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NEW TUTORING PROGRAM, QUESTIONS & ANSWERS, TEACHING TIPS, ANNOUNCEMENT
An exciting new tutoring program in Oklahoma for older students, with a letter from one of the teachers. Commonly-asked questions, some answers, and some great teaching tips. An announcement!
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NEW TUTORING PROGRAM
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Reading Specialist Don Potter was chosen to oversee and
implement a new tutoring program for 76 struggling or non/
reading 7th and 8th grade special education students at
Durant Middle School in Durant, OK.
Don is extremely knowledgeable about many phonics programs,
and ended up choosing Phonics Pathways and Pyramid as texts.
He wrote, *I chose that particular program for several reasons:
self-explanatory lessons, large print, phonics elements highlighted,
comprehensive, sequential, 100% decodable, Dewey's moral
lessons, low price, Eyerobics, sentences (without context/non-
predictable) and last but not least: MY PERSONAL SUCCESS WITH
THE PROGRAM. I can testify for certain that Phonics Pathways
does work with the most difficult cases, and recommended it
with absolute confidence. Dewey is going to really show what
he can do with these *challenged* students!*
Last Fall Don gave an introductory workshop to the special
education teachers in this program, and remembered one
teacher in particular. He smiled and said *You have your work
cut out for you,* as her students' scores were so low that he
despaired to think about even working with them.
Recently I received the following letter from this teacher:
*I'm very excited about using this program with my special
education students. This is my 38th year to teach and I wish
I had known about this program earlier in my career.
*I've laminated the games and my students are not only
learning but also having fun. I have 7th and 8th graders.
At first I was kind of worried about how some of my 8th grade
boys would feel. They love it and will remind me it's time to
do phonics. For those students who can already read a little,
it has given them more confidence in sounding out unfamiliar
words. They are trying harder and asking for something to read.
*I'm also using this program with a 13-year-old boy with autism.
The Edmark Reading Program was highly recommended to use
with him. He has been on this program since the 2nd grade.
This is my first year to have him and I was quite amazed that
he didn't respond successfully to all of the Level I words.
(Level I has 150 words) It's obvious that the program is not
working with him. I started him on the Phonics Pathways program
along with the others. He is getting it! It's so sweet and cute.
When he says the sounds correctly, the other students will clap
for him. He's the only one that gets that extra praise from peers.*
It's absolutely thrilling to think of students with special challenges
like this finally learning how to read! We will have more to say
about this fine tutoring program in future issues.
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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
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Recently a mother wrote to me about her ten-year-old son
who was diagnosed with severe dyslexia. He read at a
2nd grade level but had the IQ of a 17 year old. He struggled
with the same words and blends over and over, and since
Abeka wasn't working for him she tried Phonics Pathways &
Pyramid. Although he made some progress she still *didn't
see roots growing* and was afraid they were going through
the motions of paper work and not truly learning.
Since I've received similar questions off and on in the past,
I thought it worthwhile to publish my reply as well as the results:
TEACHING TIPS (My reply)
*Begin with the review page from the very beginning. He
should know these sounds quickly and effortlessly, as well
as he knows his own name. There is a huge difference between
recognizing these sounds and truly knowing them!
*Play the Short-Vowel Shuffle with him. It's a fun way to
really learn these sounds at a very deep level.
*Do the same thing with the two-letter blend review page, and
the same guidelines apply. Dictate blends to him and have him
write them as well as read them out loud. Keep going to every
review page, and don't neglect the writing!
*Draw five columns on a master sheet of paper, and write the
five vowels on top in large letters, one vowel per column.
Draw a vertical line between each one. When you dictate a
blend or word to him he must write it in the correct column.
*Spend time doing this, and do not hurry -- those roots will
grow! What can happen if you move too fast is that a child not
only forgets what he is trying to learn then, but he frequently
forgets everything else he has learned to that point as well.*
AFTERMATH (From Mom)
*Thank you so much for your help. He had a slight problem
with the letter I sound. We moved on to the next review
and he did stumble quite a bit at first . . . I did use the paper
with the vowels above the page also. It was amazing how
much harder that was for him to have to think and put them
in the correct place! So I see the blends need more help,
and I am putting the vowel game together this weekend.
You are my angel in this dark world of dyslexia!*
Moral: We can never be too thin, too rich, or have too much
practice with short-vowel sounds and blending!
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AN ANNOUNCEMENT
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Reading Pathways is all completed, and is being shipped
to stores as we speak! We will profile this book in our
next newsletter and explain how it is similar or different
from Pyramid in more detail. We will also discuss how to
use it along with Phonics Pathways.
Until then, we wish all of you good health and a bright
new beginning for this very exciting, brand-new year.
As James Bond would say, *Here's '007!*
Blessings,
Dolores
Copyright 2007 Dolores G. Hiskes
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