Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: Blending letters

This topic has 12 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 8 months ago by SaraSchools.

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

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August 29, 2013 at 6:39 am
SaraSchools
Participant
I have twins who turned 6 in May. We did a relaxed Year 0/Kindergarten last year – we used MUS Primer and The Reading Lesson along with memory verses/hymns, simple copywork, and other random learning activities.
I realized quickly that the twins learned very differently (as to be expected!). We continued with the same book for both of them, but I did most of their lessons one on one and I adapted them for each child’s learning styles. One twin eventually caught onto sounding out words and blending the sounds together. The other did far better with sight words, so we focused on that for a while.
We’re ending our first week of Year 1/First Grade and we’ve only been doing review for reading so far. She still shows no improvement of blending sounds. It’s like it just hasn’t “clicked” for her yet.
I just found the treadwell readers and think those might be a good fit for her with all the repetition. I think that if I build up her bank of sight words enough that she’ll be more interested in trying to “decode” the words she doesn’t know. Right now, if she sees more than a couple words she doesn’t immediately know on a page, it’s hard to get her to focus at all.
Anyway, I just need some ideas AND some encouragement!!! My extended family isn’t used to homeschooling and I have nieces who started reading fluently at very early ages. I try to remind myself that we purposefully delayed any formal instruction until just last year (and during that year, we moved overseas so things were a bit chaotic!) but I guess I thought that it would be like delaying potty training and when we finally did, they learned quickly and without much effort! 🙂
Help me stop playing the comparison game in my head and focus on what I need to do this term to help my struggling reader where she’s at.
August 29, 2013 at 11:13 am
jeaninpa
Participant
When my oldest was about 6 she was in a private school and the principal there told us about a recent survey that showed that children who learned to read early (4ish) and children who learned to read later (7-8ish) all tested at approximately the same reading level by the time they were 10. What a gift that little snippet of information was to be to me and all ten of my children!!
Six is young. Six is too young to worry. I’m not a reading expert, but I would just keep allowing her to have success in her reading. Some of my kids loved the BOB books, one of mine loved Dick and Jane. Public libraries often carry those and other early reading helps.
I would also recommend reading Ruth Beechick’s little book A Home Start in Reading which gives good, common sense advice about teaching reading. I also like Peggy Kaye’s book Games for Reading. Those are often available in libraries as well.
Here’s an excerpt from a blog where a mom talks about Ruth Beechick’s approach to reading. I find it helpful:
Wait till the optimum time, and that’s probably a lot later than most of us are starting. Dr. Beechicksays that a good average age for girls to start reading is six-and-a-half; for boys, seven-and-a-half. That’s average, so it means some will be ready earlier than that, some later. Other well-known educators have been preaching this for decades (Raymond Moore and David Elkind come to mind), but most mothers are too anxious to listen. If you start teaching a few sounds and your student doesn’t catch on right away, then it’s too early. Wait. There is absolutely no benefit to teaching reading early– but there is tremendous benefit in waiting until the optimum time.
August 29, 2013 at 11:26 am
Karen
Participant
Have you tried Reading Reflex? It’s a book. I used it with two daughters – there are games to play, and they’re the most important thing. You’re to play the games in the car, in the bath, etc. It really helped mine with the blending.
The other thing, as jeaninpa said, is time. My 2nd daughter is now 7 1/2 yo and she’s finally starting to read. Sounding words out just wasn’t working all the time. It was fine for short words (cvc, cvcc), but it seemed like she was forgetting the words as quick as she learned them. So I finally moved to a Dolch word list and flashcards. I drill flashcards with her; I still point out words that she could sound out; I point out other phonic rules (th together makes /th/ voiced or /th/ unvoiced; all that stuff. But for this daughter, it seems that being patient; playing sound games; and flash cards; twice or three times daily practice was the key.
Oh, and I should mention that I found out (between age 6 – the starting of teaching her to read- and age 7) she needs glasses. I can’t say that made a big difference, because I have trouble getting her to wear her glasses!!!! But it’s something for you to consider.
August 29, 2013 at 1:44 pm
sheraz
Participant
My 6yo dd is in speech therapy because she still doesn’t pronounce some letter sounds/blends when speaking. I became concerned when her little sister was easier to understand, hence the ST. To my great surprise, the only sound the therapist is working on is f. Apparently, it is totally normal for children at the this age to not be able to blend some sounds together…like “th” and others. Please give yourself some time and relax. Gently work at it, but do not stress. When the time is right, she will blossom.

August 29, 2013 at 5:11 pm
Karen
Participant
You know, you might just stop doing reading instruction totally and focus on reading books to this twin. Pointing along sometimes, you know…..And reading books with repetion (The Teeny Tiny Woman) and pausing, point to those words and have the child “read” those words. That type of thing.
Another idea is to make your reading lessons 3 minutes long. (Esp. if the student is already frustrated). Set a timer! Do one little piece. Then later in the day (if you can, if not, it’s okay!) do another 3 minutes. That was the other tactic that helped my “reluctant” reader.
But i must say, for blending and those sorts of troubles, that Reading Reflex book was full of good games to play. (Mommy says, “cat”, what sounds did you hear, child? And the child says KKKK, AAAAA, TTTT — and vice versa. Mommy says KKKKKK AAAAAA TTTTTT, what word is that?)
August 29, 2013 at 5:14 pm
Karen
Participant
Oh, and the comparison… My SIL public-schools her children. And the teachers are fabulous and she just can’t believe how much they’ve learned and child #1 is reading at an 11th grade leve (in 4th grade) adn doing math at a 5th grade level…..And child #2 is not far behind…… How I HATE talking to her about school!!!!
I finally resigned myself to just not talking about what we’re doing. I listen politely to how fabuolous the school and teachers are and how her children are just doing wonderfully. And then I try to change the subject.
*L* Does anyone have any better ideas for dealing with FABULOUS public schools and advanced children?
August 29, 2013 at 5:26 pm
sheraz
Participant
LOL – Not really, but soon those children will be rather average in their knowledge (as in the reading and math levels will even out as most do in PS settings) and yours will be full of interesting tidbits and neat things about a vast variety of subjects that the others have never even heard of! And they will be more fun to be with!! 😉
August 29, 2013 at 6:18 pm
Michelle
Participant
From my limited experience and talking to other moms, it seems blending problems are normal. My DD6 had problems and now does fine with cvc words. 100 EZ lessons helps with the “say it fast” game. Have them sound it out, and then say it fast. It’s practiced with words, reading, and sounds. I.e., say “eeeee”, say fast, “e” (long e). Say mmmeeettt. Now say it fast, “meet.” The same process is used in reading words. It has actually helped us…as much as I abhorred the thought of using that dreadful book.
August 30, 2013 at 5:15 am
SaraSchools
Participant
Thanks all! I’m looking into Reading Reflex. And I think we’ll take it easy on reading for the next month while we adjust to a new school schedule and just read together and review the basics.
We’ve tried lots of variations on the say it slow, say it fast games and so far she still just always speeds up the segmented sounds. I’m trying to remember all the other things in the past that she simply couldn’t do until she was ready and then all of a sudden, she could do them. 🙂 And trying to treasure the fact that this year is most likely going to be one of amazing growth for all of us and I’ll probably be shocked at how much they’ve learned and grown by the end of it.
August 30, 2013 at 1:08 pm
Angelina
Participant
Saraschools, you have a lot of great ideas and encouragement here on this thread. Jeaninpa’s post had me nodding over and over again. I have DS10, DS 8 and DS6…they all started reading at different ages and all spent a different amount of time/energy on the blending stage. It is REALLY individual! The Ruth Beechick book I happen to love is The Three R’s. The chapter on reading is AMAZING, so clear, so much reassurance. Most relevant to you: she talks very specifically about the blending stage and how it is the most important stage, and sometimes – the one that takes the longest. She then states not to move on to anything else until blending is solid. She also states without reservation that often 6 is too young, and that sometimes if we push it, we can possibly makes things worse by confusing the child! I am using Ruth Beechick’s strategies and AAR at the moment with DS6 and AAR mentions this as well about the age 6 issue. Most certainly my eldest two were closer to 7 before it “clicked”. Second son was well over 7. It’s totally okay.
On the comparison thing – and giving yourself permission to take your time – just my opinion, but I really feel that time and patience might actually do more than a new approach or a different book. I realize this is hard when you feel “eyes” on you. Try to stay strong on this. For what’s worth – I volunteered in PS in 2nd grade before I pulled my kids and I’ll tell you a secret I learned: the reason public schools designed a system where reading starts SO early is because it’s going to take them THAT long (K to 3rd grade) to teach THAT many kids to read (and keeping in mind they are of different ages to some extent). The PS setting is also a place where there is VERY little time for one-on-one instruction. So again, it takes longer and so, they start earlier! They also have to sift through the challenge kids, identify and implement remedial reading strategies. If this ALL weren’t enough, they need to deal with summer breaks every year and all the “forgetting” kids do between K and 1st and then again 1st to 2nd. Again, all of this necessitates the need to begin reading instruction before age 6. Sure, some of the kids, including your nieces, will be on one end of the scale (learning to read quickly and therefore “early”… right at age 5-6), but many (many!) others are in the middle of that scale (age 6.5 -7.5) or the slower end (7.5-8.5…still considered normal).
A practical tip I can give you would be to switch up your lessons to every second day. I was hesitant to do this with my DS6, thinking with a whole day’s break in between lessons he would surely advance more slowly …. but I was completely wrong. He approached his lessons even more fresh and has become more productive! It’s as though that day of rest is spent storing up and considering what he’d learned the previous day. So perhaps one-day-reading-lesson, and then one day only read-aloud by you and a bit of copywork. The variety might be just the thing, and certainly this is a very CM-friendly strategy.
HTH some! Blessings and good luck, Angie
PS – Karen, do we have the same SIL ?! Your second paragraph above “I finally resigned myself” is EXACTLY where I landed this past year with that side of my family. And in fact, in just staying quiet and not engaging in the conversation beyond polite responses, I’m actually way more at peace about the whole thing now, too.
August 30, 2013 at 1:55 pm
Karen
Participant
*L* I doubt we have the same SIL, but surely she has a “twin” somewhere!!! It’s amazing, isn’t it??? I rarely speak about what my children are doing in schoolwork. I sometimes mention particularly good field trips (because this SIL is actually a really-involved mom. She volunteers at her children’s school twice a week, stays on the good side of the teachers, she’d make a great politician! *L*). Anyway, she likes taking her children on “field trips” during the summer.
I finally came to the conclusion that she must feel like I’m “parading” my children’s accomplishments or something…or trying to make her feel inadequate. (I’m not, honest–I’m really trying to not sound that way at all; I do think she’d make a great homeschool mom, just because of how into her children’s education she is). So, my resigning myself to be quiet is to try and not make her feel bad, so that she has to over-compensate my always telling me how great her children and their teachers are.
! Oh, if only human relations were easier!! *L*
August 30, 2013 at 5:03 pm
SaraSchools
Participant
Thank you Angelina! That was the reassurance I needed. 🙂 I’m feeling a lot more relaxed about everything now. Fortunately, we ended our first week of the year with a great Friday. Instead of freaking out and pushing to move ahead too fast, we’re just going to go with it and take reading as slowly as we need to while we enjoy all of our other subjects together.
October 14, 2013 at 10:13 am
SaraSchools
Participant
Just as an encouragement to anyone who finds this thread that is also struggling… This is just about 6 weeks later. We backed off and just kept our reading practice super simple. Not pushing hard at all. Just building confidence in the basics. Somewhere in there, she started blending sounds of CVC words! It wasn’t any specific activity or practice we did, she just seemed to “get it”. We’ve still got a long road to fluency but I have a lot more confidence now that I can help guide them there. 😉 I had my doubts!