Phonics question

[agricola]

Hi, I am considering using First Start Reading for my next kindergartner. I see there is also a new Classic Phonics book which appears to dovetail with the FSR books. But the description of FSR says that it includes phonics, so it is unclear to me how Classic Phonics relates to FSR. Is it meant as a supplement or does it carry Phonics on beyond the kindergarten level?

I also noticed in the kindergarten curriculum set there is another phonics program included in addition to FSR and Classic Phonics. Is that one necessary or will FSR/Classic Phonics form a complete phonics program?

I apologize if this was covered elsewhere, but I couldn't find the info.

Thanks!

[tanya]

Hello.

First Start Reading is a stand-alone phonics program. We use SRA Phonics I as a supplement. It is included in our lesson plans, but if your child has mastered the concept being taught in FSR, you don't have to do the supplemental worksheets. They are really for children struggling, who need the extra help. We felt it was best to give too much reinforcement rather than too little.

Classical Phonics is another supplement, and we use it in our 1st grade curriculum too. It is a little book that has lists of words grouped by beginning letter, sounds, digraphs, etc. It gets more difficult as you move along. When we first introduced FSR into our school, we didn't give the teachers the Classical Phonics books because we thought they wouldn't need it. But they were soon begging for it because their students needed to continue practicing the sounds they were learning, and they found these word lists invaluable to them. So, we put it back into our curriculum and revised it heavily to make it more user-friendly.

Let us know if you have further questions. We'll be glad to help you.

Cheers,

Tanya Charlton