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Hottater

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Everything posted by Hottater

  1. I bought both cottage press (I had a charlotte mason energy going on) and LLATL and am looking at a friend's copy of IEW.... And, I was wanting to have some easy days -- some of LLATL days are long.
  2. Praise report: My DS got his Irlen lenses and has gotten several 100%'s on his 3rd grade R&S spelling tests!!! Problem area: My ds really doesn't like writing, and I finally got his Irlen issues resolved (visual distortion via specific light waves causing a brain interpretation issue), but he is still gradually figuring things out since he got his lenses in Dec. So, here's what I see problematic, he knows cursive, and he points his pencil tip south towards himself as he writes, but fights me on it. He sped up from usually taking 2 hours to write something to 38 minutes to write a paragraph (That's still too long imho, but way better than before). So, I have an issue, should I go with a Charlotte Mason Approach= Narration, copy work and dictation with cottagepress.com? (15 minute incremental lessons) Or, should I go with IEW? I think he could only handle 1 approach.
  3. For orange- The older versions and newer version have a dictation passage that isn't pre-written in cursive. The newer versions have it laid out better... so that you can see more instruction on how to focus on spelling or grammar rules with better visuals than the older versions. The workbooks help it be more independent learning, and it connects it from the actual book that they have read-- less arbitrary, more focused. Orange- both versions want you to read about 4-5 readers that are more necessary to read, because of the book study portions. I have both old version Teacher's manual and new version workbook only - they are very very similar, the order is just different and the new Workbook has a little more functionality than the older version. It explains some of the spelling and grammar concepts better and in a better visual way, since it is all there for you without you needing to prep. And sequencing cut outs are pre-done in the workbook. It's only 4-5 readers which is minimal compared to say Abeka which has about 6-10 larger books with many many short stories -- I Love the fewer required readers from LLATL, because we have other books that jive with science or history that we want to go through from the library with our other history and science books. And we make my kid read through specific A Beka readers too, so he gets other types of stories throughout the year. I can't remember everything but off the top of my head-- required reading- for both versions; If you skimp out on the orange readers, you kinda leave the kid dangling with no relationship to the actual literature all the exercises are derived from. Goto half.com or thriftbooks.com and you'll see the readers cheap. The Boxcar Children #1 Orville and Wilbur Wright - Augusta Stevenson The young printer, Benjamin Franklin -Augusta Stevenson The sign of the Beaver
  4. So, technically, you only used LLATL for the reading selections and comprehension? I don't understand why one would need daily grams? I only have easy grammar workbooks not the daily grams.
  5. I spent 3+ hours today on LLATL (mostly writing) alone, because of his bad pencil grip and because of him getting frustrated at me for correcting him and because his sisters were so distracting. He and I were in tears. He also lied about reading his books today and last Friday. I thought LLATL was so much LIGHTER than all the other stuff I had last year. When it's history or science, my kids get all work together and within 2 hours, we get History and science done no problem. I told them, since we skipped writing and english yesterday, we were doing it first thing. Maybe I am inept at teaching English and Math? My ds seems to not "get" English and Math quickly or even for the long haul. We are reviewing math facts and memorized preposition lists yet again. I don't know if he has dylexia coupled with Irlen's and if Essentials would just be even more frustrating and overly rigorous.
  6. My kid is opposite of yours. And how much "work" is essentials? The rigor scares me. That may be what I need to get my bottom in gear, but at the same time, may be really really intense for my son who takes at least 3 hours to write a paragraph.
  7. When would be good to supplement writing with LLATL? That kinda stinks. I really didn't want to spend on more supplements. I thought LLATL covered everything. I already have Easy Grammar gr.5,6,7 and Spelling Workout a-f and Rod and Staff spelling. I have all the abeka teaching materials for various grades, but not the student workbooks. I also have WWE level 1-4. He REALLY disliked WWE. He's not a big fan of dictation. LLATL is a lot less intense on the dictation than WWE. I really wanted something all in one so that I would be able to stop going from 5 separate subjects and just have 1 English. KWIM? I don't have patience for the Abeka teacher's manual. The paring down Abeka Teachers manual down for one student drives me nuts. But I will do what is the best alternative, I have to get teaching down to 5 hours a day for all three kids.
  8. Do you find LLATL lean on writing? I find it lean on spelling, that's why I supplemented with rod and staff spelling. All the other links were a reference to all the other things they would possibly cover in Essentials Class in Classical Conversations. I have no idea how detailed or thorough they would be with their choices. I thought they used Shurley Grammar instead of Essentials of English Language in classical conversations, I guess not? I don't know what I needed to buy I was just hit copy and paste from the essentials list. LLATL doesn't have the same type of composing elements of some other curriculum and vice versa. DS's orange curriculum should be getting to a journal writing, poem, and research paper writing assignment. He's already done the News article summary activity. By the way, thanks for all your responses so far. I am scared for him to totally clam up for Essentials class. I don't know if he could take the rigor. I want him like writing. He balked at writing the news article summary. but also afraid of him falling too far behind. I went with something lighter and less rigorous to help him. He may possibly have dyslexia. He just received his Irlen corrective lenses and needs another adjustment. The reason why I said vs. is because I don't have time for 2 curriculums. It would be give him LLATL and readers, rod and staff spelling , and abeka readers, or do CC essentials.
  9. I work in the evenings, and can't get all of our homework done in 5 hours for all three of my kids. it's more like 8 hrs and we aren't getting piano and art in. Ages 9,7, and prek4 I've heard so many good things about both. My ds who usually hates writing, is doing ok with LLATL. (FINALLY) I needed something that covered everything and lite this year. He's doing the orange book which for their levels is usually 4th grade. But, I am considering going into Classical Conversations essentials this sept year for my ds. He's usually a bit slow and it was because of a medical issue that was resolved, and am afraid of spending more money on something that won't help him and I. I am trying to catch him up on writing. Cost is a huge factor and time trying to get them all working at a normal pace is killing me. If I go IEW, then it will plow another $439.90 in my budget, but LLATL is more cost effective. I gather IEW is writing only? Disgruntled but my learning curve REALLY needs open and go, where it doesn't rely on my knowing spelling rules, or grammar rules, writing rules, and teaches both teacher and student really easily, etc. This year he is doing LLATL and Rod and Staff spelling 3 (He repeated all of 3rd grade), abeka readers, (he already did all of OPGTTR, WWE 1,2 FLL 1,2 Easy Grammar 3 last year) The choices for next year are: LLATL Rod and Staff spelling and llatl reading material and abeka readers OR IEW, plus this stuff which I have never seen before. Essentials of the English Language, 4th Edition Revised Essentials of the English Language - Part 3: Gear {Student Mastery Charts} CC Quick Flip Arithmetic Book Math Flashcards Set 1: Addition (Commutative Law) - NEW! Math Flashcards Set 2: Multiplication (Commutative Law) - NEW! Trivium Tables: English Grammar Trivium Tables: Quid et Quo Trivium Tables: Math The Synonym Finder Spelling Plus Grammar & Diagramming Sentences Dictation Resource Book IEW Portable Walls IEW TWSS Syllabus -NEWLY REVISED IEW Teaching Writing: Structure & Style - 9-DVD Only - BEING REVISED IEW US History Writing Vol 1 Teacher IEW US History Writing Vol 1 Student Our Mother Tongue Our Mother Tongue Answer Key IEW Ancient History Writing - TEACHER BOOK ONLY- NEWLY REVISED IEW Ancient History Writing - Student -NEWLY REVISED
  10. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=875092945835921 This is someone else's example of Irlen. https://www.facebook.com/Dollfaceltd/photos/a.543528589038741.1073741834.265007890224147/798867800171484/?type=1&theater He will probably need them all his life, but changes in hormones, changes with medication or diets may change some of the characteristics, sometimes tints change. When he is older he can wear contacts. They also sell Irlen sports goggles and frames for higher impact. No, he won't need visual therapy, because he doesn't have the same "muscle issues" that a visual therapist deals with. Irlen is a different wavelengths of light being interpreted by the brain issue. There is nothing wrong with his eye or the muscles surrounding it. His brain interprets what he sees differently. So, he just wears the Irlen lenses or sunglasses and it fixes everything. The only thing I need to make sure to work with him is on pencil grip. As the brain calms down due to the over stimulus, he will function normally, just like he was able to tie his shoe for the first time this summer and climb all the way up the jungle gym. There are helps to people with sensory issues for people who have been diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, add, adhd, migraine headaches, light inducing seizures, seasonal affect, and other functions because different wavelengths affect people differently. Some people get physically ill and nauseous and it affects what seems to be their balance too. My son, after having his sunglasses off, hung onto the stairwell banister for dear life, because he saw two of everything including the steps, before that, he had been compensating but was still overly cautious. He jumped 20 times over the jump rope last friday at PE with his sunglasses. :hurray: He now has colored overlays for reading and will have his Irlen lenses which look like green sunglasses, and it will help him see single vision and his colors are corrected. He has the green overlay. http://www.amazon.com/IRLEN-Colored-Overlays-Reading-Sample/dp/B003LNMHTU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414977213&sr=8-1&keywords=irlen+overlays After a month of testing him with his Irlen lenses, I will be more able to determine how much more on track he will get etc. :hurray: Editted to add... http://youtu.be/UbwzyO3qBZU Great video on how it works.
  11. So happy. My kid's diagnostician even asked me if I wanted to take classes to be a screener, because I was So scientific in my approach. I told her that my kid's color would be green, and lo and behold~It was (just a different shade of green.) And, my kid's scotopic light sensitivity was rare, because his color was green for the overlay as well as the tint of lens for his Irlen filters. So siked. He demonstrated a vestibular imbalance when his sunglasses were off. And, was holding his hand incorrectly when writing. She was shocked to see him actually thinking that there were more stair steps there than there were there. Irlen filters are ordered, and am happy that someone is vouching everything that I was researching. Very similar methods were used that I used. Just ecstatic that he's happy too, and has a something more custom for his needs.
  12. The appointment moved, prayers for Friday is much appreciated!!!
  13. Thanks Sandy- your encouragement is awesome! Yeah, you're reading my past like a book. All there ever was screaming. I pray to God to give me the right words everyday, it's hard when the past roll models weren't good - and now we only can deal with what have with the little resources that we've gleaned. I made the phone call! I have an appointment on Wednesday! So much to do, I have to get a pupillary distance reading and frames. And fill out several questionnaires.
  14. I might finally take the plunge tomorrow and make the phone call to the Irlen diagnostician in my area. This is Irlen Awareness week. This is from cbs yesterday. It's real, and many people are misdiagnosed. My son has it. I know he does. After all the help everyone has given me here, I've found the answer. He's still a tad slow, but it's probably because I am not using the right colored lenses. I went into a party store, and tried 7 shades of sunglass colors over his vision issues continued to multiply his images with the blue purple range, and formed a singularity with the green range. I got the book Irlen revolution in the library, and had my son draw what he saw on paper --- it was extremely hard for him without some sunglasses on, and everything doubled to a V I can't imagine his kaleidoscope eye view! I even tested him with crayons. He was able to tell the difference between yellow and lemon yellow = to me it's BARELY noticeable, to him, it's a shade of green and yellow. I can't thank you enough for posting questions that were really making me think hard. The lighting in everyone's environment affects those with irlen Syndrome in different ways. Just like there are 10 million colors, there are different reactions, but it's so entirely obvious the change with even sunglasses for him. Hope this helps you if this is the same issue you have. It is so easily confused with other things!!! http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/10/20/twins-with-severe-headaches-stomach-pains-find-a-colorful-cure-with-help-from-irlen-institute/
  15. I just skimmed the prior post. Did you rule out irlen syndrome first? http://irlen.com/ you can do self tests to help see if it might correlate to what your may be experiencing matches. I have a audio clip from Helen Irlen about what Irlen is and what symptoms are like etc. I know, I know-- another test, but this one is pretty immediate, if it does help then great! It's not like VT which does take a 4+ week process most of the time, but VT solves for other issues. You can do what I did - use your own sunglasses and/or different transparent file folder dividers to see if it calms the processing of what your kid sees. Then, if it does, then you can research further on the site, there is a professional screeners and professional diagnosticians, and on facebook, a whole lot of facebook support groups of people willing to answer some of your questions. My kid has stereotopic vision issues which is a depth perception issue, don't know if that is similar to the spatial functioning. I have the same issues of schooling my other littles and not having the time to do both while affecting my other kids' educations. Hang in there! make sure to have a lot of audio materials in the car they can all listen to while on the way to xyz appointment. http://a.advancedbrain.com/events/episode.jsp?id=SB&type=17
  16. One step : chromagen is based out of the Spain and Irlen out of the US. Both highly controversial, but oddly, chromagen is FDA approved according to them--- lol it's not a food or drug... So I don't know how controlled that is.... I am still researching like a bandit before I fork out money to just anyone. Dealing with insurance company just trying to get reimbursed is a pain too.
  17. Ok, now I'm stirring the pot.... An Irlen slide show helping people understand how the eye works, and why it's misinterpreted in dyslexic forums : http://www.slideshare.net/mobile/humansnotrobots/irlen-syndrome-visual-dyslexia So far from some of the info gathered here, I get why my son is doing great with his sunglasses. And it's a better band aid than I thought. Until I get something that is more specific to his needs. Only, I saw more research, there are two opposing companies that work with light sensitivity issues. Irlen and Chromagen. I don't know who is more reliable? They both have similar ideas.
  18. Like in the search function, type in a LD of choice. I hadn't researched anything in particular. It's really difficult to know the efficacy of any of them, especially if they don't give you the results of their clinical trials. I would hope they do.
  19. The difference between visual dyslexia and irlen!!! http://irlen.com/the-difference-between-irlen-syndrome-and-visual-dyslexia/ Oh and I am sooo happy that all of you have posted what you have posted. You have helped me sooo much. Just arriving to this point is just a whirlwind roller coaster and a blessing. Hugs to all of you who have supported me. There are FB kids who have the same issues as my ds. But I am gaining understanding of why the Neural Ophthalmologist came to the wrong conclusion-- he didn't have the answers so he just blamed it back on my son and I (for believing him). One thing he did say that caught my attention was that it's not physiological. Dyslexics aren't diagnosed by Ophthalmologists or optometrists or regular pediatricians. They are diagnosed by Neural Psychologists and COVD Optometrists and possibly pediatric ophthalmologists and reading specialists. Irlen diagnosticians diagnose Scotopic light sensitivity which is a visual perceptual sensory issue not a visual dyslexia although it involves the sight and brain interpretation. All of these people do not share the same diagnosing skills. If you understand parts of the eye- Optometrists(no surgery) and Ophthalmologists(surgery) and neural ophthalmologists just deal from cornea to retina, and not necessarily brain translation of the image in it's entirety - only some. So, after passing visual field tests, and Ishihara test and acuity(near sighted, farsighted), refraction and health of eye tests-- by process of elimination --we're not dealing with physical eye issues but more visual perceptual processing issues. It makes sense. I personally think it's Irlen syndrome, not sure if there is a coupling with dyslexia, and by the sounds of the article (he might not have visual dyslexia). But I think I am 50% there. (100% would mean I would have dealt with all the remediation to bring him back to some "standard" level. ) Thinking about going with some Charlotte mason/Ruth beechick methods this year, and taking it slower. Talking to hubby about the Irlen diagnostician/specialist giving my son his test and stuff.
  20. Has anyone used clinical trials to test their kid to find if their kid has a learning disability? I saw this: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/search/index I don't know if they do free neuro psych evals.
  21. I was thinking about you. I didn't read everything just the first 3 posts. If you understand a little of the differences between some types of diagnoses and the differences between symptoms, it helps you figure stuff out too, before taking any big leaps anywhere, or even to just understand some of the problems so you can better equip yourself with the proper questions on your visit to Covd optometrist or pediatric ophthalmologist or Neuro Psych. http://irlen.com/?p=993 This page discusses visual dyslexia vs. Irlen syndrome. One is not the other, and both are very closely related to vision issues, but a person needing VT is someone who actually has a vision issue for example where the eye has more of muscle issue or where both eyes aren't working together well, not a visual processing issue where interpretation of information is affected closer to the brain. I think of the image like going through a wire. Where does the image distort? At the cornea, lens, retina, along the neural pathways, or at the brain? VT is for those who can fix it on the front end, not the brain end. And, what type of lexia? Look up the types and see if any of them seem to match. Also I didn't realize your kid was so young. Some things may not be developmentally appropriate milestones to hit either, but you knowing what to notice will help him down the line too. edited.
  22. Wow... i didn't know he was so young. Wow that is early...
  23. Ask your kid how they see the words on the page, do they float? Do they double? Some kids never know how to describe what they see. Does the kid have problems with math too?
  24. Trust yourself. You can do it. But don't dismiss your kid. Keep on asking questions- process of elimination type. I agree whole heartedly with OneStep and PrairieWindMomma and HeatherMomster. You have to keep an open mind. Research stuff for yourself. Only you know how your kid truly responds. I agree -the initial COVD optometrist visit was the better visit. All the other doctors dismissed the problems, and made me sound like my kid and I were lying about his issues. Be careful with surgery for a kid. They are also developing. I wouldn't suggest any type of surgery until you tested a non invasive procedure first to weed out issues. The COVD optometrist was at least not trying to hide the fact that Irlen could be a possible resolution for us . All the other doctors dismissed the problems. I am all for healthy skepticism because regular medical, neural ophthalmologists and optometrists don't know it all. Oh and make sure you watch the saccade movements of your kid's eyes, like a hawk. How they move can help you understand how your kid sees. Check to see if it's monocular vs binocular vision issues, it helps with the process of elimination.
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