My 8 Year Old Son Has a Hard Time Reading

Hi, I'm new to this group. I don't really have any good suggestions for you but I wanted to let you know I could totally relate to you on the ADHD thing. I have 6 year old twin boys and one has officially been diagnosed with ADHD (through Schneider) and the other is exhibiting the same behavior (I'm positive he will be diagnosed this way too). I haven't started them on meds (I'd rather do it behaviorally if I can, but if not, I'm not totally against meds either). So...I guess I just wanted to reach out and give ya cyber hugs. ((HUGS)) Hang in there. I think the other ladies made great suggestions.

Can I just ask...have you tried any behavior modification with him? Or is it strictly medicinal? I've had a LOT of success with behavior charts with my boys. It might help if you haven't already tried it.

Your son is also probably dyslexic- unfortunately the school systems don't handle teaching dyslexics well and you might have to get a special tutor.Stay away from Huntington Learning centers - they are not trained to teach dyslexics. I felt so bad because I thought that my son was just not doing the work but he could not decipher the words. My son was the same way - walked at 9 months, very bright.Was not reading in kindergarten,1st and 2nd. Was told he had ADHD and specific reading disability. Essex county came into the school and worked with him every morning on reading but it did not work. One of the parents finally told me that she thought my son was dyslexic and needed a special type of teaching. I called the National Dyslexic Society and got a list of Orton-Gillingham tutors. I selected a guy who tested my son first and agreed that he was dyslexic. He said that my son knew the phonic sounds but did not know how to put them together for reading. This tutor got my son reading within a month. In 4th grade I sent him to a school for kids who are average to above average intellect but who were dyslexic. We were told that his dyslexia was seen more in his math than his reading at this point. The school used the blue book Orton-Gillingham method for reading. My son graduated 8th grade last year and currently is enrolled in a prep school. Hope this advice helps.

are his adhd meds not working anymore? i have the same issue with my 7 year old- very smart, but having trouble in school with reading and is a whiz at math. we are in the process of getting an actual diagnosis and perhaps starting some meds. he got help from a reading tutor in school and has made a marked improvement. i would ask the teacher if they have any extra help type groups for reading (a 1:1 setting)in the school or perhaps you could go outside the school system.
C.

Just keep reading to your son and have him read to you. Flash cards with the sounds on it might help to. I always pray over my children's learning. They are actually doing better after prayer. T.

Did your son get tested by a psychologist or just his doctor? Were there tests done on his reading abilities and behavior? Did you and his father and his teacher fill out three questionaires each? If not, do that now!!!! I am not only a teacher but My 11 year old step daughter was diagnosed with ADHD three years ago and she was just placed on meds as a last resort. Unless a child has true behavior problems as well as learning difficulties would I suggest meds. i'm not an expert but the allergy question is a great one. diet can truly affect learning abilities and behavior.

hope this helps and God Bless.

Have him tested for disabilities, as a kid i stuggled with reading and still do as an adult. turns out i had a lazy eye and that shuts down half of your brains function. On top of that i never crawled which is essential for forming motor skills and other skills. When i read (its gotten better now) I have to chase the words around the page, its as if they jump around and lines change on me. Just a thought, good luck!

Becky,

I would call the school psychologist at your son's school and request a Planning and Placement Team meeting (PPT). Tell him/her that you are concerned with your son's academic progress and feel he may have a learning disability. Request that a complete psycho-educational evaluation be completed. A complete eval should consist of cognitive testing (IQ), standardized and curriculum based achievement testing, visual motor and behavior rating scales (due to ADHD). This is your parental right to request this testing and the school system has to comply if you insist.

I have been a school psychologist for 7 years and it sounds to me like your son may be struggling with a learning disability. If he does not require services, at least you will have a comprehensive learning profile on him. Good Luck and please email me with any questions.

H.

Information by P. Wyman on line may be helpful.
Select reading material that is of interest to your son. Take turns reading but have him follow along (there is good research using this technique). You may copy an easy reader- use the copied "book" and have you son highlight every word he reads correctly- later read the book again and now he can highlight more words--even those he "just remembers - or memorized" Continue until all the words are highlighted if you can. Then celebrate the success. Celebrate successes along the way. Best wishes. P.

I am a mom of five and a mom of a handicap child with ADD. My son had a extrelemly hard time with reading and the teachers were patient to a point then they started to show their feelings by wanting him OUT of the classroom. I had to fight them all the time. I also was ADD in school except when I was in school there was no special ed so I was in catholic schools.first make sure his self esteem is good. with good self esteem you can do almost anything. I started to give my son simple projects to do where he had to read the instruction inorder to finish the project such as a simple puzzle,maybe baking cookies with mom and you help him read the instructions and the finished product is the reward .many school systems do not teach life skills anyome and one that I had a hard time teaching my son was that sometimes the reward is the finished product itsself.This is a hard thing to learn especially when you are young.your son sounds like he has a very high I. Q and keeping his self esteem up is important and having the teachers give him more understanding. I wish both of you the very best. Childhood is such a short time in a childs life. enjoy it and him. Mary

I'm not sure I can help with the reading part but the ADHD maybe. My oldest nephew has ADHD and my brother and his wife had him allergy tested because their Dr. told them that allergies, especially food allergies, can greatly complicate his ADHD. They now have a handle on his condition and his meds. are adjusted and they have him on a healthy diet. His concentration level is up and he is doing much better in school. You might want to investigate this avenue and also a speech therapist might help him with his sounds?!

Hooked on Phonics was taken off the market b/c it was so succesful. Crazy you say? Yes it is crazy but read Natural Cures They Don't Want You To Know by Kevin Trudeau and it is all explained. I would get Hooked on Phonics if I were you. The school will tell you not to. Some schools get money for kids who are drugged. The drugging of kids in this country is immoral and inexcusable. If I were you my goal would be to get him off meds. I would take him to an alternative practitioner. There is always the chance he has a learning disability (if Hooked On Phonics does not work) and that can't be helped with meds but with different teaching methods.

I hope this helps,
G.