My Brother is a freshman in high school and he can’t spell or barely can
even read. I tried to teach him myself but he gets angry if he gets the
words wrong. I don’t know how to teach him better, I don’t know how he’s
going to graduate, i really want him to though. I don’t want him
depending on others the rest of his life. Most of the good jobs require a
high school diploma.
Re: my brother
What does he think and feel about the situation? He’ll make the most progress if he’s the decision maker, unless he’d rather let someone else guide him.
Get the original Rewards program from Sopris West. Website is http://www.rewardsreading.com.
This program is entirely scripted, which makes it very easy for you to use. It is sufficiently graduated that your brother should be consistently successful with it, and most students start showing gains after just the first few lessons. The only requirement is that your brother be able to read on a beginning 4th grade level or better. The program goes through high school level vocabulary.
To do Rewards, you need to have the Teacher’s Manual and a student workbook. Call the company to make sure you get the right materials. (You do not need their video. The video demonstrates how to use the program in a classroom.) Cost should be a little under $100 including shipping. (If you get two workbooks, it’s pretty easy to re-sell this program on the internet for about $50.)
When you get the Teacher’s Manual, you really don’t even need to read the introduction. (If you do, ignore the information about hand signals. You don’t need this when working one-on-one.) The first lesson is short to allow you and the student to get used to the format.
To use the overhead pages in the manual I purchased a clear, easy-load sheet protector (places like Wal-Mart or any office supply store carry these) and cut off the side with the 3 holes. That allows me to slip the sheet protector over the page, and I can draw on the plastic with a felt tip pen. Erasing is easy, and I can use the same sheet protector day after day.
I cannot stress how valuable the Rewards program is for getting high school students up to speed on reading. It is the best program I have come across.
Nancy