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mom2mpr
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| Posted: Sept 07 2009 at 12:26pm | IP Logged
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DD will be 7 in December. And not reading at all. I never had to teach ds to read, so I have no idea where to start. I bought Learning Lang Arts through Literature, Blue book. She doesn't like to sit down and do the exercises most days. She does know her letters (capital and lowercase)and most of the sounds-except vowels seem to be a problem. She gets frustrated easily and seems to forget things. Also, handwriting is slow. She is content to use all capitals now and has no desire to learn lowercase. HELP!!
I used to be so relaxed...
I am feeling this intense pressure as ds was homeschooled and was so far ahead, now dd seems behind.
Thanks oh wise and experienced ones 
Anne
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Sept 07 2009 at 5:39pm | IP Logged
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My dd just turned 8 and has a learning disability. She is reading, but only with great effort and only very simple stuff and she does not retain material without constant review. The learning disability means that, contrary to my nature and everything I have ever done with any of my other children, I have to be VERY methodical about her reading (and math, but that's another subject).Believe me, this is not at all how I would prefer to do things, but consistency and repetition are what this child needs.
I've tried a number of things, but what I am using right now seems to be working best.
I am using a combination of Montessori materials, a home-made phonics program I designed for her, and the book Alpha-Phonics.I do daily review of everything, from the alphabet sounds to sight words, to all of the phonics rules we have learned so far, (eliminating things from the review only after she has shown consistent mastery). This takes a bit of time, but if I skip it even once it shows.Only after the daily review can I move on to new material.
Please don't worry that your dd is behind. Put that out of your mind. Homeschooling is about meeting your children where they are, and giving them what they need. And not worrying about whether they are behind or ahead. It's knowing that wherever they are it is exactly where God intends them to be.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Sept 07 2009 at 5:42pm | IP Logged
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Oh, and I just wanted to reassure you that by my reply I did not intend to imply that your dd is learning disabled. Not at all! She is only 6, right? What you describe is totally normal at that age!
I simply meant that our children are all different and sometimes we have to adapt our ways in order to meet them where they are.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Stephanie_Q
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| Posted: Sept 07 2009 at 6:22pm | IP Logged
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I can't say that I'm wise and experienced, but my dd who just turned 7 in June is very much the same. She is content for mom and her younger sister to read to her. We have been working on forming uppercase and lowercase letters correctly and when she does her school work, she can use the correct case but when she writes on her own, it is a mixture - whatever is 'easier' for her. I can see that she really has to think about how to form each letter and wonder if she's learning anything in her other subjects or if her attention / focus is caught up in writing the letters correctly.
One of the things that has been helping is getting her "balanced" before school starts - morning exercises, if you will. If she can balance, cross-over, and make forward circles with her arms extended, then the school work doesn't seem so hard for her, but I think she'll always be "behind" and for a parent who excelled in school and has other kids who are "ahead" it can be difficult. It has been very helpful in my recognition that this is not a mini-me, but a unique child of God, and I have the privilege of helping her discover and develop her strengths to serve Him: something I KNOW, but something I definitely need to UNDERSTAND better.
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Stephanie dh 6.01
dd 6.02, dd 8.03, ds 3.05, ds 12.06 at Catholic school.
dd 12.09 at home.
Baby boy due 10.13
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molly
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| Posted: Sept 07 2009 at 7:34pm | IP Logged
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I think it was helpful for me to know, "normal" reading age is 4-12 yrs of age. We are seldom told this anymore, and we tend to think the norm is what the compulsory school system tells us is norm. Each child of mine, has learned at VERY different ages and with VERY different methods.
I am sorry for your stress, I know that feeling well. I have a 7.5 yr old who is barely reading, but he will 
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mom2mpr
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| Posted: Sept 08 2009 at 1:30pm | IP Logged
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Thank you all for you kind replies.
Theresa-I have thought of LD for this child. She really does forget things easily. I just don't know where to start with testing and all. The pediatrician? The schools(oh, I'd rather not)? How long do I wait?
My current plan is to try to work with her a lot this school year(First grade). In the spring I'll see where she is and if I feel comfortable with her progress. Then....????
I know other kids haven't read until 9 or 10. But where we live now it is just so competitive and homeschooling isn't thought of well. I lived in a nice little sheltered area a few years ago where it was OK to homeschool and OK to let your kids progress at their own pace. Here I am feeling such pressure.
If anyone else has any ideas of things I can try with her to make it more fun I'd appreciate it. I am almost ready to buy Sing, Spell, Read and Write. It sounds fun and engaging. I need something written out as I really have no time to "plan."
Thanks again,
Anne
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Anastasia
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| Posted: Sept 08 2009 at 8:27pm | IP Logged
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I know it sounds weird to be recommending this, but the phonics/reading games at the pbskids website are really fun. My son uses the Between the Lions and SuperReaders word games, and learned his letter sounds very quickly.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Sept 08 2009 at 9:26pm | IP Logged
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Anne,
I'm not above offering the Leap Frog DVD's. The Letter Factory is well loved here. So is the Talking Words Factory. And, I agree with Anastasia, Between the Lions and SuperReader on PBS are great shows for assisting with phonics. I'm not suggesting just plopping her in front of the tv, but they have a great place and they are fun and engaging. I'd do this before I spent $$$$ on Sing, Spell, Read, Write. Sometimes, these catchy shows help and something just clicks. Betting they're available at your library as well.
A couple of different ideas:
** have you tried some Montessori activities? maybe a different approach using the Pink, Blue, Green series?
** how about language objects with matching language object labels. These are helpful with a child who enjoys a hands-on approach.
Good luck, Anne!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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stellamaris
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Another great pre-reading and early reading site is Starfall. My kids love this site, and it has a great variety of activities ranging from learning the basic phonograms to reading actual stories. Very engaging!
My first ds read at 4, my second ds didn't read until he was 9! I thought the homeschool police were going to come and arrest me for sure ! But, in his own time, he did read, has since even graduated from college! It really is true that every child is on their own reading timetable, and trying to push too hard just is frustrating.
I hope you can set aside your fears, and just enjoy your dd. If she has a learning disability, you will gradually begin to see more and more evidence of that and then you can have her tested. Trust your instincts!
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In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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Lisa in WI
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My oldest dd was more comfortable spelling than reading for quite a while (do you think this might be the case with your dd?). We began with activities from Montessori Read and Write. When she was spelling simple words easily with a movable alphabet we moved to All About Spelling. We were about half-way through level 1 when something clicked and she began reading books. We also used some Montessori activities to focus on reading the words that she learned in spelling. This worked really well, and I think I'm going to add the pink, blue, and green series with my next dc.
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Lisa,
mommy to E (9/04), O (3/06), C (1/08), & Baby (due January 2010)
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anitamarie
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| Posted: Sept 25 2009 at 11:14pm | IP Logged
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I will echo Lisa and recommend All About Spelling, too. My dd was just like your daughter. The letter-sound connection was really slow in coming for her. And vowels, oh boy, she still forgets to include those. I still have to remind her that "Every syllable has at least one vowel."
I think All About Spelling really helps reinforce those connections and the rules that some of us just figure out. Reading really clicked for her at about 7 1/2. Before that, it was a struggle. Now, I can't get her head out of a book, and she is reading above grade level.
God Bless,
Anita
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Teaching to read/write
