Mom shares experiences using The Sound Case™ with her child

Every day we take reading for granted. Something as simple as a sign on the road, to as complex as our favorite autobiography. For many people, it's a given. For others, it is terrifying.

As time goes on we realize more and more just how many people have dyslexia and just how misunderstood it is. Fortunately for many children and parents, there is now help.

The Fundamental Learning Center teaches children with dyslexia crucial literacy skills using a program designed just for them. Now parents can use that amazing program at home.

I am proud to be on the board of Fundamental Learning Center, and although my daughter doesn't have dyslexia, I sat down with her to learn parts of the program to see how it is making a difference for so many kids across the country.

When I received The Sound Case™, FLC also sent me an email with instructions on how to sign up for online training. It was quick and easy. I now had access to the tools in The Sound Case™ and the online videos and tips to move me along in my program.

I sat down the night before I planned to work with Zoey so I could be ready to go the next day. She is 6, and let's be real, her attention span is not very long.

The online videos (disclaimer: that's me! FLC asked me to voice all the videos of The Sound Case™, and I was honored to do so. But let me tell you, it's weird to listen to your own voice that much!) teach you about Fundamental Learning Center and also dyslexia. It's a great background, and a way to really understand so much more about dyslexia. Be aware that you will need to buy the children's books that you will use in the program yourself before you start.

Following the Preliminary Action Strip, Preliminary Lessons and Dialogic Reading Procedure Card, I was able to take Zoey through the first lessons. Once you get organized, it's amazing how easy it is to get through every lesson. The books are fun to read and keep kids’ attention.

You will read each book five times (more if you like), but that really helps cement some of the concepts The Sound Case™ is teaching. Zoey enjoyed the stories, and the quick activities but especially the extension activities. These are at the end of the preliminary lessons.

Extension activities are made to be fun and creative and give your kids a reason to want to keep going with the lessons. It really does make something that your child previously saw as distressing a lot more enjoyable.

I'll use the first lesson as an example. I followed my Preliminary Lesson sheet and Dialogic Reading Procedure card to go through the lesson. Remember, the videos are there to guide you too! We used the book “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” by Bill Martin Jr.

For language enrichment, we discussed different vocabulary words as we read through the story. The book was colorful and fun, an easy read with a little one.

Next, for the phonemic awareness activity, we learned to listen. We did this by me asking Zoey basic questions like: what do you use to listen? We also worked on ways to listen together.

For our alphabet activity, we used the board and letters to work on identifying our letters. Zoey thought this was fun because it was hands-on, something that felt more like play. To review I picked four words and we talked about them and what they meant. This was an activity I found to be a lot of fun. Hearing your child describe the vocabulary in their own words is really interesting. I also feel like although there may be times they have trouble reading, doing things like describing the words builds their confidence.

For fun, and as part of the extension activity, we looked up coconuts and learned about them because they were in the book we were reading. You could also go out and buy a coconut as they suggest, that would be a lot of fun!

With each book and lesson, you will also want to go through your Dialogic Reading Procedure card as well. Again, it is easy to follow. It helps you read with your child, not to them, making a huge difference in your approach.

Once I understood how to follow The Sound Case™, the lessons were quick and simple. It's important to stick with it, even if your child loses focus. I think the key for us was making it as much like play as possible — and offering up fun extension activities at the end. I am so excited for you to get started if you have a struggling reader. This program could change your child’s life!

Go back to funlearn.org to purchase The Sound Case™.