Daughter Having Trouble Maintaining Reading

Hi J.,
I am a certified elementary school teacher, trained Reading Recovery teacher and am in the process of completing my master's in Reading. I don't know your daughter or her exact situation, but from what I have read from you I can say that maybe the books she is reading are a little too difficult for her. Reading is not memorizing the text. You're daughter should be led by the meaning of the story. If she is having to stop and sound out every other word (or it seems like it) then the reading process is becoming way too labored. When I am working with children and their fluency breaks down, it's a sign that I need to move them back a little so that they are fluent and they have minimal reading work to do (sound out words, rearead, etc.). This doesn't mean that something is wrong or your child will not be able to move forward in this area. It just means that you need to make it easy for her to learn. I understand that you have said that she is able to read the book with her teacher and even with you initially, but be careful of this. The reason I say this is sometimes without realizing it we give too much support. Think about what your child is doing at difficult words. Is she attempting to figure out the word by sounding out and then going back to reread or is the teacher or you initiating the sounding out or even telling her the word? This would mean that she is not having opportunities to do the reading work that she needs in order to progress, instead she is learning that she needs to memorize instead of process the text. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
J. P.

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J.,

Don't freak out..... My daughter and 8 other of her peers all went through this.. Be patient and kind.. Just keep reading. The kids all have a different time when the stuff clicks. Hang on for what seems like a miracle. My daughter and her friends all had a little different timing on it. The also were in tutoring and the tutor was the one who keep us cool. Around the age of 8 you will see a difference and wait for math, that has it's own timing too.

S.

I don't know why teachers these days are upset about a child having to sound out words. I think it is great. She shouldn't have to memorize all the words if she knows how to sound them out then she will be able to read any book. It may take her longer than some kids that memorize the words but then she should be able to read harder books because she can sound out the words she doesn't know. I wouldn;t worry too much just keep encouraging her to read.

Is she in 1st grade or 2nd? I am assuming 2nd because I teach 1st grade and my students are still learning how to read and that is completly normal for them. Have you thought about finding a tutor or enrolling her in a tutoring program for extra help? It sounds like she is able to sound out the words, just needs help with her fluency. Fluency is something that comes with time and much practice. I wouldn't necessarily rush into any special education testing at this point. Also...as for the special ed. testing, ask the teacher her opinion on it. I would be apprehensive only because she CAN read, and doesn't have trouble in other areas necessarily. If you need a tutor...let me know!

H.

Hi J. ~
Are you able to find a tutor for her? I am a kindergarten teacher on medical leave & am currently tutoring my 7 year old God son on absorption & retention of high-frequency sight words. It sounds as though he and your daughter have similar (and very common) issues. They just need some intensive (and fun - so as not to associate reading with drudgery in any way) one - on - one work. -Cate

J.,

Have you had your daughter tested for dyslexia? My husband has this and he has to re-learn how to accomplish tasks and procedures almost every day at work.

Things like brushing his teeth, morning routine, etc. are he accomplishes without problems because he has done the process for so long it has become habit, but if I move a set of baking dishes to a new place in the kitchen, then he can't find where to put anything in the kitchen for a few months.

Dyslexia comes in many different types of forms and once she is diagnosed there are teaching techniques you can use to help her succeed at reading and comprehension.

One other idea, your daughter may not be ready to read just yet. Many home-schooled children don't start reading until they are 8 or 9 years old, but once they start they learn very quickly. Try dropping her reading level, have her choose books she enjoys, read with her daily and have her read with you, and see what happens. Sometimes learning in a safe environment where there isn't any pressure to get the word right helps the child to retain the word better.

Good luck!

-C..

I had 5 children and experienced something similar with my daughter. To cut to the chase, she was a tactile learner with a mild case of dyslexia. In order to help her with spelling and word recognition, we purchased refrigerator magnets that are letters and I used plain construction paper and outlined specific words that were either giving her trouble or were in her vocab list at school. Then she had to physically use the letters to spell the words using the outlines. Next we took away the outlines and had her physically spell the words without that "help". If she spelled something incorrectly, we would physically remove the incorrect letters and replace them with the correct letters. Although this didn't "cure" her, it did help her with phonics and her ability to sound out words.

Hi J.,
It sounds like your daughter has difficulty with memory. My son has several learning disabilities and memory is a weakness of his. I'm guessing if she's 7 years old she's now in the 2nd grade? If this is the case, perhaps you could talk with her classroom teacher along with her reading teacher and discuss whether or not she's struggling in any other academic areas. You may want to request some testing to be done. She may be demonstrating signs of a learning disability and might benefit from Special Education services. However, you have to request in writing the evaluation to be done by the school. They'll administer performance and achievement testing and the results may yield some insight into her struggles. If you'd like more on this please send me an e-mail and I'll gladly help you out. ____@____.com.

I don't want to jump to conclusions, she may just need a little extra time to get caught up. Often times this is the case. However, if she does have a learning disability the earlier she receives support (LRC) the more beneficial.

Good Luck!
M. M.

J., Please have your child's teacher have your daughter evaluated by the ISD, they can do wonders. Also, funny books are easier for a child to remember. I have found many children with reading dificulties, remember a story that is fun. If you would like any recomendations e me and I will send you a list.
K.

Hi J.
I tend to start w/ whan we put into the body. Is she eating enough foods to get her omega's?
http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Guide-to-Childrens-Omega-3-Su...
(that was long) There's so important for brain function. B12 can effect memory... I'd start there before thinking theres something wrong.
Best of luck, A. H

Maybe in addition to the book you do together, do some fun reading activities!! Maybe you just need to spark her interest!!