WWYD? One twin is really far behind in reading!

[simka2]

Here's my situation...we are about to start our first full year homeschooling. We've taken a bit of a summer break, but today I bought them some mad libs and had them do them in the car, and read them out loud. Ds1 (8yrs old) has really regressed!!!! Dd and my other ds were fine, but I could tell ds1 was levels behind :)

 

So...I think I need to find something to give him some extra help. What say you? What would you suggest? He can be really hard on himself, so I didn't want to seperate him out, but I think there is enough difference to warrant something special for him.

 

Help please!!!

[sbgrace]

With my twins I'm thinking it would be easier on the "sensitive to not doing everything perfect" one to use a different curriculum from his brother. I don't know what you're using or where he is but I'd consider a set up that allowed for no comparison, started where he was (so he feels successful and competent), and moved slowly if you think he needs a slow and deliberate pace.

[simka2]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to go with something different than the other 2. They are doing Shurley for grammar and CW Aesop, but he is going to need more phonics work.

[melmichigan]

I have twins at two very differnt levels in reading. We are doing CLE LA together, because I started back at the beginning. Otherwise they do different reading books (different levels of SL Readers) and individual phonics and spelling. I found it helpful for my DD who struggled to work through ETC at her own pace. She is currently finishing book 3.

[Paige]

One of my twins (6yrs) was behind her sister in reading last school year and I signed her up for time4learning for a few months. I really like their phonics program and she liked it a lot too. She did everything else the same as her sister but did the Time 4 Learning by herself. Her sister was actually jealous and wanted to do it too so sometimes I let her sit in and watch or do it with the other one or I would let her do a different computer game. The second grade time 4 learning reading program is also pretty good, in my opinion. I had my son do it between 1st and 2nd grade and he liked it a lot too- and he hated to read at that time. The 1st grade is mostly phonics and the 2nd grade is mostly for improving fluency and comprehension. It is kind of expensive but you would also get the math, science and social studies that you could use to supplement however you wanted and you have access to 3 grades' worth of stuff.

 

I don't like it as a stand alone curriculum but I do like it as a supplement. We aren't using it anymore because it is too pricey for a supplement when we don't really need it anymore but I thought they were doing some really cheap promo for new people this summer.

[Teachin'Mine]

I'd do lots of one on one reading with him. You read one side of the book, and he reads the other. Just whatever books he likes. Don't even make it seem like school - just some special reading time together. :)

[EKS]

I can't help with the twin issue, but I'd start by just having him read aloud to you for 20 or so minutes daily. This may be enough to have things fall back into place. This was the single most important thing we did for improving my dyslexic son's reading (IMO).

 

If he still needs more help, and if he has a solid base in phonics and is reading on at least a 2nd grade level, REWARDS Intermediate by Sopris West is excellent. Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz is also a great book if you think you might be dealing with a reading problem.

[Farrar]

My twins are also at very different reading levels. They're 5 - I'll use the names I call them on my blog to distinguish. BalletBoy is reading pretty well, Frog and Toad sort of level. Mushroom is reading a little, like CVC words and a few blends and sight words, but not many. I went through a total crisis about this awhile back. My worry was not about where either of them was because I think they're both totally within "normal" range. My worry was more about Mushroom developing a conception of himself as a nonreader - as in, BalletBoy is the one who reads and I'm the one who doesn't. Such a twin thing, right? Not being able to fly through Dr. Seuss the moment you turn 6 is not long term damaging but thinking that you "just aren't a reader" really is. The fact that last year at this time, heading into K, Mushroom was so frustrated with all things reading didn't really help things.

 

Anyway, I'm not sure exactly what I did that helped, but definitely tried to focus on them as individuals and to praise their specific gifts and help them see that effort was the most important element. Mushroom and I talked some about how he could do things that his brother struggled with and vice versa. It took awhile, but he finally seemed to get it. He got over his frustration and he started putting forth his best effort and making progress - it's much slower than his brother, but again, nothing to worry about and he seems to have conquered the hurdle of thinking of himself as behind or less than.

 

To me, one of the benefits of homeschooling is that you don't have to treat your kids the same. I think that's one of the many, many ways in which schools cheat kids. Equal treatment, love and attention does not mean being treated all the same. If he needs more support, I would definitely get him another program or extra time or whatever. But, for me, personally, instead of thinking about it as singling out your son (as it would be in school!), why not think about special help or challenges that each of your kids might need in different areas and then trying to provide for that for each one. Or, to bring home the idea that each kid has strengths and weaknesses, are there times that you can let each one show leadership or help the others with something they're good at?

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Farrar]

Oh, one more thought, which is that watching my twins each learn to read has been fascinating because they approach it (and so many things!) in totally different ways. So assuming that something that works for one - a method, a trick, a specific book or curriculum - will work for the other is usually a mistake for us. I just try to remember that each kid learns in his own way.