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Small update
http://forum.homeschoolchristian.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5412		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  LisaTX [ Sun May 03, 2015 8:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Small update
We are just finishing level 3 of Barton with both kids and have ordered level 4. This is one of the hardest levels because it introduces multi-syllable words and it is just very dense. I've heard it's not unusual for it to take a year to get through with some kids (most levels take 3-4 months). Christian moved through level 3 pretty easily, he caught on to the spelling rules pretty well and by the end of the level, his spelling is almost perfect. The kid that always had to ask "does this start with a c or a k?" or couldn't remember "tch" after a short vowel, seems to finally get it. And because the first question you ask after every sentence they write, is "Does it start with a capitol and end with punctuation?", he is extra careful about double checking his sentences for these things, something he never noticed missing before. I hardly even have to ask anymore. I feel like his reading has improved, though I haven't tested his reading level yet. I haven't had to correct him as much as before and it seems more fluid. He reads through the short stories pretty well and has decent comprehension. He still does not try to initiate reading on his own for enjoyment, no surprise there, and he's not even supposed to until the end of level 4.

Saphira is the one who requires every ounce of my patience when it comes to spelling. The rules just don't stick very easily. Some days, it feels like we're starting all over and the previous day never even happened. She has made progress in her spelling, though. And like Christian, she is better about remembering her capitals and punctuation. She just needs more practice and re-enforcement. There are a few spelling games that are designed to go along with the Barton system and they help the child who needs more re-enforcement and they make it more fun, so we ordered those for her. A lot of people say it really helps with their kids.

It's funny how much they are opposites. One struggles more with reading and the other struggles more with spelling.
Author:  Anna1111 [ Mon May 04, 2015 12:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Small update
I'm delighted that they're doing so well!

I remember 2nd Grade spelling as one of the HARDEST academic challenges I *ever* encountered - harder than quite a few college courses I took! When a child has not yet learned *how* to study, spelling can be very difficult. (BTW - it later "clicked" for me and I got to be a reasonably proficient speller without too much work at it). I do think that a few YEARS exposure to reading makes spelling a LOT easier - because things LOOK right - I think most curricula start it too early.
Author:  LisaTX [ Mon May 04, 2015 2:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Small update
Really? I've never been a perfect speller, but I don't remember ever struggling with it. I always thought it was pretty intuitive. I do think it eventually clicks with most people, though, like you said. The problem with dyslexics, is that without the proper teaching (multisensory, explicit, and systematic), they usually go from kids who can't spell, to adults who can't spell. I see it all the time when reading people's posts on social media, it's not hard to spot the dyslexic. Many of them don't even attempt to spell, they just use voice technology. They have to work harder to get to the point where everyone else eventually gets to with less effort. I'm not rushing Saphira or stressing about her spelling, but I do feel like if we weren't doing what we're doing now, she will be left in the dust when it is "clicking" for everyone else. Who knows, I can't say anything for sure, I'm just trying to do what I can to "level the playing field". While she doesn't seem to have the reading problems that "classic" dyslexics have, she has many of the other symptoms, so I feel confident that her spelling is something that we need to put more focus on to get her to the point that everyone else in her age range/grade will get to.
Author:  LisaTX [ Mon May 04, 2015 4:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Small update
Oh, I forgot to mention that Christian's b/d confusion is significantly better. I think before we started the program, I said that he got it wrong about 95% of the time when reading/writing. Now I would say he only gets it wrong maybe 15% when reading (it's hard to even put a percentage on it because it seems so rare now) and around 25-30% when writing. And this is without using the trick he learned to check if it's b/d. The program says they will probably need to check until halfway through level 3 and I was skeptical that he would improve so much without checking, but he really has improved that much, the difference is huge!
Author:  LisaTX [ Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Small update
Christian did some very good reading today and I made a comment to him about it. He read pretty fluidly, didn't guess at words, and actually took the time to work through tougher words, and asked the meaning of a couple words he didn't understand. Anyways, he still said he hates reading and I said I don't know why he keeps saying that when he is continuing to improve. He said he hates that he is getting better at it because he might actually start to like it. *Gasp* :shock: I was shocked he even admitted that much. I don't have any high hopes that his intense hatred for reading will turn into a love for reading anytime soon, but I do hope he will end up enjoying it at some point. I know everyone is different. My sister didn't struggle with reading, as far as I know, and she didn't enjoy reading until she was a teenager. I just hope the intense program we are using, along with his audio books, will help to repair the damage done over the years and help him to stop seeing books as evil.

I was tutoring both kids four days a week, but we have changed our schedule for the summer. You are supposed to do 2 hrs a week minimum and I was having to do 30 minute sessions 4x a week because they could not pay attention for more than that. Somewhere along the way, our sessions have stretched to an hour, so I have been doing both kids for an hr each 4x a week. It has been very draining for me on top of everything else going on around here. So, I decided we would go to only one kid a day, so each kid will get the minimum 2 hrs a week (with no tutoring on Wed). It will make it go slower, but they will still be making progress and we will still be moving forward. But it's summer and I am trying to make it more enjoyable for all of us. I feel SOOO much better only tutoring one child a day and it's much more manageable. I don't feel as overwhelmed and I feel a little more sane, lol. Realistically, we will have to keep this schedule well into the next school year because of the baby coming in the fall. But the important thing is that they continue to progress, and I'm sure they will.

We are all doing well with this schedule and I can't stress how much I love love love this program. I would recommend it to anyone with a struggling reader. We are still in the beginning of Level 4 and I can already see why they call this level the "payoff level", it is amazing to pull apart words and watch your kids learn all these decoding skills that they just couldn't get before. Right now, we are going over how to divide words into syllables and how to tell whether the syllable is "open" or "closed" and which sound the vowel will make. We start out doing it with letter tiles, then on paper, and now Christian can already do it in his head. He seems to find it all interesting and challenging and no longer resists doing the lessons. I think he is finally starting to see that it is benefiting him, though he won't admit it. There are studies that show the brains of dyslexics before they receive appropriate reading instruction and their brains after they receive it, and there are actually new pathways and connections that are formed in the brain that weren't there before. It's amazing.
Author:  Tory [ Fri Jun 12, 2015 6:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Small update
I think YOU are amazing! Well done, mom. Your children are blessed to have you.
:)
Author:  LisaTX [ Sun Jun 14, 2015 10:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Small update
Tory wrote:
I think YOU are amazing! Well done, mom. Your children are blessed to have you.
:)


Thank you. I usually don't feel that way, but I guess I'm my own worst enemy. I constantly feel like I'm just trying to keep my head above water. I'm trying to find the joy in homeschooling. I went into it with completely different expectations and it's been nothing but one long, painful, confusing struggle. We haven't been able to enjoy all the extras because we've still been stuck on the basics. Now that I feel like we've gotten to the source of the problems and are working on correcting them, I'm trying make stronger and more positive connections with my kids and just enjoy them. We have a long ways to go still.
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