Need some consulting here. My 10 y/o son is in the final weeks of PACE (32 hours) but not near completion. For the past few weeks, they have focused primarily on AP which is a weak area for him. They have focused primarily on AIC, and two other areas that he just can’t grasp. In AIC, he is still on level 4. The other two areas (I can’t remember the activity code) when he hears a word then has to say either the first, second, or last sound, and the other one when he hears a word, and drops the middle sound to make a new word. I think he is on level 5 and 6 for these.
The other AP work however, is not a problem for him. He can replace the vowel sounds in a word; say a word after I say the sounds of each letter; he can read each sound and say the word. The only thing is is that they haven’t exercised him in these areas. They mainly work on the hardest (for him) areas.
Does he need to pass all 9 levels of AP in order to “graduate”?
Anyone have suggestions on how to help him in the trouble areas? He works very hard on his lessons, but after doing the same thing - session after session, it’s getting a little thin for him. (he is already at the adult level for SET and golf but I still sprinkle these in just to break the sessions up).
gk
Re: End of PACE - Need advice
I started PACE this summer with my son as a the trainer. We are still doing the AP work even though it is several weeks past the 12 weeks. Personally, I would continue doing it to mastery. The program is very good and I can see a transfer to reading with my son. My son has not got through any of the tasks through all the levels. When I spoke to PACE trainers (a number of times) they told me to push my son as far as he could go on some of the easier ones for him. Originally, I had been told to go through them level by level (when I was trained) but I think with really tough cases, there are some modifications that can and should be made. I have found that doing the blending and segmenting (now at levels 12 and 13) has transferred back to AIC in particular. Still, we aren’t as far as you are—he is on level 4 on AIC but I can see improvements. Two weeks ago he couldn’t do AIC at all. He is now on level 5 fairly proficiently on AAD. Three weeks ago he couldn’t do this at all either.
We stopped doing most of PACE two weeks ago to just focus on AP work. It was getting too much. I occasionally throw in something else just to break up the monotony though. We certainly don’t do an hour of AP work though—more like 30 minutes.
Anyway, just wanted to know you aren’t the only one whose child has found the AP work really tough but to hang in there.
Re: End of PACE - Need advice
I am wondering if he would benefit from doing FastForWord and then coming back to the AP work in PACE. I assume you got a kit with PACE, so that you can continue to work with him on AP exercises after the training is finished?
Mary
Re: End of PACE - Need advice
My only comment is that we have done Fast Forward and my son is having at least as many problems.
Re: End of PACE - Need advice
Hello-
For those of us not familiar with PACE, could someone explain what AIC, AAD and AP work means?
Thanks,
Phoenix
Re: defining terms
AP is auditory processing. PACE has an AP component. AIC is auditory instruction code. It is a term specific to PACE. The exercise involves reading nonsense syllables (so a strong sight reader can’t compenstate). ADD is auditory analysis drop—again a term specific to PACE. The exercise involves saying a nonsense syllable without a specific sound. For example, saying mos without the last sound, making it mo.
This is an excellent program for kids with AP problems.
Re: End of PACE - Need advice
I thought of something Tanya from PACE told me when my son couldn’t do AIC with level 4. She said to have him blend to him self and then say the word outloud. Eventually, this got much faster such that he passed level 4. We are now on level 5 and he is fine as long as the vowel doesn’t change (the top half of the page). He slows down and makes some mistakes when the nonsense words become more like real text.
Re: End of PACE - Need advice
I really appreciate all the advice for my son.
Beth, I’m wondering if what Tanya told you for AIC 4, are you still using the metronome? My son wouldn’t have time to remain “on beat” if he sounded the letters out silently first. But we will give this a try. Although at this rate we will be spending 4 weeks at each level before he can go on to the next level.
Re: End of PACE - Need advice
Well, we do the exercises until he is pretty accurate and fast before we add the metronome. When he isn’t very good at the exercise, he finds the metronome very irritating.
My son did spend a month on ADD-5 so I know what you mean.
We are only on AIC-5 so we’re not speeding ahead either. His problem is that he miusreads p, b, and d—not all the time but enough that I am not comfortable moving him on. He doesn’t do this when he segments, interestingly enough.
If he can’t get past AP-4 on AIC he is still having trouble with hearing the difference between one vowel accompanied by a consonant and blending them together, i.e, vc, cv, vc/cv. This blending process is an essential component to spelling and reading. He has to overcome this hurdle, so hang in there. Can he write the sounds down as you say them? It sounds like he may be using his visual strengths to make up for what he isn’t hearing.