DD(9) has dyslexia but is "average" at school so intervention by them is minimal

[alison222]

What I want to know is what exactly you have found that helps?

The dx says she has significant difficulties in her auditory memory and her working memory, and that she lacks sufficient phonological awareness and has a slow speed of phonological and visual processing.

I have been reading the past thread on the boards and find lots of discussions of various programmes - but now my head hurts!

I want to do things at home that will be enjoyable and will help.

School are going to do a spelling intervention once a week and WordforWord ?? on the computer 2x a week - I know nothing about this programme.

I have bought Nessie Games and hope to use the same phonics that the school will be using in the spelling intervention to supplement it.

What else does anyone else suggest?

I have just met with the SENCO and we discussed the teacher spending time re-enforcing that the children should write what is in their minds and THEN go back to check spelling and punctuation in order that we might unlock what she is capable of and not what is being produced as she is so hung up on her handwriting/spelling etc. that she writes much more simple words so that she may have a hope of spelling them. This was on the back of me scribing for her for her homework this week. The quantum leap in standard when she didn't have to worry about spelling was unbelievable.

I am new to all of this so please treat me gently.

I was looking for ways to teach times tables too, and althuogh this has nothing to do with it came across this - Easyreading and wondered if anyone has seen it /used it.

Also your tips for teaching times tables so they stick please...

My ds 11 has dyslexia and I want to teach him to touch type. He hates writing and loves typing and using the computer so it is a really positive thing for him to be able to type his homework. His typed work is of a better standard than his written work, even though it does obviously still have some spelling mistakes as he uses the wrong words. I have tried the Nessie fingers typing course but it is a bit basic and I need to find something better. Has anyone tried Mavis beacon typing ?

My ds does not know his times tables and probably never will know them that well however much I try. I think it is better to learn strategies for maths without having to know your tables. My ds dyslexia tutor taught him how to write out the times table square and he can now do it in 3 minutes. It means that if he does a maths test he could write it out to help him.

A lot of these computer courses are very expensive and time intensive. You have to have the time to sit with your child every day and do them even if your child gets bored and fed up with it. All their reading and homework takes so much more effort and dyslexic children can get very tired after school as they have to work harder than everyone else. So it is important to carefully chose what to do extra work on.

I've used easyread and wouldn't recommend it.

It does work for lots of kids - though I'm not quite sure how.

It didn't work for my DD - and they gave me a full refund.

Last year DD couldn't learn her times tables. But now her memory's improved heaps (due to all the therapies we've done) and her times tables are fine.

My dd is now 12 - and doing great at secondary - but had a similar experience at primary
These things that I initiated helped my dd:
private computer based tuition once a week for 3 years - my dd point blank refused to let me tutor her after school
Toe by Toe
Word shark and number shark
Coordination based physical activities eg gymnastics, ball sports

Overall I feel that primary really failed my dd - she has been a different child at secondary school and is now getting excellent results for the first time.