Tell Me About SWR

[PandaMom]

Can you share your experiences with SWR?  DD(8) is having a hard time with reading and I am worried that she will end up disliking it.  She has articulation issues, PDD-NOS, ADHD, cognitive delays and expressive language delays.  She tries so hard to sound out words and read but it just doesn't seem to be working.  I honestly think if she could memorize words she would do better with reading.  She gets frustrated and then ends up stuttering and she just can seem to blend the sounds and her words end up sounding "choppy".  She does really well in math, spelling and sight words so I was wondering if this program might work for her.  I am getting tired of trying different programs and end up wasting $$$.  I can usually tell right away if something will work.

 

Susie

[Hunter]

I wasn't able to teach SWR until AFTER I had studied some Spalding WRTR. I find SWR cluttered and disorganized. But once I understood the general method, I can pick my way through SWR. I really like some of the SWR materials, especially the Alpha-list dictionary, and the spelling test CDs that students can use on their own, and the spelling rules flashcards.

[RootAnn]

Well, there isn't any memorizing of words in SWR - it is all 'sounding out' and figuring out the phonetic sounds that make up the words. So, I'm not sure that it is what you are looking for.  :confused1:

Perhaps you should look at Don Potter's (free) Blend Phonics program to get blending down?

[Tracy]

SWR is a very, very thorough program.  It does not emphasize sight words at all, but rather starts with a thorough phonics/rule analysis for each word and then works toward fluency in that word.  A typical day would look like this:

 

• Work on memorizing the sounds of individual phonograms
• Spelling dictation.  You give the student a word and let the student know if the word is spelled differently than it is pronounced ("think-to-spell"), The student determines syllables and then sounds out each syllable.  You hold up your fingers to show how many letters each sound represents (for example, 2 fingers for TH, 3 fingers for IGH, etc.) and clarify any points of potential confusion (such as pointing out whether to use K or C for the /k/ sound).  You make sure the student knows how to spell the word before she writes it down.  
• Student then dictates the same word to you while you spell it.  
• After dictating all words for the day, the student reads the words, and you will give a quiz of those same words.  
• For struggling readers, it is encouraged to read the spelling lists often so that they become automatic.  Yes, they eventually memorize the words, but that memorization has its foundation in word analysis, rather than just rote memorization.  

Here is a

of how SWR works for the age you are needing it for.  

 

With a student who has special needs, it is not always going to look the same.  SWR is very flexible to accommodate different learning styles.  You can play games.  You can do it standing at a white board.  You can even do it in a sandbox if you want.  

 

My dd8 is a slow processor (we think), and it took quite a bit of training to get to a point where we go through this process relatively efficiently.  But it has been really worth it.  She consistently tests a year ahead on her diagnostic tests.  She is by no means a natural speller, so she clearly needs the thorough analysis in order to remember the words.  

[PeterPan]

Panda, jumping in late to see how you're doing on this?  Remember we have the LC board as well.  With the list of issues you have, her phonemic awareness and working memory are both probably affecting her ability to sound out and read.  On the articulation and expressive language delay, have you checked to see if it's *apraxia*?  Apraxia is motor-control.  They say in about 50% of spectrum cases the language issues will be caused by apraxia.  Needs a different kind of treatment that addresses the underlying motor control problem.  (We get PROMPT.)

 

Anyways, my dd never started sounding out words till we did VT.  Her errors with sounding out words were identical to her errors handling long digit spans, which is why (after you think about it) it's obvious that working memory is intrinsically necessary to sound out words.  So the more you're trying to use a sound it out approach to reading, the more you're going to have to work on remediating it.  Now SWR does *not* teach a sound it out approach.  SWR has them *spell* their way into reading.  They spell the word, write it in their log, read it back.  Then they write it on a small flashcard to practice to automaticity.  It skirts the working memory issue.  It worked for my dd.  I can't guarantee it will work for yours, only saying it worked for mine.

 

Did they run a CTOPP on her when she had the psych evals?  CTOPP would be looking at phonological processing (reading disorder, dyslexia, etc.).  Because of her speech problems, you need to go back and make sure that's she's actually hearing everything correctly and processing all the sounds.  AAS does this very well, SWR will explain how, and of course there's software like Earobics.  

 

I'd back up one step farther and do the pretest at Barton, just to make sure you don't need even more foundational steps like LiPS (Gander Publishing).

[FO4UR]

I notice, reading your op, that she's spelling well but not reading. That indicates to me that SWR might not be the best fit for learning to read.  In SWR, you spell your way into reading.

 

 

Dancing Bears http://www.prometheantrust.org/  Might be a better fit for *getting her reading.*  DB teaches sounding out phonetically, but the methodology is more natural for some kids, especially kids who have extra challenges.

[Ellie]

I notice, reading your op, that she's spelling well but not reading. That indicates to me that SWR might not be the best fit for learning to read.  In SWR, you spell your way into reading.

 

 

Dancing Bears http://www.prometheantrust.org/  Might be a better fit for *getting her reading.*  DB teaches sounding out phonetically, but the methodology is more natural for some kids, especially kids who have extra challenges.

 

SWR works just as well for children with good spelling skills as it does for children who do not. :-)

[homeschoolkitty]

I like SWR.it was hard till I sat and did it. just follow the example schedule. also they have a great app. look for swr phonogrmas.

[FO4UR]

SWR works just as well for children with good spelling skills as it does for children who do not. :-)

 

 

It doesn't work to get some kids *reading.*  When a child can spell at a 2nd grade level or so, but can't read a kindergarten reader...it's time to find a different method for learning to *read.*

 

 

Dancing Bears focuses in on the act of reading, where SWR focuses on spelling expecting the student to read spontaneously after learning to spell.  Not all kids can learn to read via spelling.  Given the info in the OP, I'd err on the side of explicit *reading* instruction first.

[Hunter]

I like SWR.it was hard till I sat and did it. just follow the example schedule. also they have a great app. look for swr phonogrmas.

THANKS!

[PandaMom]

Panda, jumping in late to see how you're doing on this?  Remember we have the LC board as well.  With the list of issues you have, her phonemic awareness and working memory are both probably affecting her ability to sound out and read.  On the articulation and expressive language delay, have you checked to see if it's *apraxia*?  Apraxia is motor-control.  They say in about 50% of spectrum cases the language issues will be caused by apraxia.  Needs a different kind of treatment that addresses the underlying motor control problem.  (We get PROMPT.)

 

Anyways, my dd never started sounding out words till we did VT.  Her errors with sounding out words were identical to her errors handling long digit spans, which is why (after you think about it) it's obvious that working memory is intrinsically necessary to sound out words.  So the more you're trying to use a sound it out approach to reading, the more you're going to have to work on remediating it.  Now SWR does *not* teach a sound it out approach.  SWR has them *spell* their way into reading.  They spell the word, write it in their log, read it back.  Then they write it on a small flashcard to practice to automaticity.  It skirts the working memory issue.  It worked for my dd.  I can't guarantee it will work for yours, only saying it worked for mine.

 

Did they run a CTOPP on her when she had the psych evals?  CTOPP would be looking at phonological processing (reading disorder, dyslexia, etc.).  Because of her speech problems, you need to go back and make sure that's she's actually hearing everything correctly and processing all the sounds.  AAS does this very well, SWR will explain how, and of course there's software like Earobics.  

 

I'd back up one step farther and do the pretest at Barton, just to make sure you don't need even more foundational steps like LiPS (Gander Publishing).

 

Thanks for asking and thanks for all the responses.  I have had DD tested for everything I can think of.  Her last CAPD test came back inconclusive again because of her articulation.  I have talked to several of her supervisors and therapists this past month to get their feedback.  They all tell me the same thing, she is a very complicated child with many issues that are all intertwined.  this makes it hard to pinpoint more exactly what is going on and be able to handle it that way.  We are just going to have with her as "a whole".  She probably spent the first 13 months of her life on her back in an orphanage/foster home and this played a huge part in her lack of development.  The first 18 months of her life were with hearing issues that we were finally able to get corrected but it did delay her greatly.  Then you add on the host of other issues she has.  Apraxia was mentioned as a possibility early on but now it is not being considered.  She does have the working memory issues and expressive language delay and I think this is a major part of her difficulties.  I have her in a ST/language literacy program 2 days a week at our local university and it is definitely helping.  She also goes to ABA/OT/ST each 2 times per week.  She is so tired of therapy and is glad the holidays are here.  I have ordered DB and am reading it currently.  I looked over SWR and took it back as it didn't look like what is was hoping it would be.  DD is a smart child but she struggles with her reading and comprehension.  She is a wiz at math and we are halfway through Horizon's grade one.  She does CLE spelling and enjoys it.  Wordly Wise is a fave as are studying sight words.  I did buy Hearbuilders for her and currently have her working on it.  Reading is going to happen but it is just so hard on both of us in the mean time.  I think that when it does happen it will be quick and very noticeable as with everything she masters.

 

Susie

[Hunter]

Can anyone tell me more about the app? I downloaded it, but feel stupid. I can watch the app scroll through a reading of the phonograms, but cannot figure out how to use it for a flashcard drill.