Dyslexia Journey . . . Finding the Source

Well I have been caught up in affairs around my house.  We realized our 8 yo son is dyslexic.  In the fall we watched Barton's videos and both my husband and I thought - well, maybe.  As we started thinking about enrolling him in school and talking with teachers for that age group we realized he is behind.  I am a "better late than early" kind of person, but he wasn't moving forward - even with some of the reading programs they suggest for dyslexics.  Granted, I did not implement all of the multi-modal stuff in my house, but still he wasn't remembering basic phonograms. Some of the red flags for us were fairly unsteady handwriting, skipping vowels in his spelling, still confusing the b and d (even in cursive - really!), not remembering simple words from one page to the next, having to sound out EVERY single word (the, but, and).  It was time to take action.

I am certainly no expert, but I love to research.  I have been reading books about teaching reading - for fun - before I had children.  That's why we taught cursive first and used an orton-gillingham based program!   Nonetheless, my child needs more help.

Vision Therapy

One of the first things to determine is if this is an eye tracking/teaming, focusing type issue or if this is a cognitive auditory processing issue.  My son can track words on a page, doesn't tire easily from trying to read, doesn't rub his eyes, etc.  I have a friend whose daughter had the tools to read but her eyes were having trouble tracking.  Another friend said her son had letters waving at him on the page.  These are the thing we don't even think to ask our kids.  So ASK YOUR CHILD what is happening on the page when they read.  You might be surprised.  Both of the friends mentioned above have their children in visual therapy and it has made a HUGE difference for them.  Some say that visual therapy can help most dyslexics - I really don't know what to say.  If your child seems to get the "process of reading" but tires easily or explains to you that the words are blurry or dancing or whatever - check into visual therapy.

Irlen Syndrome - Color Therapy 

Others talk about Irlen syndrome.  This has to do with how the brain deals with light and contrasts.  To solve this issue you should try the colored overlays.  They help to reduce glare and eye strain so that kids can read more successfully.  We did try this - briefly - but my son thought I was crazy thinking these things would help him.  So, that wasn't the right solution for us.  However, it has been very helpful to many people.  It is certainly worth trying.

Auditory Processing Issues 

Some children have trouble distinguishing the sounds being made so that they can separate them into their smallest unit.  Most dyslexics have this to some extent.  I honestly think my older son has some issues but because he did intense speech therapy for a year it helped him to match the sound and visual representations of those sounds (he still can't spell).  If your child doesn't seem to be able to produce or understand the difference between similar sounding sounds (th/v) etc. this might be the level you are at.  You can look into speech therapy programs that help you understand how to place the mouth to say different sounds and then teach your child learn how to produce those sounds properly and tie them to the letters we use to represent those sounds.   Lindamood Bell LiPS program does exactly this.  Although he does struggle with a few sounds this doesn't seem to be the root of his issue either.

Right Brain Children

Then I started reading about right brain children.  This seemed to fit my son VERY well.  He did have great spatial ability, he loved to draw and thinks in pictures, and he talked about how he could "flip" things around in his head.  Who knew?  I don't think this way.  As I read it became obvious that most of these kids aren't really ready to start reading until they are about 8 and it takes them time - just like everyone - to figure it out.  This fit into what my reading specialist friend said that around 4th or 5th grade her students began to "click" more with reading - they were now developmentally ready to do it.  The book The Dyslexic Advantage spoke right to my child's strengths.  It also explains how it might be a bit more than just "right brain/ left brain" issue.   The main take away is that my child does actually see and think about the world differently and I need to understand that! 

Following this thread led me to Dianne Craft and her right brain reading information.  She comes out of school setting and is trying to help kids be as successful as they can be in a school setting.  She uses visual memory to help students learn words.  We tried this some with my son and it was helping some.  We also got her book on Brain Integration Therapy.  Some of my friends had tried Brain Balance and similar programs and I figured - this couldn't hurt.  It was worth a try.  We have only been doing it for about 2 weeks and it made a difference the FIRST DAY.  His handwriting was a teeny bit improved.  We are trying to do it faithfully - but Spring Break!  Yesterday, I thought we would just do his reading exercises and we didn't do the brain exercises first.  Normally, he makes only one mistake in his dictation (at a kindergarten level).  Yesterday, he tried six times until he got it right!?  There is something to this brain integration therapy.  I honestly think the exercises are fairly similar to some of those used in vision therapy.  It is a focus on crossing the mid line and getting your eyes and fingers to track properly. 

Building on this brain difference we moved into the book The Gift of Dyselxia by Ronald Davis.   The Davis method has some controversy about its effectiveness.  However, this is the book that encouraged me to start asking my son about how he sees the world and realizing that he does see life in pictures and is really a visual learner.  The Davis program teaches kids how to stop spinning the words in their head and find a fixed point so that they can read from that point.  They also model all the letters and words in clay and learn the definitions of the "little words" that cause dyslexics such trouble - because they can't "see" what the word means.  It sounds a little wacky but it also is how my son thinks!

We met with the Davis specialist in our community.  She has been teaching for over 30 years and founded a special needs school in our community.  She is dyslexic and taught using orton-gillingham methods for years.  It wasn't until she did the Davis program when her daughter was diagnosed that she saw a huge change in her own reading ability and comfort.  She had made it through grad school struggling to read but after doing the work of Davis she now enjoys reading.  Their program is a one week intensive with long term homework (1 to 2 years)!!  We have decided to try this path for now. 

This doesn't even touch on the "learning to read" part.  That is a whole different issue and I will address it.  So far I have learned that dyslexic kids truly do think differently and develop on a different time table.  They have to work really hard to be able to do the essential task of reading (most interventions are intensive and take at least 2 years!).  I am so blessed that we have had him at home so that his difficulty reading has not stopped his learning.  We haven't spent tons of time focusing on his weaknesses, we have been able to develop his strengths.  We are just beginning this journey but hopefully some of what we have learned so far can help you as well. 

Meaningful Minutes: Booklists!

Wow!!  I wasn't sure Easter would ever come.  Was that really only 40 days??  It is late this year so now everything seems like a downhill slide into the end of school.  I figure some of you planners out there might be thinking about what to do with your summer.

If you are looking for book suggestions here are some of my favorite resources:

Read Aloud Handbook - This is a classic.  I used it in middle school to find books to check out at the library and was gifted a new edition when I had my first little one.  Worth your time.

Read Aloud Revival - Here is her primary bookslist and thoughts about reading aloud (surprise) on this site.  If you haven't ever tried her podcasts - you really should.  She talks with authors, professors, moms and librarians about incorporating books into their lives.

Give Your Child the World - This book just came out last summer (and teamed with Read Aloud Revival for a summer reading challenge).  It looks at all of the continents and provides reviews of books that give you glimpses into life in that place.  The reviews are well done and offer age suggestions as well.   Totally worth having on your shelves.

Free online lists:

Ambleside Online - This curriculum is based on reading quality literature - and the whole thing is available for free, for your perusal.  You most likely won't follow the weekly outlines but to see the overview of the books they read each year click on a year on the left side bar and then click on the "YEAR ____ Curriculum, Basic Version" link.  You can scroll down and see the poetry, litearature and free reads they recommend.  If you look at the key of symbols after the suggestion you will see that MANY of them are available as free audio downloads from librivox or elsewhere.  Now you have books to listen to as you travel in the car.  Personally, I have found that many of these books might be a little tough for the age they are listed at - so it is worthwhile to look at the list of the grade your child is leaving - as well as the one they are entering.

Classical Reader  - This searchable database by grade, genre, level and author provides a great list of books.  They combine new and older books.

Sonlight Curriculum - A popular homeschool choice, it lays out all of its readers for each grade level on a variety of subjects.  After finding the "browse by grade" section, pick your grade and then hit the tab "What's Included".  Scroll past the teacher guides and just look at the books recommended and start picking what might work for you.

Beautiful Feet Books - They provide primarily history based reading lists (however they include horses, science and California history?).  I have linked to the page that has their book packages. Once you find a pack you like, click on it - then click on the picture shown so that you can get the list of books. I just look for ideas and then use the library or Half Price Books. You don't need the teacher's guide (they use a very particular interpretation of history) to find some great reads.

Wayfarers - You can see all her reading lists for the 4 different time periods and SCIENCE for FREE by clicking on the links.  She does a great job of using older books (like Ambleside) but also includes newer ones as well.  You don't need the day by day so the booklist at the beginning of the program will give you some great leads.   Once you download the PDF scroll past the first 20 pages or so (unless you want to read more about how to implement the curriculum she uses) and you will run into the bookslists - she has geography books (world and state) and history (by time period) and science (by subject area).  Your library is your friend!

We use her English Lessons Through Literature (which is excellent) program. You can check out her booklist for each grade level (just scroll down).  She does not have as many options as other lists but they are great (although not everyone is a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz series).

Memoria Press - Here are a few books for each grade level.  If you want books to help you teach the book - they provide them.  They offer only a few per grade but they are wonderful selections.

If you are looking for something more secular and school like you might want to check out the FREE Core Knowledge Sequence.  It is a long document but it outlines the whole scope and sequence and the table of contents is easy to use.  If you look in the Language Arts for each grade level you will see the poetry and literature chosen for that grade.  It includes the history areas studied in each grade but they have created their own "textbooks" to cover the topic (I did find one at goodwill once).  You can also get the "What your ____ Should Know?" series by E.D. Hirsch (I got all of these at Goodwill- people don't know what they have!).   He also wrote Books to Grow On.

I am sure that there are other great places and resources.  Share if you know some.  I hope that your days, weeks and summer are filled with great stories.  I spent all my time with Babysitter Club books and would have benefited from a bit more challenge!

Meaningful Minutes: Narration

This week we turn towards a skill - narration.  Is that really a skill? Yes, it is!

What is narration? 

This idea seems SO basic. In fact, it is probably one of the most frequently used skills and it almost seems natural. You listen to a sermon or podcast and someone asks "What was it about?".  So you narrate - or tell back - often with some reflection, connection and emphasis on what impacted you or what it made you think about.  Although the concept is simple, it actually requires quite a bit of mental focus and thought to do it well.

What should they narrate? 

Anything and everything!  Honestly, if a child narrates a math problem you can better see their thinking and find where they have gone off track. Narrating is most often associated with reading or listening to lectures.  Sometimes, as parents, we feel we must read everything our child is reading in order to have a good conversation.  Honestly, they need you to listen to their narrations - they don't need comprehension questions or deep literary thoughts (especially in elementary school).  If you listen, they re-tell you stories all the time (tv shows come to mind).  Did you realize this is preparing them for being good conversationalists, writers and presenters (wait, they are already doing that)?

In some ways, this doesn't mean doing much different - it means valuing what your child does.  It can be BORING to listen to the 100th re-telling of a Magic Treehouse story - but it is how they think through and process what they are learning.  Start appreciating it for the great skill that it is.  If you want to elevate the conversation provide them with different material to listen to or read!  If you want to practice this skill Aesop's fables are a great place to start.  They are short, simple stories - but don't tell "the moral" - allow them to reflect on it.  

I will say that it is very DIFFICULT to narrate a textbook.  When all the facts have been distilled for you there isn't much story to tell.  Stories are much easier (and appropriate) to narrate. That's why you may not remember the sermon points but you do remember and re-tell the story he used to make his point.  Also, kids younger than 6 will spontaneously narrate their lives to you but they shouldn't be expected to do so.

If you are reading aloud always ask the children to remind you what happened last time in the story before you start reading a new section or chapter.  This is a great informal way to sneak narration in and make sure everyone is on the same page.  Mason also encouraged that children only hear a passage once and then tell it back to encourage them to pay attention the first time.  If they know you will read it over and over whey would they pay attention?

Still don't believe me . . . 
If you want to learn more about the details of narration here is a multi-part part series.  It discusses why this is a valid assessment method, how to help students begin to use narration thoughtfully, how narrating moves items from short to long term memory and other useful insights. Try to avoid interrupting, prodding or looking for "the right answer"; the whole point is to see what your child thought was interesting, remembered or found important.  If they seem way off track - well, now you know and can ask questions and discuss it. If you are trying to find ways to make it more creative or interesting - there is a long list here.

In the end, narration isn't about them getting every point of the story right, it is about helping children remember these stories long term.  So, only use this technique with stories and thoughts worth remembering.  It can also form the basis of thoughtful conversation as they grow older and are in the habit of telling you what they are reading, listening to and thinking about.

A Reading Program That Works - Teaching Reading With Bob Books

Teaching reading is a passion of mine (although my focus has shifted significantly).  I have researched it A LOT (I toted academic books on teaching reading home 8 months pregnant with my first child from my college library - yes 102 degree heat didn't deter me!).  I actually looked down on the series of Bob Books because they just seemed too simple.  I was wooed into the Spalding based Spell to Write and Read stuff.  However, I could never get a 5 yo to spend 45 minutes on reading and writing.  I am so glad I didn't force it TOO much with my oldest.  I learned a TON about phonics and reading through that program.  I also realized that its latest incarnation "The Logic of English" is spot on.  The way they teach reading is a logic skill and 5 yos aren't known for their great logical abilities. SO . . .

I recommend the adult reads some Spalding materials - Logic of English or otherwise - to understand the inner workings of English. Then use Bob Books and Teaching Reading With Bob Books as your daily curriculum with your beginning reader.

One pet peeve is people who discuss all the programs that "didn't work" basically because they tried to introduce reading to their 3 year old!  My current story is at the opposite end of the spectrum.  I realize that it is time for my second child to "get" reading, so any program would have started working.  However, we tried other things and he was getting it, but once I saw how accomplished he felt after reading one small BOB Book - I got the genius of it. Making progress through a gigantic reading book just doesn't have the same feeling as looking at all these little books and proclaiming "I read ALL of these!" DUH!!

I also appreciated Ruth Beechick's driving analogy in the The Three R's.  The new driver cares nothing about the scenery because they are rightly focused on the road. This is pretty much how new readers are - focused on decoding and wanting to be successful.  Bob Books aren't known for thrilling stories - but that isn't the point of them.  I have been SHOCKED at the number of "easy readers" that use words with complicated spelling structures and call themselves "easy".  Biscuit - although cute and cuddly - is not an easily decodable word.  It's not easy!  However, Bob Books truly are.

Two factors that forced my hand on this matter.  One, Artios Academies is using them so I guess I should submit on this point if we are going to partner with them.  However, I might still be resisting if I didn't have Brandy Vencel's Teaching Reading With Bob Books.  She marries phonics (the reason I love Spalding stuff) with Bob Books in sequence.  She is the bridge between these two programs. There are no 45 minute lessons here - just simple reading and review 10 to 15 minutes a day.  I CAN DO THIS!

Her system is SIMPLE (she calls it gimmick-free) but effective.  The best part is that you can see the WHOLE THING, FOR FREE online to see if it fits you and your child.  If you like what you see and don't want to hunt around for everything you can buy a bundle (a good deal) that matches each set of readers.  (Full disclosure- she sent me the first bundle and I bought the second because I liked it so much - we are still working towards the third).

She has taught her own 4 children to read and tutored many others. The core of her system is the reading binder you create.  Basically it tracks the sounds the student is learning and provides ample repetition until they master all of the phonics.  It helps you go at the child's pace - not the curricula's pace - which I love!

How is it different from Spalding based methods:

- It doesn't front load phonics learning like Spalding does - learning all 75 sounds in 12 weeks

- It doesn't teach "all of the sounds" of a letter at the same time for example: a - a, ay, ah or ow - ow, oh.  However, it also doesn't use "the second" sound without introducing it.  It is very methodical.
(Of course, if you prefer teaching all the sounds at once go for it - you will use the first sound most of the time.  Suffice it to say that Bob books and, as an extension, Vencel use a popular phonics method that starts with short vowel sounds and CVC words.  If I sound like I am speaking a foreign language - don't worry about it.)

- There is no writing attached to this reading.  If you have a deep desire I guess you could do copy work or write the new words from the book or write the phonograms that you are learning, etc.  I think my son likes it because he can just read and it isn't attached with all that other stuff.

(We do use a Spalding based "spelling" program - it is really a reading program but he feels so much more successful with Bob Books and Vencel's work that we use it for reading and just using Spalding methods for spelling. It is probably too much but oh well.)

Vencel's program essentially outlines the phonics "scope and sequence" of the Bob Books.  I like seeing the big picture and she provides it. She also offers clear daily instructions for teaching the material.  This is especially helpful if this is your first time.  She adds comments on frequent difficulties and how to overcome them. Her flashcard organization is brilliant and even I can keep up with it in my flighty ways.   She is writing to mom's, so this is not a classroom curricula that you have to adapt for your child at home. It is a reading tutoring program meant to help moms and kids feel and be successful at their own pace.

Honestly, my son was ready to take off reading and he knows most of his sounds so we haven't needed much of the repetition - YET.  I think he will soon.  With Bob Books he feels successful and with Vencel's materials I am confident I am offering him a full fledged phonics based reading program.

A.R.C.H. - Coaching for Reading - Step by Step

I am not going to beat around the bush - this is a hot button topic for me.  Our current attempt to teach ALL children at a younger and younger age to read has everything to do with what the system needs (students who can work on their own) versus what a child needs.  This is not just me pining for the "good old days" - expectations have shifted dramatically in schools in the past 20 years:

Christakis wrote a book entitled The Importance of Being Little which focuses on how we are mismatching the needs of our youngest children with our expectations of them. As we saw with kids need for physical exercise, the abilities and needs of children have not changed; however, we are changing expectations to better meet the needs and concerns of adults.  Vivian Gussey Paley after 40 years of teaching in early childhood has this to say about our current situation: 

Teachers feel and know this tension and many do what they can to fight it.  Do you see the predicament for the five year old?  They want to do what the adults around them expect BUT they are not developmentally ready to do it.  Some kids are developmentally able and should not be held back; however, to expect the large majority to be proficient readers at 5 and 6 is not appropriate.  In fact, the average age to become a proficient reader is 8 years old!  Do you see the disconnect?   This is why many European schools are now swinging back to starting "real" school at age 7.   

Some reading problems can be attributed to speech, processing and vision problems.  Children who are struggling should be evaluated for these concerns, especially by age 7.  

My oldest had speech problems and his reading confidence greatly improved as we addressed his speech issues. However, because of his particular issue, they would not even start therapy until age 7. Actually, in our district he wouldn't have received any assistance because he was not in the bottom 10% (he was in the teens).  I am blessed because I was able to keep him home so that he didn't feel inadequate for two years because of something he had limited control over.  My second son would probably also have been labeled - he has a gigantic vocabulary and can tell a whale of a tale - but he still flips letters and struggles.  He is almost 7 and we are watching his eye sight with a doctor right now.  He doesn't realize that he is "slow".  It is typical for boys to be behind girls in this area - some times up to a year and a half behind.  Now that I have a little girl I HEAR the difference every day.  

If your child spends most of his early school life being labeled and fixed is it a wonder that they don't enjoy school or reading?   As schools forgo reading aloud to allow for more instruction in basic reading skills you can see why kids who struggle are left behind on BOTH fronts.  Spending more time on basic skills will not necessarily make them accomplish these developmental milestones faster - they just need to mature.  Meanwhile, they are missing out on learning about other things and the motivation that they need to encourage them to want to read.  So, what can you do?  

The first step is to remember that age 8 is the average age of fluent reading.  Try to soften the blows of the 80% of teachers (or really districts, law makers and test developers) who seem to expect this to be accomplished by the age of 6 or 7 at the latest. Honestly, teachers are just responding to the pressure around them.  As a parent you need to oversee your child's education and do what you can to help them move at their own pace.  I am also not advocating that you attempt to turn a teacher into your child's personal tutor by demanding her assistance - they are a classroom teacher, not a tutor.   

Our goal is to help your child acquire the skill of reading without losing his will to do it.   If you, as the parent and steward of your child's education, have a basic outline of skills and progress in reading you can better assist them through this process and talk knowledgeably with teachers.  Tomes have been written on this issue.  In the end, I think the best practical resource for parents is Uncovering The Logic of English (a book for adults) and the accompanying program.  She focuses heavily on teaching phonograms and what other programs call "think to spell" - which means teaching kids how the language works - not just memorizing sight words.  If you want to learn more there is a whole you tube channel full of resources.  

There is a place for sight words (one, two, of, said - there are probably about 12 to 15 words that are honestly just CRAZY and frequent).  At first, children who are taught to memorize lists of words may appear to start reading more quickly. However, by third or fourth grade, when you just can't memorize every new word, they struggle.  Without the tools for tackling new words (phonograms, spelling rules, syllables, prefixes/ suffixes) they struggle with reading.  Make sure that your child is learning the phonograms and not just sight words - please!  I think (hope) that most schools use this more blended approach. 

How do I make sure my child is learning the phonograms and spelling rules?  What order should they be learning these concepts in? 

Looking at the "scope and sequence" (a fancy phrase for what you need to learn and in what order you should learn it) of a few well respected programs can help you get a good idea of the general steps of progression and help you figure out where your child is in the process. 

Logic of English's scope and sequence shows the concept introduced (phonogram and then spelling rules) and words that help support that concept.  

Explode the Code  is another easy to use, pick up and go worksheet program.  They provide the whole scope and sequence  in one page.  

All About Reading and All About Spelling provides a very detailed scope and sequence. 

Although not exactly a "scope and sequence" Teaching Reading With Bob books provides the phonics support you might want if you choose to supplement class work with these popular little books.  These readers cover the basics, if you want to understand why they work this website will explain it to you.  

I appreciate that these programs are leveled but not graded or tied to an age.  You do move through levels but some students may be 4 and 5 when they learn it, while others master it at 6 and 7.  So, you do need to work from the basic concepts (alphabet and consonant sounds) up to complicated phonograms (ough, tch, ci/si, etc.) and spelling rules.  

Other Ideas To Support Reading and Spelling

One idea that you can use at home to supplement any program is the idea of a Spelling Journal. Assisting your child in making their own journal of difficult words and concepts can help them master the language.  You can get a free journal here.  If your child struggles with writing you can encourage them to spell with tiles and then copy from there, this is a key concept in the Montessori approach to reading and writing.  This allows children to focus on one concept at a time - they spell the word with tiles and then focus on writing.  You can use Scrabble tiles, Banangrams or free downloadable tiles.    

If you want a straight reference book you might want The ABC's and All Their Tricks.  This can help you answer all those questions that you might get thrown at you about the craziness of the English language.  

Another book that is a bit more broad but very practical is The Three R's by Ruth Beechick.  Her approach is simple but effective.  Amazon says I bought it in 2011.  I just re-read it this summer and I would have saved myself a LOT of heartache (and time) if I would have just trusted her from the beginning.  She boils it down to the basics that your child should cover with tips on making it easier.

Finally, I want to remind you that your child will most likely learn in fits and starts.  They will seem to get it for a while and then slow down.  They are not little machines - so they will go through cycles.  Don't freak out - just keep repeating until they assimilate and are ready to move on.  

Encouragement is the main thing that your child needs as they tackle this difficult set of skills. Team with their teacher and help figure out where your child is and how to help them move to the next level - step by step.  Remember to keep reading aloud at home so that they continue to learn regardless of their own reading ability.  If you want more resources check out the pinterest page.  

Coaching the Academics can build your relationship with your child and help provide her with a firm foundation to pursue her dreams.  

Planning Ahead: Loop Reading

I have been listening to the podcasts at A Delectable Education.  They are inspiring me to make time for wide reading. Since my oldest will officially be entering Form II - where we should start Plutarch and Shakespeare - I want to make it happen.   Meanwhile my younger one should be reading through Pilgrim's Progress.  Not exactly simple reading - but the type of work I want to do with my children. 

Here are my thoughts about scheduling all this reading - considering 3 out of my 4 kids can't read on their own yet.  I have learned that reading stories first thing in the morning doesn't work (for one thing, half of the mornings we are trying to get out the door).  So, we do much better at lunch or an afternoon tea time (they ask for it at this time of day).   

Daily readings: Bible, Spanish, poetry and some literature reading from ELTL daily (level 1 and level 4). These I probably will do as part of our "school day", morning basket type time.  I decided to do Getting Started with Spanish with my kids this year. 

Weekly Co-op Readings - assigned readings in history and English weekly through Artios.  I will read some of these aloud but my oldest will start doing some of his own reading this year! 

Weekly Loop Readings.  Here is some nitty gritty on loop scheduling.  I decided to pick the subject areas to cover - long term - and then I will fill in the titles as we go along.  I think these categories could be used year after year.  So, here is the subject loop for the week (and probably a little bit more). Some days I will read two together but most days we will have time to cover just one of them. Loop scheduling is all about grace and continuing to move forward - right!?  

Tales/ Literature - Bullfinch's Mythology, Black Ships Before Troy, etc. 

Science - Fabre or Clara Dillingham Pierson 

Math - Zaccaro, Geometry readings

Shakespeare - 2 or 3 plays

Plutarch - using Anne's study guides

Saints and Church Stories - Trial and Triumph  

Maybe Latin - Olim or CAP History 1 

There might be other subject areas that we add but these seem most crucial for us.  I am still debating if we should add a history overview like Child's History of the World or something similar.  But I might start that next year when we go back to Ancient history in Artios and my kids are a bit older. 

I am still trying to decide what exactly my oldest will read on his own this coming year.  I will probably assign specific days for each subject area.  

I look forward to reading all of these great things in the coming year.  What are you reading?  How do you schedule it? 

Wednesday with Words: Fun Reads

Thinking about summer reading?  I am too.  I liked this general thought of what to "feed" our 10 to 13 year olds.  I read lots of Babysitters Club and worse at this age.  I wish I would have spent time with more substantial works. 

Although this isn't "substantial" it is fun for the early elementary crew, the Julian series.  I actually remember being read this at school when I was that age.  I am a little disappointed that it appears the "early reader" labels have been stuck to it.  Our library has the older version.  My younger boys (4 and 6) love the stories.  Her writing mirrors the way kids think - making small things big adventures. It also offers up kids sized moral issues and the Dad is a great caring, funny character.

As the kids consider how "far" is too far on their bikes this is the conversation in Julian, Secret Agent:

"Look at it this way," Gloria said.  "We won't go to New York.  We won't go to Paris. If we find a criminal leaving for Tokyo, we just won't follow her.  So, we won't go far from home."

I thought about it.  I thought about accidentally going someplace Dad wouldn't like - and then saying, "Dad, we thought far meant Tokyo."  I didn't know how he would take it.  

I don't know if the early readers have been updated from the original.  Most of the Secret Agent book is about the kids criss-crossing town on their bikes.  I remember riding to my friends houses when I was that age (sometimes it was a pretty long ride too).  However, today our friends don't live close enough and even if they did it is hard to know if it wise to let them have that much freedom. This is why our friends meet at parks and let the kids play in "the woods".  We just finished the Penderwicks on Gardam Street and the kids are allowed to roam in that one as well.   It makes me sad.

By the way, my 3 boys LOVE the 4 girls in the Penderwicks.  Don't discount it just because the characters are different genders.  The first book is about summer vacation.

The second series - actually two by the same author, Gerald Morris are a retelling of King Arthur stories.  We are reading the younger series, The Knight's Tales.  I checked out the first book in the "tween" age series - The Squire's Tales - for my son.   He hasn't started it yet.  The Knight's Tales are well done, funny and unconventional stories about King Arthur and the Round Table.  Sir Lancelot becomes the incognito "Knight of the Pillow" when a lady accidentally shoots his hind quarters.  It's that kind of fun, kid humor without being crass.

The older series seems to be, well, older.  I haven't read it but it appears to be a more traditional telling but from the point of view of a squire.  There are 10 books in this series.  I am hoping to get him hooked so he will read through them this summer.  I like Riordan (sometimes) but we've had enough around here.  The author of these series writes as a side job - his day job is as a pastor.  He is not heavy handed but he does highlight chivalry without disparaging it.

One reason I recommend King Arthur is because I have been reading Chubb in The Teaching of English in the Elementary and Secondary School where he offers a detailed outline for composition and literature.  He suggests for the fourth and fifth graders they should read epics and ballads.

It is this literature of the distinctively epic type that will interest him more than any other, and be good for him. This is our best clew (sic). Adventure and romance, heroism and daring, the wonders and excitement of travel and exploration, of march and siege, —upon these we may feed him; and upon these, as sure foundations of the superstructure to be raised in later years, we may build.  

I recognized most of the epics (Odyssey, King Arthur, Norse mythology).  However, I was painfully unaware of any of the ballads.  This struck me especially after the thoughts Angelina Stanford offers about poetry and music at Circe's blog this week.   I plan to get to know some of the ballads that Chubb recommends.  His hope was that students would eventually develop a ballad culture - where students around the country had memorized these songs/poems and that this would be part of the common culture  Well, songs are common culture but they aren't ballads about heroic men of long ago.

In a later work he dedicates a whole chapter to how and why we should introduce epics at this age. He also comments on the role of the English teacher in general.

The teacher must be governed by an imperious sense of her task as that of developing character in the broadest sense, and of using Literature as she uses all other studies, — only more powerfully because of its greater emotional appeal, —to illuminate and enhance the worth and glory of life and living, while training the pupil to the correct and effective use of language as a medium of communication.  

What if this was still the case?  Let's just say that populating English classes with modern literature does not meet this standard of the role of story in the life of a student.

I like his estimation of the role of the parent in developing the reading habit.

Short of courting obvious danger, the child should have a chance to select its literary pasturage, unconscious of the peeping parental eye; browse at will, explore and taste, try and judge for itself. The best that can be done is to put the child by one means or another in the way of the best books ; to give him a sense of being (subject to parental veto in extraordinary cases) a free agent in the selection of them ; to open up suggestively new realms to him ; talk over his reading with him ; and enable him to possess those books he likes, among the really good ones, to re-read and read again, until he accumulates a select library of his own that has just the distinctive character of reflecting his deeper and more stable interests. 

It becomes a more delicate balance when you are the homeschool teacher trying to determine what is assigned reading and pleasure reading.  This was actually a recent topic on Read Aloud Revival. 

All that to say our summer reading will include more epics and myths and the like.  What are you hoping to read this summer?

See what others are reading at Ladydusk.

Weds. with Words: A Child's Work by Paley

Last week I was at the park and a friend expressed her concerns about her 5 yo son's imaginative play. As I listened to her I was reminded of Vivian Paley's work.  Her books are rich and remind you of the wonder of childhood - she captures it so well.

Her most recent book, A Child's Work: the Importance of Fantasy Play is wonderful.  She passionately defends waiting to start reading education and allowing kids to just enjoy story as 5 year olds. She honors the children as storytellers and doesn't make them tell "logical" stories but allows them to switch characters and explore emotions and ideas through their play.  

Here she is quoting another teacher who teaches a mixed 5 and 6 year old class:

"Whenever I have to concentrate on reading with the sixes," she writes, "the highly imaginative curriculum devised by the fives suffers through lack of time.  Good play and the sort of talk that follows take time and deep thought.  There are no shortcuts.  The early practicing of reading is not a good trade off, in my opinion.  I'd prefer to keep the fives and their special social curriculum alone.

Soon after she explains the nature of this "special social curriculum"

Here the children have a clear view for the first time, of the pecking order in school society.  For these insights and others, the kindergarten year can be exceptionally productive period, the culmination of years of early social observations and fantasy play. By kindergarten, children have the added patience, experience, and vocabulary with which to carry the plot and the characters to places they have never been before, and to apply what they now know to their social relationships. 

Later she more clearly addresses one of the key benefits of fantasy play.

When play is curtailed, how are they to confront their fantasy villains?  The potential novelists in our midst are endlessly hampered in the name of readiness for first grade and, increasingly for kindergarten. 

She begins to tackle the big question and puts it this way:

By the nineties a "chicken and egg" dilemma became apparent to me.  Since the earlier we being academics, the more problems are revealed, were the problems there waiting to be discovered or does the premature introduction of lessons cause the problems? 

And here is the quote that broke my heart.

Expectations for incoming first graders are quite precise and the tension begins  even before the teacher and student meet.  The potential for surprise is largely gone.  We no longer wonder, "Who are you?" but instead decide quickly "What can we do to fix you?" 

All my friends who have taught testify to testing by the second week of school so that you can see where kids are and start "fixing" them. That's just the first half of the book.

As I write this my 6 and 4 year old are playing an intricate make believe version of Seaman: The Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis and Clark.  We read two chapters last night to the older boys. Now the middle two are re-enacting the grizzly bear scenes, learning to carry the pack, etc.  I quietly asked the 6 year old if he was going to tell the 4 yo about the beaver bite.   The 6 yo told me that it might make his brother sad so they wouldn't play that part.  That is compassion in action.

Paley's connection between the disappearance of imaginative play and the introduction of early reading might have more implications than she expects - on a neurological level.  A few years ago we listened to My Stroke of Insight on a long trip.  It follows the journey of a neuroscientist who has a stroke and loses the ability to read.  She discusses how she had to make a conscious decision to let go of one way of thinking as she was learning to read.  It was hard for her to choose to enter back into the logical thinking that reading was producing in her brain.

This next section is speculation on my part - a combining of these two thoughts.  Could it be that some of the emotional problems we are seeing in young children are because we are switching kids out of this playful mode too early?  It's not just a lack of time, through reading we are literally reorganizing their brains in a way that makes it difficult for them to use play to cope with their emotions and thoughts.

Many early readers don't seem to be able to play in this creative way as well because they have literally lost the ability to be spontaneous and less logical.  They tell stories logically - like adults - and can't make the illogical jumps that younger story tellers make.  They can't play multiple roles in one play session because that doesn't make logical sense - but watch a 4 yo play and they can be the baby, the mom and the dad very quickly.  Paley captures this fluidity of play so well in her work.  I look forward to the second half of the book.

See what others are reading a Ladydusk.

Wednesday with Words: Thoughts about Reading

I have gotten sucked into google books - again.  I spent one night looking at old Latin primers and found a few that I saved years ago on my own computer - who knew??  I also rediscovered Eva March Tappan.  She had a fairly bold vision to bring a narrative history alive for young readers.  I think I might read her book aloud to my oldest next year for history.  She starts with Homer and runs up to Napoleon. She also has an American Hero books which looks at Americans that weren't political figures. I think it certainly qualifies as a "living book" - a single author who loves her subject.

She also has a deep love of English literature. Here is part of her preface to A Short History of English Literature. 

This book is based upon the following convictions: - 

1. That the prime object of studying literature is to develop the ability to enjoy it.
2. That in every work of literary merit there is something to enjoy..
3. That it is less important to know the list of an author's works than to feel the impulse to read one of them.
4. That it is better to know a few authors well than to learn the names of many.  

I need to catch and model this vision so that my kids will do the same.  She was actually a contemporary of Charlotte Mason and I wonder if they had heard of one another.  Her deep love of literature led to a short 12 volume series called A Friend in the Library which looks at how different authors dealt with a variety of topics.  I especially liked  Home-Life, Volume 3 (1909). The first sentence reads:

It sounds exceedingly broad-minded and liberal and independent to hear any one say, "I am a citizen of the world"; but most people have all they can do to be good citizens of even one small town, and I am not sure but it is better to be a good citizen of a home than of a town. 

This short book continues in that same vein encouraging us, through great literature, to realize what it means to be a "good citizen" of our home.  The typeface is large and it is less than 30 pages so it is well worth a quick read.  The whole series is refreshing in its tone - love and familiarity.

See what others are reading at ladydusk.

Weekly Resource - Learning Literature Through Reading

Barefoot Ragamuffin Curriculum now has a reading program to go with her literature program.  It is based on Spalding methods and she clearly outlines how to teach spelling and reading step by step.  She uses the public domain Elson readers which are included in program so there are no additional readers to purchase. The spelling words match with the readers.

Each level has the following sections:

Section 1 - includes a list of all the phonograms and flashcards to help you practice them.
Section 2 - the "spelling word" lists, these are marked in a way similar to Spell to Write and Read, the Logic of English, etc.  (although she does not include sentences for examples).
Section 3 - the Elson readers.  Level 1 uses the Elson Primer, the syllables are separated and the multi-letter phonograms are underlined to help students see how they work together.  Level 2 uses the Elson Book 1, words are still separated into syllables.  Level 3 uses Elson Book 2 and it reads like a normal text.  

Here is an overview of the levels:

Level 1 - starts before you begin reading and you practice 1-A through 1-T (with ten words in each section). After these introductory lessons, the lists work together with the reading passages and are numbered 2 through 29 (again ten words in each section).
Level 2 - lessons 30 through 75 (ten words in each section)
Level 3 - lesson 76 though 127 (fifteen words in each section)

After trying SWR with my son and not getting anywhere - he could do it with help but wasn't retaining anything - I gave it a rest.  This week we picked it back up at the beginning using the lists here and he is doing great.  I don't plan to do the readers with him because he is beyond them (at this point) but spelling is a struggle for him.  I will teach my younger sons using the program as she outlines it.  She does provide a workbook and at least in level one it has some exercises that look like many intro reading programs - circle the picture that starts with the letter sound you are learning, etc.  My middle son finds this easy and fun - the graphics are simple and direct (she even includes a key to what each picture is so that there is no confusion - is that a cup or a jar?)  The Spelling Journal for students to record their words by phonogram is available for free on her website.

She now has free samples for both the reading and literature programs. It is a great way to see her approach and the scope of what is covered in each level.

She also has created a great free list of reading recommendations and plans for covering these stories for preschoolers and kindergarten children.  There are a few suggestions in there that I have not seen before and some that I read with my older son that I should bring out again for my middle one.

Finally, if you are trying to incorporate art study but haven't figured out how to pull the pictures together and keep it moving you might benefit from her free art collections (level 1/2 and 3).  For each artist there are 6 works and she includes both color and black and white options.  These artists are integrated into the Learning Language Through Literature program.

She has also made Charlotte Mason's Geographical Readers, level 1 and 2, available for free. In addition she has put together free reading lists by geographical location - so there is a list of books that talk about Japan, etc.

I truly appreciate the time and care she has put into this curriculum and am glad that I now have a full language arts program - reading and literature!

Andrew Pudewa Live

Yesterday I was blessed to see Andrew Pudewa speak.  He was updating a talk that is currently on his website.  The main theme of the talk was "What would I tell a new parent about developing their children's language skills?"   Two things - read aloud and memorize (especially poetry).

I listened to the earlier version of this talk so I was familiar with most of what he was discussing.  I am fond of encouraging parents to not stop reading aloud once their children can read for themselves.  The Circe Institute has a posted about this phenomenon as well.  That's one thing I love about Charlotte Mason, the emphasis she places on reading good literature.  Many of the blogging mom's I like best encourage this as the core of a great education.  Last night Mr. Pudewa asserted that if you just spent a whole year reading aloud for 3 or 4 hours a day your kids would probably look back and say that was the year they learned the most. Good thing this is one of my favorite things to do with the kids.  The grandparents often wonder at the 4yo's vocabuarly - it's because he listens to everything we read aloud and he follows it well.  Last week as we read part of The Long Winter he was pacing and came close to asking me to stop when they got lost in the snow storm - the tension was too much for  him.

As to memorization this is not even considered a good educational technique by most educators today. What value does it have when you can google it?  Well, it grows your brain, gives you forms for writing and expressing yourself in more complicated ways and can provide great entertainment for you and others.  He mentioned that when you read old books they talk about "saying their lessons".  Earlier this week we learned that Laura had memorized the 4th reading primer (I am assuming McGuffey).  Memorized it!  No wonder she is a great writer - she had a great store in her head to pull from and experiences worth sharing.

Mr. Pudewa's background is in Suzuki violin - where you memorize your repertoire.  What stuck out to me most was the need to review constantly what you have already learned.  I am not always good about doing that.  With Suzuki he talked about "every piece every day" and he advocated the same for poetry - until it gets to be too much and then you can alternate or rotate the pieces you practice.  This made me realize that once again, less is more. If you can't review it regularly then you are probably doing too much and it won't stick anyway.

I also appreciated his recommendation of looking for gross, funny, and violent poems to help attract boys to the form and then from there move into what he called the "Girls" Garden of Verses.  He recommended Hillaire Belloc, Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstien.   He especially like Belloc which bolstered my decision to use his poem "The Frog" as our first poem next year.

Once he posts the updated talk on his website I will let you know.