8yo not reading - should I have him tested?

[JaneEyre]

I taught my oldest 2  to read using 100 Easy Lessons. 

 

My youngest knew his letter sounds from the time he was 3, but I was reading a lot about unschooling, relaxed schooling, and 'Better Late Than Early'  and didn't start any reading programs with him. I think now that some of this was laziness on my part, but I didn't realize it at the time...  

 

We started using more structure a little over a year ago and right before he turned 7yo I started 100 Easy Lessons with him.  It was a huge struggle ( although none of my kids really liked it ). He was practically in tears about having to do it and I was at my wit's end. It didn't seem like he was really catching on, so around lesson 85 I started using a little Abeka phonics book I had found.  We did about 10 lessons and then I got nervous and started 100 Easy Lessons back from the beginning. It was the only thing I'd ever used and I was afraid to try something new. Soon it was a struggle again, so I have now bought Rod & Staff 1st grade reading and purchased Explode the Code online. Do you think those might work or that he needs to have testing of some kind done?

 

Please keep in mind this is a very sweet little boy, but he is my most stubborn child.  He just wants to get things done and get back outside or to his Legos.

[Ellie]

Not enough information. :-)

 

That he seems to truly hate 100 EZ Lessons and is in tears over it doesn't necessarily mean that he has any sort of learning issues. And don't beat yourself up for being more relaxed about teaching your dc to read when he was younger. :-)

 

Does your ds seem to have any sort of fine-motor skill issues? Hand-to-eye coordination issues? Anything (other than really NOT liking 100 EZ Lesson) that might cause you to think he should be tested?

 

My younger dd was 9 1/2 before she was reading at her age level, and yet she was taking classes at the community college when she was 14, so the fact that your ds isn't reading at *his* age level isn't necessarily of concern to *me.* :-)

 

I, of course, would recommend Spalding, but ETC is fine (not a fan of R&S's first grade Bible Nurture and Reader materials).

[KathyJo]

I taught my first three to read with 100EZ, but I decided not to use it anymore after noticing that #3 had picked up some... unusual beliefs about spelling. On closer inspection, my older two had some gaps, too. I decided to use something that didn't leave such huge, gaping holes in #4's reading education. We tried Phonics Pathways, the red book whose name I can't remember right now, and Explode the Code. I finally wised up and just started working on the Orton phonograms and a spelling list.

He's 7 now, and making progress, but I think I have a combination of things going on: I think he's just naturally a little slower with reading than his brothers, this type of program is slower to see results than 100EZ, and there was all of that delay while we tried to find a program.

I think you probably have at least the latter two issues. To me, it sounds like he just needs consistent instruction. I know you did 100EZ, but all of my boys were still sounding out every blessed word when we got to the end of that book. Can he sound out simple words? If so, I'd say testing is not necessary yet; he just needs more instruction and more practice.

My youngest son is also my sweetest, and most stubborn, child, and he's not fond of this whole reading thing when there are so many people around here who can read to him. :001_rolleyes:

[JaneEyre]

Not enough information. :-)

 

That he seems to truly hate 100 EZ Lessons and is in tears over it doesn't necessarily mean that he has any sort of learning issues. And don't beat yourself up for being more relaxed about teaching your dc to read when he was younger. :-)

 

Does your ds seem to have any sort of fine-motor skill issues? Hand-to-eye coordination issues? Anything (other than really NOT liking 100 EZ Lesson) that might cause you to think he should be tested?

 

My younger dd was 9 1/2 before she was reading at her age level, and yet she was taking classes at the community college when she was 14, so the fact that your ds isn't reading at *his* age level isn't necessarily of concern to *me.* :-)

 

I, of course, would recommend Spalding, but ETC is fine (not a fan of R&S's first grade Bible Nurture and Reader materials).

 

Sorry for not enough information : ) 

 

He just doesn't seem to catch on to it as quickly as my other two.  It seems like I have to remind him of the same words and word parts over and over and over...  His fine-motor skills are excellent.

 

Thank you for saying I shouldn't beat myself up over being more relaxed when he was younger.  I was and that made me feel better.  I think a little beating myself up is in order though.   

[JaneEyre]

I taught my first three to read with 100EZ, but I decided not to use it anymore after noticing that #3 had picked up some... unusual beliefs about spelling. On closer inspection, my older two had some gaps, too. I decided to use something that didn't leave such huge, gaping holes in #4's reading education. We tried Phonics Pathways, the red book whose name I can't remember right now, and Explode the Code. I finally wised up and just started working on the Orton phonograms and a spelling list.

 

He's 7 now, and making progress, but I think I have a combination of things going on: I think he's just naturally a little slower with reading than his brothers, this type of program is slower to see results than 100EZ, and there was all of that delay while we tried to find a program.

 

I think you probably have at least the latter two issues. To me, it sounds like he just needs consistent instruction. I know you did 100EZ, but all of my boys were still sounding out every blessed word when we got to the end of that book. Can he sound out simple words? If so, I'd say testing is not necessary yet; he just needs more instruction and more practice.

 

My youngest son is also my sweetest, and most stubborn, child, and he's not fond of this whole reading thing when there are so many people around here who can read to him. :001_rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the warning about spelling.  I'll be on the lookout for that. 

 

He can sound out simple words.  He has trouble with sight words, things like 'ea' and 'ight', and knowing which sounds the letters should make in each word.

 

Hopefully my little fellow is just naturally a slower reader, too.  It wasn't a problem until he had to do 1st Communion class at our Parish and wasn't up to speed with the other kids.  He noticed it and it bothered him, but not enough to buckle down on his lessons : ) 

 

Thanks

[Mandylubug]

My girls just turned 8 and I am just now starting to breathe when it comes to reading. We tried everything from 100ez to phonics pathways, a little hooked on Phonics and then moved to All About Reading. Mine personally love AAR. They love seeing their accomplishments via the progress chart, they like reviewing old words while learning new words. I've learned that they need to "touch and do" with reading just like they must do with math manipulatives.

 

Have you noticed in any other subjects a need for hands on action to learn? If your child learns this way it it a chore for them to learn just by reading out of a book alone. I'd start with evaluating success in other subjects and ask myself what about it is great for him.

[KathyJo]

He can sound out simple words.  He has trouble with sight words, things like 'ea' and 'ight', and knowing which sounds the letters should make in each word.

 

 

I have a seriously opinionated response, so just ignore me if you want. :-)

 

I don't believe in sight words. Teaching sight words is asking children to memorize hundreds of seemingly unrelated details in order to read.

 

Instead, I believe in teaching phonograms. For instance, "igh" is three letter /ī/, so there's no need for confusion. All of my children have started studying phonograms and analyzing words now. Recently, ds9 asked me how to spell "laugh." I asked him which phonogram says /ä/, /af/. He said, "Oh, yeah," and wrote it correctly. My little guy is the same way. He has to be reminded sometimes what the phonograms say, but he does understand that certain groups of letters make very specific sounds. It makes it much easier to help him understand the basics because he's not having to deal with what he would otherwise see as a world of too many exceptions and not enough hard and fast rules.

 

In the past, I believed that the Orton phonogram methods of teaching reading were probably the best, but I resisted teaching that way because all of the programs just seem too blasted complicated to get started. More and more, though, I can't imagine teaching reading any other way. This is the only way I know of that gives children ALL of the tools that they need to read and spell.

 

My son did improve when he started ETC. I finally figured out, though, that it was just because he was regularly writing the words. I can get that without the $10 a book sticker price.

 

Off my soapbox...

[Unmeltable]

My son was unsuccessful with two reading programs (including 100 Easy Lessons) before being very successful with Mimio Headsprout Early Reading:

 

http://www.headsprout.com/catalog/

 

It was so simple and intuitive and did all the heavy lifting of teaching--I would just review with him a little by letting him read me the books. I think the difference was, the computer is infinitely patient--if he doesn't get it, it just backs up a little until he does. He feels independent and "grown up", the program is constantly adjusting to meet his needs. Really I recommend it to anyone. 

 

I think with a struggling reader having eyes checked and so forth can't hurt. Just to eliminate the possibility.

 

 

 

[KathyJo]

My little sister sent her kids to public school for a while. For two years, those poor teachers kept hearing, "My sister says..."

 

I hope they listened. ;-)

[twoxcell]

I would look into something like All About Reading. It sounds to me like 100EZ lessons really didn't click with him and he hasn't had enough instructions yet to know if any learning problems are coming into play here. I also really like and use Phonics Pathways. I am not an expert on this by any means.