Reading and Writing and.......
Teaching Reading
Reading in the
Catholic Homeschool
Writing & Spelling
Grammar
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Teaching Reading
PHONICS
As do most homeschoolers, we teach our children to read using a phonics system. The phonics method is very simple and can be learned and taught with very little cost. However, some phonics programs today cost several hundred dollars. All the extra bells and whistles that they include are not necessary, but you might enjoy them. If you are anxious to start teaching your children today visit First Steps Lesson
a secular page created by a retired teacher who helped many children love to read.
Over the past few years we have been given or bought many phonics programs including: Professor Phonics, Alphaphonics, Victory Drill Book, Explode the Code, Little Stories for Little Folks (Catholic) and Learn to Read in 100 Lessons. All of these programs have the same "bottom line". We have found that the easiest program for us is to use the "Explode the Code" workbooks (we reuse these by putting them in sheet protectors and using visa via pens)along with the Catholic Little Stories for Little Folks. The Little Stories program comes with complete instructions for teaching phonics and is reproducible. Our children love making their own little books. Another popular new Catholic series is The Little Angel Readers which come with their own phonics workbooks. This would be a good investment for a family who has no primers in the house.
READING FLUENCY
I have found it critical to do "shared reading" with our children. That is, in the beginning they read one sentence and then I read one sentence. Gradually they move toward reading an entire paragraph and later a page before I read the same amount. This gives the child a break and also helps them to follow the story. Often when children are struggling to read they don't comprehend what they are reading. By sharing the reading the story stays exciting for the young reader.
Many children grasp phonics, but lack practice with the various words. We have found the Victory Drill Books to be indespensible. It is simply a book of word lists arranged phonetically beginning with simple short "a" words such as "tap" and "pat" on the first page and three syllable words on the last page. Each day the child reads through the word list until the reach a certain fluency after which they can go on to the next page. This is not fun for them, but within a few months they are reading at a very high level, without errors and with excellent reading comprehension. We spend about 4 minutes on this book each day for a year. The book is a low cost, hardback and is sold through Rainbow Resource. If I could pick just one book to help me teach reading the Victory Drill Book would be it.
LATER READING
Once our children have mastered the basics of phonics we have them begin reading from the reprinted Catholic American Cardinal Readers along with living books. The Cardinal Readers are not dull as are some readers and contain classic fiction in the higher levels, along with many stories with Catholic content beginning in the first level. Several homeschool mothers are designing questions to be used with these Cardinal Readers. You can take a peek at some of the questions here. We hope to have questions for all of the books up by September 1998. If you would like to help in this effort e-mail Catholicscholars@juno.com
Reading in the Catholic Homeschool
MATERIAL TO BE ADDED
Writing & Spelling
Favorite Writing System
Institute for Excellence in Writing
Favorite Spelling Program
Spelling Power Written by Catholic HS mom
Grammar
Simply Grammar
Shurley Method Please note: you can teach all grades by purchasing just the 6th grade kit and doing only the first part of the book with younger children.
English Links
The Awesome English Site
English Resource Site for Teachers
British Teachers Site
Latin Links
Some MUST read Latin articles, even if you think you don't want to or can't do Latin can be found at the Memoria Press site. Cheryl Lowe is a Catholic who has been teaching Latin for a number of years. Her Latin books, Latina Christiana I and II, were written for the homeschool mom who has no background in Latin. In the past I failed miserably at my attempts to learn any language, but now I'm learning Latin along with my kids and love it. Latina Christiana can be used as early as 3rd grade.
Other popular Latin sites
Magistra's Latin Page
Wheelock Latin Study Guide
Wheelock Latin Vocabulary Chart
More Wheelock aids
VISIT OUR OTHER PAGES
History's Fun | Art & Music | Reading & Writing |
Science & Math
Our Archived Material | What we're studying now
Make Yours a Catholic Homeschool | Boring subjects | Getting past tough days
General Lesson Plan Links
| Laughs | Our Other Catholic Pages
For The Mom | How We Homeschool | Interactive Games for Catholic Kids
Background by Chozen
| Teaching Reading | Reading in the Catholic Homeschool |
Writing & Spelling |
| Grammar | English Links | Latin Links |
Teaching Reading
PHONICS
As do most homeschoolers, we teach our children to read using a phonics system. The phonics method is very simple and can be learned and taught with very little cost. However, some phonics programs today cost several hundred dollars. All the extra bells and whistles that they include are not necessary, but you might enjoy them. If you are anxious to start teaching your children today visit First Steps Lesson
a secular page created by a retired teacher who helped many children love to read.
Over the past few years we have been given or bought many phonics programs including: Professor Phonics, Alphaphonics, Victory Drill Book, Explode the Code, Little Stories for Little Folks (Catholic) and Learn to Read in 100 Lessons. All of these programs have the same "bottom line". We have found that the easiest program for us is to use the "Explode the Code" workbooks (we reuse these by putting them in sheet protectors and using visa via pens)along with the Catholic Little Stories for Little Folks. The Little Stories program comes with complete instructions for teaching phonics and is reproducible. Our children love making their own little books. Another popular new Catholic series is The Little Angel Readers which come with their own phonics workbooks. This would be a good investment for a family who has no primers in the house.
READING FLUENCYI have found it critical to do "shared reading" with our children. That is, in the beginning they read one sentence and then I read one sentence. Gradually they move toward reading an entire paragraph and later a page before I read the same amount. This gives the child a break and also helps them to follow the story. Often when children are struggling to read they don't comprehend what they are reading. By sharing the reading the story stays exciting for the young reader.
Many children grasp phonics, but lack practice with the various words. We have found the Victory Drill Books to be indespensible. It is simply a book of word lists arranged phonetically beginning with simple short "a" words such as "tap" and "pat" on the first page and three syllable words on the last page. Each day the child reads through the word list until the reach a certain fluency after which they can go on to the next page. This is not fun for them, but within a few months they are reading at a very high level, without errors and with excellent reading comprehension. We spend about 4 minutes on this book each day for a year. The book is a low cost, hardback and is sold through Rainbow Resource. If I could pick just one book to help me teach reading the Victory Drill Book would be it.
LATER READINGOnce our children have mastered the basics of phonics we have them begin reading from the reprinted Catholic American Cardinal Readers along with living books. The Cardinal Readers are not dull as are some readers and contain classic fiction in the higher levels, along with many stories with Catholic content beginning in the first level. Several homeschool mothers are designing questions to be used with these Cardinal Readers. You can take a peek at some of the questions here. We hope to have questions for all of the books up by September 1998. If you would like to help in this effort e-mail Catholicscholars@juno.com
Reading in the Catholic Homeschool
MATERIAL TO BE ADDED
Writing & Spelling
Favorite Writing System Institute for Excellence in Writing
Favorite Spelling Program Spelling Power Written by Catholic HS mom
Grammar
Simply Grammar
Shurley Method Please note: you can teach all grades by purchasing just the 6th grade kit and doing only the first part of the book with younger children.
English Links
The Awesome English Site
English Resource Site for Teachers
British Teachers Site
Latin Links
Some MUST read Latin articles, even if you think you don't want to or can't do Latin can be found at the Memoria Press site. Cheryl Lowe is a Catholic who has been teaching Latin for a number of years. Her Latin books, Latina Christiana I and II, were written for the homeschool mom who has no background in Latin. In the past I failed miserably at my attempts to learn any language, but now I'm learning Latin along with my kids and love it. Latina Christiana can be used as early as 3rd grade.
Other popular Latin sites
Magistra's Latin Page
Wheelock Latin Study Guide
Wheelock Latin Vocabulary Chart
More Wheelock aids
VISIT OUR OTHER PAGES
Our Archived Material | What we're studying now
Make Yours a Catholic Homeschool | Boring subjects | Getting past tough days
General Lesson Plan Links | Laughs | Our Other Catholic Pages
For The Mom | How We Homeschool | Interactive Games for Catholic Kids