Thursday, September 17, 2009

RC pt 2 What I've used for reading/phonics...

I fell in love with the reading/phonics program from Eastern Mennonite Publications**, several years ago. It is called: Beginning Steps to Reading. (Here's a link to a blog where a lady has laid it out really well.) It is similar to Rod and Staff but on a somewhat slower pace I think. Its simple to teach and easy to understand, with lessons laid out in the teacher's edition which gives a sense confidence to even a newbie. The curriculum is set up to be done in approx. 90 lessons. With my children, I took it a little slower, to make sure they were remembering and/or going over the harder lessons for days, if needed.

I didn't purchase everything that went with it such as wall charts and some of the flash cards. I knew that I would not use them or I could make my own if I saw they were needed.

I discovered that there was so much 'stuff' for the students that I could get 2 or 3 children through one set and order just what I needed, since I already had the Teacher's Manuals.
(I used Rod and Staff with my oldest btw.)

The reader is the BEST that I've ever came across. It is filled with easy to read stories from the Bible. The first lesson reads "God made man. Man did sin. Sin made man sad." That first page sold me on the book!

Above is a book, The Victory Drill Book, that I found to be a great benefit to my readers on all levels. The book is filled with word lists and has an outline in the front of the book that states how many words a minute that each grade level should be able to read. The drills build mastery and confidence in all readers.

As you can see from the pic above and the pic below, I kept some Rod and Staff things to use as well. The Bible Nurture Readers are wonderful!
The neatest thing about my children using the EMP program, was that once they got through around 50 to 60 lessons- they were ready to read! So, I let them! I had them use the Bible readers and from there, we worked from the Robinson Curriculum list starting with the Arthur Scott Bailey books. I let them read to their heart's content and when I went back to go through the remaining phonic lessons, they already knew them. They had learned the correct sounds by reading! (This would go right along with the Moore's and Montessori.)

One of my children did not fair well with either of those types of lessons and I used the book below to teach him to read while he sat beside me on the couch. These short lessons were about all his attention span could hold to!

It is a blessing to now have all 6 of them sitting around the table reading!
A beautiful sight!
**Address:
Eastern Mennonite Publication
40 Woodcorner Rd
Ephrata, PA 17522

8 comments:

Gina said...

Thanks for sharing your success with this! My mom home schooled and after trying several programs, really found she liked this Eastern Mennonite Pub material. She gave me all her teacher manuals so I was starting to use it with my daughter. But there is so many resources out there that sometimes I need reassurance that it was a good choice! I'm trying to remember that it really isn't a matter of finding the "perfect" book because there isn't anything "perfect" until heaven! But some days it is overwhelming! Thanks! Gina

Donna said...

Gina,
I 'played with' lots of things with my oldest but I found this to be the most thorough, flexible, and easily understood by the child.
Nothing needs to be added to it, and there's so much materials that it is enough for at least 2 children! ...My youngest two went through it at the same time and almost the same pace. They went straight in to reading 'real' books afterwords. I think that's the best testimony to the program- they really can read! :-)
Also, once you teach it- it is so easy for you as the teacher to move through it with other children when its their turn.
May the Lord guide you!

Shannon said...

Thank you for this post. I stumbled across the Beginning Steps to Reading Reader at Goodwill and bought it because I liked it. It took some digging to find out how to order more of this curriculum but as you know there is not way to "see" what you are ordering ahead of time. I appreciate even the little glimpses inside the books.

Donna said...

Shannon, that's a FANTASTIC book! It is a precious treasure, still! (My youngest is almost 12.)

I think you would glean much from a Victory Drill Book as well. It uses word lists and timed drills. Easy, fun, but teaches speed- without tears!

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