Help me figure out what to use next year....

[ssavings]

DD6 (just finished kindergarten) is diagnosed with dyslexia, receptive language disorder (she's too young for a CAPD diagnosis), and an articulation disorder.

Her charter school passed her through (with honor roll, nonetheless!), but she can't read at all, can't write her own name (when she tries, it's mirror-image), can't distinguish middle or ending sounds, still struggles with beginning sounds, still takes her a long time to recall letter sounds at all...  So, we're bringing her home next year so I can work with her myself!

I'd love to start with Barton, but she really, really needs LiPS - so, that's on the agenda for next year. 

Her math is nearly as poor as her reading - she still struggles with things as basic as one-to-one correspondence. 


Our plan for next year is:
- LiPS (at home), then Barton

- Science experiments (the Timeberdoodle kindergarten science. She likes Science, and this involves no reading/writing/etc)

- Bede's history of me, then history of US (unless there's something better? or I skip history altogether? or is there something more hands-on?)

- Memoria Press' Kindergarten read-aloud set with the craft book (she likes crafts; reading to her will be good. I know it's below her grade level, but she just can't handle harder read alouds)

What do I use for math? No iPad, so that Ronit Bird books everyone loves is out.. :(

Other content areas? I can't do stuff like spelling/grammar/whatever until I finish LiPs and Barton, right?

Her SLP also recommended Seeing Starts - can I do this at the same time as LiPS? Do I wait and do it after I do Barton? 

**confused and in need of help**

[PeterPan]

See Stars is sight words.  You need LIPS and then Barton.  No, LIPS should not take you a full year.  Start it now, finish in a couple months, and move on to Barton, mercy.

 

I'd dump all that stuff except for the LIPS/Barton, math, and read alouds.  You don't need any of it and it's distracting you from getting done what needs to get done.  If you spend an hour a day on Barton, it's much better than spending 30 minutes and having 30 minutes of history.  You'll get your history and science through your read alouds.  Get her audiobooks to fill the gaps and use worthwhile tv shows.  Put your energy into Barton.  It will use all the energy you've got.

 

That ipad would be more important to you than curriculum.  Don't buy curriculum (VP, blah blah)--buy the ipad.  I like curriculum as much as the next woman, but I'm just telling you you'd MUCH rather have an ipad so you can use Ronit Bird (which is the BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD AND WOULD RADICALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE) and just use free library books for your history/science read alouds.  Seriously, really and truly.  I would not steer you wrong here.  Buy the ipad instead of curriculum.

 

Adding: it sounds like she's very kinesthetic.  You're saying hands-on science, crafts, etc.  So the multi-sensory of Barton is going to be a good fit for her.  That's GREAT to bring in some hands-on things into your day!  That's what makes life good and worth living, because it's really not fun for a kid to wake up to an hour of Barton, sigh.  But do simple things, free things, and put that curriculum money into getting an ipad instead.  A mini maybe?  An ipad 3?  What are they going for now?  Mine is an ipad 3.  See what you can do.  With your mix, for hands-on think simple.  Enchanted Learning is like $10 a year and they have crafts out the wazoo to go with every holiday and theme.  Our library has activity books for each of the American Girl books.  Try the library.  See if they'll switch you to a teacher card with no fines.  :)

[PeterPan]

PS.  You'll have more uses for the ipad than you imagine.  I've been putting all my ds' Barton words, phrases, and sentences for fluency drills into Quizlet, an app you can use on the ipad.  So a mini, if that's closer to where you could get to, would be fabulous for that.  The ipad will work with the major audiobook and immersion reading apps available to dyslexics for free, so you're going to open up tons of access you don't have now.  The ipad will be the gift that keeps on giving!  You don't even REALIZE all the ways you're going to use it.  My ds listens to his kindle (the size of an ipad mini) CONSTANTLY.  Seriously, hours and hours and hours a day.  When they're not reading, you want that language input, kwim?  

 

Well I could go on.  I'm just saying if you were considering $200-300 in homeschool stuff (MP kit, some timberdoodle stuff, some VP stuff), you might consider an ipad mini instead.  You could make do without those other things just using stuff from the library.  Our library even lends games now.  

[ssavings]

See Stars is sight words.  You need LIPS and then Barton.  No, LIPS should not take you a full year.  Start it now, finish in a couple months, and move on to Barton, mercy.

 

So, no Seeing Stars, at least not now. I'm planning to start LiPS in June, then move over to Barton whenever we're ready. Glad it won't take us a full year - I was a bit worried about her being in 2nd grade and still not reading at all. 

 

I'd dump all that stuff except for the LIPS/Barton, math, and read alouds.  You don't need any of it and it's distracting you from getting done what needs to get done.  If you spend an hour a day on Barton, it's much better than spending 30 minutes and having 30 minutes of history.  You'll get your history and science through your read alouds.  Get her audiobooks to fill the gaps and use worthwhile tv shows.  Put your energy into Barton.  It will use all the energy you've got.

 

That's what I was leaning to, but I got a huge guilt trip from my mom about how she'll be "behind" in science and history. That being said... it's first grade. Consider all the extra crap dumped.

 

That ipad would be more important to you than curriculum.  Don't buy curriculum (VP, blah blah)--buy the ipad.  I like curriculum as much as the next woman, but I'm just telling you you'd MUCH rather have an ipad so you can use Ronit Bird (which is the BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD AND WOULD RADICALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE) and just use free library books for your history/science read alouds.  Seriously, really and truly.  I would not steer you wrong here.  Buy the ipad instead of curriculum.

 

DH is actually onboard with the iPad. That surprises me.  He's all for it.

 

Ronit Bird, I start with the Exploring Numbers through Dot Patterns, then move to Exploring Numbers through C-Rods, or go back and forth between the two? 

 

Adding: it sounds like she's very kinesthetic.  You're saying hands-on science, crafts, etc.  So the multi-sensory of Barton is going to be a good fit for her.  That's GREAT to bring in some hands-on things into your day!  That's what makes life good and worth living, because it's really not fun for a kid to wake up to an hour of Barton, sigh.  But do simple things, free things, and put that curriculum money into getting an ipad instead.  A mini maybe?  An ipad 3?  What are they going for now?  Mine is an ipad 3.  See what you can do.  With your mix, for hands-on think simple.  Enchanted Learning is like $10 a year and they have crafts out the wazoo to go with every holiday and theme.  Our library has activity books for each of the American Girl books.  Try the library.  See if they'll switch you to a teacher card with no fines.   :)

 

I think she's kinesthetic by default - neither reading nor oral information suits her, so she learns hands-on. Does that make sense?  I'm pretty much going to reduce things down to Math/LiPS/Barton, and add in what we can throughout the year in terms of hands-on and crafts.  

 

 

Is LiPS going to move to fast for her? We've tried a few things, wasted a bit of money (most recently, Earrobics and Reading Horizons). They move to fast for her (particularly Reading Horizons). It moved right from "here are the letter sounds" to "combine the letter sounds" - she was absolutely lost by lesson 2. :(  I'm hoping not to spend money on LiPS and have it be the same way? 

 

 

[ssavings]

PS.  You'll have more uses for the ipad than you imagine.  I've been putting all my ds' Barton words, phrases, and sentences for fluency drills into Quizlet, an app you can use on the ipad.  So a mini, if that's closer to where you could get to, would be fabulous for that.  The ipad will work with the major audiobook and immersion reading apps available to dyslexics for free, so you're going to open up tons of access you don't have now.  The ipad will be the gift that keeps on giving!  You don't even REALIZE all the ways you're going to use it.  My ds listens to his kindle (the size of an ipad mini) CONSTANTLY.  Seriously, hours and hours and hours a day.  When they're not reading, you want that language input, kwim?  

 

What's immersion reading? We have Kindles, but I usually only use it for Netflix and stuff like that...... not sure what else I want on there for her?

 

Well I could go on.  I'm just saying if you were considering $200-300 in homeschool stuff (MP kit, some timberdoodle stuff, some VP stuff), you might consider an ipad mini instead.  You could make do without those other things just using stuff from the library.  Our library even lends games now.  

 

I can shift money I was going to spend on curriculum to an iPad, easy. And, actually, DH is fine with just buying an iPad, which surprises me... but, that's awesome, too. Our library lends everything - Science in a Nutshell kits, STEM kits, everything. It's awesome. 

[PeterPan]

Wow, sounds like your library is a tremendous resource!  Then pick out things and every day do 1 or 2 things that are spiffy.  Truly, the whole light in my ds' eyes goes out if he wakes up to just Barton.  Sounds like your library will allow you to fill that.  There's nothing you need you can't fill with what you've described.

 

What a sweet hubby to go for the ipad!!  Yes, you're seeing it correctly.  Start with RB Dots, because Dots is going to build her one to one correspondence and basic math facts.  RB C-rods will build on that with place value and multi-digit math.  Then just add in fun stuff like playing store.  :)

 

Ooo, you have kindles!  Yes, yes, the kindle can do immersion reading.  If you get an ebook AND the audiobook version that says it is whispersync capable, then you'll be able to use them together on your kindle with immersion reading.  Now the trick is, that doesn't work on the ipad in the kindle app.  Seriously, it's their scoundrel-ishness, sigh.  BUT the major companies (Learning Ally, Bookshare, etc.) have their own alternatives and theirs work beautifully on the ipad and provide the books and audios.  I haven't gotten my ds signed up for things yet.  Consider it on my list of things not done, sigh.  You need a formal diagnosis.  My ds has an IEP (just got it), so I'm assuming that takes care of it.  We also already had a formal diagnosis.  They have paperwork the psych signs.  Some services are free and some you pay to join.  

 

Barton is going to want you to wait on assigned reading and just stick to the Barton stuff till you get through Barton 4.  That's in fact how it pans out anyway, so it's no big deal.

 

I don't think the issue is so much how long LIPS takes as whether LIPS (or any program) breaks the tasks into small enough parts that every step is achievable.  I think you're going to find, now that you're getting into materials specifically targeted at dyslexics, that you'll finally be getting that.  That's why they cost so much.  LIPS can be a bit of a pain to use, so hopefully you don't have a horrible learning curve.  Make free to whine, ask questions, and get help, as plenty of people here have used it.  It's worth pushing through till you figure it out and she does.  It's an EXTREMELY powerful tool.

 

Hmm, mothers and MILs...  well, I know I don't tell my mother (or my MIL) ANYTHING about my kids' education.  My MIL lives very close to me, and I tell her NOTHING.  She doesn't know ds is diagnosed on the spectrum.  Don't tell 'em.  It's not their business, not their decision, and you don't welcome their criticism.  Tell them your kids' brilliant things, because they have those too.  Save up a diary of hilarious things they say and tell them that. I think for the rest, there's a phrase "pass the bean dip."  If you're not welcome to their opinion, it's better to draw that boundary and be really firm in your presentation.  You and your dh decide what's best and that's what you do and that's how it is.

 

And you can't be "behind" on 1st grade history and science.   :lol:   Stream Popular Mechanics for Kids, Magic School Bus, Bill Nye, Peg & Cat, whatever, bam, done.  Read the Let's Read and Find Out series of science books, available freely through your library, bam, done.  Do some of those kits.  Celebrate holidays. Watch History Channel.  Bam, done.  Put on SOTW audiobooks.  One of the services (Learning Ally? I forget), has CHOW, which is the SL early cores spine, on audio.  It's on my get done list to subscribe and get the books downloaded so he can start to listen to the books I'm not getting around to reading to him.  I just know *I* am not some kind of wonder woman.  I cannot do Barton every day AND be wonder woman at all these things.  Something is going to be done imperfectly, and I PICK that imperfectly and I PICK the way I cover my butt and I CALL IT GOOD ENOUGH.  

 

I never do everything I aspire, but I try to make sure I do the things I think are most important.

 

I don't think the kinesthetic is merely because their vision is glitchy.  I think it's more intrinsic to who they are, and the more you embrace it the more effective your efforts will be.  Our SLP (speech therapist) is the one who found it in ds.  Some of her testing for his speech problem involves presenting a sound he's struggling with different ways (modeling to him what to do, telling him what to do, physically putting their hands on and helping him do it, etc.).  For him, he is a kinesthetic learner by a LANDSLIDE.  

 

Well good, I'm glad things are coming together for you!  If you can make a move on that ipad, you can get that RB Dots ebook and get started.  You're going to love it.  There are a few game boards and things to print out, and you can find them in the resource section of her site.  She has a terrific FB feed as well, btw.  The other thing you'll use is a lot of dice, so next time you're at walmart or dollar tree pick up a box.  She has you white out some of the dots to make them fit her games.  I kept having to scavenge for dice.   :lol: 

 

Keep us posted with how it goes!  :)

[Guest2]

If you are getting the ipad, I highly reccomend Learning Ally which OhElizabeth mentioned. My kids use it constantly on their ipods. Unfortunately, it isn't free, but it is inexpensive and easy. The Learning Ally has a huge collection of books, which are read by volunteers( not as good as professional by any means). https://www.learningally.org. It is great to hear requests from my son for specific kinds of books.

 

I believe that Learning Ally and our own suggle time revived my kids' intrest in books. My son had gotten to the point where he didn't care to hear read alouds(he still needed the pictures, and we were reading more to older sisters' level.) We started reading the books from Five in a Row..

http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/FIARV1 We realized we didn't like doing the crafts, ect...but did enjoy reading the same book for a week. If you do have time for those,things and like it , you can get a used copy of the Five In A Row vol1 for around $30 and I always resold mine for a few buck less- so not a huge expense. We ended up just looking at the booklist and reserving some books. I'm sure your library probably has most of the books. For me, it is a fun nonacademic time to start our day .

[Ottakee]

I really LOVE the I See Sam books.  www.3rsplus.com or www.iseesam.com  They are what I used to teach my girls to read and we tried just about everything under the sun before that......and I am a special ed teacher by training to boot.

 

I honestly don't know much about Barton so I will let others comment on that.

 

After she is reading some, I would suggest Apples and Pears spelling.  It is wonderful and easy to use.  The lessons can be long but most of us divide them into 2-3 days and just work slow and steady.  She does need to be a bit more fluent with writing though.  Likely in another 1-2 years she might be ready and that is fine.

 

For math, I really liked Christian Light Education.  Just take it slow if you do this.  Maybe taking 2 days to do each lesson.  My girls enjoyed this.  They were slower learners though and did not have a specific math LD.

 

For writing have you looked at Handwriting without Tears?

[PeterPan]

You can download the I See Sam books for free as pdf and use them on the ipad.  I hadn't thought about ways to load pdfs onto the kindle, hmm.  Dropbox maybe?  

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/538504-learning-to-use-bookshare-learning-ally/

 

Here's the thread I had earlier on learning how to use these services.  People discussed them, how to get them on which technology, etc.

[ssavings]

I think I can drop PDFs onto our Kindle Fires if we connect is to the computer via USB. Haven't tried, but I am pretty sure we can.... 

I can't imagine she'll be able to handle I See Sam, though - I don't think she'll be able to hear the sounds correctly.

My three year old, OTOH, might be ready for them..

[PeterPan]

My ds didn't do well with the I See Sam books either.  He could read a whole book and then have no clue what the words were, even when it was only just using a couple words.  :(    So yes, for us it has been better to put our focus into LIPS, Barton, and doing those consistently.  I put his words, phrases, and sentences from Barton into quizlet and we do the quizlet app on his kindle.  It's AWESOME that way, highly, highly, highly recommend.

[Ottakee]

I can't imagine she'll be able to handle I See Sam, though - I don't think she'll be able to hear the sounds correctly.

 

My three year old, OTOH, might be ready for them..

Does she have a hearing problem or more processing?  You might be surprised that it can work.  You start out with only FIVE sounds----s, m, short a, ee (long sound...always presented together), and I (as in the word).  They dont' need to know 26 letters and sounds to start, just 5.  They then blend them into 3 words---I see Sam---and start reading.

 

It HONESTLY took my daughter WEEKS to be able to read the word I as I.  She could tell you the name of the letter but when she saw it in a sentence she couldn't process it as the word I.  If you look under case studies hers is there.  It took us WEEKS for each of the first few books............yep, just 3 words took us weeks but it honestly gets EASIER the harder the books get.  I can't explain it, didn't believe it but found it to be true.

[PeterPan]

I don't know why the I See Sam books didn't click for my ds, because it makes sense that with such a small field of letters to start they should.  LIPS was fabulous for building that ability to hear and discriminate the sounds.  Don't skip it, whatever you do.  After you get into Barton 1 or 2, then pull out the I See Sam books and see if they click with her or not.  I haven't tried them again with my ds even though they're on my ipad.  Really, Barton, beginning with 3, has SO many controlled reader stories included, you just won't need more.  So I See Same can be a way of teaching reading instruction (what worked for Ottakee's situation) or a supplement or what you want it to be.