5 Year Old Having Trouble with Reading

Has he been given a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD? Don't be treating something because you think it's his attention span. Sounds like your drilling him pretty hard each night. No need to. Go over his homework he brings home from kindergarten. Read to him and his siblings for 30 minutes before they go to bed, moving your finger under the words as you read, letting him watch you do this. Have a library of books that any of them can get to and turn pages, look at pictures. Let them pick the story you'll read at night and then one night you ask them to tell you what happens on that page, they will have listened and will remember and they're telling you the story from start to finish before you know it. Recognizing letters, short words as the weeks and months go by. A fun activity is to get a pad of post it notes and put letters on them. Then ask him to go around the house and put the post it on the things that begin with that letter. Your 3 yr old can do this as well, following big brother's lead. Leapfrog has an electronic book that will help with letter recognition. Don't burn him out, this is November of his kindergarten yr and he just starting to learn his letters and putting them together with sounds and objects. Do things around the house, like setting the table where he counts out the different pieces of silverware, plates and cups. Have him stack the magazines in piles of varying numbers. Give him a pile of pennies to stack into a nickle, dime and quarter's worth. Show the relationship. Give him an allowance of less than a dollar so he saves and counts out his savings to purchase a book or toy. Leapfrog has some really cool electronic learning toys that you can buy different 'games' that focus on various skills.. reading readiness, numbers, matching, etc. Living is learning, don't make it a chore, but a game and he will embrace it enthusiastically. But sitting down with him on your lap and reading to him will help him recognize the letters and the sounds as well as creating a larger attention span. Don't rush it, go with the flow. 2 and 3 yr olds reading is an accomplishment, but it's not the norm. Let your kids be kids and enjoy each day. You build a little bit each day, but keep the awe and wonder of being a child for them. They aren't mini adults. Attitude is everything.

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J. - He's 5!!
You don't need to push him (which, studying every night with flashcards at FIVE is pushing!!). Don't worry if he's got it yet or not. My son, 6, is in Kindergarten, and his teacher has made it very clear to us that children learn at different paces. That by the end of the year some are going to be basic reading and some are not, and that's OKAY!
As parents we want what is best for our kids. So we think...oh we need to pay to put him/her in an expensive daycare to learn numbers at 2...or we need to private school teach our children....or why isn't he reading at 5?
Lets give our children some time to be kids!!
There have been numerous study's done for kids that have gone to those expensive, learn everything, preschools. By the time they hit 3rd grade, they are on the same learning curve as children who have NEVER been to preschool.
Your son is fine, your son's teacher may even be a little off if she is "working with him" (she should just work with the whole class at this point) and you did not say a thing about your child having ADHD or ADD....do NOT medicate him unless he has been diagnosed by a doctor. HE'S 5!!!!!

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Sounds like a form of Dyslexia. And although vitamins don't hurt, they really aren't going to help much with that type of problem. The brain is just "Wired" differently. Please have him tested and get an IEP (Individual Education Plan). He will then get specialized instruction geared for kids with learning problems.
I am one of those people with a learning problem, and at 38 I really wish there had been more information and training on those issues when I was in school. My earning potential would be drastically increased and I would have my degree in Psychology.
My problem is with Math, and I was just diagnosed this spring with a learning problem. The bigger problem is now most degree programs require Calculus as basic math.
Support your son, and encourage him. Good Luck!

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J.,

He's five, I wouldn't worry too much just yet. I have a niece that is 5 1/2 and still doesn't read that well yet. There are some little books that are like the spot books I read as a kid. They are in series, and progressive, and i can't find them. They're like this: Page 1, Mat (caricature of a person). Page 2, Mat sat (same blob like person sitting on a blanket). And so on and so forth.

I did find at borders.com some Bob books that look like the same thing: http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=04398...

This isn't what I was looking for, but it might be a help: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/books/rhymes/

Hope this helps,
M.

Try to be patience, i had the same with my child and some times still do, but i notice they will learn at their own rate and whatever you do, do not compare, that will really make it worst on you. But about the blue algae, you might want to check this site out before giving your child anything.
www.wellnessletter.com/html/ds/dsBlueGreenAlgae.php

Hang in there it will work out and he will improve right before your eyes, they always do.

I would try the Zoo Phonics program. It is SUPER fun for the kids. When my oldest was in Pre-School, I spent a lot of time in the class room and my 2yr old was learning them also, just from being involved in the class room.

I have a wonderful 5 yr old son that is learning to read right now as well. Something that worked wonders for us, was Leapfrog. I kid you not. This worked out great. He's been slowly reading for the past month. We spent about 3 weeks on this. We can't afford it by itself...so we had Netflix and I found out that they carry the Leapfrog videos. Give it a shot...can't hurt to try. ;)

J., your little one is awfully young. I really wouldn't worry about his reading prowess at this point. Most kids don't have the visual accuity to read until around six. I would let the reading process go at its own pace. The best thing you can do is to read, read, read to your kids. It used to be that kids weren't even taught reading until they were in the first grade. Now it seems that we want our babies to be proficient. Most kids read when they are ready. They should be encouraged, yes. But feeling pressure from parents or teachers at such a young age can have less than positive results. I bet your little guy will surprise you some day, and go through books like a fish through water. Happy reading!

Your story sounds all too familiar to me. When my son was 5 I wondered if he had some kind of learning disability or there was something wrong with his eyes because I would work and work with him on his letters. I'd think he had gotten it then the next day I'd ask him again and he wouldn't remember. We couldn't get him to memorize the letters by themselves because they meant nothing to him that way. Look into "reading as a whole language". Don't get me wrong, I am an avid believer in phonics. But some kids don't learn that way. We finally taught him his letters by putting them into small words and practicing the words. ie. write the word dad then say together "D-A-D says dad" while pointing at each of the letters. Once we did that he started remembering the letters D and A. We continued this practice with each of the letters of the alphabet. He is now 17 and a great reader and "A" student. I never had him tested for ADD or ADHD because I don't believe in drugging children. The trick is figuring out how your child learns and going with it.

I am an ex kindergarten/first grade teacher and I have had boys that have trouble knowing names of letters and names. The solutions I have used were matching the number to an amount, ie. 3 to 3 balls or dots, and b to pictures of birds.

You could add this to your flash card exercise. I would change the "birds" to blocks sometimes to add variety and make him think.

My daughter is haveing the same problem and she is also 5.I have found Starfall to be an amazing program. Starfall was rcomened to be my a grandmother of 2 other children and she is a kindergarden teacher.My daughter does it evry night after she has finished her homework. As for the "Blue Algae" has a doctor confrimed that your son has A.D.D or A.D.H.D because if there has not been a diganoisis then do not give your son that pill please. I have A.D.D and I know alot about this subject. There is no way you child can even have A.D.D unless one of the parents have it so if you suspect it then you and the father need to get digansed as well. Goodluck

J., my 9 year old had the same problem when he was 5 and what work for us is to make sure that you cover all his senses. he may be more tactile. I bought alphabet cookie cutter and made finger jello letters for him. or had him write in sand. then followed up with flash cards and anything visual. We also made up rhymes with the letters and numbers to help him remember. hope this helps. J.

www.starfall.com

:)

After you show him around the site a little bit (stay on the letter block page to begin with)...set him up and be prepared to start having half an hour to an hour or more to yourself with the best sound in the world ringing from the walls: your child's crazy, delighted, uninhibited laughter. Don't try and sit with him as he works/plays...the reason the site works SO well is that it's as exciting every single time to them...and trust me, the 250th time you've hear "A! Astronaut!! Baum Baum Baum, boum boum , dip do dooby dip do dooby **!!!A!!!**" You won't be able to control the twitch in your eye or the impulse to say "How about we move on to T???" !:)

My son and most of his agemates started using this site at 2 and a half (although it's designed for K-1st) and were reading by 3. None of them are particularly exceptional (well, to US, of course...but we're not talking mensa here...and here come the gods of parenting to strike me down for that comment), it's just an exceptional (Free!) program. At this point I know over 25 kids who've taught themselves to read using this site.

Good Luck!

Z.

PS...I wouldn't personally go about trying to "do" anything about ADD/ADHD at this age. :) I score off the charts, and have been on everything and nothing; so believe me, I've got some experience in that department. If you're thinking he might be ADD/HD (which, would be a stretch unless you or you husband or both are blessed with it...it's such a GREAT thing once you learn to work around the pitfalls) toss me an email and I'll point you toward some good resources.

J.,

My older son loved to read and was doing so by age 5. My younger one could have cared less. He knew his alphabet and numbers but didn't want to spend time "learning" them. I was worried but his kindergarten teacher said to give it time as most boys settle into reading closer to 1st grade. Sure enough, by the 2nd week of first grade it was all he wanted to do. Be patient but if you truly feel there is a reason for a learning delay have him tested.

My personal opinion is that some kids are quick to get labeled ADD because they are high energy (I know that isn't the case with all kids). I would have that checked by a professional before treating.

If your son will sit and work with flashcards, he's definitely not ADD or ADHD. Kids with those disorders can't sit for more than a few seconds!