Liz CA Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Friends of ours have taken in a young woman who had a hard life. She wants to get her GED but is barely at a 3rd grade reading level. Can someone recommend some material that is not too babyish? Also would appreciate rec's for math & science at about the same level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Might sound silly, but what about LOF apples for all 3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Maybe some ESL materials would work? some areas offer free GED classes too, maybe speaking with one of the teachers could help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 As always...Spalding. You zoom through the teaching of the phonograms, and you either start at the beginning of the spelling list just to get used to the markings and the earliest rules (i.e., Rule 4) or find the place in the spelling list where the learner stumbles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Oh, and is there anything she is really into? Like, if she really likes art they could do something like the phonics road to reading and spelling. Giving her a few sentences and have her read an illustrate what she has read. If she likes music, maybe there are some easy readers about music. I am just thinking she might not object to the younger material if it was something she was interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I'm assuming the "reading" portion of the GED is reading comp. Maybe a grade 2 spectrum workbook and go up as she progresses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 Maybe some ESL materials would work? some areas offer free GED classes too, maybe speaking with one of the teachers could help? My friend told me yesterday she went to take a GED "placement" exam and placed so low they do not have material for her. :confused1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 Might sound silly, but what about LOF apples for all 3? Tell me please what LOF stands for? My homeschooling days are far back now...ds is 21. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 My friend told me yesterday she went to take a GED "placement" exam and placed so low they do not have material for her. :confused1: :( maybe put in a call to the local administration for the PS and see if they can offer any suggestions. This can't be the first time a situation like this has come up. Maybe a GED tutor is another option or something like sylvian learning centers. Surly someone will have the heart to help someone trying to improve her life situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 If she's stuck at a 3rd grade level then she needs a review in phonics in addition to practice reading. I strongly recommend Reading Reflex for that type of remediation. There's no fluff and nothing at all babyish since it's intended for remediation. The reading material is harder due to her age. I would think that something along the lines of the old Sweet Valley High series would be what you are looking for, but maybe you would need to start with something at a slightly lower reading level. I know many high-minded classical folk look down on the chain series, but they are really the best way to help a struggling reader achieve fluency and comprehension. Most of them are written at a pretty low reading level, and you have the same characters from book to book which aids in comprehension. Would it be possible to take her down to the library to look around? Maybe you could let her choose a series that she doesn't think is too far beneath her: Magic Treehouse, Rainbow Fairies, Junie B.Jones. A kind, tactful librarian could be helpful in guiding you. Maybe you could do a previsit to discuss the situation with a children's librarian, then return later in the evening with the young lady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 No recommendations since I am not familiar with GED. However the GED exam is going to be new starting from Jan 2nd, 2014. "The test will be computer based, not paper based. The entire GED® test will include four, not five, modules: Reasoning through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies. ... All tests and item types will be computer scored, including constructed response items, resulting in rapid score reporting." Source It would be difficult for her to take the GED. I would recommend attending the free ESL classes instead while slowly catching up on math and science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrystalM Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I would contact your local library to see if they have any books that they recommend for teaching an adult how to read. Once you get her to a decent reading level, you can use just about any math curriculum to teach basic math skills and work your way up. The library should have some basic math books as well until you get into higher levels such as Algebra and such. Even then, they may have some older textbooks donated by the local school district. Science and history should be the last skills focused on because they aren't "needed" unless she plans to continue on into college. If so, basic Biology would be sufficient to start college. The main things to focus on would be reading, writing, and math. If she wants to get her GED and continue on through college, they will have her take the needed courses in a GED course that will be needed to move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 It might help to know why she is reading at grade 3 level--as with children with reading problems, there could be vision issue, dyslexia, or some other reason besides a hard life that is adding to difficulty and that would make a difference in solving it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Maybe she needs to go through Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons with somebody. I have Right Track Reading for sale...but I would think she should get the other one (the red book for adults). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I'm on my cell phone, so making this quick. I tutor learning disabled, mentally ill, ESL and homeless adults. It's important to identify WHY she is functioning at such a low level. For some students it's merely neglect and they can make fast progress. Others need remediation tailored to their specific disability/illness. I'm not saying she must get formally tested as sometimes accurate results are difficult to obtain for students from certain marginalized backgrounds. But the first "lessons" I teach are geared towards having the opportunity to observe the student. Many students start out planning for the test that stands at the gateway to a "normal" life. Some of these students will never be ready for that test but will benefit from remediation with smaller and just plain different goals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 It might help to know why she is reading at grade 3 level--as with children with reading problems, there could be vision issue, dyslexia, or some other reason besides a hard life that is adding to difficulty and that would make a difference in solving it. This is true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrayshire Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 If she does decide to get a tutor she still could use Khan Academy to build those math skills along with XtraMath for math facts. I second Life of Fred (LOF)., too for some added math fun! There is soooo much more to it than just math. My kids love The Happy Scientist......maybe get your hands on some science magazines....we like DiscoverKids for Science and History. For reading......first thing that comes to my mind is the Spiderwick Chronicles (my dd read all these in 3rd grade), Little House on the Prairie, young classics, American Girl Series, and I have no advice for teaching reading.....we use Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading but that probably wouldn't be what you need. Someone mentioned Sylvan.....that sounds like a plan to me if money is not an issue. Hope this helps a little......Oh, maybe something like Megawords could help with reading & spelling.....there is also fluency tests in there and wouldn't seem too elementaryish I don't think..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I agree that we need to know why she's reading at a 3rd grade reading level. If she has a learning disability (like Dyslexia) than Barton is supposed to be excellent and it's not babyish at all. Now, let me tell you about my husband. At 35 (or so), we finally had his learning disabilities diagnosed so that we could begin the very long process of achieving a GED for him, as he had dropped out of school in 8th grade. Sure enough, he is dyslexic and probably dyscalculic as well. I contacted our state's department of Ed and other adult education programs and eventually, we were connected with a GED tutoring program where he received GED tutoring for free. After about a year of that, his tutor learned of a different program and connected us with it. It is called the National External Diploma Program. Through this program, my husband was able to achieve a high school diploma...not a GED...an actual high school diploma. It is a hard program, rigorous, but not academically so. They expect you to complete a series of tasks which demonstrate proficiency in specific learning areas. You can complete these tasks with as much external help as necessary. After you complete the tasks, you sit with an assessor who asks you questions to make sure that you actually understood the tasks. He had to take a placement test and demonstrate basic proficiency in mathematics and reading. He passed those tests only because of the tutoring he had already had. But once he was done with those tests, there were no more tests...just the tasks. It was quite literally a godsend. And because he has an actual high school diploma, instead of a GED, he avoids any "stigma" attached to the whole GED option. You can find more information here: http://www2.casas.or...on=nedp.welcome Unfortunately, it's not available in every state. But through that link, you can find which states it's available in. Also, they had linked this website: https://www.literacy...=setup&mode=adv which will allow you to search for adult ed programs that are local to you. HTH!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetted4 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I inherited a set of Hooked on Phonics SRA (Science Research Associates) "Your Reading Power" and have used them successfully w both of my sons. I also loaned them to an acquaintance who had an older child (teens) who was struggling to read at even a 2nd grade level and she made great progress by working through them. The set contains 100 booklets - 1 story per booklet. The 1st story starts out at about a 2nd grade reading level and from one booklet to the next the challenge leve gradually builds, ending at a high school reading level by the last one. In the booklets, after each story, there are a series of reading comprehension questions, a vocabulary section, and other sections that teach parts of speech, word roots, et al. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Seems like you have lots of good suggestions. EPS publishing (wordly wise people) they have materials that are low level but high interest for older kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariston Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Most areas have literacy groups that offer free tutors and resources. You can search for one here: http://www.prolitera.../find-a-program Our library also has a special section with resources for literacy tutors....you might check there. Our literacy program will include GED or math instruction or anything else that is in the students goals. I'm sure most are the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bella2005 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 oops.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abeilles Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 You've received great replies. What about the Logic of English to get her reading/phonics up? Her website talks about using this for ESL students and struggling readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 I'm on my cell phone, so making this quick. I tutor learning disabled, mentally ill, ESL and homeless adults. It's important to identify WHY she is functioning at such a low level. For some students it's merely neglect and they can make fast progress. Others need remediation tailored to their specific disability/illness. I'm not saying she must get formally tested as sometimes accurate results are difficult to obtain for students from certain marginalized backgrounds. But the first "lessons" I teach are geared towards having the opportunity to observe the student. Many students start out planning for the test that stands at the gateway to a "normal" life. Some of these students will never be ready for that test but will benefit from remediation with smaller and just plain different goals. My friend thinks it is primarily neglect. She went from foster home to foster home,,,and quite horrible se^&al abuse. When she was at a home where they did send her to school she was made fun of for not being at class level and just quit going. This is what we have been told and it seems to fit the rest of her story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flopsymopsy Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 My daughter is going through Wilson Reading. It was a program written for adults but is now used for a wide range of ages. I would not consider it babyish at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 My library (which I think works with a local adult literacy organization) has a section in the non-fiction area of high interest/low reading level material that is not at all babyish, that is appropriate for new adult readers. Does yours have anything like that? I also once found a series of books for teaching reading and writing to adults on ERIC, called Pathways. The theme is southwest Native American, as that is the intended audience, but they certainly would work for anyone. My old thread http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/364251-basic-readingwriting-books-3-5th-grade-level/ Level I is equivalent to 3rd grade, Level II to 4th grade, and Level III to 5th grade. There is a teacher's guide for each level as well. The first book is at http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=ED288675 Click on the author's name to be linked to the rest of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 My friend thinks it is primarily neglect. She went from foster home to foster home,,,and quite horrible se^&al abuse. When she was at a home where they did send her to school she was made fun of for not being at class level and just quit going. This is what we have been told and it seems to fit the rest of her story. I've seen situations like this. These students sometimes progress very rapidly, once they get started. They progress so much faster than students with LDs. But if they have not recovered from a trauma, they might be suffering from trauma related symptoms that can present almost exactly like LDs. Depending on her background she might require some time devoted to her recovery before she can make any real progress with academics. Between my seizures and my trauma related symptoms, my brain is impaired, sometimes more than other times. I'm learning to work with my disability and to pace myself. My frustration level is very low. I have to back off instead of pushing through, to be at my most efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyinthegarden Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 The local GED programs usually have free classes or tutoring. IMO, I suggest taking her to the local health department for therapy first. I grew in a similar situation with a lot of abuse, at 18 I was tired. She is of age so she will qualify for inexpensive therapy if the local health department provides those services. If not I would look into what services are available in the community for her. It would be easier to get her up to speed if she is also healing on the inside. I have a book called Phonics and Word Study for Struggling Readers in the beginning of each lesson there is a diagnostic pre-test, so you can figure out what phonics they don't know to remediate it. My other suggestion would be The Logic of English Essentials. For science you could use Exploring Creation with General Science (it's Christian, if that matters), they have an audio cd that can be purchased to use with the book. For content I would use audiobooks, until she is reading on her own. Math would easier using videos. I recommend looking at Mastering Essential Math Skills Book One (grades 4/5), and Essential Math Skills Book Two (middle school/high school), after these two she could move on to the pre-algebra book. I've never used these math books, but they look like they could be used to remediate someone quickly. You can get them with or without a DVD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I have never used it, but I hear good things about using Phonics Pathways with older learners. Khan Academy will let her practice math and move forward at her own pace. Alternatively, if you could find the old classic curriculum MUS, she could move through that pretty quickly and Steve Demme is wonderful. America's Story by Steck Vaughn is written at a 3rd-4th grade level for struggling readers. She may be able to read this now with a little help in pronouncing some people and place names. So, if she wants to jump into some content, while she is learning basic English and math, this may work. (For content, if she likes corny, she may be able to watch The Teaching Company's High School World History and High School American History.) Steck Vaughn also has World Geography and You, History of Our World, and Land of Liberty that I think are all at about a 5th grade reading level. Because they are intended for an older audience, America's Story and these other texts are not baby looking. They are also full color glossy. Walch's Power Basics I think are at about a 4th to 5th grade reading level, but they meet national standards for high school content. This is a whole series covering all topics. If you can get her reading level up a little bit these would work nicely. Here is a good description. It isn't listed at this site, but there is a Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension. These books are mostly black and white with very little distraction. Many of the Power Basic titles can be purchased through Rainbow Resource. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 My friend thinks it is primarily neglect. She went from foster home to foster home,,,and quite horrible se^&al abuse. When she was at a home where they did send her to school she was made fun of for not being at class level and just quit going. This is what we have been told and it seems to fit the rest of her story. I've heard that story again and again. Kids can get pretty adept at pretending to read. If the girl went from school to school, her problem could easily be missed or any help she got could be cut off when she moved. I would strongly suggest a remedial program for adults, so the girl can see that many other adults are in the situation, and that they can be helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraftyHomeschool Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Reading Horizons makes a phonics, reading, spelling (combined) program specifically for teens/adults who struggle. It is online and self paced so she could work at the speed she feels comfortable. It is a little spendy but well worth it. Here is the link; http://athome.readinghorizons.com/new-store/products.aspx?seg=RH&cat=Online#ct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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