Oxford reading tree- early reading

[Dingle]

I am thinking of trying out a reading program with my 5 yr old daughter who has Down Syndrome. I have still got so much researching to do but basically she learns by whole word recognition rather than the methods most mainstream schools teach.

I am not sure how appropriate these books would be but feel I need a structured approach for her to work through. her school are sending home pretty much any book she either chooses or if they get a chance, they choose one with repitition in it!

She is not really getting any real support in mainstream as we are in the very long process of fighting with the LEA of statementing.

Can I ask for advice please. What would you start with Stage 1, or the at home books.

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks, Dingle.x

I'm not sure whether ORT is structured enough for your purposes or not. It introduces a limited vocabulary on a whole word basis, rather than phonetically for example,and there is lots of repetition within each Stage. The At Home books supplement the main series but content is similar within the Stage. The Book People sometimes do bumper packs of them and I think there is a Parent's booklet to go alongside here and the website could prove useful to answer your specific questions ORT Parents page . Of those which dd has brought home I rate the Rigby Star series too info here . hth

Thank you - Oh I really don't know. I don't want to go out and buy more books that are just not suited to her needs. I suppose I will just have to find time, somehow, to sit and read the books about research into children with DS and reading, but I am still struggling to find time with her statementing on top of all the other "therapies" I need to do with her.

Lizs, I have printed off a graded booklist from a dyslexia website, and there are some Rigby books on that. I might ask at the library to see if they hold any.

I have asked the school for advice but I feel they would just have her on the first reading level (sharing books rather than "reading" IYSWIM) permenantly because she isn't progressing as the other children are, but she will not learn that way as the books are too busy and complicated. I can share plenty of books at home. I suppose I need something simple, moving on from flash cards and single words and starting to teach basic grammar.

Dingle, I know they're very old-fashioned, but have you looked at the Ladybird Peter and Jane books? They are very structured and repetitive. My mother used to use them with very good results in reception, and I remember she once had a boy with fairly severe autism who learnt pretty well from them. It was a big struggle but he was almost non-verbal (though very passive) so it was a reasonable success, I would say.

Dingle - I have some ORT Flash cards - used about twice before I realised DS knew all the words already - you can have them if they are any use (if I can remember where I put them!)

and Hi Dingle

Waves back....hello stranger! As you can tell Whizzz, not had much time for crafting recently!

I will have a search, see what I can come up with- thanks Tamum- goodness don't they look old fashioned- am I THAT old!!! LOL

I think POPAT is a method of teaching reading that is used with DS info here . Its widley used in our area for all children though, I'd never heard of it until DS started doing it

I would use Peter and Jane (if your dd has quite good attention otherwise they're very dull), and also symbol supported reading. Do you have access to widgit, or whatever symbols they use at school? I bought a bunch of PM readers (published by Nelson) for DS1 then rewrote the text using a symbol program (clicker with meyer johnson symbols I think) which I then stuck over the top of the originl text . PM readers are good as the text is accompanied by photographs which can be better than line drawings for children with SN.

DS1 didn't look at them but he has very limited adult directed attention. I'm going to restart reading- but I think I'll do it matching words to pictures in an ABA type way.

I would suggest looking at Mona McNee materials. Mon McNee's son has Downs Sydrome and she developed her materials to teach him.

www.catphonics.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/contents.htm

I realise that you are more interested in a whole word approach, but I thought it might be interesting for you to contact someone who has been in a similar position.

It might be worth emailing Mona McNee as she can tell you what worked for her son.

I am shocked that your daughter is not getting support in mainsteam.

Other interesting links (I hope)

www.astepatatime.co.nz/us.html

information.downsed.org/library/periodicals/dsrp/01/1/034/DSRP-01-1-034-EN-GB.htm

Thank you for the replies!!! I am still up to my eyes in statementing papers but, finger crossed, it is nearing it's end!!!

I'll have to put all this info on hold for a while until I have time to sit and research exactly what will be best for DD!!

I have got the OUP resource catalogue through the post today- looks good, but not sure it's the best thing for DDs needs.

I was looking for Ladybird reading schemes and came across Read with me Any opinions on these please- I actually have a few of the later books on the bookshelf, but are too advanced for DD now!

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Thank you for that link Orinoco, I had looked there initailly but one of the packs I had seen a while ago was out of stock and these ones didn't come up when I searched!

They look good value!!!!

Another vote for ladybird, we used them with my DD (also downs) from around half way through recpetion. Suggest 1a 1b but don't bother with 1c etc as it is filling in words and reading will come long before writing skills. We also had little books made at school specific to A - using pics of us, familiar sights (pic of her school for word school etc) and this really helped her get started. We were lucky we had a very committed LSA making up the books.

She is now slightly below average for age but still amazing given our expectations at 5. Good luck and with your statement woes too x

Sinclair, would be interested in which Ladybird books you found suited your DD please.Do you mean the ones I linked to or Peter & jane?

Thank you!! We have just submitted our requested changes to DDs statement today, so I might have a few day to get a chance to do a bit of swotting on the subject!

I would second the vote for Jelly and Bean - my ds loves them

A great Whole Word system is Breakthrough to Literacy. I found some of their stuff on Amazon.Breakthrough on Amazon

It's the way I learned to read and allows the child to include the words they want to use. The words are based on the things children actually want to say when they first start reading and making up sentences. you can add your own words to it and the names of important people to the child which really personalizes it.

I meant Peter and Jane but the ones you linked to if starter readers may be more up to date. We have prgressed to the fairy tales now - A still likes the format of text plus picture opposite. Great idea to source on ebay - why didn't I think of htat!

Loads of info there- Thank you.

Went shopping at weekend and saw some of the ORT books in Waterstones- not at all impressed with value for money with the early range. I ended up coming away with a boxed set of Ladybird "Peter & Jane" books-the Original Key Words reading Scheme.
At least I will have something "appropriate" to work with while I do further research.
I am going to try to spend some time today brushing up on my signing for words such as "this" and "here" - up to now I have really only signed the key words but Amelia has learnt several gramatically correct sentences by use of repetition.
Fingers crossed! She was very eager to take her book into school today- put it in her book bag and I had to take it back out again so I could read it first!LOL!