AHASRADA Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 My dyslexic dd12 will be in 7th grade next year, and both she and I are feeling she needs to start practicing how to learn from content-based (text) books in preparation for HS. Listening to books on tape doesn't help, because she just doesn't comprehend the info. I gave up on reading SOTW aloud to her a couple of years ago, since she didn't grasp or retain much, certainly not names of people or places. So, I just pushed content to the back burner, doing more open-ended online or video content like BrainPop and US History documentaries. I am now realizing that, perhaps if I had persevered in reading aloud to her throughout her school years, instead of giving up because she dt idn't understand, she probably would have picked up more vocab. along the way and her comprehension issues would be diminished. Hindsight is 20/20, but now what? I was considering using PaceMaker textbooks, written on a grade 3/4 level, so she can learn the content and have experience with that format, but hopefully actually understand what she's reading. There is another publisher, "ASL", I think, that offers "transition" texts, which are written about a year below grade level. I was hoping if I used PaceMaker in grade 7 and continued to work on reading, vocab. etc., then used ASL in grade 8, she might be able to use regular HS level texts in 9th, at least the "easier" ones. At the same time, I will need to help her vocab. level, in content areas and in general, to rise to the level that she will be able to understand the HS level texts when she gets to that point. The grade 3/4 level texts won't help her with that. I could use a traditional text and use the words she doesn't know for vocab. words, but there would be so many of them, it would really take away from the content learning, overwhelm and frustrate her. So, I guess I am asking if anyone knows of: A: A program that teaches content (history, science) while also focusing on vocabulary development for remedial learners B: Or, a vocab./reading comp. program that would beneficial to do alongside the PaceMaker texts, so she can learn content in an easier way, and still build vocab. BTW, traditional vocab. programs with a list of words, definitions and exercises don't work for her. With no visuals to anchor the words to, and the extra effort required for her to decode the words, the definitions, and the exercise sentences, she has no working memory left to grasp and transfer the meanings into longterm memory. I hope this made sense. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Rewards? Look at the samples and ask here. Starting with the 4th McGuffey reader, 1879 version, they include both vocab and comprehension questions. The selections include some non-fiction passages and are a good way to build up vocabulary, I have many of my remedial students work through them to build up their vocab and reading skills. You can see them free online at Gutenburg press. You need the PDFs. If you like them, the reprinted sets are available from Amazon and many other places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 (edited) Remedia Publications may have some materials that will work for you. I've used materials similar to this from Remedia and also from abcteach.com. Edited May 10, 2012 by MomatHWTK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Rewards? Look at the samples and ask here. Starting with the 4th McGuffey reader, 1879 version, they include both vocab and comprehension questions. The selections include some non-fiction passages and are a good way to build up vocabulary, Thanks, Elizabeth. We are actually working through Rewards Intermediate now. It is helpful for decoding multisyllable words, which she can already do for the most part; it's the automaticity she's lacking there, in addition to comprehension. I most likely will buy the 4th McGuffey reader. I like the vocab. and comprehension questions. I usually shy away from books with archaic vocabulary and sentence structure; there are just too many barriers to comprehension, and I want her to master more commonly-used advanced vocab. first. The 4th book looks like a reasonable level, though, and should be beneficial. My only concern is the font. She reads best if the font is a decent size and very clean. McGuffey's is a bit flowery and condensed. Do you know of any reprints with a clear, modern font? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Remedia Publications may have some materials that will work for you. Thanks! I have several remedial catalogs, but didn't happen to have this one. I just requested it! Hopefully they'll have something useful to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 My troubled reader couldn't handle the McGuffey font when we tried a reproduction of the actual books. I was able to download the MSWord document from here and edit it to change the font with the version of MSWord that I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lecka Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I have looked at things before by searching "high/lo social studies" or "high interest low reading level" or "high interest low readability" and curriculum. There are some things out, where a classroom teacher could give a separate article to a student with a lower reading level. I don't know about any specifically -- I have just looked at them in passing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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