Teaching reading / writing

top_drawer_2

Hello

As I've mentioned before my sister has downs syndrome and I would really like to teach her to write / read. Following a thread on here I found her a penpal as I thought purpose was the best way to go forward but I am concerned about how / what I am teaching her.

She can read to an extent although its difficult for me to judge exactly how much she understands as she is very good socialising / winging it. I thought she would be able to write to an extent and then she could copy write what I write (I remember doing this as a child myself to complete bday cards etc) to expand but I am finding she doesn't seem to do any free writing really beyond her name.

Is copy writing the correct way to go about things? I've read up on teaching basic skills / psychology behind teaching reading etc but I am no clearer on the matter as to how to do it.

I've bought her a book to learn forming letters but am not sure thats going backwards a little.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

marisco_2

I think it is a good idea to have bought your sister a book on how to form her letters properly. Whilst she is attempting each one you could also be checking if she recognises each letters name and sound. For instance the letter A is sounded as a in apple, B is sounded as b in bus. Once she has a total grip on this she will find it so much easier to sound out any new words she learns. How strong is her recognition of the high frequency words?

You could do rainbow writing with her where you write a word out using a highlighter and she writes over it. Sometimes forget using a pencil and get her forming letters in shaving foam, bubbly water, sand etc. Using your finger and forming a letter on her back or on the back of her hand is a very effective way of instilling a letters shape. As is air writing, just extending the arm and pointing a finger and writing the letter in thin air.

Buy some playdough and form letters with this. It's also brilliant for rolling out as a sausage and then making into a snail or forming a ball and then flattening into a pizza shape. All good for strengthening her hand and fingers. Get her to thread beads onto some string and make a necklace or do some cutting with scissors. This helps with her fine motor skills.

When you read with her ask her questions about what she can see in any pictures. Get her to add her own ideas about the story. See what she can tell you about the different characters and how they are feeling. Can she predict what may happen next, does she pick up on anything funny in the text, understand the moral of the story or appreciate any little twist at the end? These things will give a good indication of her comprehension over what she has read.

I think it is lovely that you are doing all this for your sister and trying to improve her quality of life. I have read many of your threads about her and you clearly care about her a lot. She is very lucky to have you there for her.