help with fingertaps for spelling?

[sbgrace]

Any ideas? Am I doing this wrong?

 

This is my son:

 

pound chat

tap /ch/ /a/ /t/

pound chat

 

tap it again.

/ch/ he tells me and writes or selects tiles.

 

then /t/ he says..we pound and tap...he might do the /t/ again and then finally realize it's /a/ even though he's tapping it correctly each time. I tried with me writing what he says instead to reduce lag time. I tried with tiles. He still does it. I'm wondering if the technique is wrong. Am I supposed to have him pound and tap the word, then tap /ch/ and write, /ch/ /a/ and write, /ch/ /a/ /t/ and write?

 

OR, worse I think:

 

pound chat

tap /ch/ /a/ /t/

get the /ch/ and /a/ and then he can't recall the word let alone the sound he's looking for. He can't remember with a pound or retap or anything. I give him the word again and he can easily can do it.

 

I thought this would help him with the attention issues. Should I stick with it, modify, abandon, or am I doing something wrong???

Edited July 5, 2010 by sbgrace

[Amber in AUS]

How old is your DS?

[sbgrace]

He's six with pretty severe attention issues. I believe this is a matter of attention (and related areas) rather than lack of ability to actually spell the words.

Maybe I could print five circles on a paper and have him tap a circle per sound with a pencil. I wonder if the the finger tap stuff is either too much fine motor coordination for him or too distracting. He is so hard for me to teach. I really hoped this method would make stuff easier. I'm feeling discouraged.

 

I'd love any thoughts or ideas.

Edited July 5, 2010 by sbgrace

[Amber in AUS]

I can see what you are trying to achieve with the finger taps but perhaps if it isn't working you are open to trying something different?

 

Oh, by the way is he reading? Which phonics program are you currently using?

 

Here is my suggestion. Use counters on the table, a counter for each sound in the word. Have him pull down the counter towards him as he says the sound. So it is sliding on the table. Start with some really easy words, CVC and go from there. Have him spell out loud and you scribe for him.

 

Another option would be to changing completely to something like Explode the Code which gives good repetition.

 

You have already taught him the phonograms, yes? So he has the tools to actually spell the words but is having difficulty putting it all together.

 

You know i hate to say it but, it could be an age thing. Some kids are ready for this earlier than others and 6 is still young.

[sbgrace]

Thank you! I'm certainly open to trying something different. I will try the counter thing. That might be easier for him!

 

He is reading at a beginning 1st grade level I think. He knows the phonograms we're using for the spelling words I'm asking and can decode with those same phonograms. I'm using I See Sam and a blend of free materials with him right now.

 

I don't really know what the problem is honestly. I know he can spell the words. I think it's holding attention long enough to do it. I'm using all the multi-sensory stuff in hopes it helped with the attention but maybe it's actually making it harder for him.

 

Explode the Code--does it do spelling too or just reading? Is it phonogram based? Would it be appropriate for him based on what I wrote above? I tried to search but couldn't get a handle on the content. I'll search again.

Edited July 5, 2010 by sbgrace

[Amber in AUS]

Explode the Code is a very straight forward workbook based phonics program that uses decoding and spelling skills. I have books 1-3 here it does things like showing a picture of a bat and having _ _ _ so the child can write the word, then it might have the bat again on a different page and there are 2 choices for each letter of the word for the child to choose. So they need to think what does it start with and find that sound, then what goes in the middle, then what at the end and it is visually infront of them. It is an inexpensive program, maybe try looking at Rainbow Resources for a sample.

 

I think based on what you have said it would provide an alternative solution that you might not have tried.

 

Please also know that spelling can lag behind reading ability so if he is only reading at a 1st grade level don't be too hard with your expectations.

[johnandtinagilbert]

he taps, you write until he's totally comfy with tapping; then he taps, writes, taps, write, taps, writes.

 

It takes some practice to put it all together, just be patient. You'll see results quickly, it just takes some practice to put all the moving together.

 

If he skips letters, remind him every syllable must have a vowel; overemphasize the sound he's missing. It will come. The Ax Man missed the "n" in "nd" words all the time!

[Lovedtodeath]

I prefer the How to Spell workbooks over Explode the Code. Explode the Code has more reading and busy work and doesn't really teach spelling rules, just phonograms. The How to Spell workbooks are very much AAS or Phonics Road in workbook format.

 

HTH!

[siloam]

Any ideas? Am I doing this wrong?

 

This is my son:

 

pound chat

tap /ch/ /a/ /t/

pound chat

 

tap it again.

/ch/ he tells me and writes or selects tiles.

 

then /t/ he says..we pound and tap...he might do the /t/ again and then finally realize it's /a/ even though he's tapping it correctly each time. I tried with me writing what he says instead to reduce lag time. I tried with tiles. He still does it. I'm wondering if the technique is wrong. Am I supposed to have him pound and tap the word, then tap /ch/ and write, /ch/ /a/ and write, /ch/ /a/ /t/ and write?

 

OR, worse I think:

 

pound chat

tap /ch/ /a/ /t/

get the /ch/ and /a/ and then he can't recall the word let alone the sound he's looking for. He can't remember with a pound or retap or anything. I give him the word again and he can easily can do it.

 

I thought this would help him with the attention issues. Should I stick with it, modify, abandon, or am I doing something wrong???

 

I like the ideas given. Also don't be afraid to repeat the tap 3-4 times as needed to help them hold the sounds in their mind. My 9yo could write a whole sentence from memory, but trying to hold individual sounds doing Barton's was horrible. At first she would have to tap the sounds up to 8 times in order to remember them. Now that she has learned to focus on it she rarely needs more than 3 times. If she does have a problem, we just start over from the beginning. But I already knew she had issues with auditory learning. She can read at a 7th grade level, but don't ask her to spell....

 

Heather

[Mandamom]

I 2nd the suggestion with the counters. If you eliminated the writing step (both you and him writing) is he successful 100% of the time. If it isn't easy for him to just tell you the sounds I would delay the writing/spelling step until the first part is easy.

[Lovedtodeath]

I agree that using counters helps. Then he can see that he has pulled 3 counters down, so would need to write three phonograms. It seems like it would be easier to remember that way.