4Real Forums: Ordinary Parent's Guide

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

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Language Arts Come Alive
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Topic: Ordinary Parent's Guide

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MarilynW
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Posted: June 18 2008 at 8:35am \| IP Logged

Has anyone used this for teaching a child to read? I like Ruth Beechick etc - but I am just wondering whether I need to have a structured way of doing this. With all the older kids and a baby - we are not being very disciplined about a reading lesson every day. I LOVE Jessie Wise's First Language Lessons for the well-trained mind - and wondered if this is as good.

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Marilyn
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hopalenik
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Posted: June 18 2008 at 12:33pm \| IP Logged

Hi,

I am using this for my twins. With my first I used 100 easy Lessons. She did fine with that although she had some struggles with the phonograms that were not covered. With my twins, I started in K using 100 lessons to get them going. Then I switched to Ordinary this year for first grade because my son is hearing impaired and must have the complete 100% intrinsic phonics.

I love this book as a resource. It covers everything, just everything. But I will never again use it as the program. It is too intense and too boring and it takes way, way to long to get them to read a Dr. Seuss. If you have a child with problems, this is the way to go. I do however recommend it as a resource. When my older daughter had a few minor problems with really, really big words-4th to 5th grade level. I analyzed and determined that it was a few specific combinations and we went back into the Ordinary Guide book with her to work on those 3 problem areas.

My twins hate the book. It is very hard because her sentences really work that new sound to death. This year I have spent my time creating word lists from her lessons. For my next child, I plan on starting her in 100 Easy Lessons and then using the targeted word lists, 2 a week instead of going straight through the Ordinary Parents Guide. As I doubt that I will have the time or motivation to go through this book again.

I would take a look at it though and see what you think for your family. Even if you don't use it lesson by lesson it is a very valuable resource.

Holly

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Holly
Mom to dd 10, twins dd and ds (transplant as baby that failed 05/09, permanent dialysis patient) 8 , dd 5 and dd 3 1/2 and dd in Feb 2009. 2 I hope to meet in heaven.

doris
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Posted: June 18 2008 at 3:30pm \| IP Logged

I bought this when our eldest first came out of school (after 6 weeks!). I found it *awful*. Mind-numbing. Sooo boring and wooden.

OTOH my dd already knew most of what we were covering (because I foolishly started at the beginning), so if I'd used it a bit more creatively, it might have been better.

It might be just us! A friend of mine got on really well with it.

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cathochick
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Posted: June 19 2008 at 8:11am \| IP Logged

We're using it and it works well.

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Jessica

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Bella
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Posted: June 21 2008 at 3:23pm \| IP Logged

Marilyn,

It didn't jive with DS or me. I agree, that it is very thorough, but my DS would just glaze over when I tried to really get into it. I think part of the probelm, is that the pages are so busy. I would have to use papers and my hand to cover up everything other than what I wanted him to be learning.

I eventually gave up, and ordered Explode The Code-which DD used, loved . DS thinks it's ok, I just have to have him skip some pages, other wise, it sucks the fun out of the lesson.

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Bella
Wife and Mom to my sweeties!

JuliaT
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Posted: June 21 2008 at 5:14pm \| IP Logged

I used this with ds as he has some reading difficulties. I thought that OPGTR would be structured enough for him and cover all of the basis. Well, it is structured but it was too much. We found it boring. It is just reading words and sentences. There are no pictures. There are a few extra activities but not enough to break the monotony. I will use this as a resource for me.

Right now I am just making up my own curriculum with games (Games for Reading by Peggy Kaye,) reading books and using websites. We have only been doing this for a few weeks but, so far, things are going well.

Blessings
Julia
mom of 3 (9,7,5)

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