We've been looking towards this day for a long time (we did the first lesson in August 2013, a year and a half ago!). We took our time and worked slowly and steadily, taking breaks when needed and supplementing with other books.
That poor book is battered and bruised. Well loved and well used.
Max is celebrating his accomplishment in a big way . . . with a ring pop. :-)
As if on cue, Bradley has spent the last couple of weeks asking me constantly, "what's this word . . . and this word . . . and this word?" It's like he knows his turn is just around the corner.
Speaking of which, as much as I have loved Teach Your Child . . . , after going through the entire book twice, I'm getting a little bored with it and might want to try out another method. I'm looking into Phonics Pathways or The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. Any thoughts?
Overall, it's been a joyful process of discovering and learning with Max. I've enjoyed (almost) every moment. This marks an ending of sorts. But now the real fun of reading will begin . . .
P.S. I remember when Aaron was at this stage. It was exciting then, too.
I'll be interested in how the other methods go. I found my kid's reaction to Teach in 100 Lessons so different it was a completely different experience each time (I think I did it with 3 kids, although only two made it all the way through). Also, I'm cheap so I didn't want to buy anything else :-).
ReplyDeleteYes, I've considered doing Teach Your Child... again just for the sake of not buying another book, but I'm going to use the library's copy of whatever I decide on for the first little bit so I can make sure it's something I actually like. It definitely was a different experience between Aaron and Max, but the stories are still all the same, and I think I'll be more enthusiastic if it's new and exciting for me as well!
DeleteI used 100 lessons with my first and tried with my second, but it just didn't work for him. We ended up using Phonics Pathways (which I love and I learned a lot more about phonics, so much so that I wouldn't even consider 100 lessons for my last two) and The Reading Lesson. I'm not sure that TRL would work by itself, but combined with Phonics Pathways, it is awesome.
ReplyDeleteOh good! I'm so glad to hear about your positive experience with Phonics Pathways and your recommendation for The Reading Lesson. Thanks so much!
DeleteWe just got this book, and I plan to try it out with my oldest this summer. I've heard mixed reviews from other parents, but if you had such a positive experience with it then I'm sold. I'm excited to find out how it goes for us.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've heard mixed things about Teach Your Child... as well, but I really like it for two reasons: it teaches kids how to blend a word together instead of using disjointed sounds and I really like the altered orthography for the first 70-ish lessons (I always worried that they wouldn't have a smooth transition to regular print, but both of them did great, and it helped them read harder words sooner.) I will say that it does get a little rough around Lesson 50, but if you can muscle your way through, the payoff is great!
DeleteCongrats to Max! I am going to read about Phonics Pathways because I don't know a lot about it. My complaint with Teach Your Child is that I don't feel like it teaches a lot of phonics rules explicitly, and I am all about teaching the rules in plain terms. Oh, and the stories in Teach Your Child are a little boring too :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that Teach Your Child... doesn't teach the rules in a hard-fast way, but I can't decide if I loved that or hated it. Since there are so many things about reading that don't follow the rules, I think it has helped my kids keep a more open mind. And I have to say that even though I didn't always love the stories, Max usually thought they were hilarious. :-)
DeleteTo me it's easier to teach the rule first, because I think it's a lot easier to address when the rule is broken if you know what the rule is in the first place! But to each his own-there's a million ways to teach a child to read and what matters is that in the end they're reading, right?
DeleteMy mom didn't like Teach Your Child, so I didn't even look at it, and a friend I trust recommended Phonics Pathways, so we went with that and it was fantastic. I really was happy with it.
ReplyDeleteI know Teach Your Child... doesn't appeal to everyone, but we loved it and had great success with it. However, I'm definitely ready for something different, so I'm glad to hear about your good experience with Phonics Pathways!
DeleteCongratulations to Max! And to you! So glad he's continuing to enjoy the experience, and proud of his milestone. I'm just taking things organically with my daughter - dabbling in a few Bob books and helping her do word searches. Clearly, what's going to work is going to be different with every kid.
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