Can anyone talk to me about using Dancing Bears at home?

[EdgarsEars]

DD is in Y1 and reading is not clicking. We’re doing everything- letters on the fridge, the bath, we’ve gone to the library weekly since she was two, and our house is full of books. I also had her eyes tested snd her ears are definitely fine!

I’ve been panic searching the old threads here and I see this recommended a lot. I’m not a teacher though and the sample looked OK in parts but tricky in parts. I don’t want to explain anything wrong.

Try Teach Monster to Read app? Never heard of Dancing Bears. Do lots of phonics? Look for words/letters in books you're enjoying together but make it fun. Write letters/words in shaving foam in bath. If you push it too much & it's not fun in year 1, I guess the risk is she might hate reading forever.

We’re doing or have done all of the fun stuff. I’m not particularly keen on apps as I’m really trying to limit screentime.

Which bits are you worried about getting wrong? I don’t think you can really get it too wrong with Dancing Bears.

Dancing Bears/Bear Necessities are pretty foolproof step by step instructions that anyone can use.

I'd also recommend the free course for parents here https://www.udemy.com/course/help-your-child-to-read-and-write/

Hi! I used Dancing Bears at home with my DD. She was about to turn 6 at the time.

We tried to do about 45 mins a day every evening after school. They give you a cursor, use it regularly and I gave her another one to use for other books.

We didn't like the reading sections as much, so I used other books for reading. Phonic Pathways really helped as well.

It made a huge difference. Good luck!

Personally I would suggest much shorter sessions and go with the child don't make it a fight/confrontation.

I think the suggestion from Dancing Bear was 10 minutes - we did try for every day but I think they expected 5 times a week.

I'm not a teacher and it was one of the most straight forward programs we came across .

Very clear instructions at the start of the book - start each session going through the flash cards till get instant response every time - add more as time goes on and use the blue card with corner cut out to help them break the words up into sounds.

I agree about the longer reading passages in later sessions aren't great - but the are practicing the words so we had a go but like PP ofen used other phonics reading books as well.

It took time but didn't put any of our children off reading - and very much got DS reading - he really struggled and started on the very early books -and he's turned into quite the book worm.