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 Post subject: Reading update
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:30 pm 
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Location: Central TX
I typed up a long post earlier and it disappeared, so I'm going to try a condensed version. I thought I should give a reading update on my son. Unfortunately, there's not much positive to report. A year ago, when Christian was going into 4th grade and still struggling with reading, I got some great advice from Anna1111 about giving him phonics training. It seemed to start out ok, but something has been going wrong that is hindering progress and I have not been able to pinpoint it. I was doing everything I thought I was supposed to, but still Christian was making so many mistakes in his reading with seemingly no rhyme or reason. One day, he could say a word and the next day he would get it wrong, constantly having to go back and re-reed. I read that if you suspect they are guessing a word, to tell them not to guess, but to sound it out. I would do that and he would quickly say the right word, so we would move on. But the lessons said not to move on until he was able to easily read the words and he could not do that and was complaining that he had to keep reading the same page over and over. I was so frustrated wondering why phonics worked for every kid but mine. This was supposed to be the year he learned to read and discovered he loved books, making both of our lives easier.

Going into a new year, I was about to throw in the towel and was wondering what business I have in homeschooling my kids (i'm still kind of wondering that, btw). But I think I was finally able to pinpoint the problem and it seems so simple that I feel stupid for not seeing it sooner. I think his problem is that, despite doing eye exercises, blending and phonics, he is not able to look at a word (at least most words) and not see the whole word. He has word guessing so ingrained in his head, that even though he knows the letter sounds and is learning phonics, he's not capable of seeing the individual letters in a word. At least not for the most part. He even told me that he can't help guessing and still remembers in Kindergarten and first grade, sitting there and the teacher showing the words on the flashcards. He will see the word "like" and still say "look". He needs phonics, but he needs to be cured of his word guessing before we can progress. I really did not know it could be this bad. I just thought we needed to keep trying and keep trying and it would get better. But it's not. I tested his reading level and Saphira's reading level and they are both at about the same level. Saphira is slightly above grade level and Christian is well below grade level. He really has not made much progress.

Well thankfully, once I pinpointed his problem, I looked online and realized that there are some determined word guessers that you can't just tell to stop guessing, you have to get drastic and force them. This hadn't even occurred to me. And there are several methods that break them of the habit with great results. I found these sites:

http://www.thephonicspage.org/

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic ... -guessing/

I feel hopeful again. I thought phonics was my last resort. But this really is my last resort. If this doesn't work I don't know what else to do. But I feel confident that this is his problem and will work. It has to. I just started the video phonics lessons with him that are specifically for whole word guessers. It forces them to sound out each letter. I have started writing words on the dry erase board, letter by letter, having him say each sound as I write it instead of having him read the word as a whole, I am writing words in all uppercase so it changes the shape of the word and he can't guess it. I am doing a card game that makes him sound out the letters. I am giving him lots of nonsense words and there are also nonsense words in the phonics videos. These are all things they say will cure this habit. I really think progress will go much quicker after this. He is very smart and bright, so that makes it extra frustrating. The phonics videos take about a month and they say most people improve 1-2 grade levels afterwards, some more. Some people do the videos 2-3 times and they improve a grade level each time. I am hoping to kick start things and get him a quick boost, though I know he will need more than just this. He loves writing on the dry erase board, though, so I am having him spell words from the lists in the "Why Johnny can't read book and using those exercises as well to help. The phonics book I was using was great, but the pages were so busy and I just need to get back to the basics to get him up to speed and no playing around. He can't go another year of not reading and I really need to see significant improvement in the next 3-4 months. He is also so defiant, so his attitude against everything school related makes things so hard. I think a lot of it is due to the history of trouble with reading, but also part of it is his personality.

Anyways, I really hope I can update again in a few months with much more positive news. Anna really got me started in the right direction with phonics, but I wish I saw sooner that he is one of the minority that has deeper rooted issues with reading and needs a little extra.

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 Post subject: Re: Reading update
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:31 pm 
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Location: Central TX
Ok, that wasn't very condensed, lol. Sorry.

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 Post subject: Re: Reading update
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:04 pm 
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I'm delighted to have the update, and delighted to see you on here! I've really missed you! : )

With my DD, I've always had the habit of covering up most of a word, and having her sound it out in letter groups of about 3 to 4 letters (Bun Ny or Cook Ie). It eliminates the possibility of guessing - something that even the best readers are tempted to do when faced with a long, scary looking word like Nineveh or Assyrian, Sounds like you're onto a good system! All of the books agree that it takes much longer to "fix" a bad reading habit than to establish a good one from the start. Actually, that's true of a lot of "bad habits" in other categories, too.

Don't be discouraged, Lisa - you're doing great! Believe me, the schools would NOT put the time & work into helping your son that you put in. They're not only less motivated than you are, but they also have fewer resources to spread around to a lot more kids.

I do hope we'll see more of you on here in the future - I've missed seeing you here a lot! : )

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 Post subject: Re: Reading update
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:30 pm 
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Location: Central TX
Thanks, I've missed being on here!

The area we got stuck at is when it comes to double consonant beginnings. These words seem easy, they're all letters he knows the sound of. He does great with the blending exercises so I know he can blend the sounds together to make a word. That's why his inaccuracy has been so baffling to me. I now see that he was also guessing with even easier words than these, but this is when it really became apparent that there was a problem, when we ended up being stuck halfway through his phonics book for so long. We got into a rut and it felt hopeless.

I do think they would probably be doing phonics with him in school, but would they do all the techniques to stop word guessing? I don't know. Would he be one of those kids graduating from the school system not being able to read? Probably. The thought of putting him in public school terrifies me. He would be made fun of, probably be put a couple grades back. But I just have days that I panic and feel depressed about it. Like last week, I almost made myself sick. I had a headache from all the worry and went to bed without eating dinner. I kept thinking, how did we get through another year and he still can't read? Now, with this knowledge and resources, I'm in all action mode. Just determined to do whatever it takes. Worrying helps nothing.

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 Post subject: Re: Reading update
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:33 pm 
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Location: Central TX
Oh, and it's even scarier to think where we would be if you hadn't shown me he needed phonics in the first place. I'm so thankful for your wisdom and the other advice from people here and for all the internet resources. I couldn't do this without it, that's for sure.

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 Post subject: Re: Reading update
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:53 pm 
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You're so sweet, Lisa - I do believe that Christian will be fine!

One thing that the parents' guide to McGuffey readers helped me with was this: Phonics requires *overlearning* - which means that a student not only needs to know the facts, they need to know them inside out, upside down & backwards to truly succeed. (the same is true of math facts - unfortunately, my teachers believed that it was "good enough" for me to be able to add things pretty fast by counting - an academic malpractice that I'm just now recovering from as I teach them to DD)

With that in mind (and, if he doesn't mind being patient with something "babyish" - although it's only a couple of years behind him) you might find "Meet the Phonics" Blends & digraphs DVDs to be helpful. They've helped DD a lot (we checked them out free from the library, btw.)

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 Post subject: Re: Reading update
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 10:02 pm 
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Lisa, check your inbox, I pm'd you.

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 Post subject: Re: Reading update
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 10:13 pm 
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You may be interested in screencast videos on how to teach reading with the
McGuffey readers. It's free.

http://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com/snip/163.htm

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 Post subject: Re: Reading update
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 10:20 pm 
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LisaTX wrote:
Ok, that wasn't very condensed, lol. Sorry.


LOL! That's ok I'm glad you took the time to type it all out again!
(btw I lost a long post of mine last night... :? )

Also.. just for encouragement for you. My ds, never public schooled, always home schooled, never learned to "guess" words.... STILL didn't read well until he was 11 y/o.
I still remember the day and the very book he read aloud to me cover to cover all by himself!!
My ds ALSO had a very bright younger sister who could read better.
I learned to seperate them when my ds was doing reading.
That helped tremendously. His confidence was shattered as it was, without wise-guy little sister being able to read the word easily and saying it outloud as he struggled to read the word.
So.. when he had reading lessons, she was in another room doing other school work or drawing.
When SHE was reading, he was in another room playing legos or something.
;)


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 Post subject: Re: Reading update
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:22 am 
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Lisa, I've been thinking about you SO much lately! It's really great to see you here again! Sorry to hear about your mom. :( That must've been hard for everybody.

You are doing a FABULOUS job with homeschooling! You know, I think my dh has the same trouble reading as you describe. He still doesn't enjoy reading but his comprehension is good. I don't know how that can be, but it is! He once asked me to teach him to read (phonics) but he doesn't have the patience. Nobody recognized the problem when he was in 3rd grade or later, or didn't bother with it anyway. I had to read his homework to him when he was in college. Now ME, I learned phonics well and can read very well but I may not have a clue what I just read! I don't remember ever having to tell back what I'd read or anything.


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