Chat - I dont' really understand the workings of a 504, so hopefully someone else will chime in.
To my knowledge an IEP = Individual Education Plan - where you request in writing to the school that your child be tested as you suspect learning disabilities or behavior. They have 30 days to respond. If they test them then the results will show if they with you, need to make a plan specifically for your child and his education. All the teachers etc. are made aware of the plan and they have to follow the plan. This might be that your child is elegible for an in class aid, maybe he has to take tests in a quiet area, exempt from certain things etc.
ILP = Individual Learning Plan - where you meet with the teacher and ask for a plan related specifically to one area that your child needs extra help or involvement on. So, for example...reading or math. This plan doesn't involve the state testing or anything like that.
Matu - you provided a light bulb moment for me! The exact thing you mentioned about not putting in extra phonetic vowels is EXACTLY one of the things he has problems with!! And I have been following the school's method of that all along. But my goodness....it makes perfect sense that it would confuse the heck out of him as he is struggling!
To all who asked etc.
Teacher and I discussed...and he is getting extra help out of class during reading time 3 days a week. While he doesn't technically "qualify" for the school's "read to succeed" program, she agreed that he needed the help. I was hesitant to do the IEP, simply because of his frustration and attitude towards school. So sad to see a 1st grader HATE school! I didn't want to add to that by making him get tested and by all accounts, I've been told/read etc. that he's still too young to be accurately tested for Dyslexia.
At home we do the starfall site daily, I made up flash cards of words related to items that we make a game out of. (3 letter words like mop, bed etc. and I found pictures or mini items that I stick the cards onto. Then I switch the cards around and he has to run around matching the cards up with the right item. LOVES it and it was an idea given to me by someone here, so thank you!!
I also got him a special "reading finger". It's like a rubber gripper in the design of a tiger claw which he wears on his finger to help him point out the individual words as he reads. It seems to help him go directly to the word he is reading instead of being distracted by the other words.
He is responding to the rewards I give out for learning new words and at home at least, he seems to enjoy reading much more. I have a conference with the teacher in two weeks so we'll see how the last month at school has gone for him with the extra help he's gotten there.