Ideas for getting my 6 year old to read?

[Verity]

As we gear up for the new school year I'm pondering what to do with my upcoming 1st grader. We homeschooled K last year using the Memoria Press Kindergarten package. We didn't complete the whole thing but worked every week 3 or 4 days on phonics and math plus I do read alouds and he listened in on his older brothers science and history. At the end of the year he still can't read anything on his own, not even CVC words.

 

I had some training in college using direct instruction, I've started OPGTR and 100 EZ lessons with him. In pre-K we went to Starfall and used several different online programs to try to pique his interest. Several times I've tried to just start over. Nothing seems to be working.

 

I believe that his vision is fine. He struggles abit with his speech but not enough that he should be struggling with his reading. I really think he just doesn't care enough to read.

 

I have two older sons, both homeschooled. The oldest has asperger's and the middle son has some visual processing issues and ADHD. Obviously both require alot of one on one interaction. They were both public schooled through 4th grade for oldest and 1st grade for middle son, someone else taught them to read. I just can't help wondering if my youngest son would be better off in public school with a "real" reading teacher and the peer pressure of other kids learning to read.

 

Should I start over with phonics again? It is really silly going through the alphabet song/rhymes but just jumping into blending isn't working. Will he get this with some maturity and I shouldn't freak out but just continue what we are doing? Edited to add: I have been considering trying IEW's Primary Arts of Reading/Language this fall but I'm hesitant to spend money on yet another package that we will fail at.

 

Feeling like a failure here today and knowing I need to figure this out. :confused:

Edited July 31, 2012 by Verity

[Dana]

Don't know if this would work...but what motivated my son was comics. He found Calvin and Hobbes and wanted to read them.

[EKS]

I believe that his vision is fine. He struggles abit with his speech but not enough that he should be struggling with his reading. I really think he just doesn't care enough to read.

 

 

Has he been checked by a developmental optometrist? If not, that's where I'd start because it is a relatively "easy" fix, if that's what the problem is.

 

Speech issues can be indicative of dyslexia. I'd read the book Overcoming Dyslexia and see if he has any of the symptoms listed. It has lists of symptoms for even very young children.

 

I wouldn't assume that he doesn't care enough to read. I would assume that for some reason reading is difficult for him.

[Calm37]

Don't know if this would work...but what motivated my son was comics. He found Calvin and Hobbes and wanted to read them.

 

Oh, laughing at this. I had forgotten this is exactly what my son did, too, so many years ago. He just poured over those comics trying to get them figured out. It really was a motivating factor in learning to read!

 

OP-hope you can find some "bait" for your child, too. :)

[kristi26]

:lurk5:

 

I am in almost exactly the same boat you are except I am struggling with DD and she can read SOME just gets frustrated with new books and doesn't want to try. I'll be lurking to see if you get any good suggestions! Good luck OP!

[Ellie]

As we gear up for the new school year I'm pondering what to do with my upcoming 1st grader. We homeschooled K last year using the Memoria Press Kindergarten package. We didn't complete the whole thing but worked every week 3 or 4 days on phonics and math plus I do read alouds and he listened in on his older brothers science and history. At the end of the year he still can't read anything on his own, not even CVC words.

 

I had some training in college using direct instruction, I've started OPGTR and 100 EZ lessons with him. In pre-K we went to Starfall and used several different online programs to try to pique his interest. Several times I've tried to just start over. Nothing seems to be working.

 

I believe that his vision is fine. He struggles abit with his speech but not enough that he should be struggling with his reading. I really think he just doesn't care enough to read.

 

I have two older sons, both homeschooled. The oldest has asperger's and the middle son has some visual processing issues and ADHD. Obviously both require alot of one on one interaction. They were both public schooled through 4th grade for oldest and 1st grade for middle son, someone else taught them to read. I just can't help wondering if my youngest son would be better off in public school with a "real" reading teacher and the peer pressure of other kids learning to read.

 

Should I start over with phonics again? It is really silly going through the alphabet song/rhymes but just jumping into blending isn't working. Will he get this with some maturity and I shouldn't freak out but just continue what we are doing? Edited to add: I have been considering trying IEW's Primary Arts of Reading/Language this fall but I'm hesitant to spend money on yet another package that we will fail at.

 

Feeling like a failure here today and knowing I need to figure this out. :confused:

He's just six. That's way too young for you to feel like a failure.

 

You say you think he "just doesn't care enough to read." Oh, please don't put such a negative label on that poor little guy!

 

He's just six. You've *already* done several things with him that are all completely different in their methodology, in a short amount of time, considering how young he must have been when you started. It's not unlikely that everything is just all jumbled in his little head.

 

He's just the right age *now* to begin reading instruction. Forget you ever did anything else with him. Don't use the words "I tried" and "he didn't." That communicates "he can't," and that may lead down a path you don't want to go.

 

I always recommend Spalding. :D It's everything you need for readng, handwriting, basic capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing. Read aloud to him from good books, not because you're trying to get him interested or anything, but only because it's a good thing to do, and it's a way of making sure those good books get into his head. :)

[dbmamaz]

my youngest went to kindergarten and did phonics there, and then we did some Time4Learning and he did phonics there, but he's just been really slow reading.

 

I started homeschooling in first grade and i made some colored cards with letters, set up so that it was CVC (each stack was a different color) and we would pick one card of each color and put them in order and sound them out together. if it was a real word, i'd write it on another color.

 

then we'd take the stack of real words and if he read it correctly, I had to stock a block, and if he read it wrong, he stacked a block, and whoevers stack fell first, lost. He LOVED this and we only did it for about 10 minutes 3 times a week or so.

 

he also started with comics, elephant and piggy, and things like that. He has just been very, very slow to read. He is confident in his reading now, but as a rising 4th grader, his reading is still behind where I want it to be. I've been careful to support him without making him feel bad about it, because i want him to LOVE reading more than I want him to read on schedule.

 

There are some kids, tho, who do need more help. if the child is frustrated, then i'd try to get more help. If the child is not that interested yet, i'd wait a little longer.

 

oH, and my son also spoke a little late - spent about 2 months in early intervention but they felt he wasnt at risk. he also wont write yet. But he's great at math - i think its just the way his brain works.

[Verity]

He's just six. That's way too young for you to feel like a failure.

 

You say you think he "just doesn't care enough to read." Oh, please don't put such a negative label on that poor little guy!

 

He's just six. You've *already* done several things with him that are all completely different in their methodology, in a short amount of time, considering how young he must have been when you started. It's not unlikely that everything is just all jumbled in his little head.

 

He's just the right age *now* to begin reading instruction. Forget you ever did anything else with him. Don't use the words "I tried" and "he didn't." That communicates "he can't," and that may lead down a path you don't want to go.

 

I always recommend Spalding. :D It's everything you need for readng, handwriting, basic capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing. Read aloud to him from good books, not because you're trying to get him interested or anything, but only because it's a good thing to do, and it's a way of making sure those good books get into his head. :)

 

Thanks for your input and comments everyone.

 

Just to be clear, I don't think my son is a failure. I *feel* like a failure because I *feel* like I wasn't consistent enough with any of the programs. That maybe I could have done something differently to aid him in being a better reader. I know that feelings aren't necessarily the truth.

 

I can't help but wonder (like some/many of us do) if he would be better served in a public school setting. Most of the time I'm sure that he would not.

 

Life has been particularly hard over recent months culminating in a move to a 60 year old house last week. I can't find my homeschool stuff, my notebooks or much anything else. My head is reeling. Feelings probably out of control. :tongue_smilie:

 

I went and ordered Write to Read and Spell book (6th edition), perhaps I will be able to read it and that approach will click for my youngest.

 

My current plan this year is involvement in a co-op in our new town with new friends and social opportunities for the kiddos and some kind of reading/phonics program for my 1st grader...

In the meantime I have to get my Aspie 8th grader up to speed for high school work and figure out if my middle son needs VT or OT or...

 

See, I need to just slow down and do one thing at a time before I get totally overwhelmed! LOL

[Ellie]

Just to be clear, I don't think my son is a failure. I *feel* like a failure because I *feel* like I wasn't consistent enough with any of the programs. That maybe I could have done something differently to aid him in being a better reader. I know that feelings aren't necessarily the truth.

I didn't think that you thought your ds was a "failure." :) I said that saying that he didn't care enough could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. That you already think he could be a "better reader" when he's only 6yo is more of a problem than the fact that a 6yo child is not yet reading (although the truth is that he *is* reading; he just isn't reading as well as you think he should).

 

I understand that you think of yourself as a failure, but let's be realistic: You started trying to teach him when he was very young, probably younger than was good for him. That's probably why neither of you was happy with the reading instruction you tried.

 

I can't help but wonder (like some/many of us do) if he would be better served in a public school setting. Most of the time I'm sure that he would not.

Millions of children in public school graduate functionally illiterate after 13 years of school. How can you be sure your ds wouldn't be one of those?

 

Life has been particularly hard over recent months culminating in a move to a 60 year old house last week. I can't find my homeschool stuff, my notebooks or much anything else. My head is reeling. Feelings probably out of control. :tongue_smilie:

:grouphug:

 

I went and ordered Write to Read and Spell book (6th edition), perhaps I will be able to read it and that approach will click for my youngest.

Spell to Write and Read, yes? It's a good method. :)

 

See, I need to just slow down and do one thing at a time before I get totally overwhelmed! LOL

 

:grouphug:

[Verity]

 

 

Spell to Write and Read, yes? It's a good method. :)

 

 

 

:grouphug:

 

 

Yes that one, by R. Spalding. I went to the website to be sure I got the correct one instead of the millions of knockoffs and variations. ;)

 

Time to get the kiddos from VBS and stop berating myself!

[Sahamamama]

He's just six. That's way too young for you to feel like a failure.

 

You say you think he "just doesn't care enough to read." Oh, please don't put such a negative label on that poor little guy!

 

He's just six. You've *already* done several things with him that are all completely different in their methodology, in a short amount of time, considering how young he must have been when you started. It's not unlikely that everything is just all jumbled in his little head.

 

He's just the right age *now* to begin reading instruction. Forget you ever did anything else with him. Don't use the words "I tried" and "he didn't." That communicates "he can't," and that may lead down a path you don't want to go.

 

I always recommend Spalding. :D It's everything you need for reading, handwriting, basic capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing. Read aloud to him from good books, not because you're trying to get him interested or anything, but only because it's a good thing to do, and it's a way of making sure those good books get into his head. :)

 

:iagree:I would also add that he's a boy. That might not be PC, but six for a boy is about the age when I would START teaching reading, not start worrying about it. With a girl I might start sooner. Yes, this is my bias, but I do think that some little boys really aren't ready when most little girls seem to be. But that's just been my experience. For now I would focus on reading aloud to him in a comforting, snuggly way, with no pressure for him to "get on board" with reading on his own. It will come in time.

 

Obliterate discouragement, yours included.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2012 by Sahamamama

[MusicMama]

You just moved? Everyone needs a big fat break. Especially you! Unpack the basics then take another week of to rest and adjust. Then try again. :grouphug:

[craftymama]

I can relate. My son, 7 now, had little interest in learning to read. He loved to be read to, but didn't seem to see the point of learning to do it on his own. A couple of things that worked for us after many attempts and lots of frustration:

 

I went back and started over with OPGTTR. He liked it at first, but eventually started to get bored. So, I went back and made signs for the school room with each sound and a list of all the ways to spell said sound. Every day he would get quizzed on a sound or two. I have no idea why he liked the quiz concept, but he did. Still does.

 

We also found the lowest level readers we could at the library and he started reading at least part of a real book every day. He liked it a lot more than the guide.

 

And I put up reward jars. Just "jars" made out of paper that are filled with stickers. When it's full (as determined by me) he get to "open" the jar (take the lid off) and see what reward is attached. Our rewards have been things like computer games, lunch out with Mommy, movie night, camping in the basement, etc. Things that he likes, but don't generally cost a lot, or things that are bigger projects that I can count as school without him realizing it (build a birdhouse with Daddy, for example).

 

I also started responding with "I don't know, if you learned how to read you could answer that question," when he asked what something said when we were out and about.

 

I can't say why any of these really worked I just know they did.

 

One more thing, I found out what he liked and disliked about reading (the quizzes, moving so fast) by asking him. It seems silly to say, but he then had the smallest amount of control of it and perhaps that was encouraging.

[mumto2]

You have been through lots of change lately. Try to relax a bit. Maybe set reading to one side for a couple of months.

Get the rest of your new life organized--he is six.

 

With my son he simply did not feel like reading. I suspect he enjoyed the drama of me trying to get him to read. I tried everything. I carried a large bag filled with his reading supplies with us when we traveled. We traveled a lot. I decided to quit. I simply could not haul the bag again. He noticed and announced it had to be packed because he was going to learn that week. He did. Went through a least 2 boxes of BOB books that week. Before that he did not even read a word. He knew his letter sounds but he had known those for 3 plus years.

[EducationX2]

:grouphug: He's just 6. No big deal.

 

But I completely understand how you're feeling. My daughter was a reluctant reader. Everyone expected her to be reading early. For all intents and purposes, she's very intelligent, most likely gifted. BUT SHE JUST WASN'T READING!!!! I, like you, felt like a complete failure. Everyone around me was telling me how smart my daughter was, but here she was, 5 years old, and not reading, at all!! Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

 

:nopity::svengo:

 

Then I realized that she was 5 years old. And did it really matter if she was reading right that moment? The answer I came up with was no. We had both gotten so frustrated with reading instruction that we were getting no where. DD was (and is) a bit of a perfectionist, and has a hard time handling frustration, so

So I stepped back, and for 6 months we did no real phonics work, just lots and lots of reading aloud together. She *loved* that. And when it was time to start back into learning how to read, I took advantage of that. We use Progressive Phonics, a program you can find online (for free!) which has the child and parent reading little stories together from the very start. We also just use lots of library books. Starting out, I was reading most of the words and I would point to a word or two on the page that she would read, but now she's reading most of the words and now only needs me to remind her that "ight" says "ight" and she goes on reading that "the light from the moon was....."

 

He'll read. You aren't a failure!!!!! :grouphug:

[Ellie]

Yes that one, by R. Spalding. I went to the website to be sure I got the correct one instead of the millions of knockoffs and variations. ;)

 

Time to get the kiddos from VBS and stop berating myself!

Romalda Spalding wrote the Writing Road to Reading, which is the manual for the Spalding Method. Is that what you meant? :)

 

And yes, for crying out loud, quit berating yourself!!!:D

[PeterPan]

While *in general* I'm all for remembering the gender gap, giving kids time to mature, being patient with yourself, not stressing, etc., etc., there's the reality that he has SN siblings and could have some SN issues underlying this. Given that he has speech problems, it's in fact a strong possibility. And there's utterly no need to wait and hope if you think the issue is SN. I guess you could say that as one who was pretty relaxed (it will come, just be patient) with my 1st dc and am pretty aggressively intervening with my 2nd. Hindsite. ;)

 

What I would do in your position is go WAY BACK to the basics. WRTR/SWR, whichever you ordered, is a fine start. However you need to go back farther. I think Barton still has the phonemic awareness/reading readiness test on her website. If your dc can't even hear and discriminate sounds, you've got some basic foundation to build. Our SLP puts all the kids through Earobics. Granted all her kids are dealing with apraxia (it's her specialty and what she treats), so I don't know if that holds for all kids with all speech problems. I'm getting ready to start my ds with Earobics. I taught my dd13 with SWR/WRTR, so I've been down that route. With her it was hard, but it's NOTHING like the blank looks I get with this ds. For instance right now, far as I can tell, he can't hear the difference between /s/ and /sh/. I'm not sure he's hearing vowels accurately.

 

We're going through every single sound meticulously, tediously, and it's just a process. You have every sound in initial, medial, and final positions. He can't rhyme, can't even hear it to recognize. There are some programs that help you go through the sounds (LiPS, not sure what all), or you can just do it.

 

So what you have to do first is inventory his phonemic awareness and see where that's at. Figure out what he's hearing, what he can discriminate, just to see if he even has a foundation to work with. http://phonologicalawareness.org/ and that test on Barton's site. Then you'll know if there's a glitch you need to back up for. If there's no issue there, then you're good to move forward and figure out whether the issue is developmental (just plain not ready), working memory (can't blend cuz uses working memory), or what.

 

While I'm always a fan of getting the eyes properly checked by a developmental optometrist, I'd be more concerned about that speech thing and the phonemic awareness.

Edited August 1, 2012 by OhElizabeth

[Verity]

While *in general* I'm all for remembering the gender gap, giving kids time to mature, being patient with yourself, not stressing, etc., etc., there's the reality that he has SN siblings and could have some SN issues underlying this. Given that he has speech problems, it's in fact a strong possibility. And there's utterly no need to wait and hope if you think the issue is SN. I guess you could say that as one who was pretty relaxed (it will come, just be patient) with my 1st dc and am pretty aggressively intervening with my 2nd. Hindsite. ;)

 

What I would do in your position is go WAY BACK to the basics. WRTR/SWR, whichever you ordered, is a fine start. However you need to go back farther. I think Barton still has the phonemic awareness/reading readiness test on her website. If your dc can't even hear and discriminate sounds, you've got some basic foundation to build. Our SLP puts all the kids through Earobics. Granted all her kids are dealing with apraxia (it's her specialty and what she treats), so I don't know if that holds for all kids with all speech problems. I'm getting ready to start my ds with Earobics. I taught my dd13 with SWR/WRTR, so I've been down that route. With her it was hard, but it's NOTHING like the blank looks I get with this ds. For instance right now, far as I can tell, he can't hear the difference between /s/ and /sh/. I'm not sure he's hearing vowels accurately.

 

We're going through every single sound meticulously, tediously, and it's just a process. You have every sound in initial, medial, and final positions. He can't rhyme, can't even hear it to recognize. There are some programs that help you go through the sounds (LiPS, not sure what all), or you can just do it.

 

So what you have to do first is inventory his phonemic awareness and see where that's at. Figure out what he's hearing, what he can discriminate, just to see if he even has a foundation to work with. http://phonologicalawareness.org/ and that test on Barton's site. Then you'll know if there's a glitch you need to back up for. If there's no issue there, then you're good to move forward and figure out whether the issue is developmental (just plain not ready), working memory (can't blend cuz uses working memory), or what.

 

While I'm always a fan of getting the eyes properly checked by a developmental optometrist, I'd be more concerned about that speech thing and the phonemic awareness.

 

Thanks OhElizabeth for the reminder: I tried doing some Stars Speech therapy at home with him last year. At that time he had some trouble with distinguishing several of the phonemes, some were "normal" for his age but there were a few that were out of the normal range. One of our struggles with reading is that he either can't hear or reproduce a differentiation in the "m" and "n" sounds. There may have been others, I would have to dig out a box to find the sheets where I recorded his results.

 

Maybe a first step for him will be a ST appt - once dh's new employer gets me his insurance cards. In the meanwhile I am continuing to read him bedtime stories.

[kwickimom]

My son is 6...we did OPGTR and then added in HOP because he found it and loved it. We did phonics everyday...we slacked off this summer and I did a review with him the other day and he totally forgot it all. :001_huh:

 

We're just going to start over and go through at his pace. He's ONLY 6. Not a big deal at all!! Just start over and repeat until he gets it :)

[PeterPan]

Thanks OhElizabeth for the reminder: I tried doing some Stars Speech therapy at home with him last year. At that time he had some trouble with distinguishing several of the phonemes, some were "normal" for his age but there were a few that were out of the normal range. One of our struggles with reading is that he either can't hear or reproduce a differentiation in the "m" and "n" sounds. There may have been others, I would have to dig out a box to find the sheets where I recorded his results.

 

Maybe a first step for him will be a ST appt - once dh's new employer gets me his insurance cards. In the meanwhile I am continuing to read him bedtime stories.

 

Yup, sounds like a plan. The other thing you might do is figure out what his speech issue was. Just asking, because *if* it was apraxia (which often gets swept under the rug and not fully diagnosed or diagnosed by not explained) you would treat it differently and look for a different type of therapist. And yes, if he's not hearing those sounds, you need to back way up. Check out Earobics. It's software to rebuild that foundation. Like I said, our SLP puts all her kids through it. You can buy it for $99 and do it yourself at home. Doesn't replace speech therapy (it's only phonemic awareness), but it's good stuff. It will break down all the sounds, all the positions, syllabication, rhyming, everything he needs.

[Verity]

Yup, sounds like a plan. The other thing you might do is figure out what his speech issue was. Just asking, because *if* it was apraxia (which often gets swept under the rug and not fully diagnosed or diagnosed by not explained) you would treat it differently and look for a different type of therapist. And yes, if he's not hearing those sounds, you need to back way up. Check out Earobics. It's software to rebuild that foundation. Like I said, our SLP puts all her kids through it. You can buy it for $99 and do it yourself at home. Doesn't replace speech therapy (it's only phonemic awareness), but it's good stuff. It will break down all the sounds, all the positions, syllabication, rhyming, everything he needs.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. What I have observed with him is that he has weak control over his tongue, particularly the tip. So when I tried some fun tongue exercises he couldn't point his tongue, couldn't touch his front teeth with it, etc... Also he gets easily frustrated with me, he would rather go play with his older brothers than do speech/reading exercises with me. I think he would respond better in a setting outside my home where he got the one on one attention. Fortunately dh's new insurance is supposed to be excellent, so I think we will qualify for some assistance now.

[PeterPan]

I really don't have enough experience with older kids to differentiate apraxia from other things in older kids. However if you look at the lists and think that's what you're seeing, the best therapy for it is PROMPT. You can use the provider locator on the PROMPT Institute website to find someone who does it. The therapist we use is certified, and I always recommend finding the best/highest level you can.

 

BTW, if that's what's going on, sometimes omega 3 will help. It's no substitute for therapy but just something that *helps*.

[krorabaugh]

We struggled in Kindergarten too - my son can read but it was very challenging and still is to motivate him to learn the next steps. I found Phonics Pathways to be very helpful and effective. Still a challenge but a really excellent book

[luv2stamp82]

Mine is also 6 and not very interested right now. When he started getting frustrated with formal instruction I backed off and did games instead. Of course, when my 4 year old wanted to do what big brother was doing and picked it up right away and is already ahead of his older brother I started feeling like I did something wrong. It's so hard as homeschooling parents to know what's right!

[ElizabethB]

:grouphug:

 

Even with a fully remediated speech problem, previous speech problems often make phonics more difficult to learn. And, it requires not only more repetition but more explicit information about exactly how the sounds work and blend together. If there are still a bit of lingering speech issues (and it sounds like there are) that makes it even more difficult.

 

Also, things that a normal student finds "close enough" are not for someone with even remediated speech problems, you have to explain a lot more things and really need a good understanding of phonetics and spelling, and also of things like schwa.

 

Blending is actually quite a difficult linguistic skill. Certain sounds blend easier than others. I will add more about this later with whys and hows of blending and what is easiest to start with.

Edited August 3, 2012 by ElizabethB

[Verity]

An update: I had him evaluated by a local speech therapist through the public school system and she noticed the things that I had seen but said that his speech was still developmentally appropriate. She said that if his teachers at our co-op or other classes confirmed that they couldnt' understand him a large percentage of time we could still qualify for therapy but they have said that they can understand him as long as he doesn't get excited and start talking quickly.

 

On the reading front he loves IEW's new PAL/PAW. It consists of lots of file folder games along with a few worksheets and practice reading. The games provide a kinesthetic factor for those younger boys learning to read (who really need it) and he seems to be more motivated this year. I"m encouraged that he actually is more and more interested in trying to read.

[mama25angels]

An update: I had him evaluated by a local speech therapist through the public school system and she noticed the things that I had seen but said that his speech was still developmentally appropriate. She said that if his teachers at our co-op or other classes confirmed that they couldnt' understand him a large percentage of time we could still qualify for therapy but they have said that they can understand him as long as he doesn't get excited and start talking quickly.

 

On the reading front he loves IEW's new PAL/PAW. It consists of lots of file folder games along with a few worksheets and practice reading. The games provide a kinesthetic factor for those younger boys learning to read (who really need it) and he seems to be more motivated this year. I"m encouraged that he actually is more and more interested in trying to read.

 

 

So happy for you!!!:hurray:

[TengoFive]

Glad you found something he likes. Even if he doesn't start reading with it right away, don't feel like a failure. Even using the right program for your child it can just take a while for it to click. My daughter knew all her sounds for 3 years before she started to read. When she was 7 she became a reader overnight. She went from not reading, to devouring a 900 page book in less than a week. Once I saw she wasn't ready to read but knew her letter sounds, I backed off. It was becoming a battle to do a reading lesson every day, so we just switched to working on other things. Much later, just before she really started reading, I noticed her starting to sound out signs. I didn't push her though, just let it develop.

 

My second child didn't really start reading until he was 9. That was nerve wracking! He could read CVC words, but even those were painfully hard for him to read. When he was 9 he wanted a new bike. His grandfather told him if he would read 10 chapter books he would buy him a new one. It took about 2 weeks before he got them read. So, he just needed the right motivation and the right books. (Magic School Bus Chapter books for him)

 

My next two started to read at 4 fluently with no problems. I don't know if it was just that they learn differently or switching to OPGTTR.

 

My current K'er is 5 and has just started OPGTTR. We'll see how it goes!