Edmark reading system information please

Gosh, sorry to hear this. Edmark is a totally sight word based program, and IMO shouldn’t be used with anybody (maybe moderately-severely retarded who would benefit from reading a few words- although imo there are better ways). It won’t get him any farther than maybe a 2nd or 3rd grade (max) reading level, though I think 3rd would be pushing things.

Wilson is a great program, but I would question it for a PDD kid, in most cases. It is really great for older students (there is a younger kid program that might be useful— but it is a whole separate program). I think the language might be too advanced and certainly the presentation approach is. Depending on the cognitive delay, it is likely he just wouldn’t get it. A teacher trained in Wilson could easily implement something below or you can.

A couple programs that might work well with your child are:
“Reading Reflex” and its various similar programs. Very much focus on the code with less on spelling, rules, etc. There is one called ABCedarn??
which has a less “forceful” person running it.

Something like Explode the Code, by EPS (www.eps-books.com). I’ve heard several positive comments by parents of kids with mild cognitive issues, esp.

Victoria likes something called Check and Double check so she can give the webpage and say whether this might be appropriate.

I have taken a kid with language processing problems thru book one of Morgan Dynamic Phonics. It is sort of a Orton Gillingham lite, less emphasis on spelling, etc. And pages and pages of really funny (and mildly gross) sentences “I eat worms on my pizza”, etc. I also know of a kid with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome who is doing well on this. http://www.dynamicphonics.com

These are all relatively inexpensive programs, very parent friendly.

BTW, “emergent stage” is code for “whole language”. Your child has not been taught to read. This is a heavily guessing oriented system, and many normal learners don’t get it.

If nothing else works, Lindamood Bell’s LiPS is appropriate but you would need a private tutor (3 times a week or more) and it will be expensive.
It does work wonders though when nothing else works.

But try something cheap and effective first.

—des

Hi Des,
Thank you for you information. Iam going to see if they can implemen
both programs Edmark and Wilson together. He has been decoding words with assistants and he can read to a degree he read Thank you on the cart at the store. The problem is when he see a new word he has a hard time decoding, he needs a lot of assistants they still have him at the emergent stage. But, some sentences he can read. So, is he still considered ” Not learning how to read” I did buy reading reflex and he was
having a hard time getting pass the first lesson. The school said he was getting confused because they were using Wilson and it is a different system and I shouldn”t use that book. It is still Phonic like Wilson.
I think the Edmark system teached meaning behind the words. Maybe that is why progress is slow he needs the meaning befind the words.
Natalee

Natalee,

It would be an error to implement conflicting programs with a child at the same time. He does not need the confusion of being taught with a phonetic decoding program which analyzes the words sound-by-sound and at the same time be taught to memorize words as a whole. I have the same impression that Des does regarding Edmark being a sight word program.

If those are your only choices, he needs the Wilson. However, I also agree with Des that something like ABeCeDarian would be much better.

Janis

If he is having that much trouble with language processing he should be receiving language therapy. Edmark teaches the meaning of a few hundred (perhaps 300 words)— well I doubt if it teaches the meaning to all of them anyway. The words are mostly pretty simple ones (and, come, have, should, will, etc.), and if your son can’t understand those then he really would need the language therapy. Edmark is not a substitute for language therapy, and isn’t a reading program, imo either.
It teaches a few hundred sight words by brute repetition.

If a child has VERY poor language processing, say is non-verbal or almost non-verbal, I have recommended a sight word type program just to improve language but I would never recommend Edmark. What I might recommend is tying words with meaningful pictures and situations that he is encountering in his daily life. This is not a package type thing but would be specific to the child and his/her own situation and life. It is also not primarily about reading. Some autistic children just process differently so it is really a language approach— not reading.

A High functioning PDD kid would NOT fit in that category. If you want a program that does includes some comprehension and language aspects, I think you might look into Morgan dynamic phonics. It isn’t a terrific OG type approach, but one thing it does have is hundreds of sentences using words over and over in context. I think it does a fair job of building vocabulary as well as idiomatic language “act like a nut”.

You would not combine Wilson with Edmark. Edmark will reinforce guessing by teaching all words as sight words. We know that there are almost no words that are “pure” sight words. Most so-called sight words do follow phonetic rules. You would be undermining everything he is learning.

Progress learning to read may be really slow if he does not hear the sounds. IF you really have made a good try, then you should look into LiPS. It isn’t something you can really do yourself (short of getting yourself trained). I think that Wilson would be harder for him than Reading Reflex. It is really designed for bright kids who only have reading problems. I did a little Barton (which is another OG based system) with a kid with fetal alcohol syndrome. I had to adapt it very very heavily and that was only the first two levels. I also had a younger kid with some language processing problems, he also did not understand the vocabulary. However, I would never pull in Edmark. It just does not really teach that much vocabulary (prob. words he already knows anyway).

If I had to select Edmark or Wilson, I’d definitely select Wilson even though I don’t think it is entirely appropriate for your child. I think Reading Reflex would be confusing, but you might try the Morgan dynamic phonics as it is an Orton based system. If he does not respond to this, I would consider getting him tutored in LiPS.

—des