DS will be starting 1st grade. We’ve had a hard time finding a good phonics/intro-to-reading program. Here is the path we’ve followed, as it may give some insights if there is another style of program we haven’t considered:
We’ve tried Sing, Spell, Read, and Write and it had many problems for us…..not incremental enough, long boring readers, too much repetition in what you do each day, too much time required each day.
We used Phonics Pathways to actually get him reading because SSRW wasn’t getting him there. I loved the simplicity of it, but it was very boring for DS, so we went back to SSRW and finished the K level.
We did just a couple lessons of Progressive Phonics and it didn’t seem to really click with him. I’m not sure, but I’m not completely convinced that it’s a thorough as i’d like either.
When we landed on AAR Level 1, I thought we had found our fit. I appreciated the variety of the lessons, thoroughness of phonics rules, and lots of practice that it provided. It was sooo much better than the other programs we had tried, and I think DS really did like it for awhile. But now DS has decided he hates it and doesn’t want school to start mainly because he doesn’t want to do AAR….specifically the fluency sheets (which I’ve tried all kinds of tricks to make more fun) and the readers. I think he doesn’t like the readers just because he’s a bit lazy and has to work harder at them than with some of the more early readers. I personally like them the best of everything we have.
So I made him a deal today that if he can get through Level 2, I will not make him continue on with Levels 3 and 4, but that we will find another program. But I’m wondering if i should even push Level 2. Maybe I should keep looking for our perfect fit? But the other side of me thinks there isn’t a perfect fit and that DS just really doesn’t like learning to read and really doesn’t want to push himself with more complex readers. I feel that is a very real possibility.
So what do you think…..is there another style of program we haven’t hit on? Do we just need to push through? He does fine with the level he’s at. I mean, he’s a little choppy, but he does well with comprehension and can read the words without sounding out each of their sounds. For what it’s worth, he does like worksheets…..if that’s helpful at all in recommending a different program…..