You are the only people I know who might enjoy the excitement and enthusasiam I feel right now. :lol: I posted earlier that Read Right was our plan for this summer. Instead of focusing on decoding again, do something different - read. So, I signed my son up for Read Right. So far, they have been very reliable. An assessment kit arrived in the mail and my son called the tutor at a pre-arranged time for his assessment. I received a report in the mail, that among other things confirmed the 4th-5th reading level that I thought he was at. Today, his tutoring kit arrived. Independent level books (probably 3-4th level), and two other sets of instructional books that have been carefully leveled. (Some books have two reading levels as different chapters may be harder or easier). Tape recordings of the books and a tape recorder. Next week he begins his one hour tutoring twice a week, plus the independent reading. The books are real books on interesting topics. How the tutor guides him, I’m not sure yet, but I know the focus is on reading as fluently as one speaks. A big plus for me is that he can do this at home during his day and not waiting for me to get home from work etc. I feel like he has been trying to learn to ride a bike and we did needed independent skills, but now he gets to ride. Here’s hoping!!
some books that your son might enjoy
My daughter has been devouring the Lemony Snicket books on her own. They are small, the reading level is about 4-5th grade level and the author introduces new vocabulary all the time. These books have helped her enjoy and get hooked into reading.
Read Right
Angela,
This looks interresting—please keep us apprised on your progress using it. I think I’m tapped out on this summer’s expenses (Read Naturally for one, Sound Reading Solutions for the other), but am always on the lookout for the next thing.
Can you share cost information with us? I couldn’t get it from a quick review of the website.
REad right
Angela,
This looks interesting. I’m tapped out on this summer’s expenses (Read Naturally for one and Soudn rEading Solutions for the other) but am always on the lookout for a new next step. Could you keep us apprised of the progress you have on this? Also, can you share cost information? I didn’t see anything from my quick review of the site. Thanks.
GOOD LUCK!
Isn’t it great to have a crowd of people who KNOW just how you feel? I am so glad to hear you have made a positive start, and I hope you’ll give us lots of updates. This also sounds like a good program to me, and I’m watching with some ‘older’ struggling readers in mind.
Like I said before, it may take time, but this is the best way I know of to build fluency. Our kids may not have the photo memory for symbols that the ‘hyper lexics’ do, but repeated exposure WILL help, and I think this program will help build the part of reading that is ‘art’ as opposed to ‘science’ (decoding). I could go on and on, but once again — preaching to the choir…
Once he has both puzzle pieces, he will begin to soar! BEST to you both!
Read Right costs
As always these things are never cheap, but I like that this is in stages. The evaluation was $90. The tapes have a $100 refundable deposit. The materials (books and tape recorder) were a little over $200. The tutoring will be around $35-40 per session twice a week. We got a phone plan that includes long distance calls. There is a money back guarantee if at 8 weeks you are not satisfied. I try not to think about where I’m getting an extra $300 a month to do this. We are getting near the end of our interventions - so we’re just looking at now - think about selling my blood later.
Re: Read Right - First Step
Gosh, Angela, when I read about your son I am saddened. I wish I had had him in my elementary RSP class. Not that I am perfect, far from it, but my students do progress and I don’t perform any miracles. I just cannot believe things never got any farther. But then, maybe those elementary years are really the best time to teach this and I know his elementary years were wasted as far as RSP was concerned. You know even my biggest and beloved “slug” (excuse the derogatory term, as I am fond of this very large overweight slow moving fellow) is probably at the end of third grade level, ready to start fifth grade and this fellow didn’t have much going for him (other than IQ in the 105-110 range).
I am wondering if you ever looked into vision therapy? I am at the point, having done about as much as I can do with my students and still getting so much slow and sloppy reading (albeit on or close to grade level), that I am having to suspect that vision plays a greater role than we are led to believe.
Oh, after 11 years in elementary RSP, I am switching to our high school next year. Should be an adventure and then some. I will teach three periods (math or language arts classes to special ed. students with my aide present), we will both have a collaborative period where we will be placed in different regular ed. classrooms to assist with the 5-10 students on IEPs, I will have a monitoring period to focus more specifically on the progress and needs of students on my caseload and a prep. period. WOW, such a different world in H.S.
to Anitya
You know, he was identified after kindergarten, but the district just didn’t want to see that this child, indeed so many children, needs to be taught differently. They only wanted to teach one way and if he didn’t learn it was his fault and our fault. We did what we could afford after school, but so many hours of instruction were lost in Resource rooms with teachers who had no training and never saw that they were affecting the life my son would lead.
We did vision therapy twice. The first time it was a once a week in the office thing, the second a computer program at home. I’m not sure how much vision has interferred. He says the exercises were hard and frustrating. There are definitely motor issues.
Finally, you know how we moved. So, we’ll try some more to teach him to read and write. We take lots of small steps. Along with Read Right, he is doing Seeing Stars with me. He is on the first one hundred words, still working on spelling “they”, “what” “are”.
But and it is so important, he is a wonderful young man…so smart, so creative, still working hard and trying new things. Last summer he wrote (dictated) a novel. This summer he has dictated a video game and is working on some short stories. He fits in beautifully at the Winston School and they will help him go to college. We have many blessings. Our little family is close and my husband and I keep trying to care for our dear son. All of you on this bb are a tremendous support for me and I want to share our hopes with others who walk the same path.
Re: Read Right - First Step
Angela,
I suspect your son’s visual issues, such as they may be, are tied up with his vestibular system and motor system. That is the case for my son as well, and we got minimal benefits from vision therapy. The therapist used a “flat” approach (paper, computer) rather than body exercises. A therapist like Linda F has would have been wonderful for your son, I suspect.
Your son sounds so much like mine, with the motor issues. I think there is a subpopulation of dyslexic kids with this profile and they can be tough to remediate, especially if they have other issues. We’ve addressed the motor issues thorugh Neuronet and Interactive Metronome. IM, is more widely available, seems to really help kids who have motor based learning disabilities. I’m sure you don’t need other things to spend time and money on, but it is a thought. I also know several people who had family members do intensive karate at about your son’s age with really good results. Again, it was integration of the motor system.
I marvel at how well your son is doing in other ways and how you have nurtured his strengths. You all have much for which to be thankful.
Beth
again to Anitya
You will find the high school an interesting experience. I was at a middle school for 14 years. I like the maturity of the students and teaching them to advocate for themselves. My best years were team teaching English so my students could be part of a Eng., Social Studies, Scienc team. Then I had the same kids for a study skills class where we could begin assignments, reteach etc. Not much time to teach decoding, though. Best wishes on your new adventure. Your move will be a great loss to your elementary school, but a great gift to the high school.
Just a short note to say, we’re all rooting for you. I still don’t have my son reading independently so it is a big jump for many of our kids. Of course, the only thing he wants to read is Harry Potter–which is an every other page book for him!!
Beth