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Here are some ideas from what we've done in the past at our house during the learning to read phase.
You can use either Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by
Siegfried Engelmann OR A Handbook for Reading (ABeka). I have no
experience with the phonics cards on the RC cds as we've done the learning to read
phases with our kids (who learned at different rates) prior to
getting RC. So, we have things we like to use instead. I've used McGuffey's and/or the 100 lessons books almost exclusively. Either of
the books have lots of practice. (I know others that enjoy Writing Road to Reading which was helpful for me to teach, not necessarily for my kids to learn.....lack of consistency on my part). Some people
don't particularly like to figure out the100 lessons book, but it's worth it for quite
a few.
I only recently received the ABeka Handbook from a friend. I'm using it in
addition to 100 with my 8yos. The Handbook is sort of a review right
before his daily 100 lesson. I think it might have made a difference for one of my older kids had we used it instead of 100 lessons.
We LOVE McGuffey's! I've never waited to use
them until after 100 as suggested by RC. I'm not sure that I'll go
with that idea. What we've done has worked, I don't see a need to
change it to what has worked for someone else if what we're used to
gets 'em reading. ;0) My older kids have fond memories of the
McGuffey's. One is currently going through them. 3 down, 2 to go. ;0)
A dear friend of mine called me this week and told me about a set of
hardbacks at a second hand store. I bought them yesterday! YEAH!
We've almost worn out our trusty paperbacks and will treasure the
hardbacks. I won't print them off the RC cds. They may be free on a public domain site for those that would rather print them out than buy them.
Here's a simple schedule that is a "tweaked for our family" version of
suggestions from a book called Reading Rescue 1-2-3. I had this book a
long time ago. I found what worked for our day (added to/deleted from
the original plan) and printed it out to keep.
Reading Practice
5 min.~Review sight words.
5 min.~Study phonograms.
5 min.~Work on vocabulary words.
5 min.~Narrate something you've learned.
10 min.~Practice reading time.
The reason I've listed the times is to show that you can adjust the time frame for the
learner's attention span. We dealt with that with a couple of our kids
until they were about 10 years old or even older. I'd suggest
keeping everything together in a basket, bin, or something else
portable. You can sit at a table, or on the couch. I'm not a
purist on the RC desk requirement until kids are much older and working
on their own for much longer periods of time.
The "sight words" that we use at our house for this age are from Ruth
Beechick's 3Rs books. She has a nice list of the words which make up
the first 25% of written language (which I cannot find right this minute).
It's a super short list from her reading or language arts book of the 3Rs
set that can list them for everyone? I think it was just about 10
words, or less. a, the, and, ....? I recently noticed that these three little booklets have now been compiled into one book.
The next 25% of written language comes from her other list:
all
an
are
as
at
be
been
but
by
dear
for
from
had
has
have
he
her
his
if
is
it
me
my
not
on
one
or
she
so
there
they
this
very
was
we
were
which
will
with
would
your
I have done this sight word/vocabulary list for quite a while with my
kids. I have a couple things that I do with it depending on the
readiness of each. Some have used it for copywork and dictation. Some
have had a printed out sheet that they've gone over and over and over
daily. One used only five words at a time until he could read and
spell them. He spelled them orally WITH ME 5x a day, copied them 5x a
day, and read them 5x a day until he knew the five words, then moved to
the next 5. I had a daughter that is a flashcard type like me. The
words are on flashcards and kept on a ring. Read through the whole
list daily until immediate recognition.
Nice lists of dolch sight words, high frequency words, math words, and more can be found at http://www.janbrett.com. It may be too flashy for some children. I had one that didn't like all the extra stuff all over the pages....too distracting. Ideas from her site can be tweaked for your needs if necessary.
You can use phonograms like those used in The Writing Road to Reading,
ABeka's phonics cards, or the ones on the RC cds for the second 5
minutes. We've used the ones out fo TWRR for years. They are worn out. At one point, the kids made their own phonogram cards based on these. I haven't used ABeka's with my kids, but they coordinate with the Reading Handbook.
The vocab time can just be another run through the Beechick list or you could use math words, calendar words, or names of family members during this time.
The narration time is a much needed break, but helps develop the
thought processes of future writer's and developing reading
comprehension.
The last is reading practice which can come from McGuffey's, or the
list at the end of 100 lessons, or the first part of the RC list
(Ambleside Online has some books that we like, too). Hey, Dr. Seuss
doesn't have to be avoided, but it may be a matter of taste. 
30 minutes straight through may not be possible at first. Don't get
frustrated. That's why it's broken down into changes of scenery time
frames. If a child can only make it through the first 5 minutes of work, take a
break for some water, the bathroom, kleenex, whatever. You can break it up into different times of the day, too. Whatever works is better than pushing through and accomplishing nothing. Challenge your child each day or week depending on the development of his/her attention span
over the summer, to make it through the next and the next and the next
part of the whole list of studies with the goal of doing the whole 30
minutes by the end of the summer.
This will develop ability to read and to read for longer and longer
periods of time later on using RC or another great book list or even a textbook approach curriculum. Independent study needs to happen no matter how you homeschool.
Oh, one thing I wish I'd have done a long time ago with our children
is to use a variety of take out menues from the restaurants that we
like to visit. I'd have had them use those for either word practice
time or reading practice time. That would've made restaurant time much
more comfortable. These can be in your basket of stuff to
carry to your learning place.
Just some suggestions, use what works, make a note of the rest for
reference in the future if needed.
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