What an inviting, relaxing color. Enjoy! :001_smile:

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What is your favorite book that you use for dictation? For a rising 7th grader who reads/writes on a 4th-5th grade level? I'd like it all laid out for me, to make it easier, I think. Thanks! Lisa

Merry and Heather, I am not the OP, but have read many old posts from each you, regarding AAS. I, too, have an older child - 13 year old dyslexic son, who is just starting hs. He is actually not a horrible speller. He spells very phonetically when it is a mistake. Complane instead of complain etc. Mainly, his problems are with long vowel sounds. Are there rules as to when you use ee, instead of ea, ei, ey or e_e etc? Does AAS explain those rules? Or does ds just need to read more? Reading has been such a struggle - I don't think he has ever read a complete novel on his own. We are now going through REWARDS which is amazing - forcing him to slow down, seeing words in chunks, instead of guessing. I just don't know whether to start him with Megawords or AAS at this point. He is not happy about starting all over, doing baby stuff! But, I'll sure do what is needed. Thank you! Lisa

Please tell us more. How old is your dd? On what level is she reading? How much are you willing to work with her? Many programs are expensive. You are right. Thousands of dollars. But, people have had great success teaching their own kids. Can you afford $100? There are more options than you realize - even free ones. Ottakee! Thanks for that link! I was going to ask about it today! ;) Lisa

:iagree: I am new to hs. My son is a 13 year old dyslexic. It would be very difficult and overwhelming to do pure WTM. I am amazed at the wealth of information and wisdom on this board. I stay because it is my only support system. ;)

Hmmm...I haven't had any early readers. Three out of four read by 6, I guess. Two of those have tested gifted. I have a feeling my six year old is too. The other is dyslexic with an average IQ. So, I don't think reading has much to do with it. The reason I think my youngest is gifted is because she thinks differently. Just like the others. She thinks outside the box. She sees patterns in everything, makes amazing connections between two unrelated things, and perceives an event differently than someone else her own age would. On the other hand, my dyslexic kid has AMAZING gifts because of his struggles - he is gifted in his visual memory and his perceptive skills. Frighteningly so, actually!!

What about Reading Reflex, ABeCeDarian or AAS? My 6 year old is doing well with Headsprout for now, but reading is coming along easily for her. She's bored with it already. Maybe you can record her reading her fave books (the ones she can read fluently). Teach her how to phrase and use expression. That way, she can listen to herself and follow along in the book. She might think it's cool to create her own audio-library!

I'm the OP. My ds13, the one I posted about, is dyslexic. My dh and his sister are what some may call stealth dyslexics (highly gifted, no trouble reading;great comprehension). My dh's brother, on the other hand, is a classic dyslexic, like my ds. Wouldn't you know that he is an engineer!

That's very interesting! My son has an incredible (in fact, sometimes freaky) visual-spatial memory. He is actually really good at understanding mathematical concepts, but just can't remember those darn facts. It slows him down quite a bit. Maybe he'll be an engineer, eh?

I just saw that on their site. Look beautiful! Enjoy it! Lisa

Thank you for that - I had worried about this. I just started Times Tales today - of course, ds thought it was way too babyish. I figure it is worth a shot, though. For addition, I decided to teach him the "Right Start Way" counting by 5's and 10's (I have to figure out how exactly to do this - I'm waiting for the abacus and transition books to arrive). Next, we'll just be very consistent with math drills. Thank you for your input mandamom and samba2nite! ;) Ray, thanks for the nintendo idea. He doesn't have one, but his younger brother does. Sounds like a good idea! Lisa

My fave read aloud EVER was The Tale of Despereaux! Such a fun read! :)

Can you explain how you do this? Do you follow Singapore as your spine and just search through the other books for the related material each day? Trying to figure this out myself... Thanks! :)

I haven't tried it yet, but check out LOF - it gets rave reviews and seems fun - especially if she's a great reader.

We've been using it for over a week or two. My 13 year old son is using it and yes, it is difficult for him. It would be for me too! Sit with her during the first few sessions. Explain the process as she's doing it. Also, she will try to avoid the more difficult "games". Don't let her. Try to keep all of the levels as even as possible - apparently, they work in conjunction with each other. Tell her that it is a really hard program, but she can do it. Good luck. My ds actually just completed level one on the two games that were really difficult for him. It's a matter of sticking with it - something he usually doesn't do when the going gets tough. Lisa

Ooooops - forgot. http://store.cambiumlearning.com/ProgramPage.aspx?parentId=019005266&functionID=009000008&pID=REWARDS&site=sw

Angie, REWARDS is a program by Sopris West for middle schoolers and higher. It is a 20-25 lesson program that works on multisyllabic word strategies. My son was fine with our basic code, after PhonoGraphix work, but just guesses on multisyllabic words. REWARDS is given incredible reviews. Do a search on the board - most people have great things to say about it. I'll let you know! ;) Lisa

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:lol::lol: I actually want to know the answer too...

My name is Lisa and I'm a bookaholic...

I am sooo excited! I just received REWARDS and Apples and Pears today. I am using them for my dyslexic 13 year old ds. I need advice about using these programs simultaneously. I have: REWARDS Apples and Pears Read Naturally (fluency program) Would it be overkill to use all of these on the same day? I was going to use Barton, but think this is just what he needs. We did the first REWARDS lesson today and it's fabulous! I got Apples and Pears Level B to start - it seems that it might be a nice overlap with REWARDS, but I don't know if any of the rules may conflict. Any experience out there?

Favorite read aloud of all time - The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. If your kids are experienced listeners, they will be fine with this one. Others - My Father's Dragon Series, Poppy series, Catwings, Stories Julian Tells, Wolf Story by William McCleary, Patricia Polacco picture books.

Well, wouldn't you know that I just ordered the RS abacus, transition workbook and card games last night! Off to find Jenny at Singapore!;)

Thank you Heather. DS is dyselxic, so I'm trying to find a way to help him. I'm okay with him using his fingers for addition/subtraction. It just takes him longer than most. I know it's embarrassing for him, though. Multiplication tables are a different thing. He needs a way to remember those. This will be our first year homeschooling; it's amazing how much I've learned about the way he learns and struggles. Thanks for the details. Any idea which level Singapore I should start with, to cover the basics? He is math minded, so he should be going into prealgbra type work. But I don't want him to miss pieces of the Singapore way of thinking!