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Hello,
I haven't been here in along time because we stepped away from HOD for a year. Now I need help deciding between The Reading Lesson, Reading Made Easy, or Sound Bytes Reading. My son, 8yo last Nov., is really struggling with learning to read. He is not a big fan of word list and rather read sentences, if that helps any. I know he has some dyslexia tendencies, but has not been tested. Thanks for any input you can give.

Has anyone used any of these for a struggling reader?

I tried various things for my son who was struggling. In the end what helped him the most was to do Explode the Code and then we also did the R&S first grade readers and workbooks (just the reading one not the phonics one). He did not 'like' those workbooks but they worked for him. He is now 10 and finishing up with the emergent readers in Bigger. My younger son is also struggling (he will be 8 in April) and still does not know all the letter names and sounds. We are currently trying Hooked on Phonics (some gave it to us) and it seems to be helping a little.

Thank you for replying and telling me what worked in your house. I'll look into the things you mentioned.

My dd (now 9) struggles with reading. She is just now moving into the emergent readers slowly, and I've found more readers to put between the Bible reader to give her a break, as the Bible reader we have is challenging. Anyway, I've tried so many different things for this little gal. We started with AAR pre-reading, level 1, and part of level 2, but when we started AAS1, there were too many rules and she got so mixed up. I've now switched her to a slow move through Explode the Code and The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading (which I used with my older 2 girls). I don't know if switching programs has helped or if she is just moving at a slightly faster pace than years before. I have to pause and practice some vowel teams more, as she gets them mixed up still.

DH was diagnosed as dyslexic in his young years, and dd has not been diagnosed, but I suspect she is. She switches letters around in words when writing and writes several letters backward.

Anyhow, this is what we do for her. I've not tried the resources you've mentioned.

Thank you Julie.

Hi I have three sons, all taking different paths in reading. My older two were both reading after just an hour with a Dick and Jane book, at 4 years old. Then followed intensive phonics instruction at a charter school in kindergarten. My youngest struggled to learn with readers, until I realized he was making his own story based on the pictures and trying to make the words match. Once I started covering the pictures, the words began to make sense. With him, I use the phonics I had learned with his older brothers, and he reads very well now. Each child has their own way of processing, and they each enjoy different types of books. They all retain what they read, share it with friends and family, and apply what they have learned. I would say find the program that makes sense to you, let reading be rewarding, and work at his pace...it will come. Also, let him pick books that are interesting to him to read as rewards

I have a dysgraphic/dyslexic son. He was not formally diagnosed until 4th grade. He did Montessori Pre-k and public k and struggled. When we brought him home for 1st grade...I tried every phonics program out there. Hooked on Phonics, The Phonics Game, Abeka Phonics, CLP Phonics...you name it...I bought it. He learned to read well by using the Reading Lesson when he was around 7. I bought it with HOD LHFHG and we went through it 3 pages a day. After that, he did the Emerging Readers. It was not easy and it was not always pretty. I did stick with it though and a lot of the visual cues in The Reading Lesson helped him to differentiate between letters and as the book continued the visual cues disappeared. So he was learning to adapt at the same time he was learning to read.
He is now in the 7th grade reading on a 9th grade level. When we did get him tested in 4th grade which is the earliest in our state that they will test...they told me that they could tell he had been worked with and only tested as mild dyslexic by that time. I would recommend the reading lesson at your child's pace and realize if they do have a learning issue such as dyslexia that there will be struggles and plateaus in learning. You will have times that it is nothing but a struggle, times that you have rapid successes, and times which seem that they have progressed as far as they will go...don't give up...choose what you are going to use and stick with it. My biggest mistake was switching so many times. Yet, the Reading Lesson is what I would recommend out of those for a dyslexic student.

Just as an encouragement - I would like to say "time" is on your side no matter which program you choose. I agreed with tidbits, I would try the Reading Lesson. I did not use it for my kids because we did not use HOD when my kids were learning to read. But I did use the ERs for two of my kids and that was huge. My oldest did struggle with reading (and math) and I never had her tested. I am pretty sure she would test positive for mild dyslexia. She struggled SO much!!! Spelling was terrible too. She learned how to spell using dyslexic products and honestly, that helped her to read. But time, that was her greatest tool. As she got older, her reading got better. She now reads very well but she is a bit slower than her peers. I don't care though. She remembers pretty much everything she reads and with HOD, she is excited about reading. She loves reading her books. The love of books is what got her reading. So, anyway, just thought I would post this and hope it is an encouragement.

Thank you ladies for the encouragement and suggestions. I also talked to Julie this evening and that was such a wonderful treat and encouragement. I have to commit this all to prayer and go from there. Whatever I choose, I've gotta stick with it from start to finish! I told Julie I would. Thank you all again.

My little boy just turned 8 on Monday. Reading has been difficult for him too. I tried The Reading Lesson with him a couple times, but it just wasn't working for him. He also used Logic of English's Foundations A-C (which worked better for him, but got to be too much). Now he's slowly working his way through Sound Bytes and he's (for the most part) really liking it. He's catching on, and he really enjoys the stories. I love when I hear him giggling while reading! One other thing that's helped has been to get "real" books at his reading level. I try to have him read me part of one every evening before bed.
-Jessica

I am a reading specialist, and I believe with all that is in me that All About Reading is the best program out there. It is based in Orton Gillingham, so it should be good for a dyslexic child.

mrsrandolph wrote:I am a reading specialist, and I believe with all that is in me that All About Reading is the best program out there. It is based in Orton Gillingham, so it should be good for a dyslexic child.

Thank you for the suggestion. However, it was not a fit for us, at all. We tried it more than once, at different ages and stages and it would just bring tears at the sight of it.