Looking for a phonics curriculum for my struggling reader

[A home for their hearts]

He is 7 1/2 and is really struggling with reading. I've even considered using the whole language approach because phonics really just seems to be slowing him down. I'm having his eyes checked next week to make sure that isn't the problem. We are using OPGTR and he hates it. We are learning long vowels, but he still struggles to sound out cvc words. I've looked into Rod & Staff, Winter promise, and HOP Pro's Con's of any of these are any other suggestions that you think might work?

thanks so much!

[Mesa]

I've tried a few phonics programs... I like actually Abekas, (I know, I know) when used with their workbooks. It helps my kids retain what we've talked about. I used Kindy with great success with my 4 1/2 yr old. We then moved on to Phonics Pathways, and Reading Pathways. Honestly, they are nice books... but I miss the worksheets to go along with our lessons each day. I may go back to Abeka's 1st grade program.

 

If you do look at Abeka look at their 1st grade Phonics and language program... their Spelling program also incorporates Phonics.

[hsmamainva]

I would highly recommend Pathway Readers.

 

I also like suggesting them because they're inexpensive.

 

My 14yo loved them when he was younger and I'm using them now with my 6yo (both have autism, btw).

 

They're black and white books and they use a combination of phonics and whole language. "See Peter. Peter has a cat. The cat is red."

 

There are workbooks that go with each reader, including some that are designed to be used before you start the first reader. Before We Read and Helping Yourself go through the individual letters and letter sounds.

 

Here's a link, so you can have a price list and a list of the books:

 

http://www.anabaptistbooks.com/

 

Click on "Books and Music" and then you'll see Pathway Readers listed on the left-hand side under "top selling choices".

 

But you can purchase the entire 1st grade set, including all the readers, all the workbooks, and a set of flashcards for the words used for $30.00.

 

I highly recommend them!

[purplecow7]

I love HOP - I have used this program to teach all my children to read. My favorite thing about it that it all comes in a box and is easy to use (juggling 4 kids so I need something that I can use consistently).

 

I don't use the tapes (I have the older vesion). You practice sounding out words in the work book and then it will tell you when they are ready to read the next book. What is awesome about it is once they get to the point to read the book - they can read it. So there is great success and they want to keep reading. Now sometimes it is a struggle to have them do the workbook words and learning to read the site words, like, the and etc... But I just go back and have them read the books they read successfully or pages in the workbook that are more story like then just list of words, like ox, box, fox ect..

 

I have used the program to teach beginner readers and it was great for my dd who learned to read by using whole language and we went back to teach her how to read doing phonics.

 

Also the program is so simply laid out that you can skip around. For example my friend used it with her struggling first grader who could all ready read the basics - she took the second box did a quick check at the level she was add and then jumped right into the middle of that box and finished with these easy to read chapter books giving her confidence that she could try to read smaller word books with less pictures.

 

Hope this helps. The program can be found cheaper on ebay and sometimes at COSTCO

[JFSinIL]

With three of my kids I have had to use Reading Reflex to get them going.

http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Reflex-Foolproof-Phono-Graphix-Teaching/dp/0684853671/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220714223&sr=8-1

[Miss Sherry]

My suggestion is that you take a look at Earobics. It is a fun, no stress way to work on some skills required for reading and spelling. It's on computer software. It is worth every penny and more, in my opinion.

 

It addresses some things that are not addressed simply by working on phonics drills alone.

 

http://www.superduperinc.com/products/view.aspx?pid=CC02SCOSX

[Ottakee]

http://www.roadstoeverywhere.com/3RsPlusRead.html or http://www.iseesam.com is my favorite program by far. It is just a series of VERY carefully sequenced reading books. They go from the first book with just 5 sounds and 3 words up to a mid 3rd grade level.

 

This is phonics but different than most approaches. It moves more slowly and gives lots of practice. Esp. check out the first link and then click on the UK site for even more information.

 

It is not too expensive and the books are re-usable and have a good resale value. I even have the first 3 sets in PDF format if you are interested in seeing more.

 

Check out I See Sam on this forum for lots more posts about them. They are the ONLY books that got my 2 girls reading---and I have a degree in special education.

[Julesnpebbles@suddenlink.]

Have you ever looked at Teach your children to read well? It is working SO well for my daughter!! I've used it with my oldest son. It's great for advanced readers as well as for struggling readers! I didn't even consider it for my struggling reader because my advanced child did so well with it and we flew along- however, after trying HOP, ETC, Reading pathways and a slew of other phonics curric. I tried this and voila! she's reading! We don't do the workbooks because it ends up being too laborious for her and discouraging but the reading part is great! she loves seeing if she can beat her previous score... two thumbs up for it!

[cillakat]

imo, opg has a very difficult page layout and phonics that are not explicit enough for some children.

 

if there is the possibility of familial/genetic dyslexia (anyone in your family have trouble learning to read? at all?) consider moving directly to an o-g based program like Wilson or Barton asap.

 

It's not worth the struggle and disappointment for the child to repeatedly face failure. Go for the known successful intervention sooner rather than later.

 

A well structured intensive multi sensory phonics program will help virtually everyone.

 

I'm doing Wilson at home with both my kids -- after having read, meticulously, the Wilson training manual and having watched the training DVD's.

 

Barton is even easier. Totally scripted. Great support.

 

Dancing Bears (prometheantrust from the UK) looks reasonably good but the instruction is not as explicit (ie direct teaching of rules). Paired with apples pears spelling it does seem to have a excellent success rate. It's sort of a halfway point (imo) between the o-g intensive explict methods and the abecedarian/reading reflex types of programs.

 

While abecedarian did get my child reading, the steps were too large to get her reading fluently....she needed a more incremental approach (saxon for phonics if you will), but one that was also multi sensory, moved quickly through a lesson (ie each step in the lesson could only last a short time if her attention was going to have half a chance at sticking it through). Wilson is working great. For abecedarian to work on it's own, I would have had to rewrite it.

 

Once a child can reliably decode one syllable blends and blend/diphthongs (cat, sprong, thrang, shred, cracks, quarks, quints etc) with *no* difficulty and no delay, you can move to REWARDS intermediate which is a quick effective evidence based intervention from sopriswest.

 

Continue read alouds to him (or audiobooks) at a higher level to continually stretch comprehension and vocabulary.

 

Make sure that what ever you're doing for decoding (reading/phonics) is also done for encoding (spelling). Wilson covers this thoroughly. So does apples and pears/dancing bear. SRA also has great 'canned', 'off the shelf' intervention programs that are highly scripted. They're listed in Sally Shaywitz' _Overcoming Dyslexia_.

 

Add in sightwords as needed with a lot of repetition/drill.....i would cull sight word lists though to those that are *truly* not decodable. the decodable ones get practice in a good systemtatic phonics program.

 

Read, Write and Type! is an evidence based dyslexia intervention and keyboarding program all in one. It's not cheap; though they're kind enough to send you a $25 coupon via email if you sign in to access the free trial. I've used all of the available typing programs and this one is hands down, the best of them. It should be at $100 or so. :tongue_smilie:

[SonshineLearner]

Writing Road to Reading or Spell to Write and Read. The Writing Road to Reading was designed specifically for children who had learning disabilities.

 

Honestly though, I'd first have his sight checked, and rule out some basic possible problems. Then, I'd get a whiteboard to let him draw all over, and take a break. (If there were no development issues) I'd let him have fun doing things to help him developmentally. You know, things like pattern practicing. Lots of "real life" skills to practice.

 

Then, after it's been a few months, I'd let him try again. My daughter is above average on many things, but she was not doing any reading worth talking about until a few months after 2nd grade...and not really well until 3rd grade.

 

Carrie:-)

[Quiver0f10]

We have used teach Your Child to Read in 100 EZ Lessons with our older children and now are using Reading Made Easy with our 5 yo and she loves it and is doing well. For our dyslexic child we are using Barton's.

[cillakat]

Reading readiness is tricky.

 

For some it's just developmental. For others though, they'll *never* be 'ready'. For that ~20%, early intervention is key. The earlier the better in terms of outcome.

 

If I had a struggling, resistant or relucant to read child at age six, I'd pursue additional testing. There are measure that, while not perfect, can indentify those who have phonological weaknesses associated with 'traditional' dyslexia. If the child is one of those, intervening at that point can head off tremendous difficulty later. If the child doesn't seem to have phonological weaknesses or difficulty with rapid naming tasks and word retrieval, then it's likely only a developmental issue that will resolve in time.

 

While vision can definitely be a portion of it, it's a small portion compared to the 1 in 5 who will fall somewhere on the 'typical' dyslexia, dygraphia, dyscalculia spectrum -- and it is a spectrum to be sure. Some are barely affected, some significantly so, so debilitatingly so.

 

All the best