Reading for 6yo

We’ve done a range of things from no curriculum at all to curricula between my kids so far (I’ve taught 3 to read, 1 taught himself at age 3, and I’m currently teaching a 6 year old, with 4 more kids to go).  We are liking All About Reading for my 6 year old because it is something we can pick up and use, linger until he grasps a concept, and then move on to the next concept without me needing to think about what comes next. (Very helpful as I’m due any day now to give birth to baby #9).

B/D mixup – totally normal.  I explain it to them this way – “When you slide your finger along the line of letters you’re reading do you run into the tall back of that letter or the round doorknob?  The tall back is a ‘buh, buh, B’, the doorknob is a ‘duh, duh, D’.  Then  they can always check themselves.

Short vowels – some just sound so similar!  They’ll get it.

For dragging out every word:  I have him sound it out like that (slowly) when needed, but before he can move on to sound out the next word he has to say the one he just sounded out the ‘fast/normal’ way.  So cccaaaattt is followed by him saying ‘cat’.

In the end, time to develop and mature is just as much a factor as which curriculum you choose, if not more.  So choose what you want to use and then just give her time!

I understand. My oldest daughter (the one in my avatar) taught herself to read when she was four,a nd by the time she was my youngest’s (the 6yo) age, she was reading things like the Little House series. My middle daughter (17 tomorrow) learned well using Phonics Pathways at about 5.5yo. But this little one is a whole different learner. She seems to have little visual memory for words. Even if she reads a short sentence (say, four or five words with CVC words) and it’s repeated directly underneath, she doesn’t seem to recognize that it’s the same exact thing she just read, and she starts sounding it out all over again. She does this consistently. She also doesn’t seem to hear rhyming very well, and she doesn’t seem to do well with patterns in general. So, I truly believe she’s normal, but she’s just so different! The best part is that she really does try and doesn’t easily get discouraged. Her focus is slightly better than your daughter’s, but not much. After a few minutes, she’s done. I think it really is hard on her brain. So, take heart. Slow and steady wins the race, I keep telling myself. Again, I’m not worried or angry or anything. It’s just different!

I’m using Abecedarian with my dd7.  She likes writing in the workbooks,  and the lessons are fairly short. She moves forward and backwards with her skills, which can be frustrating.  I try to take it slowly,  and break it up with games for practice.  Washington Reads has a card game called “Don’t be Greedy” that she likes. We use that on days when she or I needs a break.

She likes Spelling You See level B,  which helps with her reading also. The theme is nursery rhymes.  I count this as her handwriting time too.

For math we started Christian Light (more workbooks) which she loves. We supplement with Right Start games and manipulatives.

Your dd may not like what my dd does, but I mentioned it just in case.  These materials are also things that I enjoy and can teach without getting too overwhelmed or short tempered, which is very important to me; )

Hope this helps.  I pray that you figure out what works at your house.