Lucy Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 My dd age 10 is a struggling reader. We did Abekka phonics for K-2, Phonics and Reading Pathways for 3rd. Last year, in 4th, I just had her read and read and read anything that caught her interest. Today I did an online reading test and it told me she was at a late 2nd / early 3rd grade level. I know she skips words that are long - she will sound them out if I push her - but sometimes can't even get them right when doing this. She doesn't read with much voice inflection - a little, but not much. She is a left brained learner - loves math and organization and rules. At times, I see that she skips lines, or jumps down a line in the middle. I'm going to have her eyes evaluated by a eye doc that does therapy - can't remember what they are called - there is a really good one here in town that other homeschoolers highly recommend. While there may be eye issues, I don't feel that is all of the problem. She can't sound things out right... I've been searching and have found Saxon Reading Intervention, And an online thing called Reading Horizons Elevate. Anyone tried these? What do you all recommend for a curriculum that is thorough but not overwhelming, not baby-ish looking, and can help the struggling reader? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Hugs. I know this is frustrating. BTDT. Before hopping curriculum, I suggest you do some research on reading challenges. There can be many causes. While visual acuity issues can cause some problems and developmental vision issues can also be a problem, most of the time if there is a reading issue it is neurologically based. Your child very well may need a different reading program, but they might need one that is more closely Orton Gillingham based. My own children ended up needing a much more detailed program that breaks things up into smaller pieces before they really started to thrive in reading. Your child is not that far behind. Don't get discouraged. I have faith you will be able to find a good path to help your child. You might want to post this on the Learning Challenges Thread for more knowledgeable feedback. You might also read The Mislabeled Child by Brock and Fernette Eide, Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner by Kathy Kuhl and/or Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz. The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock and Fernette Eide might help, too, since it helps explain brain processes and why some things are easier than others for some kids (helpful book even if a person is not dyslexic). I also suggest you just skim through this to see if it speaks to what you are seeing with your child:http://www.bartonreading.com/dys.html Good for you for asking questions. Push for answers. Do some research. Wait to hop curriculum until you have done that research. A 10 year old who struggles could be struggling for many reasons, some of them easily fixable, some taking more work or even a lot of work, some may smooth out with a switch to another program. Doing the research may help you answer which way to leap. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leav97 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Can I ask where you found the reading test online? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 http://www.bartonreading.com/students_long.html#screen Here's the Barton pretest. It's great that you're getting her eyes tested by a developmental optometrist. Vision *could* account for a surprising amount of what's going on. My dd never would sound out till we did VT in 7th. Her errors in decoding were the same as her errors with digit spans, which I take to mean there was a working memory component. VT will often bring in exercises that work on working memory, so you get these bonus effects besides improving their eyes. As for what curriculum, well it depends on what is going on. If the problem is working memory deficits, then Saxon isn't really the most cost effective way to work on that. The best way to target your interventions is with evals. The ps can do evals when you request, or you can go with a private psych. There are a couple people (Rod and LizzyB) over on LC who have both posted remedial lesson plans for older students. It is conceivable that with VT and some explicit instruction, things will come together. If things don't improve with those two steps, I'd get evals. You're right at that age where you stop being patient and start getting the answers. If vision is the problem, you should see a turn around within 2 months with good therapy. What you might do is start looking for who you'd want to do those evals, get on their waiting list, and if EVERYTHING improves before then, cancel the appt. Most good psychs will be booked out several months. If she fails the Barton pretest, you should pursue evals immediately and not wait. Vision won't be the cause of failing the Barton pretest because it's not a vision test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I recommend also posting on Learning Challenges area. We used http://www.highnoonbooks.com Reading Intervention and other materials. It is not babyish. My ds also used a finger or pencil to help keep his place. We had had vision testing also and some home exercises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 After the eye exam check out www.iseesam.com and www.3rsplus.com They have great readers that slowly build up skills and really focus on the decoding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelpants Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I agree with the I See Sam books (there are 8 sets). We have had great success with them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 My son was an early reader, my husband was not. He overcame his LDs in many ways to have a Masters in English Education. As much as you are struggling now, there is hope. The light at the end of the tunnel may seem dim, but it is not out! Often times evals can help in other areas as well where homeschooling can be so helpful. In Public School, once my husband was reading (around age 11) he was then shifted out of his IEP. This did not even come close to helping with his auditory processing issues when it came to interacting with others in discussions. I really think that if someone had been there to work with him on all the areas of the CAPD he would be a much happier adult, less introverted, and really able to connect more. As a homeschooler, the burden can seem rather smothering. Just remember the emotional and relationship side that you are helping with as well. Very little can make up for having your mom by your side. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Thanks ladies - I have an appointment with a vision therapist and just got the name of a good reading specialist who will evaluate her for any other issues. :) Thanks for the encouragement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 I would try my tests and the things on my how to tutor page. http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/readinggradeleve.html http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/howtotutor.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Thanks ladies - I have an appointment with a vision therapist and just got the name of a good reading specialist who will evaluate her for any other issues. :) Thanks for the encouragement! If the reading specialist is going to cost a lot, you might move up to a psychologist and then go *back* to the reading specialist for tutoring. A psych can do a WISC, the CTOPP (the gold standard test you need), etc. etc., to give you more complete info. Great that you're moving forward with this! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 My dd age 10 is a struggling reader. We did Abekka phonics for K-2, Phonics and Reading Pathways for 3rd. Last year, in 4th, I just had her read and read and read anything that caught her interest. Today I did an online reading test and it told me she was at a late 2nd / early 3rd grade level. I know she skips words that are long - she will sound them out if I push her - but sometimes can't even get them right when doing this. She doesn't read with much voice inflection - a little, but not much. She is a left brained learner - loves math and organization and rules. At times, I see that she skips lines, or jumps down a line in the middle. I'm going to have her eyes evaluated by a eye doc that does therapy - can't remember what they are called - there is a really good one here in town that other homeschoolers highly recommend. While there may be eye issues, I don't feel that is all of the problem. She can't sound things out right... I've been searching and have found Saxon Reading Intervention, And an online thing called Reading Horizons Elevate. Anyone tried these? What do you all recommend for a curriculum that is thorough but not overwhelming, not baby-ish looking, and can help the struggling reader? My dd11 is just now turning into a real reader. She's still maybe a grade below where she "should" be, but I'm okay with that, all things considered. In our case, it turned out she is dyslexic. And until this year, she never read to herself for pleasure. We use Reading Horizons Elevate. And it has really, really helped her. It doesn't feel babyish to her either, which was very important. The program is pretty incremental, and reviews a lot of the basics before amping up a bit. Marking words, review work, etc., has all given my dd a lot of confidence she didn't have before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Everson Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Thanks ladies - I have an appointment with a vision therapist and just got the name of a good reading specialist who will evaluate her for any other issues. :) Thanks for the encouragement! Here's a page on my site that you might want to take a look at before you go to the optometrist: Find a Vision Therapy Provider. It will give you some idea what questions to ask and what you're looking for in terms of how they structure the therapy. As for the reading therapist, it would be really helpful if he or she recognizes the value of vision therapy. Otherwise, you might be advised that the problem is unlikely to have anything to do with her vision and might be dissuaded from pursuing that route. I agree with the others' opinions that you're on the right track. Get the vision skills checked out first and address any deficiencies. If you do find she has vision issues and you address them, you might then consider going after the phonics instruction one more time, since a child with poor vision skills often has trouble learning phonics because they can't easily link the sounds to the letters during the lessons. On the other hand, some kids begin to read much better during vision therapy because they actually did learn the phonics (usually due to using an OG-based sort of program of the sort often mentioned in here) and are finally able to apply what they've learned because they can see the print clearly without any sort of confusion. Breaking a well-established guessing habit can be difficult, however. You might also want to check out the multisyllable method I've used with all of the kids I've worked with. It's easy enough for them to apply that they generally dump their guessing habit in favor of decoding longer unfamiliar words. It's also free and you can download all the materials needed from the site. Start at Multisyllable Method Overview if you're interested. All the best, Rod Everson OnTrack Reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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