into reading the whole sentence as she progresses.

Are you covering up the entire sentence except for the word she needs to read? That is what I would do for now. I would actually emphasize that she only needs to read one word at a time so that she gains confidence and desires to continue with phonics instruction.

Thanks for responding. I had just used my finger to cover the letters of the word in that sentence we were reading...but at the end of the sentence I thought she should be able to read the whole sentence at once since she just sounded out the words....ooops. My ds(7) was in public school last year and we have been doing OPGTR with and much of it has been easy review for him...and very self-confidence building for him as a reader...and he can sound out the words and then read the whole sentence together.

I have had a little bit of a hard time know what to expect teaching a child that doesn't know how to read at all. I am so happy OPGTR has taught my dd to read words!!! I just wasn't sure if we should continue on with the lessons or pause to practice sentence reading. I appreciate your comments and will move on since she is reading individual words and having so much pride in it...thanks!

[AudreyTN]

My dd did that. After she'd sound out each word of the sentence, I would go back and reread it so that she could see what it is supposed to sound like. She eventually got it...

[Amber in AUS]

I have not used OPGTR, we use 100EZ and what i like about it is that they do what is called 'read it fast' only one or two words at first building to the entire sentence. That way they gain confidence.

For eg -
The cat sat on the mat. (basic i know but just an example.)
You would say to DD after they have sounded out the sentence, this is the word mat, what word? Mat. Pointing at the work. When i get to that word you say it fast (not sounding it out). You then read the other words in the sentence and when you get to it have her say it without sounding. Eventually she will be able to read the sentence on her own.

My DD is going really well using the 100EZ method and now is only sounding words she doesn't know.

[Amber in AUS]

I have not used OPGTR, we use 100EZ and what i like about it is that they do what is called 'read it fast' only one or two words at first building to the entire sentence. That way they gain confidence.

For eg -
The cat sat on the mat. (basic i know but just an example.)
You would say to DD after they have sounded out the sentence, this is the word mat, what word? Mat. Pointing at the work. When i get to that word you say it fast (not sounding it out). You then read the other words in the sentence and when you get to it have her say it without sounding. Eventually she will be able to read the sentence on her own.

My DD is going really well using the 100EZ method and now is only sounding words she doesn't know.

[cillakat]

Fluency takes time and modeling.

For the sentence, have her first read it to herself.......then read it aloud to you. Then you read it modeling the fluent (but appropriately paced) speed using your finger or a capped pen under the groups of words that are read together.

The rat is mad.
Is the fat on his lap?
The rag is on the mat.
Tim hit his chin and cut his lip.
Did Chet wish that he had a puppy?
Shut the hen in the shed so that the dog does not get it.


After you model the fluency with your voice *and a pointer* (finger/pen), then she reads with you. Then she 'reads' alone. By that point, she's probably memorized it but that's not so much the issue.....it's practicing the rythym of real, albeit slowed, reading.

She may need something with more practice per sound and with a wider variety of sentences. If so, the Wilson Reading System (wilsonlanguage.com) Student Readers are great.

If she's still struggling with the sentence reading, I'd actually a change: you read/model fluency first (with a pointer) then have her read with you (with you using a pointer), then have her read alone (using her finger or a pointer).

The goal is to make it doable for her. If she's getting to frustrated and starting to resist, definitely modify. She needs to feel successful.

Also, readinga-z has great totally decodable readers that are very very helpful.

:)
katherine

All the best,
Katherine