samba Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I've heard here on the board of some successes with TATRAS and I'm interested in it but I haven't been able to find any online samples. My son is 6 with Down Syndrome and seems to be on the brink of reading. He has been able to say the phonograms for quite some time now and can't quite make the leap to blending sounds into words. Unlike many kids with DS who seem to be very visual, my ds seems to be more auditory. What kind of emphasis is in the TATRAS program? Is there a writing component? This would be a downside because his writing skills are so weak it would probably hold him back. The text would need to be uncluttered, not busy. Also, I can't spend a lot of money on a program that may not work (like SSRW) and TATRAS seems affordable. Any info. you could give would be appreciated. Thanks, Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Carolyn, Based on what you say here, I don't believe TATRAS would be a good match for your kiddo. The pages are crazy busy, with every inch packed with text printed in different directions and different size fonts. It uses a different set of phonograms than any other program, a more efficient set based on a computer analysis of English, so your son would have to unlearn some phonograms. There really isn't any special emphasis on blending skills. When the kids can say the phonogram, you're instructed to have them blend to read the word. That's it. There is a writing component using the clock trick that I've seen in other curricula. What has most helped my early readers to blend are the LeapFrog DVDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samba Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Thank you, Rose... That's exactly the kind of info I needed. I think you're right; it may not be a good match for my son. Thanks again, Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Have you tried verbally breaking apart words and having your son put them back together? We use the sound game from Montessori Read and Write with my very verbal 3yo dd. It gets the child to listen to the separate sounds in each word. We also play other word and sound games. She was just able to sound out a few CVC words yesterday with a little help from me and I'm sure that it was because of our work with the sound game. I hope you can find something that works for you and your ds. P.S. The best part is that she loves to do these games and she thinks it is a treat. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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