Hello everyone, I am finished homeschooling my own children, but I have started tutoring and offering weekly group classes to home-schoolers---The Academy. Anyway, I have been asked to teach a 7 year old with special needs to read. His mother has been trying for a couple of years to teach him to read with limited success. He does know the sounds of the letters and can read CVC words in isolation. He seems to need the words to be larger than normal print. He already wears glasses. My kids could already read when I started homeschooling them. I am hoping that someone on this board has some ideas that will help me. He is a very active little boy. He has speech therapy at a local public school. He is working on asking questions appropriately. His testing shows his IQ as about 70, but I am not sure that is accurate. He seems brighter. He does much better with math. He writes some letters backwards such as the "s". His mother wants to have him tested for dyslexia. He can only tolerate about 20 minutes of direct instruction at one time. She wants me to work with him four days a week for one hour each day. What kinds of games, workbooks, etc. would you recommend? He has a MobiGo, LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet. His mother is more than willing to buy any programs for those devices that may help. What learn to read program works well with special needs kids? I need one that can be taught in 20 minutes or less increments. Also, I need ideas for board games, learning games, and workbooks that would work well as supplements. She says that he is distracted by too much color in his workbooks. He loves cars, trucks and video games. He only gets 30 minutes a day on computer and video games. I have an I-Pod touch and a lap top that I can use with him. I really hope someone can point me in the right direction. I will start tutoring him this Friday, so I need a source for free printable worksheets that will work until we can order some appropriate materials. Thanks, Susan
What exactly do you mean by "special needs"? Different needs need different methods.... Has his hearing been tested?
Ah. Autism isn't something I know a lot about, but we've several moms on here with high functioning autism. The name that comes up right away is Marylyn Tx (only because she use to be my roomie, and I know her girls!), but there are others. I'm sure if you were to send her a PM, she (or any of the others) would be able to answer your questions!
I have worked with a child on the autism spectrum in public school and I used this program for him: Phonics for Reading (Curriculum Associates), it provides several short activities which I think helped him, that's an option. You can also look at: REWARDS 6 minute solution They are often used in schools but I have heard great things about them. Have you heard of Brain Gym? These are also short exercises to help focus especially if you are with him for an hour and gets restless after 20, could do a few to see if it would help! Good luck!
Whoops!!! Maybe I should have said with have several moms who have CHILDREN WITH high functioning autism!
I have worked with autistic children but not taught one to read. I have taught another child with disabilities to read. I would say find a step by step program that he can finish in the time his attention span allows you or that you can break up into those time periods. Then he needs to be rewarded with something he likes or can chill out with for awhile and then go back for another 20. I don't know how happy his mother will be with that unless you can find something he really LIKES that is related to reading but I doubt it will be a successful hour if you don't allow for break time. You already now the key, "he doesn't like change". So the routine with the reward/break time is important and that he can trust you will follow through with it. I assure you he will let you know if you don't. Eye sight- I used a whiteboard for all my children and time consuming as it was rewrote words on it as we went. It's less cluttered if you only have a few words on the board at a time and you can add letters to make new words or erase parts of words plus it's large. Children are typically far sighted until school age as the near sight vision develops later. I also used different colors at times when breaking words into parts. The boy I taught also needed vision therapy as his eyes didn't track together. This is usually done by a specialist with exercises sent home. There is no reason to suspect he would have this at this time but if you find that eyesight is a problem in the future it is something to remember. I used Alpha-Phonics and then Phonics pathways for the boy I taught but that Phonics for Reading if it has the shorter activities may be better.
Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions and support. I have already checked some of them out. You ladies rock! Happy homeschooling, Susan
Rose, did you send a message to Heads Up Now? I got an email from Melinda, saying I refered someone to her, and Melinda went to reply and got a message that the email (or message box or whatever) was full.
No, it wasn't me, Jackie. Thanks to everyone's help we found a curriculum that looks perfect for him. We have decided to use Rod and Staff Preschool books along with a set from Special Reads. I found it while following some leads from this board. Thanks so much everyone! http://specialreads.com/teach-readi...Pre-Primer-CD-ROM-+-Step-One-Starter-Set.html
I was just reading on this topic yesterday! We have decided to pursue the adoption of a baby with Down syndrome, so I have been reading about that. Yesterday I read from a book called Down Syndrome Parenting 101 and she specifically mentioned this. For some reason many kids do best using oversized flash cards, and for some reason when they are written in red they also respond better (in general). Here are some resources she mentions: www.specialreads.com - I think these are books she publishes Www.woodbinehouse.com - specific to DS, but would likely still work She mentions that she would start with very large flash cards, gradually reduce the size, and then make home made books where the left page was always blank and the picture would only come when he turned the page. Once they get going, she suggested using full sheet labels over the words in easy readers, so that she can use a highly readable font, in a larger size, with extra space between words. I hope that helps!
HUH! Then I wonder who it is,,,, (If it's anyone on here, please let me know, and I'll let Melinda know!)
Hi ChelC, I wish you all the best with the adoption. Children are a blessing! Every child deserves a loving home. Thanks so much for the links. I will be looking to see if there are any other books that will help me tutor him. Blessings, Susan
I pulled my 11 year old son from public school last Nov. Thanks to Bear Necessities, Dancing Bears, and Apples & Pears, he's finally reading! We accomplished what six years of public school with an IEP couldn't do, we got him reading!
Wow, Shelly!! That is wonderful! Congratulations to you and your son! That just goes to show you the difference one motivated and loving parent-teacher can make! I remember checking those materials out, but we decided they would not work for him. Blessings, Susan
