Ellie, Some Spalding and other questions

[wehave8]

I did Spalding using WRTR with my older dc in the 80's and 90's. I made a mess of their notebooks. I was young and did not understand phonics, but knew I wanted my children to. I now know I didn't understand as much as I wish I would have. When we had three more dss 16 years after our fifth dc, I knew I wanted to teach Spalding, but started to look into the "spin-offs" that were popping up all over the place that I'd never heard of before. I thought they might be easier to understand and implement. I tried Phonics Road (didn't like trying to remember everything after watching a video, and I didn't like the "rule tunes"). I tried Spell to Write and Read two times (I didn't like going back and forth in two books, and I didn't like the enrichments that I never got to because it made me feel like I was always behind, and if I did do them, it did bog us down in the lists). Both of these programs seem to complicate what should be simple (IMOA). (I know they work fine for some!)

 

So I've been trying to analyze why my 9 yo ds is still having a lot of trouble reading and spelling. I'm sure the jumping around has a lot to do with it, but I know he does have other problems, as does a grandson and granddaughter. I see similar problems in my ds's piano lessons. He looks at a piece and memorizes it so he doesn't have to read the music as he plays. He talks slowly in getting thoughts out, and he guesses (quite well sometimes) as he reads and usually gets it, but doesn't know the same words if they were written in a list.

 

My dil that sees a LOT of problems in her 9 yo ds has told me she was looking into Susan Barton's method. I looked at it today, but I did not like the use of 'tiles' and when she says /r/ she actually says /er/. I did listen to her 10 steps to getting started in her method, but was very confused when I had my ds take her Student Screening. He failed it, which meant (in her terms) he was not ready for ANY Orton-Gillingham-based system. Susan said he has Auditory Discrimination or Auditory Memory problems and needs to be tutored one-on-one through the LiPS program and I cannot do it myself.

 

So my question is... What would you need to do to be READY for Spalding????? I thought Spalding was to teach the "unteachable," and, in my grandson's case, dyslexic and dysgraphic.

 

I am reading through my 3rd edition of WRTR again and have the 4th edition on order. I think I will start at the beginning and put the "look alikes" away!!! Do you thing Spalding can help if we stick to it and work at it diligently???

 

Pam

[Ellie]

:grouphug:

 

I just thought you needed hugs. :-)

 

FTR, there is no way to do Spalding other than by using WRTR. :-)

 

I cannot tell if Spalding will work with your dc's issues or not, but I can say that you're more likely to have success if you put away the look-alikes and follow the manual as closely as you can, which you already seem to have figured out (ITA that PR and SWR seem to have over-complicated things. o_0). I'm thinking you should probably be very methodical and not be in a hurry to move on. It would seem to me that Spalding's method of having children actually write would be better for many children than tiles.

 

It is possible that your dc does have other issues which should be addressed. If there's any possible way you could see Dr. Paul Cates, that would be my best recommendation. Although he lives in Tennessee, he does do some traveling. I trust him implicitly.

[wehave8]

:grouphug:

 

I just thought you needed hugs. :-)

 

Thank you! That means a lot to me at this point. :)

 

FTR, there is no way to do Spalding other than by using WRTR. :-)

 

I knew I'd mess up my wording somewhere...I'm swallowing my pride :blushing:

 

I cannot tell if Spalding will work with your dc's issues or not, but I can say that you're more likely to have success if you put away the look-alikes and follow the manual as closely as you can, which you already seem to have figured out (ITA that PR and SWR seem to have over-complicated things. o_0). I'm thinking you should probably be very methodical and not be in a hurry to move on. It would seem to me that Spalding's method of having children actually write would be better for many children than tiles.

 

This (in bold letters) is exactly what I need to do. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

 

It is possible that your dc does have other issues which should be addressed. If there's any possible way you could see Dr. Paul Cates, that would be my best recommendation. Although he lives in Tennessee, he does do some traveling. I trust him implicitly.

 

Not likely to happen, but looks like he has a lot to offer. Thanks for sharing.

 

Hoping to be able to come back some day and share the success stories of my bright, God given blessing, ds!!

[Ellie]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

I have no doubt that you will be able to figure out what your dc needs and then get it done. :-)

 

I used to live in California, and I knew many people who had Dr. Cates test their children there. I used to teach in a little one-room, multi-grade school when I was in California, and he tested a couple of children who attended. That's why I recommend him, even to folks who don't live in Tennessee. :-)

[wehave8]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

I have no doubt that you will be able to figure out what your dc needs and then get it done. :-)

 

I used to live in California, and I knew many people who had Dr. Cates test their children there. I used to teach in a little one-room, multi-grade school when I was in California, and he tested a couple of children who attended. That's why I recommend him, even to folks who don't live in Tennessee. :-)

hmmm...I'll look at the site again.

 

Pam