60-day returns • free shipping on USA orders $129+
Teaching a child to read..
- This topic has 21 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 10 months ago by
.
- Posts
I am really struggling and hope that someone here can give me some advice. I have a soon to be 9 yr old who has some special needs but to what extent we do not know. We are considering using Little Giant Steps or NACD this coming year. He was dx at 3 with PDD but we do not believe it to be an accurate dx. There are definitely some sensory issues and I believe some auditory processing issues. He was in speech from 2.5 till 7 yrs of age. He really no longer qualifies for speech as he can say all the sounds but still makes mistakes of switching words like (he/him, she/her, etc….). Ok…I am going off topic here I guess.
My question is what to use to teach reading. We have tried so many different things (100 EZ, Alphaphonics, Beginning Reading Instruction, OPGTTR) and I just feel so lost with him. We have started using All About Spelling which is similar to SWR but much more user & child friendly. He has just about mastered all the first 26 letters phonograms but the issue comes when taking that skill and applying it. He can sound out a word but then cannot take that and give the word but yet if someone else sounds it out he can hear the word. I believe that it is almost too much for his brain to process to remember the sounds and then supply the word. Does that make sense?
We have taken time off from reading in the past but now it is really effecting him emotionally that he cannot read. He wants to read so badly and it breaks my heart when he cries but I don’t know what to do to help him learn. My father and brother do not know how to read so this is very personal to me beyond just my son.
Any suggestions or advice?
Shanna, I’m sorry I don’t have any advice, but I will keep your son in my prayers. Reading is difficult in it self but when they want it and can’t grasp it. God will help you see the way and hopefully with someone fromthis site.
Blessings,Misty
Shanna,
I don’t have experience working with special needs children, but I’m gonna give you my advice anyway to see if you can use it.
Have you worked on sight words–teaching words that a child would know by sight without having to sound them out? I find that to be a good starting point for beginning readers. It gives them confidence that they can identify words. I’m working with my dd on this and she seems to be at the same stage as your son. She knows most sounds, can sound out the letters, but has a hard time putting the sounds together to make the word. But we’ve been working on sight words, and she loves pointing out words that she knows when we’re doing out group reading. Just a thought.
Faith 🙂
Shanna,
I have a son who is 7 years old who has some similarities to your 9 year old. The similarities are that he has sensory issues and speech difficulties. He is no longer going to speech therapy and seems to be doing better since the sessions ended. Go figure. Both neurologist and sp therapist told me he would have problems reading and comprehension. There is only one reason those things are not happening, and that reason is the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Him we see Andrew doing exceptionally well in all subjects. If I sent him to public school tomorrow he would not be on the level of his peers who are probably reading chapter books and writing short paragraphs or stories. He is reading on a 1st grade level. He can read Dr. Suess books or any other Level 1 readers with little or no help. As I type this I thank God for the work he has done. Keep the faith and know that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than you can ask or think.
I started teaching ds how to read when he turned 5. At the time we used Hooked on Phonics. We used that for a year with little or no results. When I pulled out the book he cried. Last March right before his 6th birthday I put away HOP and bought Rod and Staff Phonics and Reading 1st grade. So at the end of 1st grade we started a new reading program. He already knew all alphabet sounds but we started with lesson 1 anyway. My ds really enjoys this reading program and he just took off with reading. When I pull it out he willingly works in the workbook. Sometimes I ask if he would like to do math first instead of reading he almost always says no. R & S came recommended by a friend who taught at a private school for 6 years. During her years teaching she did have special needs children in her classroom. She said those children learned to read with R&S. It is a thorough program. I have few if any complaints about it. The reading portion uses sight words and phonics a separate workbook. My complaint right now is both lessons take too long to complete most days. Next year I will buy the phonics workbooks and readers only and not 2nd grade reading workbooks. Have you heard of Rod and Staff? If you go to the website you can see samples.
As mothers of special needs children we can’t look at ages or compare them with other children their age. We have to trust God for them.
Marsha
Shanna,
My oldest ds is severely dyslexic. We spent four years going to every specialist in our area and even traveling pretty good distances. This is what I’ve found (my ds is 12 now and reading at a Kindergarten level)… one year ago he still didn’t know his letters and reversed words like said chicken when he was trying to say kitchen. However, now he knows his letters and is reading short vowel words as well as many site words. A lot of that has just come with maturity. It took his brain longer to figure this stuff out. BUT, I do have a girlfriend whose son had many of the same problems mine has. She took him to the following place… http://www.lindamoodbell.com/… her son went from not knowing his letters to reading at a fourth grade level in 13 weeks. This program is REALLY expensive, but I know to them it was well worth the cost.
Since we can’t afford that yet, we’re doing the best we can. BUT I’ve been very encouraged that a man can be well read without doing the reading traditionally. We get him books on cd/mp3 and let him “read with his ears” during our reading times. He narrates the information back to me and is very capable of holding a grade level conversation about the books. My husband and I hope that he’ll read someday, but right now, we’re busy trying to encourage him to perservere and that God has a plan for him in this struggle.
I’ll be praying for your little man. I wish there was one quick fix idea, but I haven’t found one. BUT I do know that God created him and values him just as he is… I’ll be praying that he knows it, too.
Jen
Hi Shanna,
We have used Reading Made Easy and it has been wonderful! It is tried and true in this home. This is the website incase you’re interesed
http://www.valeriebendt.com/ReadingMadeEasy.aspx
May the Lord direct you and give you His Peace!
Heather
I have a friend who has 2 special needs boys, age 9, and 8. They have both struggled with reading for the past few years, and the program she is using is, Teach Your Child to read in 100 easy lessons. I have only heard her say good things about it…especially with her son who has sensory, etc, issues.
Blessings!
Marsha,
I have some questions about the R&S. I actually have the readers for the books. He can read Bess from the Primer with some ease. I have wondered about getting the workbooks. But, I am curious how it works and what all is involved. Can you tell me how you use it? My 6 yr old is doing wonderfully with the Pathway readers. I got them after reading what Sonya used to teach reading. I am enjoyed them and now wonder if I should get the workbooks to go with them for my 9 yr old.
We’ve used ‘Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons’ and are presently on our third child with it – it is WONDERFUL! My son (our third) is on lesson 10 and already has a word list he made up on the refrigerator that he reads every day. He absolutely loves it and is encouraged at how much he’s learned so quickly. None of them were pushed to start the lessons, they have all requested to learn and this program has worked very well. We never did get past Lesson 50 with the first two because they read so well at that point and they felt ready to start reading independently. I must say, my children are not special needs children, but I do know several homeschoolers that have had much success with this program and their special needs student(s). It only takes about 15 minutes per lesson (which can easily be split into two very short lessons a day) and costs nothing other than the lesson book itself. The lessons are scripted, but once you’re familiar with it you can pretty much work without the script. It includes daily sound writing which I do in sand, rice, or in the air. Sounds like you have great recommendations besides this, but I just wanted to add to Christina’s post, since we have used it and I like it so much. 🙂 Good luck.
In Christ,
Rebecca – WI
Shanna,
The Rod and Staff website is http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com. I don’t know how to insert a link here ( need help with that one). There you can see what the program is like. I can tell you the phonics and reading program is not all bells and whistles. It is all black and white, very plainly laid out and simple. At first glance I was turned off by the curriculum. As I said my teacher friend had told me all about it but I didn’t listen to her because I already had an expensive curriculum and R & S looked unattractive to me. After HOP didn’t work I decided to give it a try. There are 5 units to each grade level. If you are starting with the 1st grade level I would recommend using both phonics and reading workbooks. You will need the teacher manual to use this curriculum. It is quite helpful and is required IMO. Each reading and phonics lessons are 2 pages each and the TM suggests lots of review and repetition. This is why the lessons take so long. Of course you can go as slow as you want and you don’t have to do it all just where he needs review. There isn’t a lot of writing just underlining, matching and circling. This curriculum is bible based and will take your son through the Bible. I do like that about this program. Check out the website and if you have any questions I will be more than happy to answer them.
Marsha
Marsha,
Sorry to keep asking so many questions. On the R&S site there is the Pathway Readers and the Phonics. Did you use the Grade 1 Reading “We Learn About God” Set which shows to sell for $100.20? Just trying to make sure I am looking a the same thing.
It’s okay to ask questions. I was very unsure about what to buy at first. I have been describing to you the We Learn About God Set Bible and Nurture Series. The books are green with 2 children on the front. You don’t have to have the workbooks called Worksheets that come with the set. This is really just extra busy work, like cutting and pasting. It’s entirely up to you.
Marsha
Dear Shanna,
Just a short and simple note about something I’ve done with our daughter that has been fun and positive for both of us. This would take some time, but might your son enjoy making some books of his own? We’ve used SIMPLE drawings that we’ve both contributed to make a short story. A friend shared with us a photo of their dog that was the basis of another short book. We’ve used photographs, pictures of animals copied on our copier, and it seems there would be almost unlimited ideas for story/book ideas. Might your son enjoy a short book about a trip, a favorite animal, a project he worked on, etc? If he helped write the story, and you helped keep the vocabulary somewhat reasonable for his reading level, I wonder if that would help him gain some experience and confidence. If you even just added this as an occasional break from the routine, hopefully it could be a bright spot for both you and your son.
God bless you both,
Nancy
- The topic ‘Teaching a child to read..’ is closed to new replies.