With the new school year approaching, it's time once again to think about Jerry's education.  Though I've successfully homeschooled my other three kids (so far), Jerry is always different.  I've tried everything I did with my other three and none of it has ever worked with him.  My biggest struggle with Jerry seems to be in teaching him his ABC's, the foundation for reading.  In my book, if you can only learn how to read, you can be more independent someday, no matter what your learning challenges. 

So every year since he was four, I set out at the beginning of the year with vigor and stamina, ready to forge ahead and drill those letters into his little memory bank.  And year after year, it's a struggle and a battle and we're lucky at the end of the school year if he can recognize four letters and their sounds...only to forget them before the start of the next school year.  It's so frustrating! 

And now some of Jeremiah's younger friends are surpassing him and beginning to read and my heart just breaks for him as he recognizes their new ability and his lack thereof.    And yes, I know I shouldn't and can't compare Jeremiah to other kids his age, or even younger, but it's hard not to.  I just can't help it.  And don't get me wrong...I'm very excited for my friends, the parents of Jerry's literary friends, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm very sad for Jerry at the same time.

I constantly go back to a conversation in my head that I had with a lady who runs a homeschool fair here every year.  She told me that her son was fourteen before he learned to read and to never give up trying.  It will click someday.  So with that in mind, here we go again.  And though I'll be grateful whenever Jeremiah learns to read, I do hope it doesn't take another six years!!

I do feel a little more prepared this year however.  I feel like I know more about how Jerry learns now.  I understand his auditory processing struggles and his need for visual and kinethetic exercises.  And so we're going to try a whole new routine this year that will hopefully be fun for him while he prayerfully retains what we're focusing on each week.  There are soooooo many things out there that claim to be the best tools for teaching kids their ABC's and to read, and pouring through them was exhausting, but I think I picked out those things that Jerry will best respond to.  At least I hope I did.

We're going to spend two weeks on each letter and here are the things we will do to teach Jeremiah to recognize the letters and their sounds:

• ABC Accordion - This cool accordion made from poster boards has a pocket for each letter so we can put Jerry's work in them.  It's over seven feet long when stretched out and just a neat visual.

• I have the capital letters in paper punches.  I'll let Jerry use the punch for the letter we are working on to make a bunch of little letters that he can glue on the accordion section for that letter.  This is good for his fine motor skills too.
• We're also going to look through magazines for pictures of things that start with the letter we're working on, cut them out, and store them in the accordion pocket for that letter (or glue them on the section).
• We're going to take pictures with our own camera as well of people we know whose name starts with each letter and store those in our accordion pocket.
• I made ABC display boxes and glued them all together onto a poster board.  We're going to look around the house and through Jerry's small toys he likes to collect for things that start with each letter and put them in their boxes.

• Jerry is going to trace and write the letter we're working on every day of the two weeks.
• My girlfriend lent me her Sing, Spell, Read, & Write CD with the alphabet letters and sounds song on it and we're going to listen to it all the way through each week.
• I have a neat book called, "Cut and Create ABC" and it's a hands-on construction paper craft to make for each letter of the alphabet.

• I'm going to put a large white construction paper cutout of the letter we're working on onto black paper and attach it to the back of my seat in the van so Jeremiah can look for the same letter on signs and billboards while we're driving.
• We're going to make a letter worm on the wall with 26 body parts and, after we're done studying a letter, we're going to cut the letter out of sandpaper and glue it onto the right body part on our worm.
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Read with Me DVD game once a week. 
• Starfall website once a week.
• With every letter we learn about, we're going to add insects or insect words to our Insects ABC matchbook board.

• I also have the "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" book and we'll read that once a week while Jeremiah places magnetic letters onto a picture of a palm tree taped to a cookie sheet (so the letters stick) in order as I read the story to him.  Then he'll take them off again in order as they come down the tree.

I'll make the letters using sidewalk chalk on our driveway and then let Jeremiah uses a water spray bottle to "erase" the letters.  He'll be tracing the letter with the water.  This idea was in that great 101 activities book by Tara Delaney that I blogged about a few entries ago.

• Also in this book was the idea to have your child sit while you use your finger to write the letter on their back so they can feel the shape of the letter.  As we learn more letters, I will write the ones he knows on a sheet of paper in front of him.  Then I will trace a letter on his back and see if he can guess by the feel what letter I am writing with my finger.
• Letter Sounds and Learn Letters game from Owl & Mouse once a week.  These are free software downloads.
• Play ABC Bingo game Jerry has once a week.
• Practice making letters in shaving cream on a cookie sheet.
• Watch Letter Factory DVD once a week and play with LeapFrog Fridge Phonics.
• Scaredy Cat Reading System.
• We're going to put the letter on the floor using painter's tape for Jeremiah to walk on, line toys up on, and just plain old see everyday.  We did this last time too.  Here is a picture of Jerry with his bouncy balls on the letter "B".

• And finally, we're going to read, read, read, read, read!!!!!!!!

So, there you have it!  I cannot possibly think of anymore kinesthetically and visually friendly activities to do!  And by doing each of these activities for every letter of the alphabet and on a weekly basis, I'm really hoping the letters and their sounds "stick" this time.  We're not formally starting school until 9/8 so I'll keep everyone posted.