Michele in NC Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I know this board is for classical education, but I don't know where else to go. I also know this board usually talks about high schoolers who are extremely SMART, doing college level work, applying to BIG colleges & universities. However, I'm not really sure what to do for my third child who is about to start high school, and still only reading on about a 4th grade level. We have worked so much on reading for so long, but it hasn't gotten much better in the past several years. His spelling is horrible! There's no way he can read the normal BJU or Abeka for science or history. I can manage English & math. Are there lower level reading history or science textbooks out there? Or can anyone tell me where I could go to ask or find them? Michele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I actually need the exact same info for my son. The onlything I have heard about so far is a curriculum called Power Basics. I have been looking at their history and lang. arts mostly. They also have science and math. I just started looking at some of their samples so can't tell you much about it. But check it out just google power basics Curriculum. Hopefully, others will chime in here to help both of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Many public school publishers have textbooks designed for students who are reading at a lower level. The power basics series (from Walch, listed on rainbow resource) is at about a 4th-5th grade reading level and includes all major areas of study. It is designed to deliver grade-level content for low-reading students. This website lists books from several publishers: https://sec.evso.com/wc.dll?wieser Downside: You mentioned bju or abeka, so it probably is a downside that they're from a secular publisher. However, it might be possible to do a worldview supplement, if you are so inclined, or simply discuss where you disagree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) Heinemann Raintree has some readers available at different reading levels. They are mostly science and history related. Their website is a little difficult to navigate, however their catalog is easier to understand. I'd request a catalog. They have a wide variety of topics. I'd also look into some video resources if his comprehension is acceptable. Edited March 9, 2011 by elegantlion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 http://www.perfectionlearning.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Ideas: If you like BJU or A Beka, do their middle school texts. I would have her read Story of the World, Vol. 1-4 for world history. The activity book would help her a lot, there are outlines to complete in there, and questions (and answers) for you to ask her orally. For US History, I would get Hakim's History of US. For whole books, you could do the book lists from logic stage in Well Trained Mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Remedia Publications has a lot of low-reading-level but high-interest materials. I am not sure whether they have science curricula, but you might want to check their website (rempub.com). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele in NC Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 I actually need the exact same info for my son. The onlything I have heard about so far is a curriculum called Power Basics. I have been looking at their history and lang. arts mostly. They also have science and math. I just started looking at some of their samples so can't tell you much about it. But check it out just google power basics Curriculum. Hopefully, others will chime in here to help both of us. Well, I have looked at Power Basics, but it doesn't look like it would be enough for a whole year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveswife Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Take a look at Pacemaker textbooks published by Pearson. They offer all subject areas for high school (and meet state standards), but are written at a 3rd-4th grade reading level. http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZ3Th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynful Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 You can view samples at wiesereducational.com of many of the special ed books. I'm having this same issue with my son. Not to hijack the thread, but I'm at a loss of how to get him through high school and then into college. How will he even get through college? Does anyone have any experience with this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele in NC Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 Thanks to those of you who gave me websites to visit. I did find a set of science books from AGS Publishing that look perfect! As far as history, someone recommended Joy Hakim's history books, and I had forgotten all about those. Perfect as well! :001_smile: The SOTW books are written on his reading level, but do you think they'd be "enough" for him for a high school world history course? Not arguing, just wondering. Again, many thanks! You guys are great! And to the person who posted about getting your child through high school and even through college, I have decided that this particular child of mine will probably have to go to community college. All kids just aren't able to go to university, and that's okay. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 We did world history last year. We ended up starting with Streams of Civilization, then on to BJU (Streams didn't do much on Renaissance and BJU did), then bailed out of BJU to Spiegelvel for 2 chapters. That put us to modern. We were whipped from the facts coming from all directions. So..... we did SOTW Vol. 4 to finish out our year. It was the best of the whole year. I do think you could beef it up with writing papers here and there (since you can remember things so much better in SOTW). The thing I liked best is that it was remembered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 How is your student's comprehension of oral material? Ability to understand/analyze? Vocabulary? The reason I ask is that a student with very low reading/spelling abilities can be a very smart thinker, with a great vocabulary, and a well-developed ability to think, understand, discuss, analyze -- just not be able to read or write well. So, if it is a case of a student who is at/above grade level in those areas (just struggling with reading/writing), then I suggest: 1. Get formal testing NOW so that your student is documented with learning disabilities, which can translate LATER into special helps (tutors, extra time on tests, gets to use a computer for tests, can have a notetaker, etc.) on PSAT, SAT, ACT and then even later in college classes and tests. BUT, you have to have your paper trail starting by no later than the senior year of high school. Check your local public high school, or board of education for where to go/what to do for testing. 2. Check out some of the Dianne Craft therapies and suggestions for "unblocking any blocked learning gates", and for nutritional supplements to help focus and concentration. 3. Get your student's vision tested, especially for vision tracking and for visual processing in the brain. One friend had her 10th grade DD tested, discovered vision tracking problems; DD did vision therapy all 11th grade, which DRAMATICALLY improved her reading ability and comprehension. 4. While getting things checked out, have student listen to books (and textbooks!) on tape (or CD) if the student can listen and process with no problems. Have your student dictate papers and test answers or record into a tape recorder, and either you transcribe, or later have the student type up their own work (unless that is way too burdensome for the student at this point). 5. Another possible therapy/help: Callirobics. It is designed to help brain and eye/hand connections to help with writing. Look around for a used copy. Unless DS's comprehension and processing levels are also below grade level, I would keep him at grade level material by reading aloud/discussing together. Does DS connect well with visual or auditory material? Then what about using documentaries for history, and DVDs for science concepts? You might also post on the Special Needs board and see if anyone has further ideas -- but best to get some testing done first so you KNOW exactly what you're dealing with, and can then aggressively research to find what will help and fit with YOUR DS. BEST of luck! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele in NC Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 How is your student's comprehension of oral material? Ability to understand/analyze? Vocabulary? The reason I ask is that a student with very low reading/spelling abilities can be a very smart thinker, with a great vocabulary, and a well-developed ability to think, understand, discuss, analyze -- just not be able to read or write well. So, if it is a case of a student who is at/above grade level in those areas (just struggling with reading/writing), then I suggest: 1. Get formal testing NOW so that your student is documented with learning disabilities, which can translate LATER into special helps (tutors, extra time on tests, gets to use a computer for tests, can have a notetaker, etc.) on PSAT, SAT, ACT and then even later in college classes and tests. BUT, you have to have your paper trail starting by no later than the senior year of high school. Check your local public high school, or board of education for where to go/what to do for testing. 2. Check out some of the Dianne Craft therapies and suggestions for "unblocking any blocked learning gates", and for nutritional supplements to help focus and concentration. 3. Get your student's vision tested, especially for vision tracking and for visual processing in the brain. One friend had her 10th grade DD tested, discovered vision tracking problems; DD did vision therapy all 11th grade, which DRAMATICALLY improved her reading ability and comprehension. 4. While getting things checked out, have student listen to books (and textbooks!) on tape (or CD) if the student can listen and process with no problems. Have your student dictate papers and test answers or record into a tape recorder, and either you transcribe, or later have the student type up their own work (unless that is way too burdensome for the student at this point). 5. Another possible therapy/help: Callirobics. It is designed to help brain and eye/hand connections to help with writing. Look around for a used copy. Unless DS's comprehension and processing levels are also below grade level, I would keep him at grade level material by reading aloud/discussing together. Does DS connect well with visual or auditory material? Then what about using documentaries for history, and DVDs for science concepts? You might also post on the Special Needs board and see if anyone has further ideas -- but best to get some testing done first so you KNOW exactly what you're dealing with, and can then aggressively research to find what will help and fit with YOUR DS. BEST of luck! Warmest regards, Lori D. Wow! thanks for taking the time to post all of that. I've never had my son tested but I KNOW he has ADD. He has an extremely difficult time staying focused. I want to get him on some medication to help him, but there's a waiting list for a particular doctor I want to see. My son is a very bright young man. He has a large vocabulary and is a "thinker". He has a lot of the "right-brain" characteristics, and I did purchase the Brain Integration Therapy Manual and Right Brain Phonics Program from Dianne Craft. We've been doing the phonics book for a couple of weeks now, but I'm still not convinced those brain integration exercises are gonna work. Seems a little "out there". He's gotten lazy with his reading. We went through the REWARDS program (red book), and he did pretty well. However, it didn't seem to transfer over to his reading of real books. He still wants to guess at multi-syllable words. He absolutely HATES to read and won't read unless I make him read TO me. He never reads on his own at all. His comprehension is pretty good when I read aloud to him. However, when he reads something to himself (which hardly ever happens), comprehension goes way down. I think his mind wanders some because he hates reading so much. I also think he works so hard on decoding words that he loses the meaning by the time he gets to the end. Spelling is worse than his reading. We've gone through three levels of AAS. His spelling has improved some, but not a whole lot. I tried something with his spelling that Dianne Craft or Jeffrey Freed recommended where you write the word really big and color code it into syllables...like un re mark able He can still remember how to spell that words weeks later. So, I think that's what I'm gonna continue doing for spelling. Rules have helped some as well. Oh, and although he seems very bright in SO many ways, his IQ is pretty low. The lady who tested him said that he's working to his potential, and doing all that he can. I wasn't convinced of the results of the test, though. As far as testing for anything else, what type of testing are you talking about? Thanks! Michele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christy B Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Steck-Vaughn is another publisher to investigate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele in NC Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Thanks, Christy! I have been checking their curricula out too. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele in NC Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 We did world history last year. We ended up starting with Streams of Civilization, then on to BJU (Streams didn't do much on Renaissance and BJU did), then bailed out of BJU to Spiegelvel for 2 chapters. That put us to modern. We were whipped from the facts coming from all directions. So..... we did SOTW Vol. 4 to finish out our year. It was the best of the whole year. I do think you could beef it up with writing papers here and there (since you can remember things so much better in SOTW). The thing I liked best is that it was remembered. Thanks, Susan! I'm seriously considering SOTW now. My daughter, who is a senior, just told me she remembers very little from World History & that it was very boring. She used BJU, if I remember correctly. Michele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 (edited) I did purchase the Brain Integration Therapy Manual and Right Brain Phonics Program from Dianne Craft. We've been doing the phonics book for a couple of weeks now, but I'm still not convinced those brain integration exercises are gonna work. Seems a little "out there". Remember, the point of these exercises to help make left/right brain hemisphere connection. It takes doing the exercises properly, daily (4-5x/week), and for a long enough time (2-3 months) before you start to see results. You are trying to re-train the brain -- sort of like getting a "lazy eye", or a weak muscle not used to working to start working and to get it up to speed, and that takes time. The nutritional supplement component can really help too, by supplying missing nutrients, or increasing low levels of nutrients, needed for concentration and focus. A lot of ADD symptoms have to do with a lack of a brain chemicals to keep the ADD sufferer stimulated and alert -- i.e., the person automatically attempts to self-manufacture focus and alertness through over-active physical motions, chatter, and hopping from activity/topic to activity/topic. He's gotten lazy with his reading. We went through the REWARDS program (red book), and he did pretty well. However, it didn't seem to transfer over to his reading of real books. He still wants to guess at multi-syllable words. He absolutely HATES to read and won't read unless I make him read TO me. He never reads on his own at all. His comprehension is pretty good when I read aloud to him. However, when he reads something to himself (which hardly ever happens), comprehension goes way down. I think his mind wanders some because he hates reading so much. I also think he works so hard on decoding words that he loses the meaning by the time he gets to the end. That's an excellent assessment of what happens with dyslexic students or very "right-brain" people (visual-spatial learners). Not only is sequence (order of the letters) not how they take in info (they are random in input rather than sequential), but they tend to take in the whole all at once rather than bit by bit (letter by letter) until it "adds up" to a word. For these people the letters literally are jumping around, moving, wiggling. Imagine how tiring it would be to read if you were having to visually fight your way through a line of moving text in order to read it, with the words and letters mixing and jumbling constantly!! Some people find laying a colored transparency over the page really helps the letters and words from moving. In addition, covering up everything except the line of type you are reading can help limit the distraction of other letters and words jumping and moving around. I tried something with his spelling that Dianne Craft or Jeffrey Freed recommended where you write the word really big and color code it into syllables...like un re mark able He can still remember how to spell that words weeks later. So, I think that's what I'm gonna continue doing for spelling. Rules have helped some as well. This is great! You have found what WORKS for him! :) As you slowly work on various aspects of language arts, the spelling will slowly transfer over to his writing -- or at least you can make editing a standard step of the writing process. After he writes a sentence or paragraph, have him go away from it "mentally" for at least 10 minutes, and then come back to it to now edit it. That break in between allows him to mentally shift gears from using and then turning off the writing portion of his brain, to now triggering and turning on the spelling/visual memory portion of his brain for editing. Not everyone can use these very DIFFERENT portions of the brain simultaneously, so if you can teach him that writing is a series of steps, and how to move from one step to the next, that would be great. I know many people feel you MUST learn to spell from phonetic rules, and abhor the concept of "whole word", or visual memorization -- but every person's brain is wired differently, and it actually seems wrong and cruel to me to expect every student to be able to learn via only specific method. It would be like forcing all of us to tie our hands behind our backs and require us to use our feet, or our noses, to write, tie our shoes, use tools, etc. As far as testing for anything else, what type of testing are you talking about? Specifically, I'd suggest testing to see if you are dealing with any physical issues (such as impaired vision, impaired vision tracking, etc.), or any brain processing issues (dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc.). Knowing EXACTLY what you are dealing with can help you "cut to the chase" and: - get any therapies that will correct dysfunction - remove any food allergy items that may be triggering or exacerbating any dysfunction - add any nutritional supplement to make up for deficiencies that are manifesting as dysfunction - find curriculum geared exactly for dealing with specific dysfunction - get you the "paper trail" for special helps throughout high school and college Hopefully the doctor you are waiting on will have experience with any of these issues and will help you not only with specific testing, but also physical therapies and nutritional helps, and won't JUST go straight to a prescription for Ritalin. Meds may also be part of your overall treatment plan, but I would be concerned if that was ALL a physician had to say on the subject. For testing to get a paper trail (and for figuring out specific issues), check out your state's public school system. A lot of states provide free testing for ALL students, whether they attend public school or not. It looks like your are in NC, so here is a website to get you started. BEST of luck in finding the comprehensive plan to best help your DS! Warmest regards, Lori D. Edited March 11, 2011 by Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 http://www.pass.leon.k12.fl.us/ Parallel Stragegies aka the PASS books. Very inexpensive too. Seems their site is down for now, but there is a contact email :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Take a look at Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovemy4kids Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 My 2nd child, now 18, was dyslexic, CAPD and had partial deafness.... for high school we made adaptions..... BJU 11th grade american history text for american history..... mostly out loud, questions orally MFW AHL.... bits and pieces done mostly out loud Science - Rainbow, then SOS physical science Math- TT-algebra followed by BJU algebra (not all of the problems), and little bits of geometry stuff lots of adaptations in all areas She still had thing left we wanted her to do to graduate...she CHOSE not to get the diploma and take the GED instead so she didn't have more work to do. She blew it away. They kept asking her why she didn't just finish high school she did so well! Do what works for your child, make the materials work for you. Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 If he has a diagnosis, you can join Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. If you need a textbook they don't have, they will often try to find a reader to get the audio version done. Many of the Apologia science books are available in mp3 format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 AGS Publishing I was trying to think of the name of this publisher to recommend it. I didn't realize someone had posted it already :confused: So, I second the suggestion. :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.