Guest guest Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 In all our years (even as contentious as they have been) in our large suburban school district, I cannot remember even once anyone asking about or commenting on Pete's IQ. It simply has been a non-issue. I was always more concerned about whether he could co-operate enough to participate in any kind of testing. That was more of a marker for me that he was maturing. We also had an excellent school psych in middle school who would prep Pete about what she wanted him to do. She was never worried about the numbers as much as she was about getting some meaningful info that would help in designing his IEP. Pete has some word recognitions skills and could be said to attempt some reading but it is probably at best at about a kindergarten level. However, he has a fantastic memory so we can usually write high-interest words instead of pictures for a schedule, his " rules " , etc. He can navigate pretty well through files on the computer, a song index on a CD, I-tunes, You-tube. etc., and make his choices from them. Is that reading? If it is " accessing print for information " , I guess so. His middle school teacher used Reading Milestones for him- somewhat useful but the pictures were terrible so the worksheets were often ambiguous. I used flashcards, pic-syms, little photo books/stories, etc. Pete can copy brief sentences into email or a Word program to " write " to relatives. Um, when he feels like it. (If he is having a willing to cooperate day, he can surprise us with how much he is able to do. Unfortunately, he spends more time and energy trying to get out of doing these things, even when they are tasks he enjoys. The ONE thing that I would recommend if you can find it in your area is to watch " Between the Lions " on PBS stations with your child. This show is FANTASTIC and utilizes best current practices for teaching reading- with both phonics and whole language and comprehension skills. Sadly, it is on in our area now only two mornings a week- at 6 am- and I might need to make a point to record those while I can. Even at 17, Pete find these shows fun (as do I) and he has picked up some phonics skills- very rudimentary- from the programs. I also found that the little bit of success we had with handwriting (finally utilizing Handwriting Without Tears) absolutely reinforced reading/spelling/speech in a way that was very different than using word processing. There is something about understanding the shapes of the letters that turned a light bulb on for Pete. He began to name lots of things that began with the letter he was writing or forming. I also think that using visual language supports (i.e, pic-syms. boardmaker, photos, etc., along with written labels underneath, etc.) help reinforce that written things have meaning. Beth Pete's Mum (age 17, central Ohio) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 nathan is 16 and does pretty much the same as pete in the area of reading. we continue to work very hard on it, using phonics and whole word recongnition but nathan doesnt seem to be consistent with his memory he will do good and then a couple weeks later miss many of the words he did good on, needing continued review review review. Occasionally he will surprise us and actually know a word in a book we read before bed (the nights im off work) but often he just stabs in the dark when he sees a certain letter. I have a hard time having him take the time to look at the actual word, not just the pictures above, he loves to make comments about whats going on in the pictures,lol, but if our books have no pictures they are pretty boring for him it seems. shawna To: @...: ppaul1@...: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:59:50 -0400Subject: Re: IQ; also, Re: reading In all our years (even as contentious as they have been) in our large suburban school district, I cannot remember even once anyone asking about or commenting on Pete's IQ. It simply has been a non-issue. I was always more concerned about whether he could co-operate enough to participate in any kind of testing. That was more of a marker for me that he was maturing.We also had an excellent school psych in middle school who would prep Pete about what she wanted him to do. She was never worried about the numbers as much as she was about getting some meaningful info that would help in designing his IEP.Pete has some word recognitions skills and could be said to attempt some reading but it is probably at best at about a kindergarten level. However, he has a fantastic memory so we can usually write high-interest words instead of pictures for a schedule, his " rules " , etc.He can navigate pretty well through files on the computer, a song index on a CD, I-tunes, You-tube. etc., and make his choices from them. Is that reading? If it is " accessing print for information " , I guess so.His middle school teacher used Reading Milestones for him- somewhat useful but the pictures were terrible so the worksheets were often ambiguous.I used flashcards, pic-syms, little photo books/stories, etc. Pete can copy brief sentences into email or a Word program to " write " to relatives. Um, when he feels like it. (If he is having a willing to cooperate day, he can surprise us with how much he is able to do. Unfortunately, he spends more time and energy trying to get out of doing these things, even when they are tasks he enjoys.The ONE thing that I would recommend if you can find it in your area is to watch " Between the Lions " on PBS stations with your child. This show is FANTASTIC and utilizes best current practices for teaching reading- with both phonics and whole language and comprehension skills. Sadly, it is on in our area now only two mornings a week- at 6 am- and I might need to make a point to record those while I can. Even at 17, Pete find these shows fun (as do I) and he has picked up some phonics skills- very rudimentary- from the programs.I also found that the little bit of success we had with handwriting (finally utilizing Handwriting Without Tears) absolutely reinforced reading/spelling/speech in a way that was very different than using word processing. There is something about understanding the shapes of the letters that turned a light bulb on for Pete. He began to name lots of things that began with the letter he was writing or forming.I also think that using visual language supports (i.e, pic-syms. boardmaker, photos, etc., along with written labels underneath, etc.) help reinforce that written things have meaning. Beth Pete's Mum (age 17, central Ohio) _________________________________________________________________ Spell a grand slam in this game where word skill meets World Series. Get in the game. http://club.live.com/word_slugger.aspx?icid=word_slugger_wlhm_admod_april08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Beth: You are so cool. You listed what I feel are important issues in reaading EXCEPT: I soooooo want Elie to actually pick up a book and read the print. And that ain't happening. HE can also read words of interest, read his CD or Video lables, pick out the songs he wants form alist, and can type when he chooses to. (or copy what is written out for him to type rather. As to the IQ - we never did it until Elie was Pete's age - and then only because our county wanted a number to qualify him for waiver under the MR medicaide waiver. And that is when we had a number IQ done. The fact that it is significantly lower than his functioning level would indicate, is actually a benefit when it comes to waiver. The psych who did it even said that the number was " not indicative of his actual level of functioning, but a number which evolved from required test methods " . When is a number not a number? On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 9:59 PM, Beth wrote: > In all our years (even as contentious as they have been) in our large > suburban school district, I cannot remember even once anyone asking > about or commenting on Pete's IQ. It simply has been a non-issue. > I was always more concerned about whether he could co-operate enough > to participate in any kind of testing. That was more of a marker for > me that he was maturing. > > We also had an excellent school psych in middle school who would prep > Pete about what she wanted him to do. She was never worried about > the numbers as much as she was about getting some meaningful info > that would help in designing his IEP. > > Pete has some word recognitions skills and could be said to attempt > some reading but it is probably at best at about a kindergarten > level. However, he has a fantastic memory so we can usually write > high-interest words instead of pictures for a schedule, his " rules " , > etc. > > He can navigate pretty well through files on the computer, a song > index on a CD, I-tunes, You-tube. etc., and make his choices from > them. Is that reading? If it is " accessing print for information " , > I guess so. > > His middle school teacher used Reading Milestones for him- somewhat > useful but the pictures were terrible so the worksheets were often > ambiguous. > > I used flashcards, pic-syms, little photo books/stories, etc. Pete > can copy brief sentences into email or a Word program to " write " to > relatives. Um, when he feels like it. (If he is having a willing to > cooperate day, he can surprise us with how much he is able to do. > Unfortunately, he spends more time and energy trying to get out of > doing these things, even when they are tasks he enjoys. > > The ONE thing that I would recommend if you can find it in your area > is to watch " Between the Lions " on PBS stations with your child. > This show is FANTASTIC and utilizes best current practices for > teaching reading- with both phonics and whole language and > comprehension skills. Sadly, it is on in our area now only two > mornings a week- at 6 am- and I might need to make a point to record > those while I can. Even at 17, Pete find these shows fun (as do I) > and he has picked up some phonics skills- very rudimentary- from the > programs. > > I also found that the little bit of success we had with handwriting > (finally utilizing Handwriting Without Tears) absolutely reinforced > reading/spelling/speech in a way that was very different than using > word processing. There is something about understanding the shapes > of the letters that turned a light bulb on for Pete. He began to > name lots of things that began with the letter he was writing or > forming. > > I also think that using visual language supports (i.e, pic-syms. > boardmaker, photos, etc., along with written labels underneath, > etc.) help reinforce that written things have meaning. > > Beth Pete's Mum (age 17, central Ohio) > > > -- Sara - Life is a journey- we choose the path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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