Me & My Struggling Reader

I've been catching up on Focus on the Family broadcasts, and just listened to one from September or so called "The Pain of Illiteracy" with John Corcoran. Talk about convicting.

He's talking about how there is simply no excuse for parents and teachers to let a child grow up without learning to read. Okay, that isn't quite what he said, but that's what I heard. Once again, I'm confronted with massive guilt over what I have -- or have not -- done with my second son.

It isn't like I haven't tried. It isn't like I haven't bought program after program, trying to find something that will do it. And it isn't like he hasn't made progress. But, he's ten. And reading worse than most seven year olds I know.

So, he & I sat down with an array of programs that we own, and I told him to pick one. He chose Phonics Pathways. I am absolutely going to see to it that we sit down at least five days a week for 15-20 minutes. Preferably every day.

He will continue some of the other things he is already doing, like Explode the Code Online. And Reading Upgrade. And I'm hoping he'll finish the last ten Click'N'Kids lessons too.

And come January, when we are actually back in school, I need to make some more decisions, and undoubtedly make some changes.