Over the years, I’ve collected things that help with my teaching Ian. Lots of people have asked for specific things that I do to get through to him, so I thought I’d start to write them out. Please keep in mind that just because they worked for Ian doesn’t mean that they will work with your Special Needs Child. I will try to add to this list weekly … so come back often and check out the Hints~n~Helps Category listed on the side of the web site.
Here are a couple things that have helped Ian with his dyslexia that didn’t cost an arm and a leg:
Colored Sheets Now, you can go to a specialist and pay $10-$30 per page OR you can go to an Office Supply Store and buy “top loading colored sheet protectors”. The trick is to buy the assorted pack so that you can figure out which color works best for your child. Slip a workbook page (preferably the same page so that the color and not the content is judged) into each color from the pack. Usually there is a blue, green, rose, and either a yellow or an orange. Ian’s color is blue. Once you have figured out which color makes it easier for him to read, you can cut the long side of the sheet protector so that you can slip the sheet protector onto a page that is attached to a book. The great part is if you use a white board pen, you can write on the protector and then wipe it off. We use this for our Math worksheets a lot.
Colored Sun Glasses Once you know what color your child reads better with, you can go to the dollar store and pick up that colored sun glasses! If you wear reading glasses, it’s even cooler cause you both get to go get your reading glasses and use them to read. This also helps with him not feeling weird or out of place … if mom does it too, then it’s ok.
Tub o Letters. This has been a life saver for us! Check it out here (although I did not buy it here … I went to our local school supply store and only paid $15) http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=9172&SubProductFlag=f&FromBasket=t&Merchant_Id=1 I got the magnetic ones. Then I walked over to the Big Lots store (or 99 cent store) and bought two cookie sheets. Be careful when buying cheap cookie sheets (I bought mine for $1.99 each) … not all of them will hold magnets. Make sure and either bring a magnet or borrow a magnet from the office supply section of the store and test it out! Ian has a horrible time mixing up his sounds when he pronounces a whole word. So …we go back to the magnets (if you get a different type, make sure it looks “big boy” not “baby”. The “baby” ones might be cheaper … but if they won’t use it, why spend $ on it.) With the magnets I can spell out the word, separate the letters and cover my hand over all but the first sound, then go on to the next sound and so on. Then I smush all the letters together to “make the word” and we say the individual sounds over and over and over again, faster and faster until they blend into the word. I try to make a game out of it so that it doesn’t seem like so much work.
5×8½ inch card stock This is a help I got from a $1000 dyslexia curriculum that was an emotional buy at a homeschool conference! Most of what was in this pricy curriculum was hand made that you and I could make in a flash!! Anyway, take the card stock and cut out a rectangle in the middle … just big enough to see one word at a time. The goal of this particular help is to isolate the word they are trying to read so that they can really concentrate on just one word at a time.