Giddykipper N. 1.
5/5
As a retired teacher and Early Years Co-ordinator, I know from first hand experience, just how effective the Toe by Toe series of books really are. Numerous children I have taught, have gained in confidence and been able to access books for the first time in their lives. The results have been amazing to see, and it has been an absolute privilege to share this approach with a child, and see them “switched on” at last to words and reading. The absolute delight they show, when they first begin to recognise that words can be “de-coded” and that it’s not just words in books, but also in their general environment that they can now read, is wonderful. No longer do they need to be afraid. Anyone who has lots of patience and a positive “can do” attitude, can access this programme, and see a child blossom and thrive, turning from a “reluctant” reader, to a “confident” reader over time. I diagnosed my own grandson with dyslexia when he was quite small, even though his teachers did not see the problem initially. He loved to be read to, and share in the fun and magic of stories, but asking him to read himself, was like wading through thick mud!! He struggled with the simplest words, and would often forget words he had encountered a minute before. He was constantly frustrated, and avoided having to read at all costs. Reading aloud to his classmates was torture for him. He was a socially confident, intelligent, creative, loving little boy, with a real sense of humour, and to see him struggle with every word was so sad. Toe by Toe was his gateway to success. It is a programme that really does lead the child “toe by toe” through every page, with lots of reinforcement to build their skills. I made sure that we stuck absolutely to the instructions and recommendations in each book, never skipping over anything, because I had absolute confidence in the methods. I worked with him four or five days a week for about 20 mins at a time. He needed this input, as he was so far behind the other children, and was getting no EFFECTIVE input from school. The best thing is that THIS APPROACH WORKS....NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. Another positive, is that THE CHILD COMES TO REALISE THEMSELVES THAT IT WORKS, and becomes eager to learn more. Children with reading difficulties will often be very tired at the end of a school day, and as we progressed through all the books, and the work got a bit harder, I have to admit that you need to be sensitive to this. Sometimes we had a “come down time” after school, with time for light hearted chat and a snack before starting work. This usually seemed to work fine. There were only a couple of occasions that we abandoned his work, because he had experienced a really difficult day at school, but we didn’t worry about this, as we knew there was another day, and we could get “right back on it” after an early night, some TLC, and when he felt more rested. We used to find a quiet place in the local library to do the work before any swimming or climbing lessons etc, and we made the scheme fit around our othercommitments. As it was only for a limited focussed period, and always approached with a positive attitude, my grandson accepted it as just another thing that we did together. I have to say, that helping him with his reading helped us have a real understanding and empathy together, and it forged an even stronger bond between us; celebrating each success. He will always have some difficulties spelling words that are especially difficult to decode, but he can now read with confidence, most words he encounters, and he has a good stab at the spelling as he now has strategies to help him remember how to spell them. He is now at Secondary school, with all the new challenges that brings, but Toe by Toe gave him the confidence to help him cope in this new environment. I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending all the Toe byToe manuals. They really are a trusted pathway to confident reading and spelling. Christine Scholes.
