- Do You Get a Reading Tutor or Just Have Them Read More over the Summer?

What exactly is a 34 level? My kids schools go by grade level And my daughter who is the same age reads at a 6th grade level. I suggest taking him with you to the library and have him pick out books he wants to read or go flea marketing and pick up some cheap books for him. Having a library at home for him to read and have set times helps. I have a good 100 plys books at home for my 4 and I add all the time. Then I donate gently used books after they get done reading them so many times which is why I get used. A tutor beyond being pricey may lead him to hate reading more

My 9 year old daughter struggled with the same thing this year... Her benchmark for the first 9 weeks was a 37% and i panicked!! So i hired a tutor for reading once a week for the rest of the school year. Just in nine weeks, her benchmarks went from 37% to 84%. I think it was the best thing i have ever done for her. She was a B student the rest of the year...A lot of her problem is focus... The tutor helped her find a strategy that best fit her to help with comprehension. I STRONGLY SUGGEST THE TUTOR!!

my son is 11. I have trouble getting him to read and his reading has dropped because of it. The key is to find books that interest him. At first I bribed him. I bought him a Diary of the Wimpy Kid and told him I would give him $4.00 if he read it. It took him about 2 days to read it. He loved it so I bought the whole set and he has read them all. Another thing I do is read with him. He will read a chapter and then I read aloud to him a chapter.

Good luck!!
A.

Get lots of books that are about what interests him and read them together every day (at bedtime or what ever time works for you).
Dinosaurs, fire trucks, sharks, wizards, dragons, Dr Seuss - what ever he likes.
Play games with it to make it fun.
You read even pages out loud and he reads the odd pages out loud.
Every so often turn everything off (tv computer games etc) and read.
School use to call it DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read).
Build a pillow fort and read in it with flash lights.
There's so much you can do to make it fun!

I'm a big fan of Hooked on Phonics. Their "Master Reader" program covers a second- to sixth-grade level and my kids love it. My 7-year-old is nearly done with the fourth-grade level and my 5-year-old has almost finished the third-grade level (but I think both of them are above that). I still read to them for an hour or so every day, but they wanted to learn to read so they could entertain themselves when I'm not reading to them. HOP has computer "games" that help them learn about various letter combinations and then they have short stories (in a huge variety of subjects) to read to practice applying what they learned. At the end of each grade level, they have a chapter book to read.

We make weekly trips to the library and come home with an armload of books. Whenever we find an author or series they particularly like, they don't want to quit until they've read all the books!

If you have a Barnes & Noble near you, sign up for their summer reading program. If your child reads eight books, he can choose a free book from a list of selected books. Library summer reading programs usually offer incentives for participation, too.

I don't have to bribe my kids to read, but I have a friend who gives her sons special trips (zoo, waterpark, whatever) when they complete a certain number of books.

Just do whatever you can to make it fun! If it's fun, he will hopefully develop a lifelong love and appreciation for books! If it's a just a chore, he'll just do it to get it over with and he probably won't make as much progress as you'd like him to.

Good luck!

Either can help your child. I teach fourth grade, and I know exactly what those levels mean. He is pretty behind, and a 50 is what is expected at fifth grade. If you choose to have him read more instead of a tutor, here are some suggestions to make the reading more powerful.

First, make sure he has books at his level. If they are too hard he won't understand and he'll make little progress. Also, if you have the time, read the book(s), too. This will be huge and allow you to better help him. Have him keep a journal. Talk to him about his thoughts before, during, and after reading each session. Have him write down some thoughts. Ask him some "why" questions...why do you think the character did this? Why did this happen? A great, easy way to help him think about his reading is to keep a journal split like a T. On one side he should write down a part of the text/book. On the other side, write down his thoughts and reactions. Good luck!

I would do whatever you can to find books he is interested in reading and make it a habit to have him read. You can read with him at night before bed or set aside some time during the day. If he is an honor roll student, then it sounds like he just needs practice with reading to become a better reader. It won't be helpful to force him to read things he doesn't like so find what he really likes and hopefully he will have an interest in it and read on his own, but if he doesn't, read with him. I also think a tutor is a good idea but it cannot substitute for parents enforcing reading at home or reading with kids. My 5 year old goes to a reading tutor because he really wants to read at a higher level and he asked me to sign him up with the tutor his cousins go to. He loves it but I have read to him since he was born so reading is a habit in our house everyday and we still do it even though he is also going to a tutor. You may want to check out Vanderbilt reading programs for kids. I know they have some reading programs for kids in the summer.

I say you should read with him; have him read one page, and you read one page. It's great bonding time, a great way to read with no "pressure" to perform, and a great way to share stories from when you were younger. My daughter and I are reading The Phantom Tollbooth together, and next we are going to read The Secret Garden. She reads fine on her own (she's 8) but it's nice and helps her when we read together. Oh, and see if your library has a summer reading program. Have fun!

If he has good grades, then his reading level is probably fine. He may just not love the reading choices he has had. Not everyone loves reading fiction. My husband is that way - he has one or two authors he likes, and other than that, he just won't read fiction. He does, however, love to read anything sports-related. Maybe your son is this way - he might like autobiographies, or sports magazines, or other types of materials, and just not so much fiction.

I have to wonder though - has he read the Harry Potter series? I've never met a kid who didn't love them (my older daughter is a year younger than your son, and she's royally pissed off at me that I won't let her read HP book 6 yet!).

I would recommend you read a lot more variety over the summer.

Have him make your grocery list, shopping list, errand list, to do lists, etc.
Get the paper and read the comics, play the jumble word games.
I bought my son an Eric Larson and the Archie Digest comic books recently...he has a lot of fun with those.
Play word searches and scrabble. We keep our scrabble game set up 24/7 during the summer.
Play Boggle and other word games. The new "Guess Who" game is reading oriented.
Have him sort through your cook books to help with meal planning and have him read the recipes.
And then...most boys love action books or humor, so I would recommend joke books, Shel Silverstein, Geronimo Stilton for fun.

I got my son to read more by letting him choose. Nothing is better than being able to read what they choose vs what the school says. If you think his reading comprehension is off (ask him questions about the books and see if he can explain clearly) you can always get a workbook that has stories to read and answer. The best thing about the work books I have found is that the stories really only take 15 minutes or so versus reading a book he really is not interested in.

the point of summer is to relax! i dont make my daughter read anything BUT i have found she likes magizenes with alot of pictures. Along with the pictures she reads the story and viola! shes reading and not even thinking about it

i like the idea of you or another adult sitting by the pool or snuggling in bed in the am or pm and both of you reading your own choice of books. shows him that reading is important and that he is too!!! set a timer for 15 mins so he knows it won't go on forever.

Hi S.,

They started a lunch book club at my daughter's school this year (she is also 10 and just finished the 5th grade). They are going to continue it over the summer rotating at each house (if you wanted to participate). Could you organize something like that? You could even host and faciliate? Call whoever he wants included and let him pick the first book. Then make snacks and what not for the kids as they participate.

Why does he have trouble reading?
Does he need glasses?
How is his comprehension?

Try workbooks, for reading and comprehension. It also has writing exercises in it. The kids reads a short story, then there are accompanying questions for the story etc.

If he is an honor student... per his grades, and he is 6 points 'behind' on his target reading scale... then is that really a lot???

Have him read.
Libraries also have reading programs for kids.
Enroll him in that.
Its free.

Get books HE likes.

Also, I would have him read the dictionary. To increase vocabulary and spelling etc. And comprehension.
When I was a kid, I LOVED reading the Dictionary. Just for fun. I loved learning new words and knowing the definitions of it.
And it made me a great reader.

So since your son does not like reading unless it is something that interests him, get him books that do interest him.
But for school, he'll have to read what is required.
Life.
It is academic curriculum.

Have you tried having him read to you? Not only does he need to read but he needs to understands what he reads. If he can sit down with you and read to you, you can intervene at certain points and discuss what was just read. Let him read a paragraph, then stop him and ask him what he just read or what he got out of it or what the character in the book is doing. It may be he isn't interested because he is simply reading the words and not understanding what he read. Does this make sense?

You should definitely have him read more...not sure if a tutor would really help so much at this point. Since he doesn't want to do it you are going to have to be the one to research books that he may like. I would start with Harry Potter. My advice would be to read the first couple chapters TO him. HP is a slow start and I think many kids might be turned off in the beginning. But soon it really picks up and is so good.
You should post what he is interested in so we can give suggestions. My son is 9 and an avid reader so I have been researching boy books for a while now.

When I was a kid, I didn't really like reading. My mother was convinced that I had some sort of problem because everyone else in my family was a voracious reader. She had me tested a couple of times but because my reading comprehension was high there was no official problem. I was a slow reader though. My mother however was determined to make me a reader. Her solution - pay me to read. I was paid a penny a page. We didn't get allowances so this became a great way to earn some money. I could read any book that I wanted. This may not be a great idea but it worked for me. It was the incentive I needed to start picking up books and I soon learned that for me reading was as much about finding what I liked to read (mysteries) as anything. I did start with books that were probably a little below my actual comprehension level but I think that helped too. I could just breeze through them and enjoy them without being challenged by them which would have probably turned me off. They were pure entertainment. As I read more, I chose more challenging books but because I had improve my reading skills they didn't seem challenging. I was only paid for about a year. At that point, my mom decided that I was officially a reader and no longer needed incentives.

Another thing that got me motivated (besides greed :-)) was competition. When I was in the 4th grade my class had a reading competition with awards based on the number of books read. My closest friend was a great reader so I wanted to try to beat her or at least keep up. I think she did win but I ended up near the top too.

I know that we should all want to read as it's own reward but some of us need a little incentive to see why it is a fun thing to do just to get us to pick up a book. Try to make it fun. As long as it seems like an assignment, he will likely resist it. I am not saying that you should pay him but maybe a special treat for reading a certain number of books or articles or even words might motivate him to get started and before you know it his skills will improve and he may even love to read for pleasure.

Reading gets easier with practice. The fact that his grades are good leads me to believe he has a functional use reading, he just doesn't like it. When I did at risk reading with kids I let them read anything they wanted (within reason...not Playboy or anything!) and they really became strong readers. You can learn to decode words and sound things out reading Sports Illustrated just as easily as Harry Potter. Let him choose and then have him read from his selections each day. You could even make up little comprehension questions and reward him for giving good answers.
To me, the most important thing is to make reading an enjoyable experience.

I know others mentioned this in passing, but I wanted really to encourage you to go to your local library and see if they have a summer reading program for kids. Our library system has a summer program in which the kids read a certain number of books (they must keep a log of what they read) and then at the end they earn a coupon book that is terrific -- coupons for everything from professional sports game tickets to free ice cream to free passes to water parks and recreation centers, etc. Yes, it's open bribery, but it can work. Of course you'll have to be sure he's really reading what he says he's reading, and I'd add something to it like "For each book you read, you can only log it on your list after we talk about it (for maybe 15 minutes) and you tell me what happened, who the characters were, and what you did or didn't like about it," etc., so he's having to think about the book after he reads it, rather than possibly just zipping through it to put it onto his list. And as someone noted, bookstores often have their own reading programs too, with the rewards usually being more books.

Another option -- find him a kids' book club. Our library has these too. There may be one especially for boys; some areas do that.

And do find out what he really wants to read. Sometimes boys are much more interested in factual books about subjects they like (a sport, history, gross stuff in our bodies--yeah, it's science disguised as a gross-out book, etc.) Some studies have shown that many elementary aged boys really prefer factual books to stories that focus on emotions, conflict, family issues etc. I did checkout duties for my daughter's class of 4th grade 10-year-olds all school year long at our school library, and the boys checked out a lot of things like Guinness Book of World Records, various kinds of kids' almanacs and fact books, sports fact books, history nonfiction, as well as fantasy fiction like the Percy Jackson series, Charlie Bone series, Alex Rider series, etc. Anything fantasy or action was big with the boys this age. Even books that are really "graphic novels" are fine, according to our school librarian, if they get a reluctant reader to read.

I tried a tutor for my daughter many years ago. She's 30 now. And tried a group reading summer class for my granddaughter a couple of years ago. Neither helped. They were behind in reading and stayed that way.

My daughter developed an interest in reading as an adult. Nothing helped when she was growing up.

My granddaughter disliked reading until this year when she was given a tutor doing school hours. She had an IEP because she was having difficulty doing any work. Within a few weeks, she loved reading. She liked her tutor which helped a lot. One on one attention did the trick for her.

I suggest that you could try a tutor paying attention to more than reading skill. Reading has to be fun and much depends on who the tutor is.

Our county library has a reading program that this year includes getting certificates for fun things to eat and do. I'm going to get my granddaughter involved. This might help your son. He would be getting fun rewards for reading if the program involves weekly incentives he's interested in.

Does your son see you read? Do you read with him? Many times we simply have to sit down with our kids and read, too. My daughter is the same age. She doesn't LOVE to read just yet, but she enjoys cuddling up with me or her dad on the couch to read a book. We take turns so she can practice reading out loud. You'd be surprised by their improvement when given the opportunity to read aloud. It gives us the chance to correct pronunciation, syntax and offer definitions to unfamiliar words. This way we can help their vocabulary grow and give them the confidence they need to be better readers.
I would definitely read with him for 20-30 minutes each afternoon and again before bed. You can use a timer at first so you will know when to take turns. Eventually, you'll find that he'll want to continue reading past his allotted time. I sneak a couple of extra pages in if we're close to the end of a chapter....shhhh! =)

Some books we've enjoyed this year:
-Hatchet
-Brian's Return
-Magic Tree House (series)
-Stephen King (biography)
-Island of the Blue Dolphins
-The Mouse and the Motorcycle
-Eragon (in the process of reading this one)

Find a book about your state and plan a trip this summer to visit a few places in his book! Every child has a subject they enjoy. Those are the books you need to borrow from your local library and branch out from there.
Good luck and happy adventures!

has he been tested for a reading problem? i would get the tudor. reading is a major part of every other class as he gets in the higher grades. good luck, R.

When my daughter and niece were younger I took them to the library. They each checked out 10 books with their own library cards. I started a reading folder for each of them and as they read a book I gave them one point for each page they read (age appropriate books, of course). They could redeem their points for things like:

Going to play at the park
See a movie
Going to a fast food place to eat/play

I had a set point total required for each thing I listed they could choose from the list.

I also started reading aloud to them at bedtime which made me a better reader.

I volunteered at my daughter's school for many years and some of the kids I helped in third grade loved the Goosebumps series (scary into the story but explainable in the end) and the Captain Underpants books (lots of pictures like a comic book).