https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:47:36 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supplemental-or-homeschool-reading-programs#post-2917568 Wed, 22 Jul 2020 15:09:40 +0000 LemonJack 2917568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@charm55: Thanks! That’s helpful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supplemental-or-homeschool-reading-programs#post-2917527 Tue, 21 Jul 2020 19:23:11 +0000 charm55 2917527@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonJack: At school in a typical scenario, a large portion of our day is devoted to literacy (120+ minutes). I found though that with my own 1st grader - this was pretty much impossible to accomplish at home. 1:1 is just so much more intensive and has the potential to be draining. I tried to keep literacy to about an hour's worth of work per day. A typical day might look like:</p> <p>Read Aloud (10 minutes)<br /> Independent Reading or Guided Reading (20 minutes)<br /> Phonics/Word Work (10 minutes)<br /> Writing (20-30 minutes) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supplemental-or-homeschool-reading-programs#post-2917525 Tue, 21 Jul 2020 16:26:15 +0000 LemonJack 2917525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@charm55: Thank you! These are great suggestions and I want to help her as much as I can. How much time do you suggest a first grader spends practicing reading/writing in a day? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supplemental-or-homeschool-reading-programs#post-2917510 Tue, 21 Jul 2020 09:31:23 +0000 charm55 2917510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jess1483: for sure - I usually am pretty wary of packaged programs, but Rime Magic is excellent. I have noticed such a big difference in my students in both their reading and writing. If you wall me your email address I will send you some info. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supplemental-or-homeschool-reading-programs#post-2917500 Tue, 21 Jul 2020 07:43:22 +0000 Jess1483 2917500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@charm55: wow! This is so helpful. I used to teach 2nd grade, and I’m very interested in Rime Magic. I’m homeschooling my kids and one other family next year, and their 2nd grader is a struggling reader (And I’ll have two K students). I haven’t had him read to me yet, so I’m not sure where exactly he struggles, but I’m wondering if I could have more info about Rime Magic? Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supplemental-or-homeschool-reading-programs#post-2917496 Tue, 21 Jul 2020 05:28:34 +0000 charm55 2917496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a K-2 Literacy Lead (or was, I am teaching K next year!) and really loved the Literacy Footprints Digital Reader during the shutdown. It follows the same method that our schools use and was directly created by highly respected Guided Reading experts. It was free during the pandemic but I think may be subscription based now. The texts are super engaging and authentic. There are many at each level and most have an accompanying Guided Reading lesson. So you can click “play” and there is one of the experts leading the child through the preview, vocabulary, comprehension, word work, and guided writing components. It’s very well rounded and if I was doing virtual learning next year I would sign my own kids up for sure. </p> <p>In terms of decoding, level C is when we would start to see more of that since A and B is so pattern based. Start with simple short vowel CVC words (mop, cat, pig, etc). Have a vowel chart handy so she can quickly refer to it. Some vowels are easier to learn (a, i, o) so work with those first. Here are some hands on activities you can do: </p> <p>Use Elkonin boxes (Sound boxes) to help her decompose CVC words - writing one sound in each box - and then blend them back together. Using actions helps with this. I touch my head as I say the first sound, shoulders as I say the second, hips as I say the third, etc. Or you could put a piece of play doh in each box and have her smash the piece as she says each sound. Kids love that !</p> <p>With magnetic letters, have her make a CVC words (ie: Cat). Then ask her to change one letter to make a new word (ie “can you change cat to cut?”) Help her slide her finger under the word to identify which letter will need to change. You can continue with this, changing beginning, middle or ending sounds. Ie: Cat - Cut - But - Bit - Bid - Bed</p> <p>Sound sorts - some sounds can be harder to distinguish between than others. Cut out pictures that begin with one sound, and pictures that begin with another, then mix them up. Have her choose a picture, say the word, and then place it in the correct pile. Ie: “Ch/Sh” or “W/Y” - whichever sounds she is struggling with. </p> <p>Also, Rime Magic is a fantastic program that our K-5 classrooms use daily to help students see those chunks and phonics patterns. It also helps tremendously with short vowels. I can send you a homemade version of it and explain it in more detail if you like. It only takes 5-7 minutes a day but it does make a huge difference. </p> <p>Hope that helps! Level B in March K is considered right on track in our district. I am sure with all of your support she will thrive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supplemental-or-homeschool-reading-programs#post-2917492 Mon, 20 Jul 2020 23:37:11 +0000 LemonJack 2917492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m a teacher, but I teach older kids, so I’m out of my element with this question. I’m preparing for the possibility of virtual/hybrid school with my soon to be 1st grader. She’s considered a little behind on reading (at a level B in March). She’s improved a little since then, but I notice that she seems to struggle with combining sounds while reading. For instance, she’ll try to sound out each part of “ing” rather than understanding that it goes together. She also struggles a lot with whether a sound is a short or long vowel, and sounding out a word that way. </p> <p>Knowing this, I’ve been having her work through a phonics book, and we talk through the pages together. I’ve also been having her read to me, and I help her sound out words she’s unsure of. She’s in an online summer school course, but the additional reading zoom she has each week is really more about making predictions, comprehension, and vocabulary, which are areas she excels in. She loves books and loves to be read to, and is happy to discuss them. It’s just the reading on her own that she’s struggling with.</p> <p>I want to help her without pushing too much or ruining her love of reading. Are there specific reading programs (supplemental or homeschool) that any of you would recommend? I’d ideally start this with her in the next few weeks, so we could get a head start before school begins in September. </p>