Dyslexic Children

Camille:

I came across your book in a bookstore and wondered if you’ve worked with dyslexic children? (Children with extreme difficulty learning to read and spell that can\'t be explained by lack of education, poor eye sight, or deficient mental capacity). I and my children share this quality. We have worked hard to achieve acceptable levels of literacy. I’m always looking for additional resources, would you recommend any web pages or resources?

Faye

Faye, thank you for your email. Yes, I have worked with dyslexic students, in fact my brothers struggle with dyslexia and they were one of the main inspirations for writing this book. I included a section in the book on how to adapt the curriculum to dyslexic students based upon the model I used when I was a teacher. Also, one of the greatest books I have read on the subject is

Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level by Sally Md Shaywitz

This book was initially recommended to me by a dear friend who seriously struggled with dyslexia and found this book to be particularly insightful. I have read it and agree. The one thing is that dyslexia has many faces- that is what most people don't know. They automatically assume that it is only mixing up letters and numbers. Not so, this books helps put things into perspective and helped me as a teacher. I highly recommend it.

If I can be of any more help, please let me know.

Sample Lesson

Dear Camille:

My son just received Vol 1 for Christmas. I'm still unsure how to use it. Could you talk me through how a sample lesson might go? Thx.

Verena

I'm excited for you Verena. Thank you for your email. I glad to know you received the book and hope it helps your son in his efforts to learn to read. The lessons are all organized the same in Volume 1 for convenience purposes (as well as volume two and three). Each chapter has a whole language/sight word(s) for the child to memorize (that are also displayed on flip cards for you to cut out), and a phonics lesson for you to teach your son. The preface to these lessons is that your son does need to know his alphabet sounds (short vowel and long vowel sounds).

The sight words are words that don't usually have a phonetic rule that correlates to them and just need to be memorized. Also, in volume one I drew from my experience teaching Kindergarten- when teaching the short vowel sounds. Each phonetic lesson consists of creating words from a word pattern. Your son uses the cut out letters (provided in the beginning of the book) to insert at the beginning of the pattern word to sound out. He sounds out the word. If it makes a word he is familiar with, he would write this word down on the lines provided underneath.

After this review, the words just learned are then highlighted in their corresponding colors (green- memorized words, blue- phonetic words) in the following chapter. The text is meant to be read with an adult (or someone who is able to read the words in black that your son will not know how to read.) This book is a "phased in" approach, so that your son will only be responsible for the words he knows how to read, but will still feel like he is reading the Book of Mormon. I find that with beginning readers they have fun attempting the words in black that they might know, or have learned at school. It is a fun conquering feeling for them.

Each chapter also has a Gospel Review Activity/Questions for comprehensive purposes.

I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions.

Printing Off Workpages

Dear Camille:

Hello, my name is Dawnella, I am a stay-at-home mom of 5 and ... home-school. My family is currently in stationed in Germany with the Army. I recently bought your book and love it. Will you ever be putting the a CD together so that the work-pages could be printed from a computer? With 4 of my children using the book it would be easier if I could print off the pages that they will be using ... and put them into a book that each of them can use as a review. I appreciate your time, desire and testimony to teach our children from the Book of Mormon.

With Much Thanks,

Dawnella

Dawnella, thanks for your email. Similar to my response to Mike below, Cedar Fort Publishing decided that they would release the last three volumes (combined with the first two volumes) in CD form. This will enable people to print the pdf files themselves from their own computer. And for those who use the worksheets with several children, they will have the ability to print of several copies if desired. This CD will be released in June and you can visit www.cedarfort.com to purchase one or visit your local LDS church bookstore. Best of luck in Germany!

All Five Volumes

Sister Funk:

I was in Seagull Book recently, and the clerk alerted me to your books for my 8 year old grandson who is struggling with reading. I have found useful in my own efforts to keep close to The Book of Mormon! When is the third volume coming out?

Sincerely,

Mike

Mike, thank you for your email. Cedar Fort Publishing decided that they would release the last three volumes (combined with the first two volumes) in CD form. This will enable people to print the pdf files themselves from their own computer. And for those who use the worksheets with several children, they will have the ability to print of several copies if desired. This CD will be released in June and you can visit www.cedarfort.com to purchase one or visit your local LDS church bookstore.

Refugee Family

Dear Camille:

I am a volunteer mentor with a refugee family from Burma. I am wondering if your book would help us teach both English and the gospel to children and very recent adult converts. Thanks so much.

Nancy

Nancy- thank you for your email. I have seen people use this book to teach both English and the gospel. Adults use it too. It works especially well because they are familiar with the Book of Mormon already, so learning to read the Book of Mormon in a new language works very well. I would suggest that the only prerequisite is that they need to know the alphabet sounds and as soon as they do, they are ready for lesson one.

Please let me know if I can help in any other way, this is a great thing you are doing!

Learning Disabilities

Dear Sister Funk:

My name is Donita and I am tutoring a young man in his early 20's who has learning disabilities to read using the Book of Mormon. It has been his grandmother's wish that he improve his reading skills and learn to read the Book of Mormon. Do you have any books published that will help me with my tutoring this young ? He can read at a 2.9 grade level. Any suggestions will be helpful. Thank you.

Donita

Donita- thank you for your email. I do have two books published in the series of five and the rest of those publications will be coming out in CD form in June. You can visit http://www.cedarfort.com/author/Funk.html to take a look at the books I have out. However, in knowing that the young man your tutoring has learning disabilities as well as about a second grade reading level, it might be beneficial for him to start with the first volume as a brush up (you can review the lessons, and then in the chapter he can read as many words as he knows). The way the book is formatted allows you to take a "running record" or a journal of things he struggles with for future reference and in trying to see if you can find trends to help you teach him better. This will also allow you to determine the beginning fundamentals that he might need to practice more than others. You might find that you will move fairly swiftly through the Book of Mormon at first until you find the reading level he is at. In the book are also some suggestions for readers with learning disabilities for you to reference.

Homeschooling Options

Dear Camille,

I've home-schooled for 12 years. I have three little ones I plan to use the program for. I am considering how to present the lessons. Should I discuss first what we are covering then read all of the text except for the highlighted words pause for the child to read? 2. May I copy the cards onto card-stock to laminate? May I copy a personal reading schedule for each of them?

Edith

Edith, I hope I can clearly answer your questions. I'm going to copy and paste them in a bulleted form so that I make sure and answer everything.

1) Should I first discuss what we are covering then read all of the text except for the highlighted words pause for the child to read?- Yes, the lessons are typically designed for the lesson and significant practice of the new words and patterns to come first, then to read the new chapter following and pause at the highlighted words for the children to read. If the child that you are reading with has struggles with the new (or even old) words- feel free to assist, but notate in the "Notes" column for reference (perhaps after the session if you remember so that the child won't feel on the spot).

2) May I copy the cards onto cardstock to laminate? May I copy a personal reading schedule for each of them?- You surely may, whatever helps the children learn the words better, (the only infringement of copyright would come if you were to sell them, which I don't imagine you would do). :) I had originally envisioned cardstock type perferated word cards- but alas we were not able to do that in this edition, perhaps in the future.

I wish you and your three children the best of luck with this new program. Again, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Also, I would love to hear of your children's successes along the way as well.

I've been tagged...

Doug Johnston- the Public Relations Director at Cedar Fort Publishing tagged me and challenged me to share 7 facts about myself on my blog, some random, some weird.

1) I am originally from South Pasadena, California. My dad said that they would take me to the beach often when I was little, but I never liked to step on the sand.
2) I love the state of New York. I served a mission for the LDS Church in upstate and went to graduate school in NYC. When I first moved to NYC I went to the deli for a gallon of milk and a half of carton of Oreos... it cost me $8!
3) I am the oldest of six children- and my sister is less than a year younger than I am (by two days).
4) I can touch my tongue to my nose.
5) I love sports and have traditionally been a big fan of watching college football... perhaps it is because I grew up 5 minutes away from the Rose Bowl. I love bowl games, blimps, crowds flying in from all over- it is just so exciting.
6) I love daffodils... and all flowers. There is nothing like picking out a special flower for someone you love.
7) I love to learn. Life long learning is my motto. :)

New Blog

Welcome to the blog dedicated to Reading the Book of Mormon. My name is Camille Funk and I am the author of Learning to Read Using the Book of Mormon. I occasionally get emails that I wish I could answer for the general public about the book and about reading the Book of Mormon. This site is dedicated to starting a conversation about how to teach others how to read using the Book of Mormon, as well as reading the Book of Mormon in general. I'd love to hear your feedback to the entries I post. Cheers!