1st Grade Questions

[GingerG]

My 6 year old did most of MP K last year, but he was too young and not ready. So we are only doing some parts of MP 1 this year. Because FSR didn’t go well, he didn’t have a strong handwriting program last year. I bought NAC 1 for this year, and he loves it. I also bought a print book, but he doesn’t put much effort into it. He just wants to write cursive. Is it detrimental if he never learns to write print very well? Or should I push it?

Second question... we were reading one of those First Little House books yesterday. He had trouble with the word “fur.” I think he said “four” and “for” first. Then the next sentence he read “comfortable” without a hitch. Should I be making him sound out big words like that? It was just an educated guess.

[Michelle T]

Ginger,

If you still have those FSR Books from last year, you might consider trying to work your way through them. They will provide the manuscript practice needed to learn printing, will cover phonics needed for blending and reading, and will ensure there are no phonetic gaps which will affect spelling and decoding of unfamiliar words. You don't need to stop cursive instruction or insist he write only in print. Allow him to continue the cursive and use it. Cursive will eliminate hand fatigue and is what we introduce in 1st grade then use exclusively from 2nd grade on. Your son only needs to know how to print correctly which can be accomplished with FSR.

Many students don't relish the writing portion of our student guides. However it is this portion of the program that cements, if you will, many elements. It helps the student to learn focus, provides visual memory aids, practices patience and self-correction. There are so many educational as well as character benefits to the writing that aren't appreciated while you are practicing them but they are reflected later-on in the student's academic career. Seems like I say that quite a bit but it is so true. There are many activities that can be considered as boring or superfluous in the primary grades, but rest assured that MP is only including activities that provide results. One look at our 12th grade program, which is the goal, testifies to the validity of our primary coursework.

[Michelle T]

I forgot to answer the second question. Blending and reading is an important skill covered in the FSR series. It is important a student knows how to decode a multisyllabic word they don't know, but there is no reason to make a student go back and sound out a word correctly read.

[GingerG]

I forgot to answer the second question. Blending and reading is an important skill covered in the FSR series. It is important a student knows how to decode a multisyllabic word they don't know, but there is no reason to make a student go back and sound out a word correctly read.

Okay, thanks! We did do most of the reading in FSR (just not the stories in D), just not all of the writing. This year we are pretty much doing SC 2 for phonics, with some extra practice.

[Michelle T]

Good to know. Keep up the good work.