Hooked on Phonics...did it work for you???

[ckmommy]

I am thinking of buying this for my kids. My DD is in 1st grade and is a good reader, but her comprehension is terrible. My other kids are not in school yet, but they will benefit from it as well. Has anyone here used this program for their kids? What are your thoughts of the program. I was looking at ebay for one. There is an older set and a newer set. I would love to hear the differences between the two. Thanks!!

 

[In a hurry]

1st grade teacher here. If your daughter is decoding the words well, HOP wouldn't be my first pick...unless you were to get the one with the SRA reading program. This works with comprehension. Many kids have difficulty with comp. in the first grade, however. True reading to learn doesn't hit many kids until the third grade.

Purely my opinion.

 

[CathrynRose]

I learned phonics wayyyyy back when, in school.

I spell better then and read faster then most all of my peers.

My oldest son I didnt do anything special with. He's TERRIBLE with spelling/reading/etc.

My youngest I did get some phonics books, workbooks, etc - and he's like me, even at age 10...

I think phonics is highly underated and dont know why they stopped doing it, in the 1st place.

 

[In a hurry]

I think phonics is highly underated and dont know why they stopped doing it, in the 1st place.

One of the dumbest movements ever of the teaching world, IMO! I have never seen any information that shows better results with other programs. Teachers just like to follow fads.

FTR, I'm not against phonics, but the ability to comprehend, and not just read is a bit different, and related to developmental issues, IMO.

 

[ckmommy]

Thanks In a Hurry!! I am having a bit of a problem with her teacher this year. I thought about switching her before the year even began, but I decided to try it out. Things have not gone very well. DD is a good reader, but has not really improved at all this year. She was at a reading level 32 at the end of K, at the beginning of the year she had regressed. Now, I am not even sure she had made it back to level 32. I asked DD yesterday to go through an entire day of what goes on at school. She told me, but it did not include reading. So, I asked her about when they read. She said that they are allowed to read their library book if they finish "centers" early, but that is the only time they read. Big red flags went up!! Being a former 6th grade LD teacher, I was kicking myself for not following my "teacher" instincts about this teacher. DD has not brought home one book that she is reading in school (besides library books) all year. Last year we had at least 2 different books each week that she brought home. It has been just a different year this year. I loved her teacher last year and my Dh said that I could not compare this year's teacher to last year's teacher. I have tried not to, but I really do not think that this is right!

As a 1st grade teacher, would this send any flags up to you??

 

[In a hurry]

Oh my! Yes it would! Don't you hate it when you ignore an instinct...I always wind up kicking myself! She doesn't bring home reader's or anything? DD is in first grade (I'm on sabatical this year) and she has reading every night. That is what I've always done, also. I think that just the process of sitting down with a parent and reading reaps benefits too numerous to list!

Good luck!

 

[tkd lisa]

As far as hooked on phonics, I used it for my DS. DD (who is 17 months older) picked up reading on her own, so when DS hadn't figured it out by the end of kindergarten, we decided to go with HOP because of the structure. It worked well for him, but the issue was really reading, not comprehension.

I don't think HOP is really focused toward comprehension. We used the reader rabbit computer game series a lot, and that was more focused on the comprehension aspect.

And yes, I'd agree that there's a problem in that classroom. 1st grade really should be focusing on reading, since without reading, all schoolwork becomes extremely difficult!

 

[ckmommy]

We read every night, but they are books from home. No school books have been brought home all year. Also, I have only gotten homework back 3x this entire school year. So, I have no idea how good or bad DD is really doing. I feel bad for DD. She goes to school from 8:45-3:45, then comes home. We do her homework which lasts until 5 ish. We eat then I work with her on some comprehension things I found online for about 45 mins. By that time it is 6:30 and time to read. By 7:15 she is all done with her "home" work, but them it is time for showers and bed. She is not having time to be a kid. Maybe I am just too worried about her and the reading. But, if she is not being taught at school, I feel like she has to be taught at home. I worry when the other 4 go to school--how am I going to work with all of them to get their work done before midnight each night !! As a teacher, I always rolled my eyes at people homeschooling their kids (sorry), but now I guess I understand it!! Although, DD would kill me if she was not able to go to school with her peers!!

 

[Chicago526]

huked ahn foniks werked fer me!

Well, I was taught phonics in school in 1st grade and I never "got it". I don't know why but it just didn't make any sense to me. So I just learned by memorization. As a result, I flunked all the phonics tests and the teacher thought I couldn't read. Then I took the CAT that year and scored off the chart. Since I kept giving mixed results (would fail the tests in school but ace the standardized tests) the school just kept me in the middle reading groups from 2nd grade to 4th grade because they didn't know what else to do with me. (our classes had 3 reading levels or "groups", low, medium, and high so that differant kids with differant reading levels could be given specialized help they needed). The kicker was that they finally put me in the highest reading level in 5th grade and then sent me to remedial phonics tutoring! When I was in 7th grade, I was told I had a reading comprehension level equal to a junior in high school.

This is all just to say that differant kids learn in differant ways, and what is perfect for one kid could baffle the next. I'd try to see if your child seems to be open to learning phonics first, before investing in Hooked on Phonics (it's very expensive from what I understand).

 

[daisyduck123]

I'm not so sure I would rush out to buy the program. I'm a 1st grade teacher & when parents ask if they should purchase the program I reply, "If Hooked on Phonics were that great...the schools would be using the program".