DS6 was recently diagnosed with dyslexia. Toe by Toe was one of the recommended resources for home use. We started it tonight. I was just wondering if anyone else had tried it.

It makes heavy use of nonsense words which is supposed to cut down on the good guesses common with 2e kids. It is a one book, one pencil, one kid and one tutor/parent method. The book was $40 and ships from the UK. They recommend 20 min. a day.

It starts with the sounds of letters and ends 287 pages later with what I would call real reading.

Thanks for the bump.

I will give an update too.

It is going really well. DS6 likes it. The basic set up is there is a skill introduced, then the skill is applied to nonsense words and then real words. The kid has to show mastery three times on three different days to move on.

So right now we are working on blends. There are lists of words that begin with a blend like "floor" or "swing". The coach/parent says the word and the kid says blend. I say floor, he says "fl". Then it moves on to list blends where I point to "fl" and he tells me the sound. Then he will read words like "flug", then words like "flip" individually and finally in sentences and paragraphs. There is indeed a reason it is called Toe by Toe.

Everything is in list format with a grid next to it mark whether it is mastered or needs more work.

This isn't the only recommendation for DS. He will also be doing an intense summer session at Lindamood Bell and will probably start seeing an Orton Gillingham tutor in first grade. We just wanted something we could do at home right now.

I think Toe by Toe would be good option for people with young kids who are unsure if there is a problem. The publishers say 7 is the starting age but DS is 6 and doing fine with it.

Update -
DS6 and I are still doing this everyday. It is really helping and his teachers have noticed. He now works to decode words rather than looking at pictures and guessing based on the first sound. The director of his school is so impressed by his progress, she bought a copy of the book and is going to recommend it to other parents at the p/t conferences coming up.

Good for you for working on this so early. This will make a huge difference to him in the coming years. My 2e boy was a great guesser and teachers didn't believe he couldn't read until 2nd grade, when I finally had him privately tested. I wish I would have been as proactive and insistent as you.

We hired a tutor 2x week for 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades (Wilson method). And his reading is about 75th percentile now, in 6th grade. It started about about 10th pct in 2nd. He's not afraid to read out loud and it's not an issue for him at all. So I'm sure your son will do just as well if not better.

KJP,

Sounds like a strong program that breaks it down into easy to follow steps and provides an easy way to measure progress.

Thanks for sharing this!

I need to get this book. I'm at wits end, after DD7 started reading initially at age 3 but not progressed very well. Her teacher finally approached me yesterday about dyslexia and we know DD has ADHD hypteractive type.

Just bumping this recommendation for other struggling readers and giving an update.

DS6 continues to make progress and is really learning to decode longer words.

Tonight he showed his Toe by Toe book to his grandmother. He explained how the book works, where he started, where he is working currently and what he'll be able to read when he is done. He seems to have really taken ownership of this process.

He actually said reading was one of his favorite subjects at school.

I promise not to keep posting on my own thread but I wanted to share a conversation I had with my son tonight:

DS6: Mom, where did you buy Toe by Toe?
Me: Amazon. Why?
DS6: When I'm a parent I want to get it for my kid and teach them to read with it. I think it is the best way to learn.