mamawaabangi Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 :crying: I just don't know what to do. My daughter is 7.5 and we are on our 3rd phonics curriculum. Relatively it is going "better". We are using AAS and all but 10 lessons to the end. She is a smart girl who picks up everything... except reading. It is just painful for both of us! She still has to sound out every single letter of every single word! The repeat the word after every word!!! PLUS I am not new to phonic instruction... I used to teach kindergarten for several years and have seen kids like her... but typically it "clicks" after some time... for her it isn't. It seems like she can't memorize any of the words! I just don't know what to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Alpha-Phonics worked beautifully for us, and the child is reading very simple sentences very quickly, giving him a feeling of accomplishment. Have you tried that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorisuewho Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 What else have you tried? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Take a break until the new year. Offer math, especially logic puzzles like Coloroku (sudoku with marbles), tangrams, and pattern blocks. Work on music or art. Strip the phonics bookcase leaving the simplest CVC books on there. When you start back up, start with those. Let her feel confident and successful and slowly move forward. As soon as you hit a block, stop, back up, and go back to where she's comfortable again. She'll get it. One day she may just explode, or you'll get a better idea where the problem is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquacious Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I own and have read through: ETC, MCP Phonics A-C, Spalding, SWR, Alpha-Phonics, Phonics Pathways, OPGTR, 100 Easy Lessons / Funnix, and various others that I'm forgetting right now. I'm not just a curriculum junkie, I studied reading instruction for my (incomplete) master's degree, and was just SO fascinated in all the homeschooling methods which were far superior to what I'd seen in schools. Plus, I wanted to work on creating free materials for others to use, so I needed to see what was out there. (I've also read through any free/vintage materials I could get my hands on through Google and Don Potter.) What is hands-down my favorite, and what we're still using today (we took a break because my son had reached a good level to read 1-3rd grade books) is the I See Sam series. You can download the first 52 for free, after that I'd recommend 3rsplus.com, mainly because they're a little cheaper than http://www.iseesam.com They build confidence because of the way the words are sequenced, and only a few new words are introduced at a time. While some systems will say "Child X can read bed and ted so we'll assume he or she can read fed," this series truly will only introduce a few new words with each book. I didn't get them at first, I thought they were sight-words based, but now I truly love them. So that's one thing to work on - get the free ones to print or onto a tablet/pc. Build confidence. Another thing we love around here is Reading Bear. It's fun, and you can set it up in different ways to suit your needs/philosophy. For instance, if you're worried that the sentences after each word will lead to sight reading, turn them off. Simple as that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verity Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I have an almost 7 year old and we went through most of the phonics programs you listed and nothing was sticking. I took a break over the summer (still did read alouds but didn't make him read anything because they would cause alot of frustration for him). This fall we started with IEW's Primary Arts of Reading (and Primary Arts of Writing but that's not required) and it's working! It's a *blended* sight-sound method that uses simple games that the child can quickly master on their own. My son kept saying that he couldn't read and one day realized that he was reading - using the words learned during the games. Like you we have tried Funnix and other computer reading games but the file folder games are working much better. Maybe because there is a kinesthetic learning experience when you can actually move a piece to each box...? I don't know, but this method is the most success I've had with him. Good luck! I know how frustrating this can be, but she is still young but world standards. In the public school I know that they would be panicking about a child not reading at 7.5 but in the big picture they are still just little kids. Hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy5 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I have an almost 7 year old and we went through most of the phonics programs you listed and nothing was sticking. I took a break over the summer (still did read alouds but didn't make him read anything because they would cause alot of frustration for him). This fall we started with IEW's Primary Arts of Reading (and Primary Arts of Writing but that's not required) and it's working! It's a *blended* sight-sound method that uses simple games that the child can quickly master on their own. My son kept saying that he couldn't read and one day realized that he was reading - using the words learned during the games. Like you we have tried Funnix and other computer reading games but the file folder games are working much better. Maybe because there is a kinesthetic learning experience when you can actually move a piece to each box...? I don't know, but this method is the most success I've had with him. Good luck! I know how frustrating this can be, but she is still young but world standards. In the public school I know that they would be panicking about a child not reading at 7.5 but in the big picture they are still just little kids. Hang in there! :iagree: We started this program a few months after my son turned 7. We had tried 3 different programs and couldn't get anything to stick. He knew letter sounds and some blending but he couldn't remember any sight words or how to blend quickly enough to make sense of the words. It was frustrating. This program clicked with him. I like that it doesn't waste anytime and teaches the "helper" sounds early on in the program. They learn about the squeely e's "ee" helper pretty early and the magic-e (silent e at the end of the word) to help decode more and more words. We only have a few chapters left and I'm very pleased with how well he is blending words and how quickly he is getting even complex words. It has been a huge relief to me! This same program is working well for my daughter who is 5. She is reading, too, although not quite as quickly as my 7 year old who was apparently very ready but just couldn't quite get it. HTHs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaNadine Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Where do you download the first 52 books free on the I See Sam website? I couldn't find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 :crying:I just don't know what to do. My daughter is 7.5 and we are on our 3rd phonics curriculum. Relatively it is going "better". We are using AAS and all but 10 lessons to the end. She is a smart girl who picks up everything... except reading. It is just painful for both of us! She still has to sound out every single letter of every single word! The repeat the word after every word!!! PLUS I am not new to phonic instruction... I used to teach kindergarten for several years and have seen kids like her... but typically it "clicks" after some time... for her it isn't. It seems like she can't memorize any of the words! I just don't know what to do! :grouphug: I totally feel your pain. I taught 1st grade in a PS, and I always felt that reading instruction was my strong point. My DD is 6.5 and that is the area that we have been struggling the most! We're still in that painfully slow stage of sounding out words letter by letter (we're only on CVC words.) We've also tried a few different programs (and many more that I ordered, didn't like the look of, and returned). We're currently using R&S Phonics 1, with moderate success. There is a lot of pencil work, but I have a few tricks that make it quite minimal (we make good use of highlighters, instead of the constant circling.) We've also been using (and enjoying) Reading Eggs. We signed up for the free 2-wk trial and then I found codes to bump it to 2 months. I don't know if it's benefiting her reading at all, but she enjoys it and I'm calling it reading practice. :p Best wishes -- It really is so frustrating to have a bright child that just doesn't seem to *get it*! It can be disheartening to read here about the tons (so it seems) of 2, 3, 4 year olds that are reading chapter books and the like, when my own (older) kiddo can barely get through "Hop on Pop." Just remember that it is quite likely developmental and one day -- if you keep plugging along -- it'll click (that's what I tell myself, anyway). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Where do you download the first 52 books free on the I See Sam website? I couldn't find it. Not at ISeeSam.com, but here. Take a deep breath and use cheap paper the first time you print it. I had to fuss with it to get it how it was supposed to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamawaabangi Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 We used in this order: Ordinary Parent's Guide Phonic Pathways Phonic Museum and now All About Reading/Spelling It has been the most successful for us... as was Phonic Pathways. She remembers letter sounds like no body's business... just not the whole word or sight words. I'll look into the above. Thanks. I just feel like we are both trudging through mud every single day, every single word! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama27 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I would stop all phonics for awhile and just read TO her. My current 8 yo ds was like this and I tried several approaches and none really clicked until a few months ago. Now, his reading is taking off. FTR, he'll be 9 in less than 2 weeks. Some kids just need more time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islanbonita1015 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Just started using PAL program as well from IEW and it appears to be working well with my DS 5. Granted we didn't try many other programs prior but this one seems to stick better with him and he easily remembers the letters and sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Have you had her eyes checked? I understand the pain of sound-every-wory as my son is there. Fortunately, he just turned 5 so he is still relatively young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Have you considered dyslexia and vision evaluations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaNadine Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Not at ISeeSam.com, but here. Take a deep breath and use cheap paper the first time you print it. I had to fuss with it to get it how it was supposed to be. Thank you! My son actually loves to play on the computer, so I might just let him! He'll think it's a special treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 :crying:I just don't know what to do. My daughter is 7.5 and we are on our 3rd phonics curriculum. Relatively it is going "better". We are using AAS and all but 10 lessons to the end. She is a smart girl who picks up everything... except reading. It is just painful for both of us! She still has to sound out every single letter of every single word! The repeat the word after every word!!! PLUS I am not new to phonic instruction... I used to teach kindergarten for several years and have seen kids like her... but typically it "clicks" after some time... for her it isn't. It seems like she can't memorize any of the words! I just don't know what to do! I've not actually seen AAS but from what I can tellit is a pretty good orton-gillingham based spelling program. For many kids it really helps them learn how to read and spell. For others, they need more work at the blending/fluency level which I think AAR does a better job at developing. It uses the same scope and sequence. Can you stop working through AAS temporarily and teach her how to "blend through the vowel". I use flashcards (index cards) with ba written on the card. The student must use their finger and track under the b saying /b/ and then under the a saying /a -- short sound/. If it is blended properly the student will say /ba/ (as in bat without the /t/. Go to the next card which will have bi then bo, bu, ca, co, cu, da, de, etc. Do not move on until she is blending through automatically. Once she can do it in isolation add a consonant to the end of the word (usually starting with t or d) and see what real and nonsense words you can create. After that it is a matter of developing fluency and making sure that blending through happens each and every time she reads a closed syllable (cvc) word Once she gets meaning from the word and is fluent then make sure that she can spell the words (per AAS). With a student with reading struggles you can't move on until they are ready to move on. Even though she's doing well with the rules and knows the sounds her brain isn't applying the rules each and every time (automaticity). Wait until she masters what she knows now, and then move on. I hope that helps some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaNadine Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I have strongly been considering buying this set of phonemic awareness games because my son is a very kinesthetic learner. Would something like this be helpful? Also, you can go to her website http://www.maketaketeach.com and buy the games already assembled and with all the pieces you would have to buy separately. I'm not sure where you are on the money v. time spectrum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Be really glad and thank whatever deities you beleive in that you are able to homeschool. :) You would both be completely miserable if she was in public school as it is obviously not that you are not doing a good job. I haven't had this experience but maybe get her checked out while taking a break. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 :crying:I just don't know what to do. My daughter is 7.5 and we are on our 3rd phonics curriculum. Relatively it is going "better". We are using AAS and all but 10 lessons to the end. She is a smart girl who picks up everything... except reading. It is just painful for both of us! She still has to sound out every single letter of every single word! The repeat the word after every word!!! PLUS I am not new to phonic instruction... I used to teach kindergarten for several years and have seen kids like her... but typically it "clicks" after some time... for her it isn't. It seems like she can't memorize any of the words! I just don't know what to do! Be patient a little longer...I am not one who is quick to "diagnose" but she may be a late "clicker." Some kids do not click until age 8 and even 9. A teacher-come-homeschooler friend of mine had a daughter like that and she could not imagine why she couldn't read but eventually she did. She was a late clicker. :001_smile: Excuse my lack of intelligent wording. I think giving yourself a break from phonics instruction for a month or so is a good idea. Sometimes we as the parent need to step back and appreciate the whole child and not focus on this one thing that is going not-so-great. Then (like the pp said) pick it back up after Christmas with a new focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy M Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Can you stop working through AAS temporarily and teach her how to "blend through the vowel". I use flashcards (index cards) with ba written on the card. The student must use their finger and track under the b saying /b/ and then under the a saying /a -- short sound/. If it is blended properly the student will say /ba/ (as in bat without the /t/. Go to the next card which will have bi then bo, bu, ca, co, cu, da, de, etc. Do not move on until she is blending through automatically. Once she can do it in isolation add a consonant to the end of the word (usually starting with t or d) and see what real and nonsense words you can create. After that it is a matter of developing fluency and making sure that blending through happens each and every time she reads a closed syllable (cvc) word Once she gets meaning from the word and is fluent then make sure that she can spell the words (per AAS). ABeka's phonics program is like this description above--lots of drill with "nonsense" blends and blend cards. You're probably not looking for yet another program though, and maybe more drill isn't the correct solution for now. :grouphug: I'm sorry! I can imagine your concern, but just keep trying! I'm sure you're doing a great job, and she will get it eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 She remembers letter sounds like no body's business... just not the whole word or sight words. ! Here is how to teach all but 5 of the 220 Dolch sight words phonetically: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/sightwords.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 What level AAS? Did you start from the very beginning? My ds7 is dyslexic and memorized whole words but has great difficulty spelling phonetically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Well, I wasn't a ps teacher, so have no experience with that, however I have taught 4 kids to read, and am on my 5th. My 5th, almost 7 years old, is by far my slowest reader and I have also struggled with what to use. She's known her phonograms since she was 4. :glare: That said, my now 13 yo was almost as bad. Despite the slow and tearful start, he is now my strongest reader, and I can't keep the kid in books. This is the kid who cried every day when he was 9 when it came time for reading lessons. He's read all of the Lord of the Rings, Gulliver's Travels, Sherlock Holmes--that's just a few. So take heart, all is not lost. I agree with the idea that she just might be a late clicker. ;) Right now I'm using THE OLD Modern Curriculum Press books, the ones with the plaid covers. *Now* she's getting it. We also use McGuffy Readers, which I've always found excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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