Excellent! I'm so glad for you guys that it's going well. Having decided on a path, then getting started on that path is such a relief, isn't it? :) K

Wilson is around $150 and doesn't require training.....just watching the DVD's which I have and you can borrow if you'd like:) I don't know that much about PAF but if it fits the bill as intensive, direct instruction, systematic, mutli sensory phonics, it could do the job, mostly likely, as well as any other program of that sort:) I'd call EPS and chat about it.... K

gut damage. vitamin d deficiency. I'd most strongly urge you to get off grains for awhile, go to a biologically appropriate diet of greens, fruits, some *raw* nuts, some meat, olive oil, coconut oil, butter (no other oils). Get sufficient calcium, magnesium (from supps if need be). Take at least 2000 IU D per day (better yet, test your levels first, you might need double that). Enzymes, probiotics all day every day and eventually, it'll improve. Having been down that road, I know there is hope.. :) K

The purpose really is to improve fluency. One of my favorite says is "the brain does best what it does the most". The brain of the dyslexic child is used to moving slowly and arduously through text, even as they gain new decoding skills via appropriate instruction. Fluency practice is meant to offer up and reinforce a new way of being with words on a page and to experience how different (how much easier) reading and comprehension are and can be when reading fluently. It's a known, effective intervention. You can find all of the supporting evidence in the National Reading Panel's report. The *explicit* practice of reading fluently while tracking text builds a skill that simply will not otherwise develop in some emergent readers. Fluency practice sometimes has a bad name b/c it's often basically the *only* direct reading instruction kids are getting in a school that uses a Whole Language (aka balanced literacy, guided reading etc) approach. In those types of programs, one of the basic premises is that children will learn to read simply by reading text aloud with a teacher or student pair....moving on to more and more difficult text. As a fundamental tool for teaching reading, this is something to which I have vehement opposition. I only support it's use as an adjunct to appropriate phonics instruction. The challenge is definitely to try to find something that *is* at the appropriate level....and if it is above, only ever so slightly. While there are different ways to practice fluency, often times, I'll go over the passage first with her...not reading it but skimming it for words she doesn't know. We'll decode them ahead of time. If the passage is simple enough, I'll have her read it silently, then aloud to me. if it's more challenging, after we go over new/unusual/nondecodable words, then *I* read it first, then we read together, then she reads alone. The unfortunate truth is that fully decodable text is stilted, never high quality literature, generally uninteresting, and contains syntax that is simply not how people talk or write in general. I can imagine that teaching young children to read, it's very possible to stick with fully decodable text for all reading. However, once one is working with an older dyslexic child who is resistant anyway, practicing fluency (at least in this case:) must be done with something that is engaging and well written. For us, it's a balancing act to maintain the practice of focusing on the internal structure of every word, giving every syllable, sound and letter the full attention it needs AND working on fluency in text that is more engaging. Again, I didn't invent it:) I'm following the recommendations that have come out of the vast body of evidence available. It's not small amount. There is much known about reading and how to best teach it in general and specifically irt reading disabilities.

Certainly they'll never be great spellers:) Never. I follow the Wilson recommendation of 100% correct decoding and 85% correct encoding in the lesson before moving on to the next level So far, it's never been spelling that's held us up. I would *always* teach spelling with reading, but do agree with you wrt to not letting the spelling thing get in the way of moving forward if reading is ready to move on. Interestingly, I notice that Alana doesn't generalize with spelling the way that she does with reading....but I'm not terribly concerned about it for the reasons you mentioned. Katherine

I think it's either necessary to 1)watch the videos or 2)be trained or 3)find a tutor who will allow you to sit in on a few sessions I have the videos and really wouldn't have done it properly without them. K

Right. One which can be made dramatically less painful (and much faster) by *practicing fluency* specifically. It works. (as part of a comprehensive reading program, the foundation of which is intensive, systematic phonics. Katherine

Melissa, What you describes sounds wonderful. For a dyslexic child *learning to read*, it wouldn't be appropriate b/c they would be completely overwhelmed and unsuccessful....but once they are reading well and spelling reasonably, it would be great to add in what you describe. And for a neurotypical reader, I can see the benefits of such a program. :) katherine

Really? I can only say that it was a disaster. Fwiw, all evidence based reading instruction will help left to right tracking b/c one is left to right tracking as a part of the instruction. The tracking will only improve with time. Using a notched card may help early on, but a dyslexic child will still need more. A notched card doesn't teach them how to break apart syllables into the correct parts that will form meaningful words. Also ime, while PP is systematic phonics instruction, it lacks many other components of reading instruction that are often necessary with dyslexic kids. :) katherine

Keep in mind that you are working on decoding still. Separately. Fluency practice is a very specific skill done for a set amount of time each day, in a specific way. There is much other reading practice that is done *with* decoding in place. While it may be difficult to believe, giving them the word during fluency practice is the correct thing to do. When we decided to stop working with our reading specialist, I met with educators from the Schenck School and the Speech School here in Atlanta to make sure I was formulating a 'Best Practices' plan to use in remediating dd's dyslexia. http://www.schenck.org/ (one of the best an oldest schools around for remediating dyslexia.....they have every evidence based 'best practice' in place for language based learning disabilities) http://www.atlantaspeechschool.org/wardlaw/ Across the board there was agreement that fluency practice is not the time for decoding. It's the reason why they so strongly recommend, for fluency practice, using only readers containing elements that have been taught...so that they *don't* trip. They were so clear that *during fluency practice* the moment they struggle with a word it is given to them...like >that<. The decoding takes place in other parts of the teaching. I'd been having her decode everything (which made her hate reading even more b/c there was never a time when it was fast or fluent). Once we switched to evidence based fluency practice, her reading did dramatically improve (especially aloud) and she did start reading for pleasure. All the best, Katherine

I like it very much......I also like Real Science 4 Kids (aka RS4K). Katherine

Using Wilson, you'd be simultaneously doing decoding (reading) and spelling (encoding) at the same level. It's the main reason that I like Wilson so much. that's simply not true. Given a population of children with sufficient intelligence, all of them (incl those with dyslexia) can be taught to read using intensive multisensory phonics. It does get more difficult as they get older, but he will be able to read and read well. He truly needs intensive multisensory phonics like Wilson or Barton (Wilson is much less expensive and I like it better b/c of the simultaneous teaching of encoding and decoding) Megawords won't be appropriate. With Wilson, you'd probably just get the 1-6 levels and teach whatever is not yet automatic. it totally depends on his level of automaticity with the sounds that make up the two syllables, but yes, it's very very possible. he should be exposed *continuously* to higher level literature for the sake of stretching comprehension levels and vocabulary. But, he shouldn't be decoding things that he hasn't been explicitly taught so Narnia should be read to him by you or via audio cd. Shaywitz absolutely recommends that the child should be learning to spell what they are learning to read. Barbara Wilson recommends staying within a particular level until the child is decoding at 100% in that level and spelling at 85%. Fluency practice should also be done daily (reading aloud).....during fluency practice, the focus is on *fluency* not decoding. In otherwords, if he's about to stumble, give him the word. Fluency reading should be practiced for about 15 minutes per day every day...in addition to the rest of the reading lesson. :) Katherine

2nd all of the recommendations. I think it does sound like dyslexia, of which 'Rapid Naming' is often a component. Sally Shaywitz' book _Overcoming Dyslexia_ is fabulous. Katherine

2nd all of the recommendations. I think it does sound like dyslexia, of which 'Rapid Naming' is often a component. Sally Shaywitz' book _Overcoming Dyslexia_ is fabulous. Katherine

In my experience, ABeCeDarian isn't an effective program for a dyslexic student. I used it with my dd with *some* benefit but not enough. The reality is that they need the 'increments' to be much much smaller than they are in rewards and need much more repetition in a multi sensory manner. Using a program like Wilson would be helpful. You wouldn't have to start at the beginning but would at least have framework for what constitutes an appropriate lesson (ie approaching each new sound from a variety of ways) We now use Rewards and Wilson. Rewards, like ABeCeDarian, tends to move quite quickly. Many students will need more repetition w/in each lesson to reach automaticity with the sounds. Create games/activities for additional work on sounds/syllables. To get to 'fluency' in reading, he first needs 'automaticity' with the sounds. He absolutely needs to 'overlearn' them to the point that they are totally completely automatic. Using completely decodable readers (wilson, EPS etc) is also probably still appropriate given his his reading rate. There are also specific techniques for improving fluency....have him read a of appropriate level, then aloud, then you read the same passage, then have him read *with* you, modeling your fluency/prosody. But definitely work work work on all of those sounds and syllables using a more systematic thorough program. :) Katherine

so glad you posted Abbey:) I just realized I didn't actually answer her question and was going back to do just that. :tongue_smilie: K

the textbook is unnecessary for the levels that have workbooks at this time. I can't recall if the workbooks for 3 and 4 are complete yet. I use level 2 with my 9 yo and sold my 'textbook'. No need for it. K

Tons of review in Math Mammoth. It would also go well with Singapore instead of Horizons. I also *almost* like it as a stand alone program. It has all of the wonderful in depth ways of using and thinking about numbers that Singapore has but falls short in one department: word problems. IMO, no one can beat Singapore with it's early introduction of the use of a variety of approaches to address word problems. K

Speaking of _Outlander_..... I just finished listening to it on CD. Good Maude. The last few minutes are more explicit than I had recalled from the first go around. It's *fabulous*. Wow. Suddenly, the room is feeling rather warm.:tongue_smilie: k

or if one keeps kosher;) Katherine in atl who's had to toss way too many eggs

2nd the other info you've received. The gold standard in testing for reading difficulties isn't done by an optometrist but by a neurophychologist or preferably (imo) an educational psychologist. Ideally it will include IQ testing as well as acheivement testing, the CTOPP and the GORT......so at least those four. The evidence based intervention for dyselxia is intensive, direct instruction, systematic, multi-sensory phonics......some of the programs in use are Barton, Wilson, HEC Reading Horizons for home use. There are others as well, those are the ones that come to mind right away. For remediating dyslexia, time is of the essence - iow, early intervention is critical. There's no reason to delay, even without a 'diagnosis' you can go ahead with one of the above programs. Sally Shaywitz' book _Overcoming Dyselxia_ is phenominal. Overwhelming, but phenominal. Fwiw, typical phonics programs won't do the trick.....more intensity, repetition and a multisensory component is necessary. :) K

Fwiw, we're also doing FLL3 in 4th grade and it's just right. K

Well. Hmmmmm. Sigh. [shifts in seat anxiously] She's going to school. And I'm letting go of the idea that as long as I'm in charge of something, I can MAKE it go perfectly. Homeschooling has been good. But it's not now. We're butting heads. I'm frustrated by the amount of work being left to me (on top of dd's schooling). I'm feeling badly about basically *ignoring* the needs of my other child. If just one thing was different, I could continue on this path. If we had more girls her age in our homeschool group with whom she could forge relationships....I'd make it work. OR if she worked more willingly with me.....I'd be able to make it work in other areas. OR if I had a housekeeper.....I'd have the energy to forge ahead. OR if I didn't have to deal with the reading remediation on top of everything else. But all of those things are real. They are all there, and nothing is changing. At this time anyway. I've spent the better part of the last two weeks crying. Crying because I knew I would send her. And because I so love homeschooling and will miss it. And because I know that what I really want is both of them at home and this takes me further from that. And because of the person that I am and the person that I'm not.....and the distance between the two. She'll be attending the 504 School. 504school.org Currently, the student body is 13 children. They get intensive O-G phonics 4 days a week one or more times per day depending on the child. All instruction is direct, multisensory 'best practices' based for kids with dyslexia and ADHD. All of the children have ADHD. 11 of the 13 are also dyslexic. If it doesn't work, she will come back home again. A friend from the school group may also come to the school next year. Alana will start this year.....very soon. Within the next week or two. Overall, she'll be getting less academics than she is with me. But she'll be getting some cool unit studies - really active investigative stuff - that she'll never get with me. She'll be one of the oldest at the school....which is good for her. Very good for her. OT is available as much as is necessary. All handwriting is HWT....all language arts is comprhensive, integrated etc etc....phonics is a part of everything they do. Social skills and emotional intelligence is literally *the* top priority - perhaps even befor academics. They have a great positive behavior plan in place. Mornings are for acaemics. Afternoons are karate, sports, social skills classes, circus arts, yoga, hiking in the woods. She'll love it. The small size will likely eventually bore her - but for now it'll be awesome. My gut is that she'll be there for the remained of this year and all of next year......and that after for sixth grade she'll be back home. I'm going to prepare for it anyway:) The school is so flexible and laid back that I may even take her out on Thursday am's to come to latin at our homeschool group (great teacher teaching latin 1.....abbeyej on this forum). Anyhoo....there you have it. I'll still probably hang here some as I want to stay current and prepared. I may also go back to school. I never finished college....my undx'd adhd (and major executive function issues) got in my way. I deal well with that part of this so I may give it a go. Be well, Katherine

Love them. Purchased them *all* through hsbc at an amazing price. :) Katherine

2nd. at 3 mos...following the path of our utentils as they traversed from plate to mouth. at four months, if she was seated on my lap, she could pull herself to my plate, use a perfect pincer grasp to take hold of the item in which she was interested, and get it perfectly to her mouth. I'd take it out and put her somewhere else (away from the food). She was getting plenty of breastmilk and then some;p. Around 5.5 mos of age, she was too quick for me, grabbed roasted zucchini off my plate at Whole Foods, put it in her mouth, gummed it to death and swallowed it. It wasn't a small piece either. From then (5.5 mo), she nursed and would then *feed herself* whatever we were eating (minus the grains until around 1 year of age). Given the critical nature of iron and zinc, I wish I'd paid more attention to those nutrients (think red meat, organ meats etc). Oh and of course vitamin D. Everyone needs more: adults, babies (breastfed or not), children, elderly etc.... :) K