I think many experts will say it's very difficult for dyslexics to learn a foreign language. I've heard that some colleges will accept ASL as a substitute for the requirement. If you have to do it, sounds like Spanish is the easiest. But I'm curious if there are others out there who have successfully taught a dyslexic a foreign language. :bigear:

On her website, Susan Barton recommends IEW, also. I've used it with my 12-year-old severly dyslexic son. I highly recommend it. You can call them and talk with them about your situation, and they will tell you what will work best for you.

That would definitely be nice. I find myself mainly visiting the special needs board, and neglecting the accelerated board. It would be nice to have a package deal! :) Carolyn

Well, here's a different way of thinking about this. What if she's allowed to EARN her fun screen games by doing school work? I'd start with very little, and have maybe three, 10-min. lessons that she would need to do to earn some screen time. Maybe have her do 5 minutes of copywork, use some Montessori-type sandpaper letters for learning her letters (there's lots of info out there on how to teach letters this way), 10 min. in a math program, etc. Just a thought. My kids are very motivated to work if they get screen time as a reward. Carolyn

Another thing you might look into is Landmark School's teacher guides, as seen here: http://www.landmarkoutreach.org/pub181.htm I own it, and it's pretty good. I started with IEW, but needed to back up to the sentence level first. Carolyn

I'm not sure which core I would order at this point. I'm considering it for all three years of middle school, not just one. So getting feedback is great for each individual core, as well as the program as a whole. Thanks so much for your detailed feedback!

Hi there, I'm considering using Sonlight for my rising 6th grader for history/geography, read-alouds, and literature. I homeschool my ds only, and we enjoy lots of read-alouds, and history is his favorite subject. We love tying in historical fiction to the history subject we're learning. I do wonder about the history spines that Sonlight uses in middle school. Are they meaty enough? If you've used it, could you share your thoughts on it? Thanks! Carolyn

We have struggled with this off and on, although my kids are not on the spectrum. I noticed that if they are getting lots of exercise, that really helps. Plus, having some time to wind down before bed, with a set routine that cues their body to calm down (like read together, have a snack, brush teeth, then lights out). If all else fails for my daughter, I'll give her a small amount of melatonin (like 1/2 of a mg) 30 min. before bed for about 5 days. For her, it puts her right to sleep and doing it for about 5 days seems to make it stick. Carolyn

My daughter, now 9, has struggled with this type of behavior as well. I think these behaviors can be rooted in many different causes: ADHD, low self-esteem, personality, bipolar tendencies, etc. If you can figure out what's causing it, then you may be more effective in helping her. My guess is that if you've been working with her for years and she's getting worse, that you MAY be dealing with something like ADHD, where she's truly not able to control it. My daughter has definitely improved, but there's still that edge to her. Thankfully, she now has friends. That's so hard when they don't. :grouphug: Carolyn

Ah. Yes -- I can relate. I try to be as objective as possible, but it's hard. I admit that I WANT to see results, and therefore I may not be as partial. While I'm not seeing huge changes with my ds, I'm willing to experiment a bit because my current provider is just starting out and is dirt cheap! (He's also board certified, very ethical, honest, blah, blah, blah :))

"I don't think it did a darn thing for either of my kids. I read a bunch of glowing testimonials about it, but I didn't witness anything miraculous or even noteworthy in my kids. Anti-depressants worked magic for one kid; nothing has worked (yet) for the other." Tara, I was wondering what kept you hanging in there for so long (I think you said you did it for one year with one child and two years with the other?), if you didn't think it was helping? I'm just curious, as the changes that I THINK I'm seeing in my son are very subtle, and sometimes I wonder if it's my imagination, and that I'll look back and think it didn't do anything. Is that what happened to you? Thanks! Carolyn

We started it in May. My provider using qEEG mapping first, to help identify the locations you want to target. (I tried a different guy first who didn't use the mapping, and I'm a believer in the mapping.) I am doing it myself for sleep issues and it definitely does something. The first session I had made me terribly cranky, so we never repeated that protocol again. But since then, I've been making very positive changes (reduction in sleep meds, better sleep). My dyslexic ds is doing it, too. His changes have been more subtle, and his brain mapping was suggestive of more ADHD-like issues (which have been picked up on before by a neuropsych eval). I didn't see any changes in him for about 8 sessions, and again, they are more subtle, but there. I know another child who does it for OCD and she now reducing her meds. I think it really depends on the provider. Some do a 2-options fit all people protocol, while others can really individualize the treatment. My hunch is it can be very beneficial for many issues, but finding the spot and targeting the correct frequency of waves is the challenging part. Keep us posted on how it goes! Carolyn

Thanks for posting this. I just got back from a hike, where I pondered very similar thoughts as you. It's nice to know it's not just me -- that there are other moms out there trying to accept and trust in the future. My solution for TODAY, is to try and get to bed a bit early, with a good book. Tomorrow is another day. :) Carolyn

This is slightly off topic... But I find it interesting how people classify their dc's dyslexia. I so often read boards/emails about a child who is reading several grades below their grade, and their parents say they have mild dyslexia. I'm really not sure where they get that -- maybe they've had testing and were told it was mild? (I'm not talking about this thread or board -- just general stuff I've read on the web.) Maybe it doesn't really matter what they are classified as, as long as we have figured out that particular child's weak areas and have found a way to remediate them? I keep wondering about my youngest ds, who was also diagnosed with dyslexia. He was diagnosed by a certified Barton tester, who found him more in the mild - moderate range at age 6. He's now 7, and sometimes it's really hard to even see the dyslexia. But other days, it's more apparent. I guess it really doesn't matter though. We have programs that are working for him, and he's learning and succeeding, so that's all I can ask for! My older ds is definitely severe (according to the testing, which occurred three years after we started Barton). But again, if I keep plugging away with finding the right interventions, guess it doesn't really matter. My current struggles are figuring out how to get his writing up to par (his reading is quite good, now, although spelling is still a problem). I am now using Landmark School's teacher's manuals for that task, as IEW was a bit too challenging for him. Sorry, think I'm now rambling...:)

I belong to the Heart of Reading group, too. I agree, it's great! My ds, who is 11 and just finished level 8 of Barton, is severely dyslexic. However, in preschool he did a rapid naming of colors test. Not sure if this is the same test, but it sounds like it must do the same thing. Out of 200 kids, he had the best score. However, he definitely has expressive language problems -- word retrieval and also how to organize his speech. He now tests above the 90% percentile on reading on the IOWA, however I had a certified Barton tester test him last summer, and he was well into the severe dyslexic range. His spelling is still really rough, and his writing is a major problem. Also, his working memory and processing speed are low, as well. I think each child is going to have a unique collection of strengths and weaknesses. My instinct is that just because they are doing decently in one area (rapid naming for my guy), doesn't rule out that they are not still severe -- it may just show up more in other areas. Obviously I haven't heard this anywhere -- it's just based on my experiences. I'm so glad to have found this board, too, to share these things. Thanks! Carolyn

This discussion has been so helpful to me -- thanks to all of you for your time. I think I will stick with MUS for one more year and then re-evaluate. The 6th grade wraps up the last of the basics before algebra/pre-algebra start. I will test him on the IOWA again next spring and see where he's at. Since MUS does use a different sequence than other programs, I'm wondering if he'll pull ahead a bit when it all finally comes together and all topics are finally covered in 6th grade. Also, we are doing neurofeedback this summer and fall, and that will be very interesting to see how/if it affects his math. Like I said, he tends to lose track of what he's doing in problems with many steps. I have found that watching the DVD together, and then basically me reteaching the concept works better. Mr. Demme explains the concept a bit too quickly for my guy's processor! Also, I have found that it works much better to not leave his side until he's reached a certain level of automaticity with the new concept. Depending on how hard it is, I may help him through 4-5 problems before that occurs. I actually sit silently and watch him do the problems, only saying something if he asks, or if I see he's making a mistake. Once he reaches that certain level, then he tells me he can do it, and can get through the lesson fairly quickly. But if I don't do that, he's EXTREMELY slow and makes lots of mistakes. Too bad I didn't figure this out until about April of this year! :tongue_smilie: I am making a list of the math programs to research over the next year so that I can make a better decision at the end of 6th grade. We'll see then -- I may actually stay with MUS if he's still testing well. Thanks again! Carolyn

Gosh! Thanks everyone for the thoughtful comments -- I REALLY appreciate it. I'm new to this community and it's exciting to be on a board where there's some responses! :001_smile: I test him using the IOWA each year. His math scores have gradually gone down a bit, but I was attributing that to MUS using a different sequence than a lot of programs, as well as his dyslexia. His Total Math score has gone from 2nd to 5th grade respectively: 97%, 85%, 96%, 92%. I'm not overly worried about his scores or the variability -- they seem fine. I'm a bit scared of moving around a lot with math programs, because I don't want to miss something by switching programs. I'm not knowledgeable enough myself to know if I've missed something. He generally tolerates math and enjoys it somewhat, although he struggles with the longer-process problems. So that's why I'm trying to find a single program to make it work! But I can see that "spicing" it up would make it a bit more interesting, so that might be an option. I did post this issue on the special needs board, and no one responded favorably to MUS. So that's why I posted over here -- to see what programs you guys like! OhElizabeth -- thanks for all the time you spent answering my question! I really appreciate your thoughts! BTW, what is HOE? I'll have to look up some of those posters you mentioned... 8FillTheHeart -- What programs do you like? Andrea -- thanks for mentioning all those programs -- I'll look them up for more info. OK. Thanks so much everyone for the feedback. Please keep it coming! I have a lot to learn. :001_smile: Carolyn

Thanks, Karen. That's a valid question. I guess I'm under the impression (and it may be incorrect) that not many people use MUS through high school, and that it may not look good on a transcript? Not sure if that's the case...

Hi there, I have a gifted/dyslexic rising 6th grader that I've home-schooled for the past 3 years. Up to this point, we have used Math-U-See, with fairly good results. (My ds has slow processing speed and working memory and tends to forget where he's at in a problem when they have many steps.) I'm considering doing another year of MUS, but I'd also like some opinions from others on good math programs, preferably something that can take us through high school. We prefer more secular programs. It sounds like a lot of people use Teaching Textbooks, however I've also heard from some folks that in the end it wasn't a solid preparation for college, even though their kids liked it. So that causes some hesitancy on my part. Any other recommendations? Thanks! Carolyn

I would work on her fluency using passages that are shorter and easier. There are different fluency programs out there -- I happen to use Barton because it comes with the program. But the idea is to read a passage several times to build up their speed. Reading a chapter book once isn't the way to build fluency. Usually fluency programs have the child read a short passage (one that takes 1-2 minutes to read), then read it again and try to beat your speed each time. Depending on her needs, you might want to find a sight word list, (here's the Fry list that I like: http://www.uniqueteachingresources.com/Fry-1000-Instant-Words.html) Then write the words on index cards and review a few each day until she can instantly read them. Becoming automatic with sight words can really help, as well. Hope this helps! Carolyn

Thanks for your reply/advice Kai. Do you mind sharing why you wouldn't use MUS as the primary program with a gifted child? Thanks! Carolyn

Hi there, I'm a new member, and I'd like to get some opinions on Math-U-See from people who have used it in middle school. I've been using it for 3 years for my ds, who is a rising 6th grader. He is severely dyslexic, yet gifted. I do think the mastery approach works well for him, as opposed to the spiraling approach taken by some other programs. While I have been overall pleased with MUS (and he says he doesn't want to switch), I did notice a few things this year that weren't ideal. It almost seemed like some concepts were made harder than they needed to be. For example, learning to divide fractions. At the beginning of the year, it taught a very long, drawn-out method so the students would understand what they were doing, which was fine. But the program doesn't teach the quick way (multiply by the reciprocal), until near the end of the year. My guy got really bogged down, so I showed him the shortcut early. Also, some of the problems get REALLY long, with a lot of steps to follow, which is difficult for my ds. He tends to lose track of where he is in the process -- his working memory and processing speed are low. Maybe this is how all math programs are, though. I just don't know, because we haven't used anything else. I've heard about Teaching Textbooks, but I don't think that's the right fit for us. Maybe MUS is, but I was just hoping some others could share if MUS worked for them in the long run, or if they switched to something better. Thanks! Carolyn

I went to one in CA about 6 years ago. (I didn't take my family.) I found it very helpful because while my guy was EG, he also has learning disabilities, and I was able to tease that out by talking to some of the presenters.

Maybe think about Earobics. My ds had dyspraxia due to motor planning problems and low muscle tone. But he also has auditory processing problems, so being able to hear the sounds in words helped his speech a lot, too. I'd also second the recommendation for lots of read-a-louds. My guy now listens to books on his mp3 player, which is wonderful for helping his vocabulary and hearing words pronounced properly. Carolyn