Is this going to be too much?

[Mom2OandE]

I'd love some feedback on what I have planned for ds8 (2nd grade). He has dyslexia and PDD-NOS. On Monday and Wed he will go to a therapist in the morning for dyslexia. Also on Monday I will read him a story and discuss it with him. Some of the stories have questions and drawing activities should I have him do it or just keep it simple and do everything orally? I was going to have him pick his favorite part for copywork and take some vocab words from those stories for Wed.

 

Tuesday/Thursday (and possibly Friday) I will be doing Barton Reading and spelling. I also have English for hte thoughtful child where he will be doing some writing activities on the same days.

 

Is this going to work or am asking too much with 4 "programs"? Should I try and see what happens? I want this to stay gentle and I want him to get out of the public school rutt and into loving to learn.

 

He will also have Math and Mon/Wed: Geo/History, Tuesday: Fine Arts and Thursday:Science. Friday he will be going to Lego Robotics, Science Lab and Computer Programming.

[Pen]

Sounds like a lot to me even for a child who does not have dyslexia etc. It might be better to start with less, and add on more if that seems feasible rather than to find it is too much and have to cut back. Psychologically I think it is better to feel like more can be done and to add it than to feel like one is not managing.

 

It also tends often to be a good idea to start home schooling if you are new to that somewhat gradually.

[EKS]

If your child has dyslexia, I would recommend that you do reading with him every single day, twice if possible. The key to remediating dyslexia is *a lot* of practice (using a phonics based program).

 

As for doing too much, I think that reading, math, and 5 minutes of handwriting practice with some fun history and science thrown in is enough at this stage (unremediated dyslexia in an 8yo).

 

Also, there is some evidence that dyslexia and autism spectrum diagnoses are incompatible at an anatomic level. So it's possible that one of your son's diagnoses is incorrect.

Edited August 7, 2012 by EKS

[Pen]

If your child has dyslexia, I would recommend that you do reading with him every single day, twice if possible. The key to remediating dyslexia is *a lot* of practice (using a phonics based program).

 

As for doing too much, I think that reading, math, and 5 minutes of handwriting practice with some fun history and science thrown in is enough at this state (unremediated dyslexia in an 8yo).

 

Also, there is some evidence that dyslexia and autism spectrum diagnoses are incompatible at an anatomic level. So it's possible that one of your son's diagnoses are incorrect.

 

I missed that the reading practice would not be every day, it needs to be. I totally agree with the above. For my son, reading was 7 days per week hard work until he got it, though less on the weekends. Now it is 7 days per week because he loves to do it.

 

Also, if you will be driving to therapy sessions you might want to look at audio materials for both dc to use that time well.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Pen

[Mom2OandE]

He would be getting reading practice everyday. On Mon/Wed it would be with his therapist and on Tue/Thu/Fri it would be Barton with me. Every day of the week he will read to me and I will read to him.

 

I'm so torn between keeping it really light and adding in as time goes or starting him as planned. My initial instict is to keep it light and just focus on Barton but then I worry that when the time comes to add the others in he'll balk at it. He's not one for a lot of change. Hmmm. Maybe I'll focus on Barton daily and when he is reading much better add in the other things.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Mom2OandE

[herekittykitty]

Also, there is some evidence that dyslexia and autism spectrum diagnoses are incompatible at an anatomic level. So it's possible that one of your son's diagnoses is incorrect.

 

Could you say more about this line of thinking? I had not heard this before and am curious.

[Tasia]

We've only just started Barton (and homeschooling :)), so I can't give any btdt advice, but we're in very similar situations, and I've decided to keep things light for this year. My son is in 3rd grade and will be doing Barton every day with me, WWE 1 (which is somewhat similar to your story/copywork plan), a handwriting workbook and math. He'll also do some science and history along with his brothers, but will have zero reading or writing in those subjects.

[Mom2OandE]

Could you say more about this line of thinking? I had not heard this before and am curious.

 

This was the first I've heard of this as well. I'd love to know more.

 

We are having him completly re-evaulated over the next few months. Since he was born the dx keep getting piled on. First it had Hypotonia and developmental delays, then we were told PDD-NOS and likely mild CP, then his Anxiety set in with some OCD tendancies, then ADHD was added (although his IQ is in the 99th percentile and I truly think it's boredom related. He is fine when he is stimulated) and now dyslexia. So off to the hospital to be reevaluated for everything. It's been 5 years since his PDD dx so I think we are do to have it looked at.

[Mom2OandE]

We've only just started Barton (and homeschooling :)), so I can't give any btdt advice, but we're in very similar situations, and I've decided to keep things light for this year. My son is in 3rd grade and will be doing Barton every day with me, WWE 1 (which is somewhat similar to your story/copywork plan), a handwriting workbook and math. He'll also do some science and history along with his brothers, but will have zero reading or writing in those subjects.

 

Our ds should be in 3rd as well. We are sort of doing 2nd/3rd this year and we will see where it gets us. He was in ps until now and last year was at a new school due to a move. At the end of first quarter they moved him back simply based on his reading. We fought it and in the end we felt our hand was forced. I felt strongly then that we should pull him out and hs but I was very stressed with the move and was feeling overwhelmed. In the end it was a wasted year. I won't let that happen again.

[Lecka]

http://eideneurolearningblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/dyslexia-and-autism-are-opposites.html

 

This is the thing I have seen, and maybe it is mentioned in The Dyslexic Advantage, also by the Eides?

 

I came away from reading The Dyslexia Advantage feeling a little like -- my son had the very classic problems with sound discrimination, learning to blend, learning to segment, continues to be poor at rhyming though also improving tiny bits over long periods of time..... but I am not sure that he is dyslexic as described in the book The Dyslexic Advantage. I am not sure he is not either..... but I think that a multisensory reading program can be good for a variety of kids whether or not they are dyslexic.

 

I mean -- does dyslexic mean, child needs special materials and help in learning to read and extra practice, preferably with direct instruction and multisensory instruction........ or does it actually mean something more and different from that?

 

Also, I have read that people with autism and dyslexia can both have very visual ways of thinking, and that seems like it is similar to me.

 

I am on another forum with a man who is diagnosed with Aspergers and with dyslexia. He needs total quiet to read. But he doesn't seem like his reading troubles were the same as for my son. He seems like he has word-finding problems my son doesn't have (he describes searching for the word to match the word he has read).... my son is just struggling to sound out a word with the sounds in order.

 

I have some ambivalence with the term dyslexia, still. In reading Overcoming Dyslexia, I give him a big Yes. In reading some other things -- I am really not sure if he has got the full dyslexic profile. But I have definitely tried suggestions from the two books I have read by the Eides, and felt they helped him, so there is that.

 

For the OP -- I would personally stick to reading and math. If he is not reading, at a certain level, he is just going to be copying words without understanding their internal structure or how they fit together (if he happens to be at a point where he does not really get segmenting -- maybe he is a higher level than that though). I would be very content to just have minor handwriting practice, and then possibly do some handwriting with spelling, with the spelling related to the reading. But I would personally have no problem with that being done with letter tiles or with a dry-erase board. I also would personally have no trouble at all with scribing for him almost all the time and doing most things orally. Why not? You are homeschooling -- you have the time to spend with him, that a classroom teacher does not have. If a classroom teacher had time I think many would be doing a lot orally that they do written instead. Building knowledge, background knowledge, and vocabulary by reading aloud or audio books or other methods is a huge priority for me -- it is very closely linked to reading ability down the line.

 

edit -- I just looked back at my link, and there are some comments from the Eides that do talk about it more.... it is interesting.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Lecka

[EKS]

Could you say more about this line of thinking? I had not heard this before and am curious.

 

Here's a link.

[Heathermomster]

I'd love some feedback on what I have planned for ds8 (2nd grade). He has dyslexia and PDD-NOS. On Monday and Wed he will go to a therapist in the morning for dyslexia. Also on Monday I will read him a story and discuss it with him. Some of the stories have questions and drawing activities should I have him do it or just keep it simple and do everything orally? I was going to have him pick his favorite part for copywork and take some vocab words from those stories for Wed.

 

Tuesday/Thursday (and possibly Friday) I will be doing Barton Reading and spelling. I also have English for hte thoughtful child where he will be doing some writing activities on the same days.

 

Is this going to work or am asking too much with 4 "programs"? Should I try and see what happens? I want this to stay gentle and I want him to get out of the public school rutt and into loving to learn.

 

He will also have Math and Mon/Wed: Geo/History, Tuesday: Fine Arts and Thursday:Science. Friday he will be going to Lego Robotics, Science Lab and Computer Programming.

 

So your child will be with a reading therapist for 2 days and you will use Barton for 3 days? Is this reading therapist an O-G certified reading professional? How many hours per day will your child be with the tutor? Consider speaking with the tutor about your use of Barton so that you don't undermine one another's efforts.

 

Scribe for your child, include plenty of handson activities, incorporate audio books, and use science/history videos.

 

What program are you using for math?

[rafiki]

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[Mom2OandE]

So your child will be with a reading therapist for 2 days and you will use Barton for 3 days? Is this reading therapist an O-G certified reading professional? How many hours per day will your child be with the tutor? Consider speaking with the tutor about your use of Barton so that you don't undermine one another's efforts.

 

Scribe for your child, include plenty of handson activities, incorporate audio books, and use science/history videos.

 

What program are you using for math?

 

The therapist he works is O-G certified. She does not do Barton but is framiliar with it and said he is ready for it and the programs she is using currently are in line with it. She also practices his speech with him as he had speech for 7 years and tends to still need additional help in order to prevent him from regressing. We are working very closely together to get DS reading. She really is wonderful. In fact ds has been seeing her for a year (he started LIPS with her and is actually done with that) and she has actually given him a scholarship for this year.

 

He will be doing MUS.

[Mom2OandE]

PDD-NOS is an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Has he been in therapies for the ASD component?

 

My son is also 8, in 2nd, and has PDD-NOS. He does not have Dyslexia. He does have MERLD though.

 

Learning to read and math are just one component for him. Home therapies take up a lot of time and are just as foundational.

 

We do many short sessions throughout the day. OT for body coordination, core strength, dysgraphia, expressive language work, processing work, social skills, emotions, etc. There is a whole other side to tackle.

 

It does sound like he needs an updated evaluation.

 

He has had therapy since he was 9 weeks old. PT, OT, Speech, Feeding therapy, ABA for a very short time due to lacking of funding, behavioral thrapy with a psychiatrist as well as social groups. In the past year he has only had social group and his speech/reading therapy. We are having him reevaluated and I'm actually hoping it will help us get him back in with a OT and behavior/ABA therapy.

[Mom2OandE]

I laid awake last night thinking about all of this and evaluating my goals with my kiddos. Beside the obvious reading delays with ds the main reason we pulled the kids from ps was to help them re-kindle their love of learning. I want them to ask questions and investigate. I want them to spend a lot of time reading and being read too.

 

There are things I think I can cut out. I purchased some Logic and Daily Geography workbooks that I think I may pass on. I also bought a reading notebook that asks lots of questions about what they are reading. i think I'll pass on that too. Basically, I don't want it to be all about workbooks and worksheets.

 

I do think I will have him answer, in writing, one or two questions about a story I read him once a week.

I also think I'll keep the vocab journal and copywork but it will be minimal writing. My goal is he is writing something at least once a day but it will be simple.

 

I need to rethink English for the thoughtful Child. I like it but I'm thinking it may just be too much with doing Barton.

 

Geography is going to be very hands on map type work with a little art type project. History is going to be read alouds. Science hands on fun labs and projects with read alouds. Art will be the same. No worksheet type things for those. I do have us scheduled to finish that all up the first week of April. My thoughts are that maybe at that point we can do a research project of their choosing to get a little more writing in.

 

Lots to think about. Feel free to continue the advice. You all are giving me a lot to think about.

 

DD will be doing more but again I want to insure that we keep our main goals in mind in what she does as well.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Mom2OandE

[Pen]

I laid awake last night thinking about all of this and evaluating my goals with my kiddos. Beside the obvious reading delays with ds the main reason we pulled the kids from ps was to help them re-kindle their love of learning. I want them to ask questions and investigate. I want them to spend a lot of time reading and being read too.

 

There are things I think I can cut out. I purchased some Logic and Daily Geography workbooks that I think I may pass on. I also bought a reading notebook that asks lots of questions about what they are reading. i think I'll pass on that too. Basically, I don't want it to be all about workbooks and worksheets.

That sounds like a good plan at least for ds...you'll need some things dd can work on while you are working with ds though and workbooks could be a help there.

 

I do think I will have him answer, in writing, one or two questions about a story I read him once a week.

I also think I'll keep the vocab journal and copywork but it will be minimal writing. My goal is he is writing something at least once a day but it will be simple.

Is he able to do that? Written answers may be premature.

 

I need to rethink English for the thoughtful Child. I like it but I'm thinking it may just be too much with doing Barton.

 

Geography is going to be very hands on map type work with a little art type project. History is going to be read alouds. Science hands on fun labs and projects with read alouds. Art will be the same. No worksheet type things for those

. That all sounds good. Manageable.

 

I do have us scheduled to finish that all up the first week of April. My thoughts are that maybe at that point we can do a research project of their choosing to get a little more writing in.

The early finish sounds good since if you need it, you'd have some catch up time built in. Research project: Again, this may be premature as to written work for ds. Unless maybe he can do his report as pictures and dd would do writing. Or perhaps he will make leaps and bounds progress and be ready by then. But...very likely over-ambitious for someone with unremediated dyslexia. Some very accelerated learners are doing research projects that young, most 2nd graders are not, so far as I know.

 

Lots to think about. Feel free to continue the advice. You all are giving me a lot to think about.

 

DD will be doing more but again I want to insure that we keep our main goals in mind in what she does as well.

[Pen]

He would be getting reading practice everyday. On Mon/Wed it would be with his therapist and on Tue/Thu/Fri it would be Barton with me. Every day of the week he will read to me and I will read to him.

 

I'm so torn between keeping it really light and adding in as time goes or starting him as planned. My initial instict is to keep it light and just focus on Barton but then I worry that when the time comes to add the others in he'll balk at it. He's not one for a lot of change. Hmmm. Maybe I'll focus on Barton daily and when he is reading much better add in the other things.

 

I would suggest the start light, focus on reading and math and only add other things (esp. anything that require writing) when ready. You could let him know that will be happening so that he will be prepared...make it sound like a great thing if you can: something to look forward to. My experience is that time and energy spent on writing before the reading was in place was a waste...and led to dislike of writing which I now am struggling to overcome.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Pen