For my great HS...picking your brains...

....I have a "friend" okay, acquaintance is more like it. Former teacher. Her daughter does gymnastics with my youngest. Her oldest is a boy, 8, and is not doing well in reading. He is more computer oriented, etc.

He's IN PS...so he's not homeschooled. But she wants to do some stuff with him over the summer to help him out. All of the suggestions I gave her got the "Yeah, I've done that". I have suggested things like letting him books he wants to read at the library and stuff like that.

Seems like she's looking for a computer program (NOT A BEGINNING PHONICS LIKE STARFALL OR CLICKNREAD), to have him do?

Suggestions???

 

I don't know much about it, so it might not even be what she's looking for, but would that time4learning.com work for her?

Starfall does offer a paid curriculum that I've heard is more 'all inclusive"

Explode the code has an online program

 

What about progressive phonics? It has an advanced version.

 

He's 8...so he is READING....I think it's more comprehension...but I'm not sure that can be done on the computer!

 

I think Kaboose has some reading games he could play online.

 

That's what I wasn't understanding, I agree.

For comprehension I'd do things like read part of the story, then have the child write their own ending (this covers the comprehension of the first part of the story)

Or look at the cover-have the child guess what the story is about, read the story, have the child comapre the difference between their verison and actual version.

Draw picture of the story and rewrite it in their own words.

I guess you could blog about it on the computer, but it's not going to interactive.

There are some cool book report forms you can download for free.

Do activities to go along with the book like these http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Book-Activity-Checklist
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pick-and-Choose-Literature-Activity

 

We have used Time 4 Learning for 3 years with varying degrees of success. I will say I loved the lower grade phonics and reading. My daughter could read but just seemed to struggle with speed and comprehension. She really liked that the program timed her on reading passages and she was able to see her progress.

 

Thanks everyone, I sent her the email today. Hoping some of what's been suggested helps her out.

 

I think Critical Thinking Press has some software for improving reading comprehension. Tell her to check out http://www.criticalthinking.com/index.jsp .