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Dyslexia and Charlotte Mason
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My son has recently been diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia. We’ve been using the Charlotte Mason method since for about 2 years now. For language arts and phonics we have used a few different programs because nothing was working. PAL-R worked the best for him (which is what we used after Explode the Code and 100 Easy Lessons failed miserably for us). Does anyone on this forum have any ideas that might help us. He is 8 now and reading at a mid 1st grade level (he should be finishing the 2nd grade if that gives you an idea of what level he is on) … this has been a difficult rode and we want to help him as much as possible. For the last 5 months he has received O-G tutoring (one on one) and it doesn’t seem to be helping him. His phonological awareness is pretty low. His strength (way above average) is listening compr. (maybe because he has been doing oral narrations since he was 6). He loves me to read to him – all kinds of stories and the Bible. We’ve been using Heart of Dakota this year (Bigger) but I ended up dropping it because of all the writing involved – it was incredibly hard for him but the stories, the history and science were awesome for him. I regret dropping it and think maybe I should have modified it, now. Anyway – any ideas and help is greatly appreciated!!!
Have you heard of Dianne Craft? Look her up on the internet. We have used her brain training program with success with my daughter who has not been formally diagnosed with dyslexia – I would say she has a mild case, but the signs were definitely there. Her reading has improved GREATlY since the beginning of the school year when we started with the exercises.
Hi Mommy5…
My son hasn’t been diagnosed but seems to have dyslexia. He is finishing Grade 4, and reads at about a grade 3 level. Although I knew he struggled with reading, it was the inability to spell at all that tipped me off…
I can give a bit of advice, but not sure how well it will work – of course each dyslexic child is different. Some of the advice is from me, some is what I’ve heard….
O-G works for some dyslexics, but not all… It won’t work at all if the phonological awareness is too low. The people that use Barton recommend a program from another place called lips (I think?) if they aren’t ready for Barton. I think there is a screening test on the Barton site for if they recommend the lips training or not.
I’ve seen a lot of people recommend AeBeCeDarian program for reading – haven’t tried it myself.
Right now, I’m using All About Spelling with my son, and his spelling has improved immensly, even though we are only in Level 1. I’m also using a UK program called Reading Bears. I’ve heard some good things with it, and I’ve seen a bit of progress, but we haven’t been using it long. (There is a spelling program (with a bit of handwriting training) that goes along with Reading Bears called Apples & Pears that looks interesting, but I was already using AAS….)
btw – although I think a few things dont come as easily for a dyslexic in a CM style education – the great readings (done with audiobooks or you reading) really feeds their minds. My son LOVES history, for example – and I’d hate to think of him not getting to really do any….
We have level A and B of ABeCeDarian and it’s a great program. I’m on their Yahoo group and the other users of the program rave about the success they see with their children. He just completed a home school program too (which I have as well). We are also using All About Reading (for a different child) and I think that if you slow it down a little it’s a great hands-on program as well.
I have 2 sets of ABeCeDarian levels A and B (your child may be past that) but if you’re interested in one set of either I can sell it very cheaply.
Good luck.
Suzuki mom is right….you may need the Lips program. If you need more info google Linda Mood Bell and you should find info.
Also, if phonological awareness is low, you may want to check and see if there are any auditory processing problems. We had our dd evaluated for that and were amazed at the test results. The audiologist recommended a program called Earobics to improve auditory porcessing/phonemic awareness. Is is a computer game based program.
The other thing I will say is make sure the O-G tutoring you are receiving is from someone highly experienced. I did Barton for several years with my dd (could not afford private tutoring). Now that I have switched to a tutor who has 20 years of experience in her field, I am amazed at my dd’s progress. And of course the tutor is picking up issues that I was not even aware of. She is using the Wilson method with my dd and I really think it is an excellent program.
Chris
We have a son the same age and at about the same level, so first I wanted to say “hugs to you”. Though every day is a struggle, I lean on the Lord for strength.
I recently joined a Yahoo Group called “Heart of Reading”. It’s a group for homeschoolers of kids with dyslexia, APD, etc. Those moms have offered me a wealth of information as we received our diagnosis last August and I had no idea where to start.
There is high praise for Barton, although it is pricey. You might consider checking her website for information.
We’ve been using the Dianne Craft’s Brain Integration Therapy manual along with All About Reading. It’s very slow going, but he is making progress. I plan to continue, at least until he starts his OG tutoring in the fall.
I recently went to an all day Dianne Craft seminar and it was fabulous! We are planning to start the nutritional piece with our son over the next couple of weeks. I would also encourage you to check out her website and “The Biology of Behavior”. I’m not one to jump on the band wagon over fad diets and restricting/limiting certain foods. However, her approach makes sense to me as it’s more about restoring the gut and the bodies natural state vs. you can’t eat this and that. Mrs. Craft has a plethora of articles and helpful ideas on her website. http://www.diannecraft.org/
We plan to stick with the Charlotte Mason method as I think it’s the best type of learning for our son. He also loves read alouds and is gaining with the oral narration. He’s not writing well yet either so we will continue orally until he gets to that point. We switched to RightStart Mathematics because there is really no workbook. He’s a very bright boy and understands concepts, but is restricted by his ability to read and write. He loves to build, engineer, and construct.
A recent discovery at our local library was “playaways”. They are books recorded on MP3 like devices. You just add a battery and headphones. Our son LOVES these!! Though I read aloud everyday, I can’t read all day. The playaways give him the ability, freedom, and independence to read great living books on his own. I’ve been working with local librarians to stock more playaways with wholesome stories.
Oh, my babies awake…I gotta run. But take heart, you are doing a wonderful thing by homeschooling your son and researching how best to meet his needs 🙂
Blessings,
Melissa
Thank you for all your input! I did some placement tests with some programs … for ABeCeDarian he would be at “B” with the extra blending exercises … for All About Reading (not talked about here but I did read it on someone’s blog) he would start at level 2. I’m actually quite pleased with his progress over the last year … he does still have a lot of work in front of him. We’ve been doing private tutoring and honestly he is doing no better after 5+ months of that then he was before we started it. I felt like he gained a lot of momentum last year. I think I want to try one of those programs and do it everyday for maybe 20-30 minute sessions to see how he does (he actually sits for up to an hour at the tutor).
My son, who turned 13 in January, had several “issues” that could’ve been labeled dyslexia. We never had him diagnosed. Just kept practicing together. We practiced reading, spelling, handwriting, rhyming, cross cross types of exercises, tried studied dication, put it away for a while, practiced rules/word families, put them away for a while, and kept up with more and more reading practice. Somewhere between 12 and 13, all of a sudden, things started making sense. It was still slow, but you could actually see that it was all beginning to make sense.
He still reads a bit below grade level, but is making huge strides quickly. I expect over the next year that you’ll never know he struggled. It may not seem very comforting at this point, but patient practice paid off for him. We couldn’t afford expensive programs, etc. So, I just read aloud to him often and had him practice in small blocks of time over the years. He hasn’t lost time by not having read all those books that are normally read at the ages when he wasn’t reading. I read them to him, or we listened to audiobooks. He has plenty potential to pursue all sorts of books just in time, even though it wasn’t at the time I’d hoped for earlier on in his life.
Don’t give up. Trying these programs may offer help, but it may just be a matter of time and patient practice. One of our older sons had similar struggles. His favorite pastime is NOT reading, but he can read and, if he gets stuck, he slows down and remembers that he can read and knows “rules and strategies” that we just figured out for him along the way.
By the way, we figured out that they enjoyed keyboarding much better than struggling to make their handwriting conform to my standards. So, neat words on paper are neat words on paper. ;0)
Blessings from a mom who understands,
Becca<><
My daughter has not been officially diaughgnosed, but after meeting with an educational consultant, we are convinced that it is dyslexia. We were also doing Heart of Dakota (Bigger). We stopped midway. I hit a wall and impulsively decided to stop HOD after being in it for 2.5 years. I was so frustrated. I didn’t know what direction to take. I did have to adjust things for her, but I think we could have made it work, at least for Bible, science, and history. So, I did regret not sticking with it. I have this coming year planned out, so we can focus on reading and math. My daughter is 10, but still is not reading independently, and is having very serious math struggles. But, like a PP said, I also want my daughter to have science and history, even if I just read to her. My plan is to do more nature study and hands-on for science, because my daughter loves to be outdoors. She also loves to be read to, so I’m going to do the Prairie Primer and read the Little House books. History will be light. I will also use A Child’s Book of Character Building, and there will be much music and art. These are areas in which my daughter is gifted, which is also indicative of dyslexics.
My daughter is now doing Barton, because that is what was recommended by our consultant. Yes, it is pricey. I’m buying one level at a time and then selling it when I need another level. It sells for a good price used. I haven’t heard of the Lips program. My daughter has good phonemic awareness, so I’m counting on Barton to help. Her spelling is terrible and Barton has positive reviews for making good spellers. You were given some good ideas for resources. I have to say, stick with CM education. I think it is the best for these kids:)
Pam
Thanks for the new replies! I looked at Barton last night and it is no pricier than we are paying for tutoring!!! I’m actually thinking of going in that direction instead of the other two I mentioned. It is that much better, right?
Barton is an excellent program. Susan Barton also makes herself available to you if you have questions. I have contacted her a number of times when I was stuck on something or needed her input. Coming out shortly is an iPad app with all the Barton tiles.
Abecedarian is a different methodology, especially in level B. They present for example, all of the sound pictures (sounds) for O and the student sorts them. I loved this whole to part presentation without all of the rules to memorize and though my dd would too. She needed a lot of repetitions on this, but wanted to move on.
Maybe it is my teaching style that is lacking, but now she doesn’t want to do the lessons.
We are moving to PAL Reading as soon as it comes in the mail.
I think the most important thing is to keep practicing and stay encouraged and upbeat during lessons. I heard someone say that the third reading program you use works, because the child is finally developmentally ready; )
Whatever you choose should help; )
My daughter has never been diagnosed, but is fairly severe on the dyslexia spectrum. I had used a traditional curriculum for two years, with almost no progress in reading. This program is solid, my older son is reading several levels above his grade.
I started to research. I took two courses from the Dyslexia Training Institute, read Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally SHaywitz, M.D., and consulted with my O-G trained Bible Study leader. She gave me a binder with O-G method to pore over. I tried All About Reading, which did not help. Finally, I started Barton. Scarlett is currently working into level three. To track her progress, I have her journal daily (she loves telling stories), without correcting anything. I regularly compare her journalling. She has made substantial progress in spelling, letter formation, and spacing. She consistantly uses her rules, and is doing better with sight words. Barton to me is a life saver. She will probably never read very quickly, but my goal is for her to read fluently, and with understanding. I recommend Barton, and think it is worth every penny. It is important to do a minimum of two hours per week, for progress. I break this up into 30 minute periods, and it seems to be better. One hour of this method is difficult for her to sit through.
It is important for me to note here, that Dyslexia will never go away. Dyslexia is not so much a learning disability, as a learning difference. Brain imaging has shown that dyslexics use different pathways in the brain for reading. In addition, 60% of dyslexic students have ADHD, and many have issues with math too.
I want to encourage you to find TED talk videos on dyslexia, and look up The Dyslexic Advantage online. Dyslexia has its struggles, but I promise you, there are many beautiful things it holds as well. Scarlett is two grades ahead in Science and History – she absolutely adores being read to. She can take any oral quiz or test her brother takes, and aces it. I would push forward with every other subject your dyslexic student is doing well at, while using remediation to bring them to reading level they can function at. The beauty of homeschooling, is that we can take the time to teach each child as they need, adjust things that aren’t working, and move forward for what works best for our kids.
I was homeschooled in a traditional method, but my family read living books nightly, and were freely adventuring daily. My mother had never heard of CM method, but my siblings and I are all avid readers, and love to learn. I was looking for a better way to teach my out of the box thinker, and stumbled upon this website. Can I say your posts have greatly encouraged me, and I intend to start implementing these methods over the summer. Being traditionally homeschooled, this frightens me. But I see the value in this method, and I am excited to venture forth. God has been giving me restless stirs for some time. After seeking Him, I feel this is the answer. Thank you for all sharing, so others can have faith more easily stepping into the unknown! Sorry this post is so long 🙂
Debbi
I used Apples and Pears with my daughter this year, but I didn’t think it was helping her much for the time it was consuming. Perhaps I should have stuck with it. It was giving phonetically-accurate words, and that is not the real problem for her. I felt like it was reinforcing to her that she could just sound out the words.
We are having some success with a combination of oral spelling out of Webster’s Blue-backed Speller (not to spelling mastery, but just plugging through the tables focusing on pronouncing the multi-syllable words). This has been so valuable because it teaches about accented syllables and unaccented syllables and then a ton of practice on that pattern. For example, a whole table of tw0-syllable words that is accented on the first syllable. Then, a table accented on the second syllable. Because whether a vowel is in the accented or unaccented syllable will change its sound, this is helping her be more flexible sounding out words.
Also, I take a word that comes up and we spell it with all imaginable prefixes and suffixes. So, “do, does, did, doing, redo” or “hop, hopped, hops, hopping, hopper.” “Attach, reattach, attaches, attachment, attached, detach, detachment, detaches…” It seems to be helping her. We are using Latin roots to do this, as well, and it is helping her to start thinking about the root word and then seeing words as a root that doesn’t really change plus predictable prefixes and suffixes.
Slow and steady progress.
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