Pathway Readers

My 7 yo ds is reading them now, and I love them. New words are gradually introduced and reinforced, all following the lives of a farming family. We don’t use the workbooks. Just the readers themselves seem to do nicely.

We use them and love them!

My ds is 8, also, and we don’t use the workbooks but you could if you wanted to.

I used Hooked on Phonics with my youngest (the only child I have taught to read as the others learned in public school). He really liked HOP and so it was a good fit for him, but he didn’t start learning to read until he was almost 6 because the interest wasn’t really there and I didn’t feel a necessary urge to push him. After we finished HOP, I used misc readers and books from the library (Henry & Mudge, Frog & Toad, Mr. Putter & Tabby, etc) and once we exhausted the library collection of things I found appropriate and worth reading, we moved on to Pathway Readers simply beacuse I had one I picked up at the Goodwill. We both really liked it, so that is what we’re doing right now. He’s in 3rd grade and I find it still important for him to read aloud to me. We got through one reader and are on to the one that follows. I agree with others that the stories are enjoyable for both parent & child. We don’t use the workbook, just the reader. And they are such a bargain too!

My kids all liked the readers although my last one (in K this year) isn’t liking it as much but he still likes them just doesn’t love them. I used a couple of the workbooks early on but it isn’t really necessary. They introduce new words at the bottom of the page and they are nice stories and easy for beginning readers.

We use Pathway Readers as well for a struggling reader, she does much better with these than with readers that keep to one new vowel sound (Bob books and similar).  We also use AAR, and they are very helpful with helping to assess problems and how to overcome them.  I’ve emailed them and talked to them on the phone, and they helped me tailor our AAR lessons for my child.  In addition to both AAR and Pathway readers, we also do right brain exercises and brain training from Dianne Craft.  http://www.diannecraft.org/  There is much good information on her site.  We use her Brain Training Manual, and just do the basics but have seen great gains in the past 5 months.  I also do copywork and dictation, with the dictation consisting of just words from our AAR lesson.  This sounds like a lot, but it takes us about 25 minutes, especially now that she can do the Dianne Craft exercises on her own.  

One thing I learned about AAR, which is obvious now in hindsight, is to take the lessons at the pace that develops mastery for my child.  i was going much too fast, and now we sometimes take 3-5 days on one lesson.

Yolanda