Help! Dyslexia and ADHD-need phonic program suggestions

[Trivium Academy]

I work full time, ds7 is in public school. I do not have complete faith in the school system. I previously homeschooled and would like to find something to use for at home to reinforce or help ds7.

 

He's in first grade, reading level 3-4 and should be at level g or 200-400L. Way behind.

 

Suggestions? I'm looking at Dancing Bears which I saw was a recommendation on another thread.

[mommymilkies]

We are having good luck with Dancing Bears and Apples and Pears.

[homefront]

I would look into http://www.learningally.org/ many public schools will cover the membership cost. I've seen large jumps with my kids. Find books that you ds is interested in and have him read along. Magic Tree House, Boxcar kids, or others book that your sons would like and not where his dx has "trapped" him. The audio function with a kindle or book readers can be useful too. (Note most littles don't like listen to computer gen. voices)

 

The best thing my parents did for me was not to overkill my weak areas like the local school. Find a balancing point with your son.

 

Dancing Bears is good but might be to much depending on his homework load.

[mommymilkies]

Most people only do 10 minutes of DB a day. I do 1/2 to 1 page. Work at the child's comfort and ability level.

[Shellers]

We are having good luck with Dancing Bears and Apples and Pears.

 

Same here! I highly recommend both!

[homefront]

It nice to know that some get it done in ten minutes. My DC could and would drag the lesson out for hours. Auditor issues make phonics so much fun. We are going back over phonics since she is now reading.

Edited March 6, 2012 by homefront

[Trivium Academy]

Totally sympathetic homefront- it has taken ds7 4 years to get down the ABC song and we're still struggling with letter identification/sound. Blends are a total nightmare. I've got a few suggestions from the K-8 Curriculum board, and I'll weigh/compare the options. Thank you all for your input, it is greatly appreciated!

[mommymilkies]

Literacy Leaders is good for brief lessons. BUT my two auditory processing kids have terrible trouble with it. I've given it up until we get a full evaluation and maybe some therapy for it.

[ElizabethB]

It sounds like there might be more of a phonemic awareness problem than dyslexia, although the 2 can coexist.

 

Here is a good post from merry gardens about the LiPS screening, I would try that first:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3678997&postcount=2

 

I also have some diagnostic tests on my website. The MWIA level I and the New Elizabethian tests are ones I would recommend for you. Here is my testing page:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/readinggradeleve.html

 

Here is a long but good thread with ideas for phonemic awareness:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127043

 

For my remedial students with underlying speech problems, I have found syllables, nonsense words, and marked print especially helpful.

 

For nonsense words, I like my game and the phonics book "We All Can Read."

 

For syllables, my online lessons cover them a bit and then Webster's Speller, here is my webpage about it, and you can search here for threads tagged Webster's Speller.

 

All my students with speech problems have been helped by marked prints. I have a current student with speech apraxia who is very smart, he is currently using 4 different marked print systems! (CLE, my UPP, the markings in the 1879 McGuffey readers, and the markings from Don Potter's 1908 Webster's Speller.) A student who is of average IQ should be limited to 1 or 2 marked prints to not overwhelm them, but an above average student can manage many with no problems. My current student finds them all helpful, but some of my students who are easily overwhelmed are kept to 1 or 2 marking systems.

 

It will help you to have a good understanding of the relationship of sound/speech symbols and pronunciation, I recommend this website and the DVD series Understanding Linguistics. (It goes on sale often, and also is sometimes on sale as a set with "History of the English Language.")

[LizzyBee]

Totally sympathetic homefront- it has taken ds7 4 years to get down the ABC song and we're still struggling with letter identification/sound. Blends are a total nightmare. I've got a few suggestions from the K-8 Curriculum board, and I'll weigh/compare the options. Thank you all for your input, it is greatly appreciated!

 

Given this, you might need to start with building phonemic awareness. The fastest, most effective way to do this, imo, is using LiPS (Lindamood Bell Phonemic Sequencing from http://www.ganderpublishing.com). LiPS is a unique program that teaches the kinesthetics of making sounds. Students become aware of exactly what each part of their mouth and throat are doing to make the various sounds. For students who don't make the symbol to sound connection easily, it gives them another hook for making that connection stick.

 

To confirm that LiPS would be beneficial, you can do a free student screening with your ds on http://www.bartonreading.com. If he can't pass Section C, he has a phonemic awareness deficit.

[Trivium Academy]

Given this, you might need to start with building phonemic awareness. The fastest, most effective way to do this, imo, is using LiPS (Lindamood Bell Phonemic Sequencing from www.ganderpublishing.com). LiPS is a unique program that teaches the kinesthetics of making sounds. Students become aware of exactly what each part of their mouth and throat are doing to make the various sounds. For students who don't make the symbol to sound connection easily, it gives them another hook for making that connection stick.

 

To confirm that LiPS would be beneficial, you can do a free student screening with your ds on www.bartonreading.com. If he can't pass Section C, he has a phonemic awareness deficit.

 

I sincerely appreciate your input and the programs you suggest would work- I like them and Ms. Barton's videos had me crying, someone understands and knows what I've been dealing with all along.

 

I'm still comparing the suggestions but financially, we're leaning towards All About Reading. Ds7 and I looked at the samples together and read out of the sample readers. He wanted to do more although he had been reading for 20 minutes and wanted to know if he earned a sticker. This is HUGE. He corrected himself. Thank you so much for your input and suggestions, everyone has made a very confusing search much easier.

 

I'm so grateful!

[LizzyBee]

I sincerely appreciate your input and the programs you suggest would work- I like them and Ms. Barton's videos had me crying, someone understands and knows what I've been dealing with all along.

 

I'm still comparing the suggestions but financially, we're leaning towards All About Reading. Ds7 and I looked at the samples together and read out of the sample readers. He wanted to do more although he had been reading for 20 minutes and wanted to know if he earned a sticker. This is HUGE. He corrected himself. Thank you so much for your input and suggestions, everyone has made a very confusing search much easier.

 

I'm so grateful!

 

You are very welcome! It's fine to start with something cheaper, and if it works, that's great! If not, you know that LiPS, Barton, and Wilson are out there if you need them.

[FO4UR]

It nice to know that some get it done in ten minutes. My DC could and would drag the lesson out for hours. Auditor issues make phonics so much fun. We are going back over phonics since she is now reading.

 

 

In Dancing Bears, you are supposed to only work for 10min per lesson. If you only get through a small portion of a page, so be it. Pick up where you left off next time. Progress is exponential! (ime...so take all the time needed at the beginning of the book)

 

 

Dancing Bears is a good option for afterschool b/c it's such a short and focused lesson. I will say though...that my ds did not have the same hang-ups as yours. Mine knew phonics well, but just couldn't read what he knew.