Michelle My Bell Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 I need some independent work my son can work on while I am in college during the morning hours this fall. I am specifically looking for something to help him with learning to read. He is amazing at Math, but reading has been his downfall. He is an Emergent Reader about 1st grade level. I am going to be working with him in the afternoons, but I need something that he can really watch, play or work on while I'm gone. Something that will be like a little "reading workshop" to reinforce what I'll be teaching him. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle My Bell Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 I would like to challenge him so that he can move forward however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle My Bell Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 Games like a-bee-c. He's not going to be able to read past what he's learned, ykwim? So have him play with what he does know, to get super comfortable with it. http://www.amazon.com/Endless-Games-625-A-BEE-C-Matching/dp/B003N2Q86C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407517197&sr=8-1&keywords=a+bee+c I feel like this is a good idea, but maybe too easy for him? I would like to find something a bit more challenging. I love the idea of games however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 www.starfall.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle My Bell Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 www.starfall.com I have seen starfall, and it looks like it could work possibly, but I'd like some ideas on how to use it best. When I have given him free reign on it, he just sort of pops all over the site. I want to give my son specific directions on how to use it each day. I wish there was some sort of lesson plan or directions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 What about watching a show like The Electric Company while you're gone? Added bonus? It's free with Amazon Prime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Also, my children have been able to do Explode the Code workbooks on their own. I have to introduce each new lesson, but they can then complete the pages independently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 You could assign him an audiobook to read along with, and then have him practice reading it to himself. Amazon has some book/CD sets, or if you have the right kind of Kindle, I believe they can be made to do that. On Starfall (from this page: http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/play.htm?f ), you can assign him a story for the day. He can have the computer read it to him and then he can read it himself, and be ready to read it to you when you get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Read write type followed by wordy Querty. http://www.talkingfingers.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghanL Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 What about Reading Eggs? That has a very specific set of lessons to complete on a map where you as the parent could very easily check to see that he has completed the assigned lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 If there is someone to supervise him and it is your 8 year old, he could watch my online phonics lessons. I would have him take a 10 minute break in the middle for any over lessons over 20 minutes long, and do lesson 22 and 27 with at least a 30 minute break in the middle and possibly split over 2 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaderbee Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 What about the Reading Rainbow app? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 My son and dd just played with the site and it was enough that they covered pretty much everything on the site over time. I did have to encourage my son to go through the beginning reader stuff instead of puttering ALL the time on the easy peasy activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle My Bell Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 You could assign him an audiobook to read along with, and then have him practice reading it to himself. Amazon has some book/CD sets, or if you have the right kind of Kindle, I believe they can be made to do that. On Starfall (from this page: http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/play.htm?f ), you can assign him a story for the day. He can have the computer read it to him and then he can read it himself, and be ready to read it to you when you get home. I do have a Kindle. Do you have any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 I do have a Kindle. Do you have any recommendations? I think familiar fairytales (like Rumpelstiltskin) might be good. That way, reading comprehension is less of an issue and the focus can be on fluency. However, it says text-to-speech is not enabled on that one. I don't have a device that can do that, so I'd be more inclined to go with the CD anyway. But you could probably find stories that are free on Kindle and do have text-to-speech. ETA: like this book, free. I'd love to hear others' suggestions as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 What about ReadingBear, Ultimate Phonics or ClickNKids There is ReadingA-z which you can use to assign him readers at his level, but I think you'd have to print them out ahead of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 If reading is a struggle then pushing him forward without supportive one on one instruction may not net you much and may help him develop bad reading habits that are hard to break along with possibly a dislike of and avoidance of reading. Using ElizabethB's stuff with whomever will be watching him might be the best option, coupled with any book (that you approve) that he might have interest in on the Kindle. If you can pair the book with the audio through Immersion Reading or Audible then he can see the print and be exposed to the vocabulary, concepts, etc. that are a bit above his current reading level while also hearing the words read correctly (mostly) and the fluency with which the words should be read. Doing it that way you help prevent the high risk of developing bad habits and extreme frustration he may encounter if he is forced to read material beyond (even a little beyond) his reach without proper support and instruction. Not certain I am explaining this in a way that makes sense.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Raz Kids is a spin-off of Reading A-Z. Reading A-Z is more of a resource website where you would select books that you want to use and print them out. Raz-kids is site where you can assign on-line books for home to "read" independently. He can listen to an audio version of the story. Then he can practice reading it by himself and even record himself reading the start. I don't remember if it has a comprehension or assessment for each story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Educational computer games encouraged our reluctant reader, and they can be done independently: - Reader Rabbit (three levels: age 4-6; grade 1; grade 2) - Bailey's Bookhouse (also Sammy's Science House & Millie's Math House -- require reading and provide variety) - Word Munchers - Cluefinders series (Reading Adventures (age 9-12); 3rd grade; 4th grade; 5th grade; 6th grade) Free online games: - PBS: Reading Games - Fun Brain: Reading -- games, books, comics, activities - Primary Games: Reading Games Games for Reading (by Peggy Kaye) may have some ideas you could leave with DS. She has several other books on Math, Writing, and Learning, and her website has a handful of free games from all 4 books -- several are specifically for encouraging reading. Will someone be with DS during this time who could play a few reading games with him? - Silly Sentences - Read Around the House Treasure Hunt game - Reading Riddle Maze game - board games with cards to read (Monopoly has chance & community chest cards -- or try Dino-opoly or other version) How about leaving a reading comprehension worksheet a day? DS reads a very brief story and then fills out the accompanying worksheet. (Anyone else remember the old SRA cards from public school??!) Here are free reading comprehension worksheets from K-5 for grade 1 and grade 2. Here is another site with free reading comprehension worksheets. Here is a workbook for reading comprehension. You might check out the OOP Hooked on Phonics Reading Power set (usually about $20 on ebay). How about a book basket with lots of high interest books at his reading level from the library, and he picks a book a day and then narrates/summarizes later on to you? DSs really enjoyed non-fiction titles from the stepped reader series from the library, plus magazines (maybe Spider, or Ranger Rick Jr.?). Maybe getting to add a star on a chart after narrating to you, and you write the book title next to it... Early reading books our DSs (esp. our reluctant reader) seemed to enjoy: - Fox and Friends series (Marshall) - Commander Toad series (Yolen) - Riddle books by Hall & Eisenberg - books by Benjamin Elkin (The Big Jump, etc.) - The King, the Mice and the Cheese (Gurney) - Frog and Toad series and others by Arnold Lobel - Nate the Great series (Sharmat) - Aunt Eater series (Cushman) Listening to audio books would also be a huge help -- absorbing vocabulary, sentence structure, and learning to hold past events and predict future events in a storyline. What about those book and audio tape (or CD) combos -- the library often has those. There are also some available free online: here. Write a story back and forth to each other -- in the morning, you leave him a few sentences, and while you are gone he reads what you wrote, and has to add on in a way that makes sense (so he has to have been able to read what you wrote) and either writes or illustrates his contribution. My boys loved doing this with me. You can create a comic book together. Start by together brainstorming overall plot and characters, and then each night you'll write based on DS's ideas, and the next day he reads and illustrates based on what you wrote. Print off pages with panels (another free printable template here), and the night before, you write in some narration and speech bubbles for characters to move the story forward (using words DS would be able to read or figure out from context), and then the next day, he reads and he draws the illustrations for each panel -- the trick is, he has to be able to read to be able to illustrate to fit the speaking and narration. At the end, you have a fun story you've created together! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle My Bell Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Fantastic ideas!!!! Thank you so much!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Reader Rabbit for sure and many of the other online programs mentioned have a lot of sight words, I would be careful with them. I like the first two parts of Starfall and all of Read, Write, Type, those are two that I like the phonics emphasis for, and even Starfall has a few sight word things I do not like, but they are clearly labelled as sight words. I would also be wary of listening to read alouds while following along, that could encourage whole word guessing habits. I have remediated hundreds of students, it takes so much more time to undo guessing habits than to teach correctly from the start, you could be causing yourself more work in the long run with some of the options. My mainly minority remedial students coming from homelessness and inner city schools remediated faster than my mainly white middle class children because they had not been exposed to as many whole language practices. If you do audiobooks, I would do them without reading along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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