Hi - I am researching all about dyslexia and remedial programs that could work for my son… And, most difficulty, I will need to find a reading specialist who will administer this program and hopefully fix what is going on with my son. I have read many books and the summaries of the Phono-Graphics approach looks awesome in that it gives quick results but, it has not been tested by outsiders.. The Lindamood program seems highly regarded by many but I have also read information that cautions its application requiring the ‘right’ tutor plus it will take awhile to implement. Then, just today while navigating this forum, I found info on PACE - it is the pre-requisite to address and stimulate the brain’s auditory process and then the child may be ready to absorb the phonics instruction?!?!?!
Let me give a little background: My son is going to be nine in August and is currently in third grade. I always had my eye on him because he was on the young side entering school. He started school knowing all his letter,number,shapes,etc… but did not know any letter sounds. I read the letter books too him, like his brother, and he never got the sound concept and it always struck me weird. He got through kindergarten and he seemed to read well - my only notice was that he always had to look at the picture to tell me the word - he never sounded out. I was in contact with his 1st grade teacher and told her to watch him. I was slightly inattentive in 1st grade because I was helping the 2nd grader get his reading going… I was not too concerned because he independently did his reading and homework and his report card showed no red flags. His only issue was spelling and I worked with him on it.. I would get upset with him relating to spelling because it seemed he was goofing and did not know what we had previously learned. Still, he did fine on the tests. Second grade started with the teacher telling me he was not a confident reader and put him in AIS to help him. This AIS, I find out later, only helped him get through 2nd grade work. All along, he was in small reading groups for class but I was never told how he was not progressing - only to keep reading with him. And, I did read with him - he seemed fine and then toward the end of the year - I noticed that he would skip and miss sight words and not be able to sound out a word - if I started it, he would finish it. Anyway - before 3rd, I found out that he was very low from the summer tutor - did not know his short vowel sounds.. All of 3rd grade, he has been tutored, did AIS for half the year and supposedly has been doing Read Naturally in class. He has progressed - most in the first half of the year.. Now, we see him doing the same stuff he was doing before.. Yes — also, he was academically tested last Sept. 08 and it came back with very low phonics/spelling - low reading - ok on comprehension and listening - above his grade for math. We never did the IQ piece because the results were interpreted as he was a young 3rd grader and just needed a phonics program.
Now, I have determined that he needs more than a well intentioned tutor - he needs an expert that has seen and solved this puzzle. I believe he relies a lot of memorization and does not use phonics. I am having a developmental optometrist check him over this week and would love to find an easy way to determine whether there are any auditory problems without anything formal. Still, I know the remedy to auditory problems is a systemic, and structured phonics program so… one solution could solve it. His behavior and attention and comprehension is fine. To his teacher, his spelling/grammar are low and his reading is average. I asked her if she had seen a child like him before, and she replied yes, but not this bad. I would say he is probably a year behind in reading. I forgot to mention, his math grades are awesome.
Now - he is quite aware of what is going on and has been cooperative but I see he is self-conscious and feeling low about his abilities. He knows there is something more…
Any feedback, please?
Re: Phono-Graphics, PACE, LindaMood programs??!!
PLEASE HAVE QUALIFIED PERSON TEST YOUR SON.
Dyslexia and Central Auditory Processing Disorder have MANY similar characteristics.
My son has CAPD, my brother has Dyslexia, when my brother reads to himself, he doesn’t “hear” any words in his head. Blank. Like if you didn’t have the ability to talk to yourself (without talking out loud).
I would get his auditory processing checked by an audiologist. It could be that he is not processing the sounds properly which would effect his ability to connect the right sounds to letters or groups of letters. A phonics program alone will not help with an auditory processing issue.