Help! Not so sure if we're ready for WWE level 2...suggestions?

[twinmami01]

I have 10 year old twins with a history of epilepsy, severe speech apraxia and auditory processing disorder. They have always struggled with their reading and writing, yet they have made some huge jumps in the last few months. They are at about a 2nd grade reading level, but further behind in writing and spelling.

 

They've been doing great at WWE level one and I thought we were ready to move on to level 2, but once I saw the section on dictation, I couldn't help but panic. I don't think they can handle it. With the auditory processing issues, I don't think they are ready for it.

 

We are also using All About Spelling and they are coming along ok with the dictation that is included there. Would it be ok to continue with WWE level 2 and skip the dictation or would we be missing out on a huge component of the program? Your thoughts? Suggestions?

[wapiti]

Lately, there's been discussion around here that rather than avoid areas that are weak, to the contrary, it may be better to spend even more time at those tasks that are more difficult, because these will be building blocks for important skills down the road in middle school, high school and beyond. The way I understand it, the point of dictation is to be able to hold a thought in your head long enough to write it down, which may not only important for one's writing in general, but also for note-taking.

 

I would first give them the benefit of the doubt. See how far they can get with their first dictation. Then, if they can't do the whole sentence, use shorter sentences and work up to doing dictation with longer sentences as quickly as they can. Maybe ask them to try to visualize the sentence in their heads? If it's a big struggle, I'd want to focus on it by doing a bit of dictation every day. I was going to suggest doing phrases or clauses at a time until they work up to a whole sentence, but there's something that I can't quite articulate tonight about a sentence representing a complete thought that makes me think it would be better to begin work with shorter sentences and then lengthen them rather than breaking up longer sentences (thoughts, anyone??).

 

My dd10 has some language processing issues (and also a history of mild speech problems that at one point were labeled apraxia) and we very recently started WWE. We did a handful of dictations in level 2 and she did wonderfully, so we've moved on to level 3. So far I'm very pleasantly surprised (fwiw, she does not have working memory issues, which can play a role with dictation). She seems to think it's kind of fun :)

 

I suppose it might depend on the type of auditory processing issues they have, but I'll be curious to hear which task is more difficult for them - narration or dictation. Check over on the Special Needs board - I'm sure someone there will have more useful advice ;). I'll keep my fingers crossed that they surprise you!

 

ETA: on the reading level, have you ruled out vision issues? Vision issues (eyes working together, not just 20/20) seem to be in the mix for some people with apraxia - an ocular motor component, I guess one might say.

Edited April 3, 2011 by wapiti

[Mallory]

I find it easy to just simplify the dictations and also do studied dictations if needed.

 

My second, especially can not keep up with the dictations in WWE, but he does fine on the narrations. Since I find it much easier to simplify the dictations, then to make up my own narration passages and questions, we just keep on.

 

He is just finishing up WWE 3 and rarely even does half of the narration. I almost always just do one sentance and even then I often simplify it.

[kalanamak]

When I jump up a level, I might dictate a phrase at a time, and go through it a dozen times, asking kiddo to raise his hand at the periods or commas or capital letters. We discuss meaning of unfamiliar words, and I might bring up a spelling rule (e.g. since the Y is after a vowel, we don't change it an i, we just add "s")