Suggestions for Struggling Reader?

[SDMomChef]

One of my DSs (8) is really struggling at reading. I think I've narrowed it down to the fact that he has trouble figuring out if something is a short vowel or a long vowel. I was thinking about whether to send him to Sylvan learning or something else, but I know we have quite a few teacher BBers and thought I would ask for their thoughts. We read with him, but we don't notice much improvement.

Thanks!

[DmOrtega]

We put our ds in Kumon for about a year. It really helped him with all of his classes ever since. His issue was working too fast, cutting corners with spelling, and getting away with it in class. It was frustrating to watch his grades going down while listening to his teachers say that he was within the range. When he didn't pass the ITBS, I put my foot down and said that was quite enough. We had two years of this to undo.

The kumon method is a timed method. They are taught to work quickly while working accurately. If they are slow, then they stay with the work until they can do it quickly and accurately. Work is done daily, no exceptions. This is the best way to instill good "habits". They start the students lower then they test at to give them self confidence. Then they move them to the next level, only when they show they have mastered the current level. No exceptions. We also could afford this. It was the best investment we have made and my ds still is doing well after 2 years.

[krhm]

Sherri, I'm not a reading instructor, and I'm not certified in elementary grades, so take my advice for what it's worth! But as a parent and an MA in English education, I would say do whatever you need to to make sure your son has strong reading skills. Your son is at a crucial age for developing his skills, and this can impact him for years to come. A simple issue can cause a great deal of frustration. Have you talked to his teacher? I'd start there.

[SDMomChef]

I have talked to his teacher, and she thinks that we just need to spend more time reading with him. This is a catch-22 because he gets frustrated easily and he is tired at night and doesn't want to read. So, instead of always blocking 20 minutes of time every day (the minimum his teacher said he should be reading), I try to build in a few minutes here and there (whether through reading signs or labels at the grocery store; game cards, recipe ingredients when he is helping me....with 1 book at night before bed - or 1 chapter. I want him to develop a love for reading - not hate it!

I have noticed that he is not picking up how to distinguish the vowels, but I don't know how to help him. I tried flash cards, but that seemed more like work to him and he didn't like it. I am thinking that maybe he needs a tutor who can help him because I feel helpless to teach him.

[RunnerKim]

Sherri,
How long and how often is your son reading? And do you also read to him (more advanced books that he's not ready to read yet)?

I have a nephew who's a bit of a struggling reading (age 9) who we have over most weekends (my sister works on the weekends) and I try to get a lot of reading (and read-aloud) time in while he's here to help bolster him (and we just love to read).

I think for my nephew it's just a case of not enough practice reading as it seems to be mostly a fluency issue. He'll skip words or inaccurately predict what a sentence is going to say. I always stop him (Huh? that didn't make sense?) and have him read it accurately even if it seems pretty minor. I asked a coworker who was a reading specialist and that was what she suggested.

I read the Read-Aloud Handbook recently trying to get a grasp on what to read to older kids and it had a lot of great information in it about reading practices. Might be worth checking out from the library.

Kim

Sherri - I think we were posting at the same time. With your additional post I'd encourage you to check out the Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease (even though reading aloud doesn't seem to be the issue here). He talks specifically about loving and hating reading. Essentially he says we seem to have a fear in this country of making kids hate to read but it really all comes down to it being a skill - a skill that only gets better with practice. It's okay to force reading. It feels weird to me - I have the reaction too. Oh no am I'm going to make my nephew hate reading because I'm making him keep going? He'll hate it as long as its hard for him and the only way to get better is to practice. Now I do try to make sure I'm offering a mix of things for him to read and its okay that some of it is "too easy" (but I also choose things that are on his level or just above).

[luvItalian]

Does your school have a speech teacher. When my DD was in 2nd grade she started the year in speech to help with a few simple sounds. Then in December we were told she did not need speech any more. The teacher and I noticed a big difference in her reading ability once speech was dropped. We talked to the speech teacher and put her back in and we quickly noticed her reading improved. She was fine at the end of the year, it seemed that she just needed reinforecemnet with saying sounds and reading. I am not a teacher so I am not certain there was a direct correlation, but I was happy that the school was willing to be so supportive.

I do agree with reading to your DS. Read everything and anything and not only books at night. Leave him little notes for something, show him articles in a magazine, even if it is a candy advertisement. Good luck!

[clairea]

Sherri, I am sure this is frustrating. If your son is still having trouble distinguishing vowel sounds and the teacher's only suggestion is to spend more time reading together, then I would probably seek another professional opinion from someone who can actually see your son read -- maybe another teacher, a tutor, someone from administration, etc.? It may be that he is just picking things up late, but if there are any underlying issues you want to be sure you pick them up *now*, and all the time in the world isn't going to help if there is something that is creating the challenge for him.

Until you can get that organized, I can think of a couple of things that might make reading a little less frustrating. First, since you think he is having trouble with vowel sounds I would make sure he knows the general rules for determining whether a vowel sound should be short or long. Most words in easier books will follow these rules, so it will cut down on the number that are difficult to figure out. Second, can you take turns reading? Maybe he reads one page then you read one page, or something like that? Both when my children were learning to read and with the elementary kids I tutor in reading (a volunteer thing -- I am not a certified teacher ) it seems that the kids do get tired really easily and that short break each page (or every few pages really seems to make a difference. Finally, there is a publisher (I think it is Scholastic) that makes a line of books specifically designed (in terms of subject matter and interest level) for older children who are reading at a beginning level. One of the things that may start to be frustrating for your son is that the books he is able to read are too young for him, and the books he is interested in are too difficult. He might be more willing to read something that he is interested in. For that matter, I would say just about any reading material is probably fair game at this point - comic books, etc. all require the same reading skills as traditional books.

[BarbaraL]

Forgive me if this is completely non-applicable, but are you sure he doesn't have dyslexia or something like that? Probably not, if pronunciation is his problem, but just wanted to bring it up. I've heard stories of accomplished adults who struggled in (and hated) school due to being undiagnosed.

[SDMomChef]

Sherri,

Sherri - I think we were posting at the same time. With your additional post I'd encourage you to check out the Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease (even though reading aloud doesn't seem to be the issue here). He talks specifically about loving and hating reading. Essentially he says we seem to have a fear in this country of making kids hate to read but it really all comes down to it being a skill - a skill that only gets better with practice. It's okay to force reading. It feels weird to me - I have the reaction too. Oh no am I'm going to make my nephew hate reading because I'm making him keep going? He'll hate it as long as its hard for him and the only way to get better is to practice. Now I do try to make sure I'm offering a mix of things for him to read and its okay that some of it is "too easy" (but I also choose things that are on his level or just above).

Thanks, Kim! It just seems so counterintuitive to force him to read and seeing it as a chore, which is why I keep trying to "sneak" reading in through different ways.

I thought about dslexia...but after researching some of the symptoms, I don't think that it is, but it would certainly be on the list of things that I would do if I brought him to a place that did testing.

[sdcook]

Sherri, does your school have a reading specialist on staff? We have a teacher who focuses just on reading. She has classes with all K and 1st grade, plus helps out the older kids who need some extra time. Perhaps you could ask your school's special ed coordinator if there is a teacher other than his classroom teacher you could talk to about his reading. Or the special ed coordinator may have some ideas to help him out.

[KGL]

Hi Sherri,
I'm a speech/language pathologist in private practice in NY who specializes in working with children who have learning issues. Your son's reluctance to read may be a sign that he is having some difficulties with the way he processes/perceives sounds and/or with the way he understands and generates language. Many of these difficulties are quite subtle and need to be determined by some accurate testing by a speech/pathologist and also by a neuropsychologist.
As one of the other posters mentioned, this is a very critical time in his development and determining what may be causing the problem and then obtaining just the right help is very important. Most of the children I work with (and have worked with in the last 30 years!) have average to above average intelligence but just need support to learn the strategies that will make it easier for them to learn and with the right help, they do really well. The sooner they can get the help, the fewer the self-esteem issues.
You can have the testing done either through his school or privately. You might check with your pediatrician for reputable resources in your area.
If you have questions, feel free to PM me or write to the BB.
Best of luck,
Karen

[helios7]

Just popping in quickly since it's the end of a long day and I'm frazzled, but there is a wonderful book called Games for Reading (or something) like that by Peggy Kaye. The games are wonderful, range from comprehension to vowel sounds and everything in between.
ETA a link to the book on Amazon

As a teacher (and tutor), I find relying on game formats will keep kids going when they're tired. One game that might help you that I can recall from a wonderful book at school is a fried egg long/short vowel game. Basically, create paper "fried eggs" and write either a long or short vowel word on the egg. On the back, write whether the word is long or short vowel. The game would be using a real frying pan and a spatula, having your child flip the "eggs" and if it lands word up they read the word and label as long/short vowel. If it lands "long a", "Short a" side up then they think of a word that would fit the category.

Adding the element of chance like that often keeps kids more interested when doing worksheets leaves them cold...

Let me know if that's helpful!

[Becky13347]

Sherri,

I'm not sure if, when you read with him, he is doing all the reading but one thing to try is as you read with him each night--have him read a page, then you, then him, then you, etc. This takes the pressure off him feeling like he has to struggle reading page after page. It gives him time to relax and enjoy the story and hear "correct reading" from you as well--listening to good reading is important reinforcement.

And I recommend most anything by Jim Trelease. I have read some of his writings and seen him present. He's good.

Becky

[Becky13347]

Trelease's website is www.trelease-on-reading.com

[BucknellAlum]

I would definitely ask for testing for him. In our area, the public schools have access to many resources and specialists and parents just need to ask for testing if they or the teacher perceives a problem.

I know of several parents who have had minor or unusual learning disabilities detected this way and then the school was able to target this problem and get the kid back on track.

I am not sure what resources private schools have, if that is where your child is, but I would think they could point you in the right direction for testing.

[Jazzmatazz49]

I am a teacher with a reading specialization. One thing that has helped some of my struggling readers who are confused about vowels is to do this: First, read the selection or story to the child. Then have the child chorally read the selection with you. Then have him read it to you and give him help, including how to sound out different vowels or word parts. Then have him read it to you without help. This sounds very boring and robotic to adults. Kids don't think so. It has made a huge difference with my students who are not learning disabled, but who are what I like to call "tangled readers." The repetition and practice eventually help with fluency, and they don't have to stop and sound out so many words.

[Kay Henderson]

You have been given a number of excellent suggestions.

If you have been told that vowel sounds confuse your son, that probably means that he is quite confidant with most of his consonants -- for most students, mastery of long and short vowels comes next, and then odder, less frequent vowel combinations and multi-syllabic words. One task is to help him developmentally where he is. Do whatever you have to do. If your school offers small groups or tutoring, reading specialists or resource (for which he qualifies), great. If not, I would go the private route -- Sylvan,etc., an individual tutor (my district maintained a list of teachers interested in tutoring), whatever is available locally. There are also computer programs, though I am not up on this.

The second task (which needs to occur simultaneously) is to build fluency. His teacher and BB members who say he needs practice are absolutely correct -- the ONLY thing which builds fluency is practice.* This is where you can make a profound difference. One thing which worked very well with my students was to find a series that the student enjoyed. It is my observation that series books build confidence like nothing else. What happens is that, because the vocabulary and plotlines tend to be similar, each book in a series is easier for the student than the previous one. Ask his teacher, school librarian, principal, or public library children's librarian for recommendations of series that struggling third graders enjoy. When trying out the first book you read with him of an individual series (to determine if he likes it and it is a good match), I second the suggestion to "pair read." (You read one page and he reads the next.) Unless he is exceptionally motivated about a specific book, it is important the the series not be too hard. Here's why. Let's say he reads a too-hard book at 20 words a minute and a slightly easy-for him book at 60 words a minute. In ten minutes of reading, he will have gotten three times as many repetitions from the slightly easy book as from the too-hard book.

Good luck -- this is hard and you are wise to seek advice and explore your options.

Kay

* The research is clear that high school students who are fluent readers have many, many times as much reading under their belts as those who struggled.

[cminmd]

I was in the same boat with my son. He hated reading, gave it no inflection, could remember what he had just read- he was just repeating the words without understanding the meaning so if he said a word that was wrong he wouldn't even notice because he didn't get the context enough to notice it didn't make sense. One thing that helped was to get a book that was more interesting to him.

We got "My Weird School- Miss Daisy is Crazy" and he actually read the book for a change. As soon as the boy AJ started out the book with "I hate school" my son was hooked. My son never knew you could have a book about someone who hates reading and only likes gym and recess. It really helped him learn to follow the story and understand what he is reading.
We started those last year and he is reading on grade level and will read things on his own.

[SDMomChef]

Wow. Thanks so much for all of the excellent advice! I have a few things to try over the next couple of weeks, and I will also check with his teacher on other things to try - including whether there are any special testing that he could get or tutors/small groups.