The best software you have found with strong decoding instruction

[Guest jklee73]

My dd is 7yo in the 2nd grade. She is reading on a 3rd grade level. So what am I doing here you ask. Her teacher noticed somethings that concerned her and recommended and eval. We are in private school. Her school has a reading therapist who did a CTTOP. The CTOPP indicated weakness in auditory memory and problems with decoding words she does not know. Apparently she has compensated by having a large amount of vocabulary committed to memory. There are 2 completely different trains of thought:

 

1. Do nothing until she fails.

 

2. Remediate with a tutor 3 times a week for 2-3 years.

 

 

I am not comfortable with either. I have purchased Hearbuilders for auditory memory and Look! Listen! Think! workbook for auditory memory. I need a recommendation for phonics decoding that does not cost the same as a tutor for the year(ie like Barton which was recommended by the RT).

 

Please let me know what has worked for you. I would like software because she is visual.

 

Thanks so much!

JK

[Guest jklee73]

???

[Lecka]

I had that same feeling like my son would do better with computer instruction, and I tried Head Sprout for him. I had some recommendations from people who had success with it for their kids. However it turned out my son really needed multisensory for a while, he needed visual/listening/moving things all at once. Really if you are looking at dyslexia then you are going to see a lot for multisensory programs, and then they will not be on computer, as there will not be the "moving things" component in the same way. Another program I think is called Reading Horizons, it has a computer version (if I am thinking of the right name). But truly I have to say ---- sure, maybe she is just visual, but I am believer in the whole thing of "simultaneous multisensory instruction" where kids are taught with visual/auditory/kinesthetic at the same time, and that whole thing. I do think some kids would be fine, and then some kids would be fine to have typing be their kinesthetic input, but knowing what I tried with my son and that he did succeed with letter tiles, I lean that way. But anyway Head Sprout and Reading Horizons are options. Maybe they would work for your daughter. But a lot of kids who are described as visual, and having some weakness for auditory, do really well with multisensory instruction. Imo especially for phonemic awareness. I am not sure if the CTOFF score is measuring phonemic awareness or decoding, but if it is measuring phonemic awareness, you need to make sure the program you pick is good for phonemic awareness.

[Lecka]

I am not sure if anyone has mentioned the word dyslexia, but you might try reading Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz and seeing if you think that is what is going on. It is possible. To be honest I think Barton is better than the computer programs I mentioned, but I can see wanting to look at alternatives. Also I have not gone this route, but apparently many people buy one level of Barton at a time, and re-sell their previous level, so that it is not terribly expensive.

[DyslexicParent]

The CTOPP indicated weakness in auditory memory and problems with decoding words she does not know.

For the CTOPP, DD was well below average in the six subtests except for rapid letter naming (84 percentile). I don't know how much she has improved after finishing the Language Tool Kit At Home. I am currently trying Pearson Education's SuccessMaker, but it is nowhere as good as LTKAH at remediating reading.

 

If you don't find any better software, one option for you is to try the LTKAH Demo CD for $5. Once we are done with SuccessMaker, we may try to review some of the LTKAH lessons, possibly adding more kinesthetic activities such as writing incorrect words in cursive on a notebook and skywriting.

[Julie of KY]

I'm not sure if this would be helpful, but Hearbuilder phonological awareness might help learning to manipulate phonemes in decoding unknown words.

 

[Guest jklee73]

Thanks so much for the input. We are working on some other multi-sensory options as well. I will post updates when we are further down the road in this journey. It is amazing to me that with all we have learned about dyslexia that there is not a "spectrum" or "scale" so that help for these students can be more specific to their learning bents.

 

JK

[Lecka]

I have thought that especially about spelling.

[ElizabethB]

Nonsense words!

 

You can play my game, free!

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/concentrationgam.html

 

Also, "We All Can Read, 3rd grade and above." It is a book, not online.

 

http://weallcanread.com/phonics-program-core-book.html

 

My phonics lessons also have some nonsense words and are free online. They are for 2nd grade and above, so you may need to slow down the pace for the longer ones and watch those in 2 sittings if you use them.

 

 

[DyslexicParent]

Shouldn't it be each phoneme that is pronounced? I noticed in the video that the parent mispronounced a lot of the phonemes, more than the child. Without phonemic awareness, phonics makes little sense.

You can play my game, free!

http://www.thephonic...trationgam.html