AMDG+

Dear Parent;

We are so pleased that you are enjoying CHC lesson plans!

Since you are wondering why CHC doesn't have a phonics program, I'm guessing that maybe you weren't aware of the foundational Little Stories for Little Folks: Catholic Phonics Readers? This program lays a firm foundation in phonics, and is assigned in the Kindergarten and First Grade Lesson Plans.

Little Stories for Little Folks introduces phonics and then builds the child's decoding skills, using continual repetition and exercises which actively engage the student in discovering phonics patterns. Students who use the program, and all its exercises in their entirety, typically achieve at least a year above grade level in their reading skills, and are easily able to read the reading books assigned in CHC's lesson plans.

In addition, CHC's My Catholic Speller series is strongly phonics based, reinforcing the phonics instruction from LSLF if used consistently along with CHC's reading program.

In regard to your daughter's reversals, I would say that they are common for her age. The fact that she is catching her mistakes, self-correcting, and has improved in the last few months indicates that she is maturing and progressing.

Since you have correctly assessed that your daughter is lacking in decoding skills, I would suggest that you pick up Little Stories for Little Folks, My Very First Catholic Speller, and My Catholic Speller A. Your daughter will likely find these fairly easy, which should encourage her and give her confidence. More importantly, they will give you a chance to assess exactly which letter sounds/phonics instruction she is missing and begin to correct the gaps.

You might read two or three stories a day [if she is comfortable with that speed and having no difficulty with the reading], and do all the suggested practice work from the LSLF Parents' Guide. At the same time, have her do the spelling lesson from MVFCS that has the same phonics sounds that she is reading in LSLF. When you see that she is no longer breezing through the reading or spelling, slow down. Carefully note any sounds she has difficulty with, and give extra practice to words with those sounds.

Give special attention and practice to words in the Name Game, as well as the new words and sounds listed on the front of the little booklets, for these introduce the phonics that are the base of spelling.

The quickest and most long-lasting method of addressing learning difficulties is by using as many of the senses as possible. Breaking words into syllables and spelling, syllable by syllable while sounding the words out, uses visual, auditory, and tactile senses.

Have your daughter use the letter tiles found in MVFCS to spell out the spelling words in that book. When she moves to My Catholic Speller A, starting with Lesson Four, have your daughter separate two-syllable words into syllables with the tiles--'lit-tle.' Say 'lit-tle,' clapping once for each syllable. This will help her hear the sounds contained in the word. Then together spell the word.

Finally, remember that all learning is a process of, well, learning. Education is gained by exposure, trial and error, more exposure, and eventual mastery. Most children will miss a few problems in math and a few words on their spelling tests. If more than a few are missed on each paper, it's time to backtrack, pick up where the level of mastery disappears, and practice some more. This approach will eventually bring back confidence, and mastery of phonics.

Again, congratulations for spotting the 'gaps' in your daughter's learning and seeking to correct them before they grow.

May Our Lord bless and guide your homeschooling ventures,

Nancy Nicholson