alisoncooks Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I know I have seen a list of some online programs before, but I cannot find it at the moment... With DH being in the hospital (and expected to remain there at least 4 weeks while they do his first round of chemo), I would love to SIMPLIFY our school day, perhaps even find a way to do some school at the hospital. Oldest DD is making *slow* progress in reading, but resists our lesson time. I would like to remove that stressor from our day for the next few months... perhaps by putting her reading instruction into the "hands" of an online program. (We'll still do math and read books; probably do spelling and grammar together... but I just don't know if I can face PHONICS with her right now.) Suggestions? What have you used? What have you seen good reviews for? I would like a progressive, incremental program (ie. Reading Bears does not work here... we need something where she has set lessons, with progression after competence with skills.) So many of the programs I've found via google search just seem so....DRY and boring. DD needs incentive and fun graphics. (Click n Read is too jolty and old-school. Reading Eggs was fun but not good for my struggling reader. I'd love a *real* program for *truly* struggling readers.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Read, Write, Type. http://www.talkingfingers.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I haven't used it (yet!), but our psych recommended Lexia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I'm so sorry to hear about your husband. My picks would be: Read, Write, Type Keyboarding without Tears Wordly Wise Online (vocab but still great LA practice) Kidspiration/Verticy (if you want something for writing composition on the computer, your oldest could probably do orange level) The new version of Lexia had both my boys in tears and begging to never do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 FP, were the steps too big? What went wrong with the new Lexia for them? And is that separate from the CrossTrainer? Has it changed (for the worse) as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 Read, Write, Type. http://www.talkingfingers.com I was looking into this, but I don't think it will work on our newer Macs. :( Lexia was one of the programs that I'd looked at before, but couldn't remember.... but FairProspects -- your children did not like it? What about it was disliked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Talkingfingers works for us, and we're on mac. You log in through their website to use it. (It's not software that downloads.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 Talkingfingers works for us, and we're on mac. You log in through their website to use it. (It's not software that downloads.) Ahh. I was looking where it had system requirements for the cds... Do you know if there is a scope & sequence for this? ETA: Nevermind! I finally stumbled across it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Um, it goes through the letters? That's all the farther we've gotten, so I can't say. It will introduce a letter and sound, have them type it if it they hear it in the word shown, have it type it when they say it, etc., through a series of games. At the end of the lesson for the letter it will have them type a "story" which I think is super cute. They only use the letters they've done to that point for it but somehow they make it work and be cute. :D I think you can demo it for free. Click and try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 I also found pdfs of little reading books that can go along with each lesson. Those were helpful in deciding whether or not DD needs this level. I think the only phonogram she hasn't been taught is 'aw'... but otherwise she could read the final reader for the last level of the program. Hmmmm... maybe the next program (Qwerty?) would be more helpful. Any reviews on that one? Or programs that teach more advanced phonograms + fluency practice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Sandy and I had a conversation about it on another thread. When revised for Common Core, Lexia added a timed element to a repeated activity where very similar words fly across the screen and the student has to pick out the correct one a certain number of times to pass the game. We're talking picking out the word "slop" from "slope" and "slip" all while these words and others are flying in different directions across the screen quickly. It was difficult for me, a neurotypical adult who is an incredibly fast processor,and it was absolutely impossible for my boys. Sandy was trying to get the old version and the rights to it on her website, I'm not sure if she has been able to do it yet. Here is the link to the other thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/531228-online-dyslexia-programs/?hl=%2Blexia&do=findComment&comment=5983346 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Nope, Qwerty bombed out here too. It went away from phonics, and made too many difficult leaps with spelling not based on any rules, just expecting kids to memorize lots of difficult spellings quickly with no rhyme or reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Sorry to hear about your DH. Your situation sounds scary. I own the older Lexia disc and tried using it with DS prior to Wilson. That was a terrible idea on my part. Dyslexics require explicit, one on one instruction. A computer program cannot provide that level of instruction. Now, you could use something like Lexia for review, but I would not leave a child alone as they used the software. My DS would grow frustrated and start mindlessly clicking. Honestly, phonics would be the last subject that I would turn over to a computer program. If you could swing lessons three days a week, do it that way and include audio books. If you have a friend or trusted family member to take over, I would go that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraftyHomeschool Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Sorry to hear about DH. We used the Reading Horizons program "Discovery" and DS (9 at the time) did ok with it. I like that it was on-line so we could use it while traveling and I didn't have to fight DS to do lessons (which was a daily thing when it was ME teaching), it also improved his reading at least a full grade level in the aprox 6 months he used it. The only draw back to it was DS tends to strugle with staying on task using the computer, but maybe your DD does fine. I did a review on it, you can read it here http://craftyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2013/04/reading-horizons-discovery-at-home.html hopfully that gives you a good idea of the layout and if that would work for DD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 I was going through the tutor support page on Barton today and she mentions someone having developed software to do online tutoring using Barton. It might or might not be in your budget, but it would be a totally different way to consider, seeing if you can find an online live tutor of Barton for her using that software. I assume there would be info on Barton's site or that you could contact her directly to find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaughingCat Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 When DD was doing Lexia through the school system she would get 'stuck' at a level - unable to pass to the next. I'm not saying it should have passed her on regardless - but for my DD, repeating the exact same thing, that she was unable to do once already, a bunch more times does nothing for her. So I would say it was good for review of things she already knew but did not teach her anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 When DD was doing Lexia through the school system she would get 'stuck' at a level - unable to pass to the next. I'm not saying it should have passed her on regardless - but for my DD, repeating the exact same thing, that she was unable to do once already, a bunch more times does nothing for her. So I would say it was good for review of things she already knew but did not teach her anything. This happened to us as well. It was also not a matter of not knowing the material but being unable to process it quickly enough to complete the activity. And repetition does nothing for that issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I only have the first 3 done and have abandoned the project for other things, but she should enjoy these: http://www.thephonicspage.org/RELTR/reltrlinks.html (The first few minutes of the 2nd RELTR movie is boring but useful, the rest I tried to make fun.) She also might be able to tolerate the first 1/2 or so of each of my online phonics lessons, you could try them out. Or, 1/2 at a time with a small incentive for each 1/2 lesson watched, like a small treat or markers that could be saved up for a larger toy or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I also found pdfs of little reading books that can go along with each lesson. Those were helpful in deciding whether or not DD needs this level. I think the only phonogram she hasn't been taught is 'aw'... but otherwise she could read the final reader for the last level of the program. Hmmmm... maybe the next program (Qwerty?) would be more helpful. Any reviews on that one? Or programs that teach more advanced phonograms + fluency practice? I would do Read, Write, Type first even if she knows all the phonograms, it is fun and should help with spelling and typing and be a nice fun review. I have not used the next program but it looks less fun and more work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kile529 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 We've been using Reading Horizons for my middle son who's dyslexic and it's really helped. Struggling with my youngest though who is special needs. He's 10 years old and still struggles remembering letter sounds. Not sure what to do about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 We've been using Reading Horizons for my middle son who's dyslexic and it's really helped. Struggling with my youngest though who is special needs. He's 10 years old and still struggles remembering letter sounds. Not sure what to do about that.You could try the phonovisual charts, with my remedial students who need a lot of repetition, I find that not only do the charts mean I have to say the letter sounds 1,000,000 less times, but they seem to learn them faster when they look them up themselves using the visual cues on the charts. https://www.phonovisual.com/products.php?c=1 You could also try my charts if 2 letter vowel teams are a particular problem, have him watch my lesson 26 and then use the charts. Their organization is meant for an older child, I start with the color coded version with the key, review sounds daily, and let them use them during reading. I then wean down to reciting sounds daily with the black and white version. http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/Resources/PL26VowelChart.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Perhaps Headsprout? There is a free trial. www.headsprout.com Jennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgrubbs Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Read, Write, Type helped my son. There is something about having to use your fingers to type those letter sounds that makes the two sides of your brain have to work together. The program really helped him with this and it wasn't until he was using this program that he would write words on paper voluntarily. He is still a struggling reader and the physical act of writing is also very difficult for him but this program helped him a lot. We alternated days with it and Phonics Pathways. It gave me a break for a little while that I needed and helped him to feel like he was having fun while being successful with something reading related. He can craft the most beautiful sentences orally if he doesn't have to actually write/spell anything and that is where we need to put our focus now - getting him to put pen to paper successfully. Any ideas for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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