Need Help.....

[Minerva]

I have a friend who's children, Grade 3 (just turned 10), are having difficulty with reading. From what I understand they are being tested on reading fast and they cannot quite get it. The school is offering no help in the matter and on her own she has found a place that for $1,200.00 will help her kids one hour per week for 4 weeks! Needless to say, I was outraged at the thought, not only should the school provide a supplementary program for children who need extra help, which you would think would fall under the "no child left behind act, but this sounds like a big fat scam if I ever heard one!

Point being, I said "Look, please allow me a shot at trying to help your kids with this before you go and spend a bunch of money" (money she doesn't really have) I haven't done this sort of thing in particular before, however, at the very least, I don't see why I coudn't do just as much as they would over their absurd one hour a week, four week program.

So....If anyone has any suggestions on how I should go about this, a site that might be helpful, tips or tricks that you think would help, or any suggestion at all, I would GREATLY appreciate it!

I am a little nervous, yet completely excited at the same time. I, of course, will be researching how to go about this and maybe getting some books from the library, but any help I can get here would be wonderful as well since time is limited before the end of the school year.

I will also be giving some help with their math skills.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Nerva

 

[Vision in Verse]

I have a friend who's children, Grade 3 (just turned 10), are having difficulty with reading. From what I understand they are being tested on reading fast and they cannot quite get it. The school is offering no help in the matter and on her own she has found a place that for $1,200.00 will help her kids one hour per week for 4 weeks! Needless to say, I was outraged at the thought, not only should the school provide a supplementary program for children who need extra help, which you would think would fall under the "no child left behind act, but this sounds like a big fat scam if I ever heard one!
Point being, I said "Look, please allow me a shot at trying to help your kids with this before you go and spend a bunch of money" (money she doesn't really have) I haven't done this sort of thing in particular before, however, at the very least, I don't see why I coudn't do just as much as they would over their absurd one hour a week, four week program.
So....If anyone has any suggestions on how I should go about this, a site that might be helpful, tips or tricks that you think would help, or any suggestion at all, I would GREATLY appreciate it!
I am a little nervous, yet completely excited at the same time. I, of course, will be researching how to go about this and maybe getting some books from the library, but any help I can get here would be wonderful as well since time is limited before the end of the school year.
I will also be giving some help with their math skills.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Nerva

The most important thing about learning when I was a kid was to think of it as fun. If it wasn't enjoyable, I wouldn't progress at all. So, nice people make good teachers. Other than that, I guess patience is very important. Don't be discouraged by failure. A sense of urgency and frustration can stifle a learning environment more than anything else.

 

[Poly]

Tell her to get her kids out of there and teach them herself. If she's diligent every day she'll have them reading at their level in a month.

And don't let them try and suggest that sight reading might end up being a better way for him to learn since he's having problems. It's "stick tuitive" phonics all the way.

 

[Minerva]

The most important thing about learning when I was a kid was to think of it as fun. If it wasn't enjoyable, I wouldn't progress at all. So, nice people make good teachers. Other than that, I guess patience is very important. Don't be discouraged by failure. A sense of urgency and frustration can stifle a learning environment more than anything else.

Oh, I have a grip on all that, and the kids love me, and since I have four of my own, I have great patience, and I make EVERYTHING fun, no matter hwat it is. I am talking about fundamentals here...I am unsure where to start, there are different methods for teaching kids how to read and I am not sure if I should go with the complete bull that they have been taught which obviously hasn't worked, or if I should start a fresh new program from the beginning. Time is limited, but they can read, just not with ease from what I understand. They are tested on reading fairly fast, so I need to give them confidence for one, which I have under control....and I need to give them some other sort of method that will allow them to look at the words on the page and not stumble over them when they read outloud.

 

[CRASH]

The first and most important step to helping a child learn the right things is to yank them out of the government institution ASAP!

After that, Drill basic phonics in a relaxed joyfull environment. Then sit down and spend some time reading to the kid(s) - as you read have the child sound out words occassionally that are level appropriate. This is what I am doing with my 5 year old right now. Be consistant and try to spend some time each day. If there is not great progress within a few months there could be a sight or learning disability - most of which can be overcome with good nutrition and specific exercises. Most of all have fun teaching and blessing a child!

 

[Minerva]

Tell her to get her kids out of there and teach them herself. If she's diligent every day she'll have them reading at their level in a month.

And don't let them try and suggest that sight reading might end up being a better way for him to learn since he's having problems. It's "stick tuitive" phonics all the way.

She has to work so she doesn't really have much time, I am a stay at home mom so I have more opportunity and since her kids are already at my house all the time anyway....


Could you elaborate on why "sight reading" is not preffered to phonics in your opinion?

 

[Sozo]

Get THIS book.

It works everytime.

 

[Minerva]

Get THIS book.

It works everytime.

Not to sound like I doubt you, but since time is limited for me and I must choose a method carefully, how do you know this book works? How many children have you seen it have success with?

 

[Sozo]

Not to sound like I doubt you, but since time is limited for me and I must choose a method carefully, how do you know this book works? How many children have you seen it have success with?

We have 8 children, we have used the book on 6 of them. The first one we taught to read with this book was 4. He was reading the classics at age 6.

 

[Minerva]

Sounds great...it will definitely be on my list of possibilities then!!! Thank you!

 

[ebenz47037]

I was going to make Sozo's suggestion or Five in a Row. I didn't use either of them. But, I've heard nothing but wonderful things about both programs.

 

[Sozo]

I was going to make Sozo's suggestion or Five in a Row. I didn't use either of them. But, I've heard nothing but wonderful things about both programs.

We use Five In A Row, also! Excellent program. :thumb:

 

[ebenz47037]

We use Five In A Row, also! Excellent program. :thumb:

:jessilu: taught herself to read way before kindergarten. So, I didn't have this problem. But, when my nephew came out from Ca for a few months, I had to teach him to read phonetically. His school had taught him sight-reading. And, his pronounciation was terrible. I ended up making my own curriculum for reading and the rest was BJUP curriculum. He was reading very well within a month. Just the one-on-one teacher/student ration helped in a major way.

Now, I'm trying to figure out a way to teach :jessilu: to like writing and to do reports correctly. Right now, she wouldn't be able to cut the mustard in public school because she refuses to write reports. She has always tested way above her age group. So, I'm not worried that she doesn't know enough. It's just the writing thing we have a problem with right now.

Any ideas for my problem?

 

[Lighthouse]

I was having trouble reading when I first started school. I ended up at a school that taught Phonics and got the Best Reader Award.

 

[Sozo]

:jessilu: taught herself to read way before kindergarten. So, I didn't have this problem. But, when my nephew came out from Ca for a few months, I had to teach him to read phonetically. His school had taught him sight-reading. And, his pronounciation was terrible. I ended up making my own curriculum for reading and the rest was BJUP curriculum. He was reading very well within a month. Just the one-on-one teacher/student ration helped in a major way.

Now, I'm trying to figure out a way to teach :jessilu: to like writing and to do reports correctly. Right now, she wouldn't be able to cut the mustard in public school because she refuses to write reports. She has always tested way above her age group. So, I'm not worried that she doesn't know enough. It's just the writing thing we have a problem with right now.

Any ideas for my problem?

A shotgun?

I'm not sure. Maybe she doesn't feel comfortable writing them because she does not know where to start.

 

[ebenz47037]

A shotgun?

:chuckle: Believe me. I've thought of that a couple of times.

I'm not sure. Maybe she doesn't feel comfortable writing them because she does not know where to start.

She's fine if it's creative writing, usually. She just doesn't like to write reports. I tried to get her to write a report on Amelia Earhardt last week and she just blew it off. She didn't care about whether she would get an F or not.

 

[Lighthouse]

I hated writing reports, too. I'm an orator. Maybe you should go the oral report route, Nori.

As for you, Nerva, I again stress phonics.

 

[ebenz47037]

I hated writing reports, too. I'm an orator. Maybe you should go the oral report route, Nori.

As for you, Nerva, I again stress phonics.

I just asked her about that. She said, "That might work. I don't know."

 

[GuySmiley]

I have a friend who's children, Grade 3 (just turned 10), are having difficulty with reading. From what I understand they are being tested on reading fast and they cannot quite get it. The school is offering no help in the matter and on her own she has found a place that for $1,200.00 will help her kids one hour per week for 4 weeks! Needless to say, I was outraged at the thought, not only should the school provide a supplementary program for children who need extra help, which you would think would fall under the "no child left behind act, but this sounds like a big fat scam if I ever heard one!

I have a 3rd grader, who we just pulled out of a private school to homeschool because he cant keep up. He is dyslexic (thats no PC anymore I'm told, you're supposed to say 'specific language learning disorder'). We paid for a tutor for him for a year, which really did help, but he still couldn't keep up. It was a private school so I didn't see anything wrong with them not helping, but thats rediculous for a public school, they are evil.

Anyway, we've started him on this program. Its promoted by BJU (but not made by them), and was made for kids with dyslexia to 'rewire' their brain for reading. He hasn't done it long enough yet (just a few days) to see an improvement but I'll keep you informed. Someone else we know who used it raved about it.

 

[Lighthouse]

My best friend is dyslexic. He can read my writing just fine.:think: