Picture: Boys at Plimouth Plantation August 2006

Well, it is already November! Time is flying and all I do is research plot and plan. After several weeks of doing the Audiblox Jake's anxiety just started to build and I kept having to modify the exercises to the point he was not benefiting from them and was shutting down from me. I wrote to the company and have heard nothing from them and found that disouraging. I have not given up totally on the system and plan to incorporate it back in sometime in January.

So back to the research board. Multisensory teaching, I have the text books and am plugging away. One for Language and Reading and one for Math. Also found some interesting techniques involving lateralization and "right brain" child stuff. I am also going to try supplements. Apparently there has been some positive feedback regarding Omega3 and Omega6 (Fish oil & Evening Primrose) supplements.

Multisensory: Thus far I started using a phonics book called Making More Words. I have modified to use at home. I bought foam letters and each lesson Jake is given letters and there is a mystery word he ultimately has to figure out. To get there he must first find the 2 letter words then 3 letter, 4 and so on. He physically can move the letters around and tries different combinations and makes up silly words too, the crux is he LOVES it. Sometimes I have to give him clues but he is jazzed by this and does not make"the face"! Also I have used modeling clay to model numbers and do simple math, I have used shaving cream and finger painting to do cursive and writing exercises. As far as Math goes I have seen improvement in his mental math. I have started reveiwing place value, rounding & graphs. I bought an advanced dot-dot book to help with order and spatial issues. I still use computer website games a lot. Yesterdays math I found the Houghton Mifflin site. great stuff there.

Enhanced Lateralization: Further research turned up a website www.dyslexia.org. I don't have the money to buy another system at this point so I am using some of tools described and adapting it to what we do. Dorothy van den Honert has come up with a system through years of personal research and practice. She uses Enhanced Lateralization (EL). Getting the info into the Left brain by putting music into the Left ear and the phonics lesson in the right ear. So I have modified a pair of headphones, next she explains about vision and reading. I have modified a pair of sunglasses by popping out the right lense so that the Left brain is getting the stimulation. As described in her Reading from Scratch program I got out the Bob Books series I bought him in first grade and he is sytematically reading these book and going over beginning sounds, she (van den Honert) explains you must start from the beginning and not skip so that is what I am doing. I have been tweaking what music I use. Some Classical has been distracting but I found some New Age style stuff that seems to fade to the background better for him. I also have made up a sounds chart (A-with picture of an Apple etc...) adapted from my kindergarteners curriculum and a digraphs chart ( ch with picture of Church etc..) is for and we go over the sounds on both when we have the headphones & glasses on. (Digraphs are particularly Jakes struggle sn and sh are interchangeable to him) I have been able to get a 45 - 60 minutes of lesson about 3 times a week so far. Also where when doing making words.

Supplements: I am always looking for new information and found some interesting sites through the HSLDA.[(Home School Legal Defense Assn.) I do get the weekly newsletter to keep informed and found info on Dianne Craft from Colorado who is a special ed teacher and Certified Natural Health Professional. She has some fascinating articles regarding right and left brain training and supplements.

A day off today as Ian is home for 2 days (NJ teacher convention and Veteran's Day) So we are literally still laying about in jammies and watching TV---total goof offs. Tomorrow we may have to go do something constructive!