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Q: Reading Program for Child with Learning Disability ( No Answer,   3 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Reading Program for Child with Learning Disability
Category: Reference, Education and News > Education
Asked by: villablanc-ga
List Price: $30.00
Posted: 19 Mar 2005 16:23 PST
Expires: 18 Apr 2005 17:23 PDT
Question ID: 497345
I am looking for a reading program that is appropriate for my son, who
is nine years old and in the third grade.  He has a diagnosed learning
disability and reads at late first grade to early second grade level.

On the good side:  His receptive vocabulary is very good, as are his
math skills.  He has no trouble with comprehension when I read to him,
or when he reads and I correct his mistakes.  He knows many of the
rules of phonics and can decode pseudo-words at grade level.  He has
an excellent memory for contextual material (stories with logical
sequences).

His reading is slow and inaccurate.  His phonemic awareness is below
average.  He has difficulty identifying rhyming words. His rapid
naming speed is very low. He has poor short-term memory for
non-contextual material (phone numbers or lists of unrelated items).

I am looking for a program that is designed specifically for children
with learning disabilities, that can be implemented at home by me and
one or two college age tutors over the summer.  It should be focused
on decoding and fluency and not on comprehension. It may include
spelling activities. It may include the use of a computer.  It should
not require me to take a training course.  A good program will include
a variety of activities, so that he can work at it up to two hours per
day in the summer.  We might be able to combine two complementary
programs, spending an hour on each of them. It would be helpful if the
program includes a way to monitor and chart progress. It should be
based on standard US English, rather than UK.

I would like you to make a survey of the available programs that might
match my requirements, confirming that they do not require special
training to implement, list price ranges, provide links to vendor
websites and provide information on whether the program has been
proven effective for children with learning disabilities.

Feel free to add any additional information that will help steer me to
the right choice.

Clarification of Question by villablanc-ga on 22 Mar 2005 21:55 PST
I'd like to make some clarification to my question. I am well aware of
the risk of  getting information from places like Google Answers.  I
hoped that I might find an expert in the field that would do a more
thorough job of googling this topic and lend some of their own
experience to the answer.

The public school teachers will not advise me on any outside programs.
 They have been given strict instructions to be neutral whenever a
parent makes inquiries about an outside program.  They are concerned
that if they recommend an outside program that the parent will ask the
school district to pay for it.  They also have instructions not to
send home any additional homework.  I know this because when a teacher
suggested an exercise that I might do with my son, the school
psychologist reminded her that they cannot send home this sort of
work.  So, at best they say things like, "just give him lots of
reading practice over the break."  As of this time, the only summer
program the school district has offered is a "reading comprehension"
program, which will not address a significant decoding problem.

I have found that most tutors have not made a good survey of the
market.  Typically, they obtained training in one specific program at
a significant cost (time and/or money) and now that is the program
they suggest to me. I'd be very happy to hear your advice about
excellent reading programs.  I am particularly interested in programs
that have a multi-sensory phonics approach that can be implemented by
a novice instructor.  I will be happy to pay you if your answer is
fairly responsive (>80%) to the question posed.  I am not looking for
vision therapy, listening therapy, cognitive skills training or
balance exercises, but if you feel compelled to comment on these I'll
read it.

Thanks for your concern.
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Reading Program for Child with Learning Disability
From: guzzi-ga on 19 Mar 2005 19:54 PST
 
A researcher will I hope give you a comprehensive answer but perhaps I
may add one thing.

As being someone who you have just described, though in the days when
I was educated the symptoms were unrecognised, encouragement on the
things which he does excel may furnish collateral benefit in the areas
which he is poorer. So for example, if he has mechanical aptitude,
equipping him with tools will enhance these skills whilst also
motivating him to read material which will help him use the tools.

Best
Subject: Re: Reading Program for Child with Learning Disability
From: puffer50-ga on 20 Mar 2005 18:49 PST
 
While interviewing authors for my website
www.learning-study-skills.com, I made contact with Pay Weyman. She has
a strong learning styles focus, in particular in how they are
manifested individuals with learning disabilities. You may find some
help at her website. www.howtolearn.com

She offers a free learning styles inventory, articles, tips and links
to other useful sites devoted to learning and overcoming learning
difficulties.

Good luck
Subject: Re: Reading Program for Child with Learning Disability
From: xbobx-ga on 22 Mar 2005 18:40 PST
 
I just wanted to drop a note of caution here;  as a disabilities
specialist in the public school setting, I am often frustrated by
parents looking for answers that may have an important impact on their
child's learning in places like "google" (no offense to the good
people at google)  If your child has been identified by the team at
his elementary school, they are the experts you should be asking
questions like this to, not some stranger on the internet.  I could
give you advice about several excellent reading programs, but the
teachers who evaluated your child are the only ones who should be
influencing your decision right now.  And they won't charge you thirty
dollars.

Bob

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