OnceAHomeschooler Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 As some of you may know from my previous post we believe that our son (age 8) has Dyslexia. He has had a horrible school experience in his short little life. He hates anything that smells, looks like, resembles, school at this point. Before we jumped into a Barton method or other program and spending thousands of dollars I have to take some of the hate away. He really love computers, learning games, and just being online in general. He loves to watch videos and play games and he would do it all day if we let him. That being said we are considering buying a membership with Time for Learning. Do any of the parents with Dyslexic children have any input on this? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 As some of you may know from my previous post we believe that our son (age 8) has Dyslexia. He has had a horrible school experience in his short little life. He hates anything that smells, looks like, resembles, school at this point. Before we jumped into a Barton method or other program and spending thousands of dollars I have to take some of the hate away. He really love computers, learning games, and just being online in general. He loves to watch videos and play games and he would do it all day if we let him. That being said we are considering buying a membership with Time for Learning. Do any of the parents with Dyslexic children have any input on this? Thanks! I don't know....When DS was your son's age, we used a tutor who performed the reading instruction. I'm generally opposed to giving an unremediated dyslexic more screen time. Screen time very much affected my son's attitude, and I could literally watch his bad attitude unfold...I don't recommend using the onscreen learning games at this age, but that's me. Once overall tv viewing is substantially reduced, educational tv would be ok. There needs to be moderation, and you know what is best for your child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lecka Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 (edited) I just glanced at it and I don't think it would be something my son would do well with. I tried several computer-y things with him, b/c he likes video games too, but it never worked out that way, and I have totally given up on it now. For myself I would think more about letting him have some kind of project that would just be enjoyable, and do some read-alouds. I think, too, you can feel good about letting him have a break before he starts Barton. For my son his speech therapy was very difficult, draining, took a lot out of him, etc. So I think letting him have a break is fine. But I also have a little bit of an idea of my son's learning style now. And, computer programs at this age don't seem to be a way he learns. I think it will change when he is older. At this point -- he learns best from non-fiction books with lots of illustrations (like -- Usborne, DK Eye Wonder -- stuff like that), and other things for content are kind-of a huge waste of time. But if he does well with time4learning that is great, too! Also, I am an afterschooler, so there is that. But I do things (now) like going through all the social studies themes and science themes the teachers sends home (they send things ahead of time at his school) with non-fiction books. I know it helps him a huge, huge amount. It is a recommended thing to try for dyslexia -- there is a long list of recommended things I have seen (in Dyslexia Advantage I think?) and this is the one that helps my son. First, it helps him with the vocabulary. Second, he can get a sense of things from the picture. Third, it tends to be easy for him to get an overview first and then do details afterward. I am also not sure how much he cares for books/reading. My son has had major, long phases of having an attitude of not liking books, saying he doesn't care if he can read since he doesn't like books, etc. So I also have a huge priority of just finding books he likes and reading to him and letting him look at things like -- those big Star Wars photo books in the non-fiction section of the library. It is not directly "school" but if it makes him have a better attitude going into Barton, to have something he is interested in reading, then I think it is a very valuable way to spend time and I am happy to facilitate it. They also have some special Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter books that are "not for check -out" at our library.... if those books make him excited to go to the library, I am all for it. But overall -- I do think there are some ways children with dyslexia learn content, that are different than a traditional way of being taught. What exactly -- I think depends a lot, and I am fine with the basic curriculum outlines for my son. But he cannot be introduced with narrative-based or sequence-of -events..... he will just not retain a single thing. When he is introduced according to his strength, then he can go on to narrative-based and sequence-of-events just fine. So I would be weary of NOT trying to figure out his learning style righ tnow, even if it is with trial and error, b/c I am afriad it could j ust be another bad experience. I am guilty of that -- I had an attitude "but you like computers, why can't you do this?" and my son did pick up on it. It is something I think -- it is worth saying, don't make the mistake I did. But if you do think there is a good chance he would do well with time4learning, it is worth tryiing for sure. Edited October 1, 2012 by Lecka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I have a dyslexic son and I would NOT use Time4Learning, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. :) I recommend working on his reading and math out of books. Have you looked at Dancing Bears? Lessons are short and take about 10-15 minutes a day. I also recommend signing him up for Reading Eggs. When it's time for math, sit next to him and read all the problems to him. You could supplement his math online with SumDog, which is free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 (edited) Ds uses it as a supplement sometimes while I am working with his brother. He only uses the math portion so I can't really comment as to how the LA is for a dyslexic. It is untimed, which is nice for dyslexics. We get it for free through our virtual academy, but I'm not sure I'd pay for it. It is alright, but IMHO way too light for primary instruction. If you are looking for computer instruction, I like Read, Write, Type much better. You could also sell it as learning to type rather than school. For reading, look into Reading Assistant. It is still reading, but it is done on the computer with special headphones and a microphone, and ds likes it because it makes him feel like a super secret agent while he does school. Edited October 4, 2012 by FairProspects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lecka Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I have not used them -- but Read, Write, and Type and Reading Assistant are both often recommended specifically for children with dyslexia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 i dont think my son is dyslexic, but he was very late to speak, to read, and to write. he is also extremely stubborn. he LOVED T4L in 1st and 2nd grades, and it gave me time to get his older brother situated (those were our first 2 years of homeschooling). its covers the basics so i felt less worried. but then he wanted to work more with me, so we changed over. since its a monthly thing, i dont see the risk. easy to quit any time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 (edited) As some of you may know from my previous post we believe that our son (age 8) has Dyslexia. He has had a horrible school experience in his short little life. He hates anything that smells, looks like, resembles, school at this point. Before we jumped into a Barton method or other program and spending thousands of dollars I have to take some of the hate away. He really love computers, learning games, and just being online in general. He loves to watch videos and play games and he would do it all day if we let him. That being said we are considering buying a membership with Time for Learning. Do any of the parents with Dyslexic children have any input on this? Thanks! First of all :grouphug: to your boy. It is sad to hear about kids that have been turned off learning. Second, I don't know much about Dyslexia or Time4Learning but will speak to you as a parent of two different learners. Do what YOU feel is best for your child and what will turn him back onto learning :). My boys are both visual/ tactile learners and very likely have Asperger's. I was made to feel guilty at times because I have used educational TV, DVD's and the computer extensively with my boys. In our case, I needed to create visual background knowledge for my boys to connect to the world around them. You Tube is my close friend :lol:. My oldest son was doing puzzles and playing phonics and math computer games since the age of 3 via Scholastic and other educational software. My youngest started just a few months older than that. I did try to do the primarily auditory thing in our home and it bombed, even though my son is an early reader and started reading at 3 1/2 - 4 years old. This year, I switched my son to Calvert, which is primarily print based but has a computer based component also. We have not received our materials yet because we get funding here in Canada and I had to wait till Oct. 1st to order but aside from our other materials, he is using the computer based component and is doing spelling, math games, and computer skills. He wakes up in the morning and before asking for breakfast he sits at the computer to start his work :D. I have not seen him this passionate in a couple of years now! Like SWB recommends, I am trying to adapt the classical model to my kids and their own needs and what works for them. We are using WWE and FLL and I will be adding SOTW back into our studies in grade 5. I am trying to be more realistic about my children's needs and use what we can use from the classical approach :). All this to say... do what you have to do to bring the love of learning back for your little boy. If Time4Learning does that at the moment, then it is definitely worth considering. You can add the print materials later, after you have brought back the spark. Look at websites like Starfall.com. It is not just for teaching the alphabet. There are tons for early readers on there. This one is great for math: http://jmathpage.com/ And :grouphug: to mom. It must be really difficult for you to see your boy going through this! All the best :)! Edited October 4, 2012 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 This is a Temple Grandin video from one of her lectures. It has to do with autism primarily but she does have a part that speaks about people with dyslexia and how they sometimes see print, along with some tips that have worked for some. It is a bit long (over an hour) but if you have the time, it might be worth watching :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnceAHomeschooler Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 Thanks everyone! It's really my insecurity. I just feel like he has to be doing "school" and frankly he is just not ready for it yet. His little heart is so damaged from school that he cannot bare the thought of trying. I explained to him yesterday , while trying to give him a small lesson, that I understand it's hard for him but it's just mommy and him and we can take our time and work together. He screamed, he yelled, he cried. He wanted nothing to do with it. As soon as I walked away and went outside to do some yard work, he came with me. The tears stopped, conversation started, and we talked about our chestnuts, and why they fall from the trees, and how they help new tress grow or we can eat the chestnuts when we removed them from the prickly exterior. We did "school" and he had no idea. It's because I did not say "sit so we can spell these words" or "sit so we can learn about phonics" or "sit and read a book". Yesterday I made my own magnetic letters to put on the fridge. This morning I found a couple of dollars stuck to the fridge and next too it he spelled mone (money) and he did it last night while we were all asleep and he was up. I showed him what letter he was missing and he said "I knew I was missing something but I could not remember what." and I told him that is awesome that you tried, on your own! I want to just lay off and let him be. Let him come to me to learn to read and spell... but I am terrified he never will. Thank you for the help and just listening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calledtobehome Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 (edited) As some of you may know from my previous post we believe that our son (age 8) has Dyslexia. He has had a horrible school experience in his short little life. He hates anything that smells, looks like, resembles, school at this point. Before we jumped into a Barton method or other program and spending thousands of dollars I have to take some of the hate away. He really love computers, learning games, and just being online in general. He loves to watch videos and play games and he would do it all day if we let him. That being said we are considering buying a membership with Time for Learning. Do any of the parents with Dyslexic children have any input on this? Thanks! Big :grouphug: to you and your son. I would take a short break from anything that resembles school! Go on fun field-trips, play educational board games, go to the library and pick out good quality books for you to read to him, stick some narration in there, get a few audiobooks, educational DVD's etc. Than I would ease back into school work. If you decide to do Barton, you could start with 15 min a day than take a break. Does he like science? If so you could do science experiments, nature walks, games, etc. Does T4L have a trial period? If so it won't hurt to try it. If he likes it, you can consider that as fun school and use it as a supplement. It will not replace the systematic instructions he's going to need for the 3r's, but hopefully it will help erase the negative experience he's had at school. Edited October 5, 2012 by calledtobehome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnceAHomeschooler Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 Thanks for the hugs. He is not into "science" like most boys would be, he loves animals! Big time! So we try to go out to our pond every day to see if anyone is out there, we go to fairs to see the live stock, things like that. Even reading to him, he hates, too him its like a sneaky way for me to teach... lol... so we do read but not daily. We are also doing SOTW and he likes that. He can normally sit for a chapter, do the map work, and color a picture about what we read about. He does go to a science and geography coop once a week as well. I have been writing words on an eraser board and using a method I found on you tube, say you write the word rain.. you write the R and N in black and the vowels in red. I then draw a picture of a cloud with the words running through it and add some rain drops in blue. This way he is associating a picture and colors with the words he is learning. I just read them out loud to him every other day and change the words. I am also starting to teach him two digit addition and use the same color patterns to show him how to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lecka Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 That sounds really good :) I have a lot of sympathy on the listening. I think for my son, it actually got easier to listen once he was hearing the sounds better. Though I am not sure -- it could have been chance. He was a reluctant listener also, for a long time (it is better now), and it is hard to keep up a positive attitude on my end and find ways to make it more enjoyable. It sounds like you are doing well with him :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calledtobehome Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Sounds like you are doing a great job! I would like to see the YouTube video. Do you happen to have the link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnceAHomeschooler Posted October 6, 2012 Author Share Posted October 6, 2012 There ya go :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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