Jump Start

Day 1:

On another day I'll talk about how we got here. Today I want to just celebrate that we started. Josh is an 11 year old, 6th grade boy who really wants to be a youtube sensation when he grows up (among other things) :)  However, he is also a boy who can't read. He is a boy who, through no fault of his own, has an average IQ but can't develop letter/sound correspondence. He doesn't remember that the letter c makes the sound /k/. He will copy down the word you put in front of him, but he has NO idea what that word says, much less means. He is also the boy who is constantly asking what big words mean---like apocalypse (thank you, zombies and Portal 2).
(from Google Images)

Being his mom, and a special education teacher, I knew that I was the one who needed to light a fire under him so, that started today. After a week of no structure summer, Josh started with ESY (summer school) and we started literacy training with Orton Gillingham.

(from Google Images)

                                                                                          

     >>>>> Among my many talents, I was trained in Orton Gillingham many moons ago<<<<<

I have to say, it wasn't the worst experience of our lives, but it shows me just how far we need to go.

Baseline:  He recognizes 7 letters on sight. He knows 0 letter sounds and can read 2 "red" words (sight words). 

Excuse me while I need to take a breath after seeing that in black and white. Eight years of intervention in a good public school system and that is all he is able to produce? WHAT? To say I am not a fan right now is a bit of an understatement. 

So, today we practiced 4 letters (c,o,a,d) and I discovered that he doesn't know c or d. I also discovered how he is sneaky and relies on the adult to prompt him for his sounds. We had tears, frustration, a few breaks, some bribery with X-Box time and in the end we finally were able to blend together the sounds for c--o--d.

Our friendly first word..the ever fabulous cod...also from Google Images

                                      

One word down; an infinite number left to go. 

Don't they something about a journey and the first step???

I think we will be here a while.