Jill

>What's important about my story and Carol's is that they're about kids who
were trying to learn to read and not succeeding. Struggling with it.
Agonizing over it sometimes, and finally all the pieces fell into place.
It's
a different story from those of kids who read later because they weren't
interested until later, for whom learning to read was fairly simple once
they
decided to do it.

This was the situation for my oldest son too Deborah. He wanted to read
because others his age and younger could. It made him feel stupid. Some
phonics programs created more problems than they solved and he just didn't
get it. Reading is still coming slowly - not a "and then one day he took
off and read the great novel". He is nearly 12 and can read nearly any sign
or label or short description, he can read comics, but a book is still a
challenge for him. Once he makes a mistake it is hard for him to get back
into the rhythm somehow. Other things come easily to him so it has been a
big surprise. I don't understand so it is a struggle to help him and I have
to leave it to him to tell me what he needs. E-mailing and IM are helping
with spelling and that helps with reading so we move slowly forward.
I agree with Deborah's label - When reading doesn't come easily.
>It's
a different story from those of kids who read later because they weren't
interested until later, for whom learning to read was fairly simple once
they
decided to do it.
Perhaps this group are "when reading comes later". My younger son didn't
read very early either but it never bothered him and it didn't frustrate
him. He can always read what he has to read or wants to read but still
doesn't read that well - at least out loud. However, he is reading Lord of
the Rings now so I guess he does well enough for himself.

Having patience to wait for my sons to figure out reading has been my most
difficult challenge as a homeschooler. It is so visible to others that it
becomes a target to prove I am doing the wrong thing by my children. It has
taken a leap of faith to trust that it will come. I read everything I could
get my hands on but none of the interventions made sense to me. The "most
highly recommended method of teaching dyslexics" to read seemed so contrary
to what my son would respond to that I couldn't make myself do it. I
suspect the only intervention that would have helped would have been the one
that I did at the right time. So, I have saved a lot of money, eaten quite
a bit of humble pie and I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I look
forward to the day that I can confidently write an article about "When
reading doesn't come easily" because my boys are reading any book that is
out there. But I am not there yet - not quite.

Jill