Dianne Craft question

[mamashark]

I was having a discussion with my sister-in-law (who is a public school kindergarten teacher) about my 6yo DD who has dyslexia. We've completed Barton level 1 and it was amazing - took a while to get through but she did well. I then opted to try Phonics Pathways again with AAS letter tiles after we finished instead of going on to level 2, and she's made more progress in the past month than she did in the previous year now that we have completed Barton 1. 

 

Anyways, my sister-in-law highly recommended the sight word cards from Dianne Craft; they made a huge difference for her kindergarteners this year. They do look amazing, but I'm also noticing her brain integration therapy manual and wondering something - if the cards are like a bandaid while the brain integration therapy gets more to the root of things? That's kind of the way I'm reading the website, but at the same time I am having trouble with the idea that the therapy manual will be the amazing fix she's claiming it can be... even though it sounds like it would benefit a couple of my other kids as well based on the description.

 

So without finding much about it while searching, I'm wondering - if you didn't have the money for both, which would you spend the money on - the brain integration manual or the sight word cards? (Or would you not bother with either?) 

[Lecka]

I think (my impression) is that her brain integration manual is the kind of thing kids do in OT.

 

My older son was helped with that kind of thing in OT, and also struggled with sight words.

 

I think you should think of it as two separate things for separate goals.

 

If you think you need to bring in OT type stuff --- then that is one question.

 

If you want to bring something in for sight words --- that is another question.

 

And then you can pick a priority for now.

 

I doubt that doing the brain integration manual is going to make sight words easy.... but that doesn't mean it isn't very worthwhile to do OT stuff.

 

So what are your goals and priorities right now? What are your options?

 

Do you have a cheaper/alternate choice for either one? Can you make your own, search Pinterest, get a library book for either one? Choose a cheaper choice for one?

 

Edit: overall my opinion on the OT stuff is ---- if there are weak areas, it is very, very worthwhile. But it is kind-of random where it will be worthwhile. It helped my son learn to swim, no question. It helped him learn to dribble a basketball. These are great things for kids. But if you go into it hoping for reading gains or handwriting gains -- I think maybe you see those gains, maybe you don't. There still might be other things to do. It might not be a quick "do one thing" fix. But if you can tell your kids probably need it, then I think it is worth it for whatever gain they do get.

 

Edit -- if you can't tell; I went in to OT very, very focused on handwriting; and what I got was swimming and generally being better coordinated.

 

I didn't realize how worthwhile it would be, but it was very worthwhile. But it didn't exactly do what I went into it wanting it to do.

 

Really -- I got more than that from OT, but it is hard to explain.... but I didn't get what I went in wanting. But it was still very worthwhile.

Edited June 14, 2017 by Lecka

[mamashark]

Great thoughts, I need to consider that some. My goals would be to improve learning ability... So not sight words but if sight words made reading easier, then yes sight words, if that makes sense.

 

 

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[Pistachio mom]

I have the Brain Training Manual and I have taken her PD course on how to implement it, which is basically just reading and applying the manual in a specific case study situation.

 

I used this with my oldest daughter to deal some particular issues. For her, it made all the difference. Basically, the teacher needs to assess the student in order to determine what to work on first - using the checklists included in the book. Then just follow the directions for the appropriate large muscle exercises that are outlined in the book.  Dianne's book explains to do specific exercises 4 days per week, with a very specific brain training session one day per week. It took about 20 minutes per day to do this.  I will be working with another child this next school year with a different set of challenges, so I am excited to see what happens. Brain Training therapy is not just for LD students, but also for the gifted kids with a learning glitch such as disgraphia. Some dyslexics have been able to improve. (I don't know how it would work in your situation) The exercises help the student to think more efficiently, using less energy. For my girl, it made a difference in how long math took, handwriting anything quicker, also in improving her communication skills such as her reaction speed in conversation.

 

I noticed an immediate difference even after just 2 days of the exercises. By the end of the training period, much improvement had happened.

 

This is not the only program that used large muscle movements to work on visual or auditory processing problems. Royal fireworks Press also has a series. I saw it at a homeschool convention. Dianne's is much cheaper if you consider the scope. RFP books were $20 each. You might find other options if you research midline therapy.

 

I met someone from Texas who told me about a program called "small steps" that sounded very similar.

 

Dianne's Right Brain Teaching DVD also addresses how to design and make visuals for teaching anything in order to make it stick for the students who have learning issues. I am working through it right now and it has been most helpful. She does have some shorter youtube samples, and she also has a series of DVD's that (I think)  come in a set to give specific ideas for right brain teaching of the content areas. The right brain teaching has helped me to adapt lessons for a student with auditory processing issues, while I was waiting for a season of life with enough time to do the brain training.

 

 What I like about Dianne's resources is that they are designed for parents to use at home, (you do not need to have a degree in special ed or nutrition to make a program work).

 

 

[mamashark]

I have the Brain Training Manual and I have taken her PD course on how to implement it, which is basically just reading and applying the manual in a specific case study situation.

 

I used this with my oldest daughter to deal some particular issues. For her, it made all the difference. Basically, the teacher needs to assess the student in order to determine what to work on first - using the checklists included in the book. Then just follow the directions for the appropriate large muscle exercises that are outlined in the book. Dianne's book explains to do specific exercises 4 days per week, with a very specific brain training session one day per week. It took about 20 minutes per day to do this. I will be working with another child this next school year with a different set of challenges, so I am excited to see what happens. Brain Training therapy is not just for LD students, but also for the gifted kids with a learning glitch such as disgraphia. Some dyslexics have been able to improve. (I don't know how it would work in your situation) The exercises help the student to think more efficiently, using less energy. For my girl, it made a difference in how long math took, handwriting anything quicker, also in improving her communication skills such as her reaction speed in conversation.

 

I noticed an immediate difference even after just 2 days of the exercises. By the end of the training period, much improvement had happened.

 

This is not the only program that used large muscle movements to work on visual or auditory processing problems. Royal fireworks Press also has a series. I saw it at a homeschool convention. Dianne's is much cheaper if you consider the scope. RFP books were $20 each. You might find other options if you research midline therapy.

 

I met someone from Texas who told me about a program called "small steps" that sounded very similar.

 

Dianne's Right Brain Teaching DVD also addresses how to design and make visuals for teaching anything in order to make it stick for the students who have learning issues. I am working through it right now and it has been most helpful. She does have some shorter youtube samples, and she also has a series of DVD's that (I think) come in a set to give specific ideas for right brain teaching of the content areas. The right brain teaching has helped me to adapt lessons for a student with auditory processing issues, while I was waiting for a season of life with enough time to do the brain training.

 

What I like about Dianne's resources is that they are designed for parents to use at home, (you do not need to have a degree in special ed or nutrition to make a program work).

Interesting, thank you! I'm glad to hear how much it helped in your situation. I wonder if I could make a version of the flash cards myself for now and spend the money on the brain training manual.

 

 

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[Lecka]

I don't know how similar they are, but "snapwords pinterest" has sight words with pictures, too.

[Pistachio mom]

You could easily make a version of the flash cards. The point of the cards is to put a visual image with the word. Specifically writing the work overtop of the picture or as part of the picture.

 

It does not need to be fancy. I made my own right brain type of flash cards to help my 2nd grader remember some math facts, and the tricks for figuring out specific patterns. Memorizing just did not work for her.

 

Now I know this is math, but the trigger memory website has wonderful ideas for this type of thing. http://www.timestales.com/MainProducts.html

Also, if you look up one of these visual style teaching resources on Amazon, you can get ideas from what other people also viewed and just from their reviews also.

 

The snapwords on pinterest are exactly this kind of thing. I just did an image search. Wow! They are beautiful! Markers on index cards were what I had on hand in the middle of an expensive schoolyear :) (My daughter actually liked helping to make the cards - it seemed to help her remember the information better.

 

I do really like the Brain Training manual. While reading it the first time through, it made me wonder why I wasn't taught some of these things in my college general education classes for ed majors. It might be possible to find it used. Not all children respond immediately to the training exercises. I am thankful God allowed my daughter to improve so much. I wish you well as you explore and research what is right for your situation.

[MerryAtHope]

We had a really bad experience with sight-reading here (a month of sight-words undid months of phonics work and reinforced guessing habits that took a really long time to un-do.)

 

I know that some people like to mix in some sight-reading to get kids reading faster, and sometimes that can seem to work. For a student who struggled with reading who is now doing well with phonics, I'd really rather not. Sometimes there's not a "fast road." I think if you see any tendencies at all towards your child trying to guess words based on first or last letter, word shape, or context, you may want to think twice before adding in unnecessary sight words (obviously there are some). Or at least, teach your student how to sound out the words first. 

 

 

[Pistachio mom]

All three of  my children did the guessing both in reading words and in reading music. This has been the case for many children I have known.

 

The internet has several websites for sight words, I used the (dolch?? or a similar sounding name) list to accompany the systematic phonics we were working on. Our sight words were pulled from the web list as well as specific words in the books we were reading. The research I have seen demonstrates that children learn best how to read when taught with a combination of solid phonic along with a whole language approach. A teacher does not have to use one or the other. You can tailor it.

 

For my youngest daughter, I  did have to make right brain style cards for many of the phonogram sounds to help speed things along. This child could sound out the words so much faster once we worked on "tricks" to remember the rhyme. In the end, now I have a rising 3rd grader who is reading by syllable chunks and big words beautifully. I am thankful! For me, each of my children have been very different students in putting together a working combination of systematic phonics instruction and practice with an appropriate growing list of sight words. Ruth Beechick wrote that blending sounds into words is a maturity skill, and it comes at different times for different children. Her book "A Home Start in Reading" helped give me a working foundation to use in my teaching.

 

Best of luck as you process so many pieces of good advice from everyone.