Reading and LD

Get a copy of the book “Reading Reflex” by Carmen and Geoffrey McGuinness. You can teach him from that book. There is also a school/reproducible form of it called Word Work which you could later order if you wanted to use it with other children. Many people around here have used this program with good results.

Janis

Michelle,

I tried and tried to teach my son to read phonetically for 5 years. He is quite bright, but just couldn’t grasp that letters represent sounds, and those sounds make up words (he also has an auditory processing disorder). He is going into 4th grade, and reads almost on grade level, because his memory is so good, and he memorizes whole words instead of “chunking” the sounds to decode words.

We are using Phono-Graphix this summer, and he understands the letter/sound/word relationship for the first time in his life. My next door neighbor is a Title I reading teacher, and we have debated methods of teaching reading many times. This is the only system that has worked for my son, and she is getting the book to see if it will work with some of her students. I highly recommend it.

In case this wasn’t clear, Phono-Graphix is the method in the book “Reading Reflex”.

Janis

I would reommend also conculting with your SLP and OT for suggestions specifically tailored to this child. See if there are phobnemic awarenss problems and/or visual/spatial problems. Yu don’t want to be spending time remediating the wrong thing and both can cause severe difficulties and one of both may be present. DO the team thing.

I second Cheryl’s advice. Lindamood Bell (not available at school) is one of the best reading programs. They also have VV (Visualize and verbalize). My daughter starting trying to read signs on the road when we were coming home from tutoring in about 3 wks. (I had never noticed she couldn’t do this) She also saw an OT for the visual spatial and fine motor problems. Team work on multiple areas can really be effective.

Go over to the Teaching Reading bulletin board and ask about other beginning programs. I hear a lot of positive about RR and PG, but especially for a young beginner they may not be enough. Orton-Gillingham programs have a good reputation. There are lots of good phonics- centered programs out there; just avoid excpensive and disorganized hope-and-guess approaches.