Need Advice Determining Phonics Placement

[Anita]

We're keeping you busy today, Cheryl!

You know some of this background, so I will keep it brief. Winston is in Week 10 of SC1. My daughter is in Week 23 of SCB. I bumped her up to RS1 with him so I could teach them together (which is working well).

Here's the puzzle: she is really ready for FSRA. She knows all her letter sounds, backwards and forwards; she is reading simple words on her own or bringing pages to me and asking; she knows all -- ALL! -- of Winston's sight word flash cards; and her reading comprehension is better than her big brother's. She's ready!

Winston is one dictation exercise and a read-aloud away from being done with FSRA and beginning FSRB. I could start her on FSRA when he is ready to transition. A few concerns:

1) I will have to order Core Skills Phonics K. Should I just go ahead and order the rest of the SC1 consumables she will need? It seems a little silly to pay shipping for just one thing.
2) How do I complete SCB while adding in RS1 and FSRA? Because I want her to finish it! She still loves to color the letter of the week and we are getting a lot of mileage out of Big Thoughts, Richard Scarry, the crafts and the read-alouds from SCB. All my kids also love looking through the RS workbooks (Counting With Numbers, Adventures With Books) and the exercises are definitely beneficial. I sometimes run off a copy for Winston so they can complete them together. So mashing everything together is fine, but that leads to...
3) Will picking up FSRA now make teaching her SC1 a major headache? Because by the time she's done with SCB, finishes FSRA-D and RS1, Winston will be starting Level 2 and she will be doing a sub-version of SC1, with advanced math and phonics -- I suppose I can customize her level then...?

My brain is muddled. Help me make sense of this?

[cherylswope]

Re: Need Advice Determining Phonics Placement

Hi, Anita.

What if you continued teaching Level B as usual, but added FSR (orally only)?

If she is truly ready, she will enjoy learning to blend and read. You do not want to miss that window of eagerness to read!

Yet with Level B's fine-motor components, she might not need the writing components of FSR or Core Skills Phonics right now. You could teach her to read with FSR orally now, just so she can start reading!

Then you would still teach her SC Level 1 formally when the time comes. At that time, she will simply review FSR and complete her own FSR writing, Core Skills Phonics, Classical Phonics, etc.

If you decided to try, you would not need to buy anything extra right now.

What do you think?

Cheryl

[Anita]

Re: Need Advice Determining Phonics Placement

My brain hurts... LOL! I get disorganized if I can't see a schedule in front of me -- visual thinker, right here! So I'm trying to imagine how teaching FSR orally would work. ...

Okay -- conceivably, depending on how many weeks it takes her to complete FSRA, she could be finished with SCB and FSRA at the same time... Then, we would have the 8-week SCC review (to prep for SC1). During that time we could continue with the phonics readers for retention. Then, when she starts SC1, FSRA could be completed as directed (with Core Skills Phonics K, et al) -- correct? Do you think that's overkill? (Well, technically Winston did FSRA twice -- once in the latter part of SCC and now again in SC1 and that seems to be working just fine...)

EDIT: Meanwhile my younger son is on his last week of SCA and I have no idea what to do with him when he's done. I could move him to SCB but his attention is not quite mature enough. My kids are great at rising to the challenges of work, though. Many times just setting the expectation gives them the motivation they need to meet the bar. Maybe his attention to SCA isn't great because he *IS* ready for SCB -- maybe he needs more meat... So many variables teaching three children. I really wonder how the veteran mom-educators have survived!

[cherylswope]

Re: Need Advice Determining Phonics Placement

Okay -- conceivably, depending on how many weeks it takes her to complete FSRA, she could be finished with SCB and FSRA at the same time... Then, we would have the 8-week SCC review (to prep for SC1). During that time we could continue with the phonics readers for retention. Then, when she starts SC1, FSRA could be completed as directed (with Core Skills Phonics K, et al) -- correct? Do you think that's overkill? (Well, technically Winston did FSRA twice -- once in the latter part of SCC and now again in SC1 and that seems to be working just fine...)

You could consider teaching SC B with FSRA orally, then SC C 8wk review with FSRB orally, then SC 1 completed as directed.

Not overkill at all, because in SC 1, FSR will be paired with more in-depth phonics study AND writing. All will be good review for her. It is nice to have some seemingly easy spots in the academic day, and the solid foundation will serve her well. Otherwise, early readers sometimes become overly confident and begin omitting words, guessing, or developing other undesirable habits.


As for the visual schedule for her teaching mama, consider spending one Saturday afternoon (or one late night) penciling each FSR A lesson into her empty SC B Enrichment/Therapy boxes inside the Curriculum Guide.


(I hope no one is reading here for the first time. We have too many abbreviations, Anita!)

Key

FSR - First Start Reading
FSR A - First Start Reading Book A (there are five books, A-E)
FSR B - First Start Reading Book B

SC - Simply Classical Curriculum
SC B - Simply Classical Level B
SC C - Simply Classical Level C
SC 1 Simply Classical Level 1



No matter what you decide, congratulations on your daughter's progress. This must be very encouraging.

Thanks-
Cheryl

[cherylswope]

Re: Need Advice Determining Phonics Placement

EDIT: Meanwhile my younger son is on his last week of SCA and I have no idea what to do with him when he's done. I could move him to SCB but his attention is not quite mature enough. My kids are great at rising to the challenges of work, though. Many times just setting the expectation gives them the motivation they need to meet the bar. Maybe his attention to SCA isn't great because he *IS* ready for SCB -- maybe he needs more meat... So many variables teaching three children. I really wonder how the veteran mom-educators have survived!

Just now seeing the Edit. If he wouldn't mind, you might repeat SC Level A, perhaps two weeks in one, before beginning SC B.


But now my own children are eager for homemade-panini night here, as promised to them earlier. Must go slice ingredients and prepare. Will check back in the morning, as you ponder your options!

Thanks-
Cheryl

[Anita]

Re: Need Advice Determining Phonics Placement

Not overkill at all, because in SC 1, FSR will be paired with more in-depth phonics study AND writing. All will be good review for her. It is nice to have some seemingly easy spots in the academic day, and the solid foundation will serve her well. Otherwise, early readers sometimes become overly confident and begin omitting words, guessing, or developing other undesirable habits.

As for the visual schedule for her teaching mama, consider spending one Saturday afternoon (or one late night) penciling each FSR A lesson into her empty SC B Enrichment/Therapy boxes inside the Curriculum Guide.

(I hope no one is reading here for the first time. We have too many abbreviations, Anita!)

No matter what you decide, congratulations on your daughter's progress. This must be very encouraging.

Thanks-
Cheryl

AHA! There's the nut of it! Yes -- well-defended Mrs Swope! Spot on. She is a prime candidate for over confidence and poor attention. Winston is my slow and steady learner, very detail-oriented, very invested in accuracy. His sister is a goofy hummingbird HAHA! Very bright, precocious even, but I have to keep her on task (she draws smoke on the chimneys of the fact houses in RS1 -- ahem, that's Rod & Staff, Level 1, pardon and then draws in windows and a door... She also is "that child" who cannot remember to get dressed after 15 reminders. Oy.)

Yes, congratulations indeed. Thank you. Very proud.

[Anita]

Re: Need Advice Determining Phonics Placement

Just now seeing the Edit. If he wouldn't mind, you might repeat SC Level A, perhaps two weeks in one, before beginning SC B.


But now my own children are eager for homemade-panini night here, as promised to them earlier. Must go slice ingredients and prepare. Will check back in the morning, as you ponder your options!

Thanks-
Cheryl

((((PANINI)))))
Will do.

[Anita]

Re: Need Advice Determining Phonics Placement

Just now seeing the Edit. If he wouldn't mind, you might repeat SC Level A, perhaps two weeks in one, before beginning SCB. Will check back in the morning, as you ponder your options!

Thanks-
Cheryl

You and I are on the same page here, I believe. I was already pulling out his Simply Classical, Level A books from the bookshelves to do a review. We also missed a few gross and fine-motor exercises the first time around (there was just no time with three children). So I had already pondered doing exactly this.

Given his attention and our impending bundle of joy, this is likely the best option. I'd hate to get weeks and weeks into Simply Classical, Level B with him and then have to stop cold turkey. And since our "scaffolding" is already in place for Level A, it should be a breeze. The older kids love his read-alouds and crafts as well -- win/win.

Thanks for the brainstorming session! I have so little bandwidth left anymore -- HAHAHA!