We began Audiblox on September 8, 2003. On September 22 we received our first customized program. We have completed hour 53 of the program.
Greylan is 13 years old. He had received 3 years of twice per week educational therapy prior to starting the Audiblox program. This program had greatly helped my older son, Ian. However, the tutor commented about Greylan, “After 20 years of helping children I have never had a child with whom I have made as little progress.” So we stopped this program and had no outside intervention the last school year (2002-2003).
I prayed constantly about what to do. Greylan’s reading is very poor. I would really consider him a non-reader. He can read a simple story but that’s it. And he doesn’t want to read to himself. He will listen to me read aloud for a long time and really enjoys that. His handwriting is almost unrecognizable, compounded by his horrific spelling.
So we began Audiblox. Many parts of it are actually easier for him than I thought they would be. After some initial difficulty with the Arrows he got that quite well. He is now building 24 with the pattern exercise and is up to 33 with the sequencing. He has little difficulty with any of the logical thinking exercises.
The counting is difficult for him. He struggled with counting backwards from 30. But now is working on counting from 2 to 60 and gets it right most of the time. He consistently skips 44!
When we work on the rows of numbers where you add 1, then 2, then 3 I really see the dyslexia. He will take a number like 37, add 1, and say 74. He will do this adding 2 or 3 also. This is really difficult for me to do! But I do see improvement in this.
The most difficulty has been with the reading of the word cards. Some mistakes are understandable. For example, he will read heart as hurt. But some are just plain weird. He reads maybe as good-bye and vice versa! He will read dark as darkness. But we have just finished all the yellow cards. He usually gets them all correct. But he will begin to make new mistakes on words that he’s never had any trouble with.
The most consistent thing about Greylan is his inconsistency.
So, what is the bottom line? I do see progress. He is reading more frequently. Just reading signs and things when we are out and about. I see glimmers of improvement in other areas, like organization. But we still have a ways to go.
Greylan is a very hard worker. He very seldom complains about doing the program. He gets up 1 hour before the rest of the children (there are 4 in all) to work. This program has strengthened our relationship. He knows that he needs help and believes me when I tell him that this program will help him.
I enjoy using Audiblox because I can see progress and because I always know what to do next. It is very incremental which is what Greylan needs. It is very difficult for him to establish habits. But I can see good habits being formed. We have enjoyed our experience so far and I look forward to even more progress.
Many thanks to Benetta for all your help. You are always willing to answer my questions. I really think I need the program myself!
Blessings,
Dusty in NC
USA
Update, 6 January 2004:
Although I had not planned to take a lot of time off during December, we took more time off than I had planned! Anyone else in that same boat?
We took off two weeks and one day. Then we only did two days of Audiblox last week but…
I think I learned something new. When you do Audiblox 5 days a week often progress is incremental. I wondered how much ground would be lost during our break.
I was most surprised by Greylan’s reading of the yellow word cards. He was about 98% fluent with them before our break. I expected some lost ground.
The first day back after our break he read the yellow cards the best he has ever read them! I felt that this showed that these words are now in long-term memory. He doesn’t have to figure them out; he reads them.
He struggled quite a bit with the white cards. He reads them very similarly to how he read the yellow words cards in the beginning. So, I expect to see the same progress with the white word cards eventually.
This is very encouraging to me. Greylan has always been a guesser. He will guess 20 words when trying to read one. Of course, he will get the word “right.” One of his guesses will be correct but this is not reading. He is now reading these words.
This encourages me to get “back on track” in the New Year. I could go on and on but just let me say that I have seen more progress with 65 hours of Audiblox than I saw in 3 years of twice weekly tutoring sessions with Greylan. The sessions were 1 1/2 hours each for a total of 3 hours per week. I’m looking forward to what the rest of this school year will hold.