Hi Shanna,
Thank You for starting this post. My story is so much the same with my son who will turn nine January.
Some things I have used that are helping the process are;
http://www.clicknkids.com, there is a one time fee for setting up an account but it has been well worth it. You can try the lessons for free. I did this with my children before i set up the account. It has been well worh it for us. I use it about two to three times a week, you can adjust the lessons for duration and speed as well as repeat a lesson as many times as you want. This helped take some of the “emotion”
( me ) out it for him. I then have printed off the pratice sentences and we use it in copy work for reinforcement.
I am also using a remedial reading program (free) that came through a link from a previous post on this site. It is titled “Remedial Reading Drills”, by Thorcleif G. Hegge, PH.D. Samuel A. Kirk, Ph.D. Winifred D. Kirk, M.A. with directions by Samuel A. Kirk, Ph.D.. Interent Edition for Free Distribution by Donald L. Potter
Odessa TX 2005. The word lists are great, but what is best is the very simplistic way in which the course is used. I learned so much in just the 5 pages of directions for teachers. I think it was first published in 1936. I have added prayer and my own sense to make adjustments to this program, but we made big breakthroughs that helped him with his clicknkids program too. He is still not reading although he knows the sound of each letter now. He can make the sounds in a faster manner ( I inerantly would draw out the sounds, making them longer, trying to get him to “hear it” when it only distorted it for him), so that someimes he “hears it” for himself, this is the best reward for him!! This program helped me be a better teacher. I saved this file to my computer but not the site I got it from so that is why I gave you as much information I could. I am also considering the R&S reading program. I just purchased the math 1 and know it will be great for him ( he loves the thinking lessons from Ray’s Primary Arthmatic and i think that the workbooks from R&S will be a very good morale booster. He has strenghts that build him up and that is handwriting(italics) and math. I have decided for a time that we will enjoy those and develop them at the rate he is able. I think he will gain more confidence in his sucesses in these areas and that will help him as he tackles the one that is not so esay. I thank Faith for her great suggestion of building a sight word list. I can see where confidence will come with the ownership of a list of words that are mastered without the labor of hearing and sounding.
I am also using http://www.starfall.com
When we go to the grocery store I find three letter words for him that he has had in the lessons from home ( just when I see it and as the Holy Spirit directs me) I do not want him to feel hounded by me to read. Which is a big challenge for me because don’t we all REALLY want our chidren to read well and soon?!
I just look forward to any other posts on this and if you do the R&S I would really like to know your impression of the materials and how it turns out for you.. as those are the next steps I am thinking of taking.
May the Lord Bless you!
Heather