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Ran/TN - Good evening everyone! Welcome to the monthly Special Ed chat session. I am your moderator.
Laura/IL - I am looking for help for my Child
Laura/IL - Her tutor quit. My Child is Dyslexic
Ran/TN - Laura/IL I have had some special training and expericence in teaching dyslexic children.
Laura/IL - Great! I have been through some pretty tough meetings over the last three yrs.
Laura/IL - Has anyone had experence with the Wilson Reading System
deb - No, I haven't
Ran/TN - I have been trained and regularly teach the Wilson Reading System - http://www.wilsonlanguage.com/
Ran/TN - Since I have no specific topic planed , we can discuss dyslexia and the use of the Wilson Reading system.
Laura/IL - The tutor my child had introduced us to the Wilson Reading Program. I feel that it works but this tutor claims that my child is not learning fast enough. How fast should a 9 yr. old learn this
Ran/TN - Children learn at different speeds. It depends alot on the tutor's expeience and teahcing methods.
Ran/TN - The Wilson Reading System (WRS) is divided into 12 books or levels.
Ran/TN - Most children that I have taught had completed two to three books during a ten month school year.
Kidbiz - I have seen the WRS....it looks good to me. I believe kids with severe reading problems need a program that teaches phonics in a systematic way
Laura/IL - My child has been learning this program for about 4 months. I see great strides. and for the first time I see real improvement. My child has not mastered step 1 to the tutor's satisfaction.
Isabell - What reading level is the Wilson program used for?
Ran/TN - How often does your child see the tutor.
Laura/IL - 4 times a week for a half hour. and then I tutor my child everyday at school for about 30 to 45 mins. a day
Ran/TN - It is often used for middle school students that are reading on a 1st or 2nd grade level.
Kidbiz - Your child is lucky to get that much individual help, Laura.
Laura/IL - My child also is very very shy with adults
Kidbiz - If you see your child making progress, Laura....I wouldn't worry....we all march to a different drummer!
Ran/TN - It is my professional opinion that a middle school child should be close to completing the 2nd book with in the 4 months time period.
suezq - I am looking for good reading material for jrs. in high school.
Laura/IL - Thank You! I can't type fast enough. this is the first place I have been able to talk to some one on this matter. It is Greek to most>
Ran/TN - I teach the WRS to one of my students for 30-45 minutes one-on-one every day in class.
suezq - Does anyone have any suggestions? Reading levels - 5/6
Ran/TN - The WRS is very age level appropriate for high school students also.
suezq - Is it a workbook format?
Ran/TN - Suezq can you be a little more specific on what you are looking for?
suezq - I am really looking for a short novel that would hold their interest.
Ran/TN - The WRS combines a reading book and workbock formats.
suezq - I have found a few by Saddleback that are not too bad.
suezq - A regular reader? Like traditional elementary uses?
Ran/TN - Saddleback materials are very good. - http://www.sdlback.com
Laura/IL - We are presently working in step 2 at 2.4 and 2.6 pgs. What is your opinion on how long it should take a 3rd grader to learn this
suezq - Ran, do you know if Saddleback has a web page?
suezq - I have been searching for a catalog, but unsuccessfully.
Ran/TN - The reading book presents the material in three forms. 1. Individual word list. 2. Using words in complete sentences. 3. Reading the words in stories that are about two to three paragraphs long.
suezq - It sounds like some of the Steck-Vaughn materials that I have used.
Ran/TN - Laura, it sounds like he is making adequate progress .
Ran/TN - good progress.
suezq - Laura, from what I can tell from this conversation, it sounds as though you are really trying with your child.
Laura/IL - Thank You! Ran/Tn you don't know how much I needed to know that.
suezq - What a lucky child to have a parent who cares enough to help.
Ran/TN - At the end of each book is a simple post test that the student must pass at 80% before moving on to the next book.
Ran/TN - I have just started my student on level 3 today.
suezq - It seems that most of my students have parents who could care less.
Ran/TN - Steck-Vaughn materials are also very good. I use both in my classroom daily.
Laura/IL - suezq this is a small town I have intoduced the wrs to our school. They have been great. They want more for my child but the only cert. teacher quit on my child on dec. 20
suezq - Perhaps some attention and help when they were younger would have given them a better chance for success.
suezq - Good for you for being an advocate for your child!
suezq - Ran, what level do you teach?
Laura/IL - Ran what age level are you working with.
Ran/TN - I have also been a Sylvan instruckor for 1 1/2 years. They use alot of Steck-Vaughn and saddleback materials.
suezq - I am working with Juniors and Seniors in a vocational school
polarbear - I teach 1st grade
suezq - I teach an English class and math classes.
Ran/TN - My WRS student is a 7th grade special ed student who is on a 1st grade reading level.
suezq - Polarbear - you have the little ones!
suezq - Most of my students are reading at about a 5/6 level independently.
Laura/IL - Thank you I am going to have our Director of Sp. Ed. Join the next meeting.
suezq - I love Steck-Vaughn materials. I have used them a lot with adults also.
Ran/TN - Please do invite anyone you would like .
patty - behavior disorder 9-12
suezq - I can relate to that!
patty - that's 9-12 high school sorry
suezq - Are your students in a self-contained program?
Ran/TN - The first time I used the WRS was when I was tutoring a 14 yearol boy who was dyslexic.
suezq - I have several sbh students - juniors
patty - yes all day except for gym
Ran/TN - my students are in a self contained behavior class.
suezq - They are all having trouble adjusting to no smokes during the day!
suezq - I have taught 21 years, but this is the first one as a special ed in high school
suezq - I've done elementary reg ed, gifted, adult ed, and now this
Ran/TN - I teach a special ed behavior class in an alternative school environment.
suezq - They wanted to start a petition for a smoking area
patty - how old ran?
suezq - I don't want to encourage smoking, but I do believe that a break at noon would help them.
Ran/TN - Laura, my email address is rlprice@email.com
suezq - Ran, how many in your class? do you have an aide?
Ran/TN - if you would like more information or have more questions later.
patty - jo what is the classification?
Ran/TN - I have two EA's (teacher aids) with6-7 students.
suezq - What about you, Patty?
Laura/IL - You all have made my day. You all have very tough jobs. I appreciate all you help. I got to go and put my kids to bed. I will be back next month. Bye
patty - I have 11 students just got an aide and now he is leaving can't take it
Ran/TN - Laura I also have a classroom web site at http://www.familyeducation.com/TN/Mr_Price
JoDee - Thanks Patty, I'm a first grade teacher with a few students who have extremely short attention spans.
JoDee - One has been identified as ADD and I'm looking for ideas
patty - suezq do you enjoy your job?
suezq - Oh, my, Patty.
JoDee - The school I'm at does not have any special ed services.
suezq - Jo, I have not worked with such young children
Ran/TN - Welcome patty and JoDee.
suezq - YEs, Patty, I do.
Laura/IL - Got it! I will check it out.
patty - jo you have to put them right in front of you
suezq - IT has been such a change. There have been days that I wondered what ever made me switch.
patty - and i've been told that i'm crazy
JoDee - I've done that patty, I've tried to reduce the amount of distractions they encounter.
JoDee - I've also tried setting a timer to keep them on task.
suezq - But, despite the problems, I love it.
patty - you have no support
Brantley - I work in HS Alternative ed, with many sp ed. Smoking is also a concern.
patty - me too but don't tell eveyone
JoDee - none. I teach at an international school in Pakistan and there are no available resources.
Ran/TN - Anyone else have a topic or questions to discuss.
patty - got that problem also brantley
suezq - However, I have a variety of students, not all are SBH.
patty - thats tough brantley
patty - do you have an aide?
suezq - Brantly- Are you housed in a regular school, or are your student's removed?
Ran/TN - One of the ways I keep my students on task is to play classical music on my cd players in my classroom.
suezq - I do not have an aide.
Ran/TN - This works very good with ADD/ADHD students.
Brantley - our principal finally set up a smoking place outside-but now they smoke right in front of the school.
suezq - My classes run 13-14 students.
JoDee - I've done that too Ran.
suezq - Did that help or make the problem worse?
Brantley - We are in a separate school of about 160 kids
JoDee - Things seem to work short term and I've always got to be on my toes looking for new ideas.
Ran/TN - There is scientific research that proves that playing classical music in your classroom helps students concentrate better.
suezq - Why are they in an alternative school?
Brantley - I think worse-if they didn't smoke before --they do now. about 80%
Brantley - Teen parents, parole or probation or former dropouts
suezq - Well, I guess I won't push for a smoking area!
JoDee - I feel like I'm spending so much of my time trying to keep them on task that I'm not doing the best job I could with the other students in my class.
suezq - Tough bunch!
Brantley - They think our afternoon break is a smoke break!
JoDee - Thanks Ran, I'll keep playing the music.
Ran/TN - In fact most standardize test instruction prohibit you from playing classical music while giving the test because it tends to make test scores higher. It blows the norm that the test is set upo for.
suezq - Jo, have you tried plugging the child into his/her own CD or tape player?
Ran/TN - I even playe the classical music while my students are taking mid-term and final exams.
Ran/TN - I have found that it imporves their exam grades by one letter grade.
JoDee - No suezq, I haven't tried that. It's a good idea.
suezq - Do you find that you get much teaching done, or does it seem as though most of your time is taken keeping order?
JoDee - No, management is not the problem. These kids are spacing out.
JoDee - It doesn't matter how hands on, or exciting a lesson is they just can't focus for more than two minutes.
Brantley - I'm not sp ed-but all my students are below grade level- any favorite curriculum for these? teens
suezq - My students have such trouble keeping keeping organized and dealing with their teen interests, that our period is over before we even start on some days,
patty - I tell my students that this is my time and that the faster they get done then the period is theirs
suezq - They do love that, don't they!
suezq - 10 free minutes is thought of as such a treat!
Ran/TN - That is a good method patty.
patty - yeah but they don't realize that by the time we get done there is only 5 or 10 min. left.
suezq - Brantley, have you used any Steck-Vaughn stuff?
suezq - Their Refresher and Consumer Math books are great.
Ran/TN - I have used the end of the period free time as a reward too.
suezq - Reading for Today and Tomorrow and their Vocabulary Books are great.
JoDee - Thanks for your ideas everyone.
patty - I use the extra lunches as a reward also
JoDee - I'm going to grab some coffee and breakfast.
suezq - Good luck and much energy, JO!!
Ran/TN - You are very wellcome JoDee.
Brantley - I have seen steck vaughn health but not math. It sounds perfect.
ttbrd - does anyone have activities that involve learning pronouns?
Ran/TN - We have only 5 minutes left. I want to remind every one that our next meeting will be Thursday night on Feruary 1st.
suezq - The Refresher book covers basic add, sub mult divide of whole numbers, fractions, decimals and %
suezq - Books are not too Busy like many texts.
Ran/TN - If you have any ideas for topics or guest speakers please email them to me at rlprice@email.com
suezq - Consumer Math covers some of the same with lots on autos
ttbrd - I have a client that is 6 yrs and need activities that target pronouns
suezq - payments, insurance costs etc.,
Brantley - suezq-thanks- I am going to search for their website. I ahve AGS textbooks, but need consumables.
patty - I just want to thank everyone because I rarely get a chance to talk to other teachers with students like mine these students are so out of hand that we are in lock down. all day
patty - thanks but the sick part about it is that I love my job
Ran/TN - It is also being concered for the best classrom web site in the USA for this month.
suezq - ttbrd-I have nothing for the little ones. Sorry
ttbrd - thanks for trying I have a lesson plan due tomorrow and i'm fresh out of ideas
Ran/TN - Thank you for coming patty Brantley, and Suezq, and ttbrd.
suezq - good night all
patty - thank you and goodnight
Brantley - 'till next time..
Ran/TN - Good night to all. Happy New Year!
