Developmental Variation in Phonics Questions

This has worked for us when just trying to memorize the facts didn’t.

Place 30 small blocks you could use little leggos or pennies. Have her count them forward and back. Once this is truly automatic have her count them but start with the number 31 and go back and forth. Do this until she can count up to 100 back and forth easily without any errors. Then use the same blocks but say each one equals 2 and have her count by 2s forward and back. Then 3s 4s etc.

After each counting session we review math facts that pertain to the counting. For example after counting by 2s we do the 2 times table.

For variation have her count forward and back in the same way on a numbers chart.

This has really helped my son not only remember his math facts but gain the sequencing skills he needs to understand what those facts mean. This program is similar to audiblox which deals with underlying cognitive deficits. www.audiblox2000.com

“developmental variation in phonics” they’re just saying gosh, she didn’t develop her phonics knowledge the way most kids do. I suppose a kid who figures out how to read when she’s 2 would have the “same” diagnosis…
What they’re not even touching is *why* she struggled to pick up phonics. Looks to me like she is one of many who have trouble making connections between symbols and other stuff, whether it’s sounds or pictures. That would produce both problems.
LInda’s idea is great — build that basic foundation that connects the numbers to the amounts. You might also want to try some of the ideas in the intro to Tools for the Times Tables at http://www.resourceroom.net/products/toolstimes.asp (scroll down to find it)

We have done much the same thing except we have done it doing a motor activity as well. This helps make it automatic because you are doing two things at once.

We also have done the multiplication tables chanting while bouncing on a ball—0 x 9= 0, 1 X 9 = 0, 2X 9=18. This helps working memory as well because you have to keep track of where you are at. We tried this a year ago and it didn’t work—had to do the sequencing work first.

We have also followed up with sheets of multiplication problems with about 30 problems on them listed in a list. One sheet has answers with them. The other doesn’t. I time this. I read to him the problem (he has the answer) and he answers. He is hearing and seeing it at the same time. Then we switch (he has no answers). I did this first for 0-5, and now 6-9 facts. When the time on the two sheets are equal (about 30 seconds), I ask him the facts from the bottom up. Then I do it with him standing on a stool.

Kids who have real problems with multiplication do not respond to repetition.

The conventional wisdom is LD kids can’t learn their multiplication tables. My son is living proof that they are wrong. (of course, it takes months to do this but Rome wasn’t built in a day!)

Beth

This has worked for us when just trying to memorize the facts didn’t.

Place 30 small blocks you could use little leggos or pennies. Have her count them forward and back. Once this is truly automatic have her count them but start with the number 31 and go back and forth. Do this until she can count up to 100 back and forth easily without any errors. Then use the same blocks but say each one equals 2 and have her count by 2s forward and back. Then 3s 4s etc.

After each counting session we review math facts that pertain to the counting. For example after counting by 2s we do the 2 times table.

For variation have her count forward and back in the same way on a numbers chart.

This has really helped my son not only remember his math facts but gain the sequencing skills he needs to understand what those facts mean. This program is similar to audiblox which deals with underlying cognitive deficits. www.audiblox2000.com

“developmental variation in phonics” they’re just saying gosh, she didn’t develop her phonics knowledge the way most kids do. I suppose a kid who figures out how to read when she’s 2 would have the “same” diagnosis…
What they’re not even touching is *why* she struggled to pick up phonics. Looks to me like she is one of many who have trouble making connections between symbols and other stuff, whether it’s sounds or pictures. That would produce both problems.
LInda’s idea is great — build that basic foundation that connects the numbers to the amounts. You might also want to try some of the ideas in the intro to Tools for the Times Tables at http://www.resourceroom.net/products/toolstimes.asp (scroll down to find it)

We have done much the same thing except we have done it doing a motor activity as well. This helps make it automatic because you are doing two things at once.

We also have done the multiplication tables chanting while bouncing on a ball—0 x 9= 0, 1 X 9 = 0, 2X 9=18. This helps working memory as well because you have to keep track of where you are at. We tried this a year ago and it didn’t work—had to do the sequencing work first.

We have also followed up with sheets of multiplication problems with about 30 problems on them listed in a list. One sheet has answers with them. The other doesn’t. I time this. I read to him the problem (he has the answer) and he answers. He is hearing and seeing it at the same time. Then we switch (he has no answers). I did this first for 0-5, and now 6-9 facts. When the time on the two sheets are equal (about 30 seconds), I ask him the facts from the bottom up. Then I do it with him standing on a stool.

Kids who have real problems with multiplication do not respond to repetition.

The conventional wisdom is LD kids can’t learn their multiplication tables. My son is living proof that they are wrong. (of course, it takes months to do this but Rome wasn’t built in a day!)

Beth