by Shelia Hunt
I write this with my daughter's permission, because it is her story, not mine.
I was not sure what to expect as I began homeschooling our daughter Grace at age three. I remember how quickly she learned to count and to recognize different colors. Shapes were another matter, and those took much longer for her to grasp. By the time she reached kindergarten, she still struggled to identify some shapes or letters of the alphabet. It would be another two to three years before we understood why.
By the time she reached the end of second grade, Grace's vocabulary was notably above grade level, and she was able to remember and answer factual questions during her co-op classes. We knew she was bright. Yet, she struggled to read or spell simple words, and she could not legibly write her own name.
It was at this time that we contacted a reading specialist for an evaluation. We met Mrs. Brenda McCray at her home, bringing with us samples of schoolwork and standardized test results that we had on hand. She then met with Grace for a detailed evaluation, which revealed what I had suspected for quite some time: our daughter has both dyslexia (a condition affecting her ability to read) and dysgraphia (a condition affecting her ability to write). In order for Grace to read, we were told, it would require a whole new approach than we had ever used to that point.
Hearing these words was a relief in many ways. For Grace, the word dyslexia meant there was a reason behind her challenges besides her fear of being "dumb". And for me, it meant that there was hope that we could eventually overcome this hurdle.
I soon realized that my basic understanding of dyslexia as "getting letters backwards" was misguided, or incomplete at best. Dyslexia is more about phonological awareness, and the ability to hear and distinguish sounds and the written symbols used to represent them. And for some people with dyslexia, transposed letters are a reality. For others, it is not. This is only one aspect of dyslexia, and not everyone experiences it in the same way or to the same degree. In a nutshell, my daughter's brain works differently when it comes to reading. So she would have to learn in a new way, and I would have to teach in a new way.
With Mrs. McCray's help, Grace began learning to read in a multi-sensory manner, using what reading experts call the Orton-Gillingham method. From forming letters with clay to using magnetic and color-coded alphabet titles, we began working our way through the alphabet. She slowly learned all the possible sounds each individual letter and combination of letters could make. She learned to recognize and divide words into syllables. And she learned the many different jobs of "silent e" within words.
And now, for the curriculum: the All About Reading program was one of the greatest tools I could have ever found to make this happen.
Just prior to learning of Grace's dyslexia, we had stumbled upon and purchased All About Reading. Because it is aligned with the Orton-Gillingham method, we continued to use it, even though Mrs. McCray strongly recommended the Barton Reading Program, which she has used to help many other students learn to read over the years.
While we respected her advice, my husband and I decided that since Grace was enjoying All About Reading, we would take a "wait and see" approach before switching. I fully expected the curriculum to work for a while and fail eventually, so I planned to purchase the Barton reading program when that happened. But it never did.
Over the years I have learned that both programs offer excellent multi-sensory instruction, and are two of several well-respected reading programs for children with dyslexia. The key, I have found, is in the Orton-Gillingham approach already mentioned, and the best programs begin with and build on this foundation.
I have worked with Grace at home using the All About Reading curriculum for three years. In this review I will focus solely on our experience with the All About Reading curriculum, and I have asked Mrs. McCray to provide a separate curriculum review for Barton, as it could be used in a homeschool setting.
All About Reading
Ideal for dyslexics, the All About Reading program utilizes a phonetic, multi-sensory approach to reading instruction, as well as spelling instruction (I will leave that review for anyone who wishes to share their experience, since we are using a different spelling curriculum).
I admit, the cost was a bit daunting at first glance, as we needed to buy not only the written materials, but also the interactive teaching kit. This kit works with all four levels of the reading program as well as the All About Spelling program. To purchase Level 1, the cost ranges from roughly $160 to $185, depending on whether the basic or deluxe interactive kit is purchased. The deluxe kit includes a storage box for flash cards and a tote bag, which we have found useful, but could have easily done without. As the program becomes more popular, it also is possible to find the books for sale at used prices.
The materials include a step-by-step, scripted teacher's manual, flash cards, illustrated, hardcover readers, and a consumable student workbook with interesting activities and tools such as "word flippers" which can be used for review as you go along. The interactive kit includes self-adhesive magnets and laminated letter tiles, index card dividers for the flash cards, and a free app that lets students hear the sounds of each letter. A 2 X 3 foot magnetic whiteboard is also needed for using and displaying the magnetic tiles. By the time we reached level 4, there were so many tiles on the white board that there was very little room left for other subjects such as math.
A recent offering, the All About Reading app saves white board space and provides the same color-coded "tiles” in an electronic, touch-screen format. We have both now, and we use the electronic app regularly. The app is available for android and iPad tablets, but does not work on an iPhone. It is $19.99, which is about the same price as the basic interactive kit.
We begin each lesson by reviewing the phonogram sounds. We then use the flash cards to improve fluency with new words. They are stored behind the "review" tab until she can read them without pause, and then they are moved behind the "mastered" tab. Lessons alternate between new skills and fluency development using the readers. Most lessons provide an exercise in dividing words into syllables and then labeling the syllable types to reinforce lessons learned.
I am pleased to say that Grace is beginning the fourth and final level this fall, and her reading has improved tremendously. It is still hard work for her, but she is gaining new ground every day. Reading will never be as "automatic" for her as it is for me. She must process the letters and sounds each time she sees them, and the time it takes to decode words can be as mentally exhausting for her as long division is for me.
For this reason, we have learned to accommodate her needs by allowing her to use audio books and textbooks available on a program called Learning Ally. She also uses a portable C-Pen reader, which is a small handheld device that allows her to scan and listen to texts. These are helpful for subjects such as history, science and literature. This has allowed her to work at grade level in these subjects, despite the need to catch up with her peers in reading skills. The C-pen works fairly well, but is not always accurate. Despite the glitches, the C-Pen allows her to have more independence with her schoolwork.
If you have a struggling reader, I hope this information helps you as you search for the right path for your child. If the struggles are persistent and your "gut" tells you something is not right, I recommend getting an educational assessment as soon as you can, so that your child gets on the right path as early as possible.
Additional Information:
Website: Homeschooling With Dyslexia
Local Contact: Brenda McCray, Dyslexia Consultant, brendamccray2014@gmail.com
Very informative, Shelia and Grace. Thank you!
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