Second Grader Struggling in School

Hi N.,
I'm a former teacher and current tutor who now stays home with my little one. I think the best thing you can do to help your son is to work to increase his phonemic awareness, which just means helping him with his phonics. Focus on the short and long vowel patterns, as well as word families (-ack, -eck, -ink, ect.) Flashcards should really help with this, but do it in the form of games. You can use any board game, but you have to answer a flashcard before you get a turn. Try to make it fun and it will be much more effective. Hope this helps!
Becki

Hi N..
I teach second grade, and I agree with a few of the other posters that your son needs to get some reading help quickly, although i do not think home schooling is the best option. Here's what I would do...
1. When he stats to read a book, ask him to take a "picture walk"- go through the pages and have him tell you what he thinks is going to happen
2. talk about "connections"- has this happened in other books? does it remind you of anything?
3. when he starts reading, make sure he sounds out words and uses the pictures as clues
4. have him read one page and you read one page
5. ask him comprehension questions every few pages
6. I always tell my students that "good readers always read it again", so read the same book the next day or the next day. this will help him with his fluency and help him gain confidence.
7. you could do some more extension activities with the book, l;ike having him write about his favorite part, or writing about the beginning middle and end

These are all strategies that I'm sure his teacher is doing with him during small group reading time. request to have him tested by the team. Perhaps he has a learning disability, and if that's the case, by law, he should receive extra help each day.

You may also want to consider hiring a tutor for him. I live in the city and tutor students, but I see that you live in IN. check your local colleges or craigslist. Extra one on one time will really help him.

You also want to make sure he is choosing books at his level. I know that alot of second grade boys love goosebumps books and captain underpants, but these may be too high for him right now. Have him look at the first page of a book and if there are more that 6 words he doesn;t know, he should try and pick an easier book. You can read him those fun chapter books in the evening to him, but when he is reading he should be reading books at him independent reading level. I'm sure his teacher could help you with titles to find, or the local librarian.

I'm sorry this is such a long message, but I love what I do and I understand your frustration. It is so important that he develops a love of learning and reading. Please e-mail me if you have any questions.
S.

As a former Reading teacher let me tell you that everything will be fine. Assuming that your son has been tested for the usual and everything is fine, take you son to the library and let him pick out books. Comic books are fine (uses more brain function to read a comic than a traditional book). Let him pick books of any reading level, no book is off limit. The GREAT thing about reading is that it is something that gets easier with practice. Practice, practice, practice. He will get better and he will naturally gain confidence. Also, this worked well with my students.... get a book on tape and give him the book so he can follow along. This uses more senses. Visual, Auditory and touch. Make him follow the words on the page with his finger. This problem can easily be fixed. He may never love reading, but with practice, he will be able to deal with it. Good luck!

Did he learn by rote or by phonics. I had a brother that was taught to read by rote. My mother read to all of us every night and he could read to her no problem. After several years it was discovered that he memorized what my mother read almost perfectly and then just repeated it to her...so she nor the teachers ever knew he couldn't read. He was in 4th or 5th grade and it was determined he couldn't read on a 1st grade level. My mother paid a huge sum to have him taught with Phonics at a reading clinic. He was reading at level in about nine months. They have lots of resources like "Hooked on Phonics" for parents these days and though some would frown upon it...I believe with all my heart and many years of experience with kids...that teaching a child to read with phonics is far superior. It takes more work by the teacher and parents, but it gives children the tools they need to figure language out for themselves. This also has to be reinforced with regular spelling words and vocabulary to build those skills as well. Unfortunately, many schools across the nation have been experimenting with things like "whole language" and rote reading. That has turned a whole generation of children into very poor readers.

If your son does not know phonics, I would invest in a system similar to the Hooked on Phonics system. You can also find many resources that are free on the internet. He is still very young and this would help him get caught up very quickly.

Also consider having him tested for disorders that can affect reading skills like dyslexia.

Hope that helps.

everyone keeps saying to talk to the teacher and get him tested-- both good advice but I am assuming you have talked to the teacher and getting tested at school could take a while. I was a second grade teacher for 7 years and now am a stay at home mom. Best thing to do to build his confidence is go to the library and find easy reader books a little below his level to work on fluency. This way he should know most if not all the words and can practice reading it over and over till he can read it very easily. Also make sure he brings his reading book home every night to work on the stories he will be tested on. Ask him lots of questions over and over to work on comprehension.
Lastly ask the teacher if everyone is reading the same material and what accomodations she is making for those who are struggling to keep up with the "Average". I am sure your son is not the only one having trouble, so make sure she is spending time helping those students and not expecting you to do it all at home. Find out what she is doing so you can do some of those same things at home.

I understand your concern. My son and youngest daughter encountered difficulties reading. They had trouble sounding out and then retaining what they were reading. Both were enrolled in the Titla 1 reading program. Your school may call it something else. Be proactive in this, especially if your son's teacher isn't pushing this issue. It made a world of difference in my son; I told the reading teacher that she was an angel; the difference in just a few short months was amazing. This all takes place a few days a week within the school day. Plus the practice at home. My son is and has been an high honors student. My second grade daughter is currently enrolled and has made great strides forward too. Keep after your school; reading is the cornerstone to success. Best of luck.

Take advantage of the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND program. Talk with his teacher and ask about a special helper. There are ppl in the community that will come in once or twice a week and read with him outside the class room atmoshphere. One on one from a special helper is a God sent blessing. My 2nd grader has the same problem and his special friend is doing a great job. He is now at a 3.2 reading level and his class mates are around 2.0 level. Make trips to the library and get him his own card and let him pick out the books Or even better stay there and help him read it to you. Share a chair or sofa and just spend time with him. My kids love the library now. Our library has puppets we can use to act out the stories which he loves to do. Exspecially if it's a boxing or football story, lol You have to make reading fun at his age. Schools today I don't believe do a very good job at taking the time on one subject for very long. They push the kids so hard to get them to advance and some kids like my son do get left behind. Alot of the time I believe the teachers just don't have the time anymore to make sure the kids that don't pick up fast enough because of what the state requires of them.Makes it h*** o* the teachers and h*** o* kids like ours. You are going to have to pick up the slack because his future depends on it. There is all kinds of reading on line you can do with him also that have quizzes at the end. Ask his teacher for this info she should have some suggestions for you. If she doesn't go a step higher in command. Make sure you let them know you don't want your child left behind and let them know your aware of the law... I had to get nasty to get them to work with me but all is very well now. He is now getting awards for Advanced Reader and that alone has boost his confidence. Your teacher can help you give him recognitions in front of his class for this. Every bit can help. PS We read alot of comic books at the library. Exspecially spiderman and the hulk. lol. Good Luck.

Hi there!
You need to talk to his reading and/or classroom teacher and ask for more assistance. I'm sure they are seeing the same things that you are. School services can not be started unless the parents request it. Ask to have your son tested for a learning disability. With those test results, you can tailor a plan to help him with his reading skills. There is no shame in having a child with a learning disability. The shame is have a child with a learning disability and not getting the help he needs!
Ask the teacher if there is a reading resource teacher and/or room for students. Also ask the teacher if any of the teachers tutor students before or after school. The fee could be minimal.
You are right - without reading he can't comprehend. If he doesn't get the reading skills now, school will always be a struggle for him and it will become an even bigger issue. There is help at your child's school - you have to ask for it and search it out. You are your child's biggest and best supporter! Go for every bit of help your school can offer. Remember: the squeegy wheel gets the grease! Ask! Ask! Ask! for help and services!
Good luck!

Hey there,
I am a high school teacher for art and I just recently got my Masters in Special Education. What your son seems to be going through is very typical at that age level. The course work is getting more difficult and he is starting to fall behind. As much as it may hurt, you might want to have your son evaluated for reading. When a child cannot comprehend what they are reading, they begin to give up in most subject areas because they ALL require reading and comprehension. You don't want to push him too far at anything because you are right, he will get more frustrated and not want to try.
I do not want you to feel that I am telling you this is the only way to go, but it's a step in the right direction. The things you mentioned about how your son is at school are typical signs of having reading difficulties. This does not mean that it is your fault, that he is stupid, or the he will never learn. All this means is that he may need a little more support from professionals than you can give him. DO NOT stop working with him, but maybe you could get a couple books at a lower reading level, about sports, that interest him.
I hope this is a little helpful and please know you are not alone. If you want to look at a reading evaluation source, try to get your hands on the Ekwall/Schanker Reading Inventory book. It is book to evaluate reading levels from Preschool to Eighth grade. Good luck.

I highly recommend you read the book Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz. It has great recomendations to increase reading comprehension (having your child read aloud and gently correcting him) and fluency. Let him listen to books on tape or cd and follow along so he stays interested in reading. I also recommend a develpmental eye exam (I took my child to Dr. Mary Lou French in Orland Park) and an audiological evaluation to make sure he can hear the sounds of the letters. Beyond that the only way to know if he has a reading disorder is through testing. Early intervention is key.

Hi N.! Have you talked with the teacher about these issues? What does she suggest? Did she explain to you why his grade was dropping? Has she tried different strategies in the classroom to help your child? I am now a stay-at-home mom, but I was a 2nd/3rd grade teacher at an elementary school, and I can really feel your concern. The good news is that reading fluently "clicks" for each child at different times....some are well into 3rd grade. However, I'm sure the grade makes you nervous. Confidence is a large part of getting children to read. Continue reading with your son daily. You should be reading books that are leveled, so they are not too hard nor too easy for your son. Most schools now have their library books leveled. Practice is the key. Communicate with his teacher to see if there is any other help he could be getting at school. Hang in there....it sounds like you're on the right track.

Does he know a lot of "sight words?" Make some flashcards of often used words and play games with them. You can play memory with rhyming words, or see how fast he can read them as you flip through them, let him build them into sentences, etc.

Libraries often have phonics games you can check out. Also, there is a good site:

www.starfall.com that helps teach reading. PBS has some good shows too- I love Between The Lions.

You should talk to his teacher as well, often they have special help for reading in school and may be able to help him there for no charge.

M.

If you are in the Chicago public school system you should have him tested. They HAVE to provide him with assistance (tutor). Be proactive and insist he gets the help he needs. I also know a situation where the child has someone read the test to him.

I would talk to the teacher and see if there is any way to get him tested for services. It is free maybe he has a learning disability. I am a school teacher and that is what I would say if you are helping him and he is still not getting it. He might need one on one help or different ways to help him learn. Good luck. Also if you write a note saying you want him tested they have to test him. They can not turn him down. It is worth a try.

I would really suggest somekind of help for your son. Perhaps you could find a reading program that will will help. If he likes computers, there are all kinds of programs that he could use to help him. If he lacks reading skills then that means he will struggle in all his other subjects. I've heard that Hooked on Phonics is good....or there are tons of others if you just do a little research.

Good luck!

Hi N.,

Does your school offer any kind of reading program for struggling readers. More and more elementary schools are offering special services that are state funded for young children that are struggling in reading, speech, and writing. Your son's teacher should be picking up on this too. It is not your sole responsibility to address this issue. We send our children to school to learn and at his age they should be evaluating him as to why he is having difficulty whether it be a learning disorder or the teacher isn't taking enough time in that course. You little guy just might not favor reading. So it might take him a little longer to catch on. He might exceed in another subject and dwell a little long in that particular subject. What I am surprised at is at his age that they are issuing letter grades. He is still at his basics. You are doing your job as a parent by helping him and working with him. There is only so much you can do with him. Be sure to let the school know so it is documented in his records just in case it could be poor teaching. Not that it is, but if the teacher hasn't confronted you about his poor grade that would leave me a little concerned.

Wow, lots of good advice. I hope you find something that works. I only read through about half of the responses so I'm not sure if anyone suggested this but if you could find an older boy for you son to read with once or twice a week that might help. Sometimes the mom is not always able to motivate as well as a slightly older peer. Maybe a neighbor or ask the school if there is a student who might be interested in working with your son. Perhaps to earn a boyscout badge or something like that. Just a thought. Good luck.

Bond with his teacher!!! Call her (him?) and tell her that you are concerned (I'm sure she is, too). Tell her that you know he needs extra help and confidence and that you would love to get a tutor for him but can't afford it. I'd be willing to bet you that she'll do what she can to help you out in some way; either finding a tutor for free (lots of college kids will do it--you might want to check local schools of education, too) or helping him herself. As a former teacher turned "private stay at home tutor" for my 13 month old daughter, I can tell you that I would have done anything to help my kids and knowing that parents are aware and acknowledging that a problem exists and wanting to do something to fix it is a huge incentive to help!!!

Good luck!

N.,
My daughter who is now 20, had a very difficult time learning to read in first grade. The school wanted to put her in a special reading class. They were teaching the kids to read by the whole reading approach, in other words word memorization. My mother bought the hooked on phonics program for me, which at the time was $250. Every night for about a half an hour we worked with Dusty. By the end of the school year she was the best reader in the class. Perhaps you need to take matters in to your own hands and do something similar. Talk to the teacher and find out how your son was taught to read. I am a teacher in an Alternative school and I can usually tell by listening to students read out loud how they were taught to read. If he doesn't know how to sound out a word, he needs to be taught how to do so. He may also have a learning disability and may need to be tested for such. If you believe this may be the case you need to request this testing in writing to his school and keep copies of all correspondance. The school by law has a certain amount of time to test after the request. Do not delay, this is important for your sons future in school. If he is struggling at second grade, he needs help NOW.

Try speaking with his teachers to get additional insight. They may have some great ideas. Also, you could try asking him questions about what you have read after reading to him (not too much pressure, feel free to give some hints if he's having trouble). That may help you learn more about where his difficulties actually are (i.e. is he having trouble comprehending a story or are the problems only coming up when HE reads a story by himself). Good luck!

GET A LEAPSTER! =) My 5 year old has one and is already starting to read. Leapster combines learning phonics with fun. There is a handheld game with a stylus. You can buy different games to go with it. It will help them with reading and math. Here is an example of one of the games...
A rabbit has to get across the river. There are logs that go left and right. On each log is letter, or letters (ea, ei, au). A voice will prompt him...chose the letters that spell BEND. Depending on the level that he has picked it will either display the word for him to reference or not. There are also carrots on the logs that give him extra *points*. He has to watch for the B, jump on it, jump on the next log with an E, ect. until he gets to the far side.
I am not a mom that is big on video games but this one is awesome! My daughter has learned an incredible amount from it.
Let me know how you like it. =)
http://www.leapfrog.com/en/families/leapster/leapster_lea...

I would check to see if the school has an after school program to help him. My 7 year old has the same issue and his school offers groups during school to help them and they also offer an after schoool program as well. My son was on a level A at the beginning of the year and he is now a level E. He is still behind but I have him read to me instead 20 minutes a night. He is doing better and better. Good luck! I hope this may help some.

Request he be tested for a reading defeciency. He will be able to get assistance at school and with taking test. If he is truly struggling then they should allow for extra time taking the test or someone reading it to him.
Ask for your parental rights, put your request in writing and then make sure your school stays on top of getting his testing completed
Let him read to you in the evenings or to the younger children in your home, pick books you know he can get through and understand, it doesn't matter what he is reading just that he reading. The more he reads the more confidence he will gain. Pick books on sports if that is one of his strengths. But always encourage him.
goodluck

If he likes sports - try to get him to read a story or book about the sport he likes - his interest in sports may get him to read - I know my son loves the computer - he's learned a lot of words and reading and writing skills playing games with others that have chat areas - just have to screen the games

My children also struggled with reading. Confidence is part of it, but it could also be other things too. Talk to your child's teacher about his/her suggestions. Many times the teacher's have a good idea of what is going on and what will help, but need you to initiate that. Ask the teacher about possible things that could interfere with your child's learning. Have his eyes been tested? Does he show any tendencies of a reading/learning disability? These are very direct questions, and will open the door for the teacher. I have two children myself, and have crossed the same bridge you have. Many of the schools will provide extra assistance as part of your child's eduction. You have to request an evaluation of your child by the school staff, if extra assistance is deemed necessary after the evaluation, an IEP (Individualized Education Program) will be drafted with annual goals and the necessary specialists time will be slated to help him.

Hi N.,

All of the others have given great advise. I had a similar problem with my daughter.

When all else failed...we enrolled her at Sylvan Learning Centers.

In just a matter of months she was reading 3 grade levels higher.

We have never had a problem since. They were really able to tune in and give her the help that I couldn't. I am forever grateful to the fantastic staff!

Good Luck, J.

Have you talked to his teacher? There should be services in place at your son's school to help. Talk to the teacher, work out a plan together and if necessary, talk to the school counselor about getting him tested to see if there is a specific reason he is having difficulty. (if your child is in a private school, you may need to go to your local public school for help). Good Luck!

N.:

My son's school offers an afterschool program. See if your son's school offers such programs. Good Luck.

Try comic books. They encourage reading while appealing to the visual centers of his brain, too. He can get involved with the stories and get a lot of context to help with the words. An added bonus is there are a huge range of comics, so you can find something with topics that appeal to him and upgrade the difficulty as he gets comfortable. There are even graphic-novelized versions of classics like The Three Musketeers when he gets to that level.
There's also a built-in reward that Mom is taking him to the comic store to get him something cool every week or two.

I'm a stay-at-home mother now, but three years ago, I was teaching at the top private school in Chicago and reading just happens to be "my thing." My first bit of advice to yo is that you have a "family reading 1/2 hour time" This is when everyone in the house is reading together. After, you all go around and ask eachother questions about what you read. Your son will need more "practice" than this which is why Family Read is only 1/2 hour. The other half hour, you AND your husband need to spend one-on-one time with him (scheduled..mom/mon, dad/tues, mom/wed, dad/thurs/mom/fri, dad/sat, mom/sun) This is where you read books that are at his level or a little above his level so you can help him. You should start the reading session by looking at the cover and talking about the title. Why did the author give the book this name? What could it be about? Who is the author? Where is he from? Example: I wonder if E.B White grew up on a farm. How did he know so many things about animals? These are "think out loud" questions that you could probe him about....By the way, I mention E.B White because those are great books (stuart little) that you and your husband should be reading with him....Okay, it's Tuesday, your husbands turn. He should say, "oh, since you read with mom yesterday, I missed chapter one. Tell me some things that happened so I can get caught up? As he's remembering, dad should be flipping through chapter one to probe him...."what's the brother's name" "what's mom's name" yada yada yada.. You do the same when it's your turn on Wednesday 1/2 hour session. Lastly, he should use his finger to track the words and sentences. Sometimes kids need to block out all the letters other than the line they're reading, so get a white piece of paper and cut a rectangle in it, enough to show one line...and show him how to use it as he reads on down. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. My number one advice to you is that "all kids are gifted, they just unwrap themselves at different times." The only way to get better at reading is practice. It sounds to me that reading just isn't as stimulating as sports and he needs to learn to enjoy this type of stimulation. When you're out and about, try to tie in books that he's read to himself, other books and the world. I.E. Gosh, your just like Fern, she loves animals and so do you. WOW...there's a white cat, just like Smitty in that story..what was the name of it? You see, you have to engage their memory, you have to stimulate thought, you have to make it a priority within the house. Lastly, you should be taking some trips to Barnes/Noble on a Sunday where you can all browze through books in the kiddie section. Dad can go to his section, find a book or two that he wants to browze through and sit in the kiddie section and read his find. You can monitor what the kids find and help them get started...and then ask your husband to bring you a cookbook or anything so that you have something (although you probably won't have much time to read your because you'll be busy with the kids and talking about the title, author, pictures...etc.....Make it FUN...and once again, only 1/2 hour TOPS...M

If he does well in other areas of school and understands stories when read to him, it may be a learning disability. You should request to have him tested or at least request extra help from a reading specialist.

Your little one might be dyslexic, it makes reading very difficult. You might look online for some helpful things that will help him. In truth there is nothing wrong with him, he just needs a little more time and maybe a different way of doing things. Getting him the help now while he's young will save him a lot of heartache. His school might even have a program, I suggest looking into it.

I have had two younger brothers who have had tremendous struggles with reading, and neither one made significant progress until my parents realized they were dislexic. This hugely helped one brother and somewhat helped the second one (2nd brother is 9 and still struggling to read). You can find information on the internet/books at the library to understand how to coach a dislexic child with no cost to you. I would highly encourage you to check this out - boys especially have a tendency to struggle with this.

Hi N.,

My son who is in 3rd grade has also struggled in reading. He gets good grades in everything else...well this year we put him in a reading class at school, it has several other students in it as well. The reading teacher starts them off slow and helps with all of their issues. We are in the Oswego School Dist. Im not sure what school dist you are in but I would call the school and ask them if there is a program like this to help your son with reading. Good Luck
K.

My it sounds just like my son. He is 10, but had the same problem, I finally took him for an eye exam and he needed glasses for reading and the computer. I still make him read 15 minutes per day. It is a huge fight , but slowly getting better. His teacher suggested to me that what he reads does not have to be a book, it can be anything, comic's, a magazine he may like, the newspaper. Anything as long as it is something, and that has really been working. My son is a huge JOCK, so I buy him sports mag's that is where is interest lies so I thought that would be a good start.. I agree I would still have him tested and school should allow for some extra time or a teachers aide to take him somewhere else and read the test to him. When I worked at a school in first grade that is what we did for the kids who had problems w/ reading, and comprehension.
Good Luck I hope all works out.

I would talk to his teacher first. My daughter and I use to take turns reading to each other. Make a game out of it or use a reward chart to help keep him on track. If he needs a tutor check with your local high school. Many of the students need service hours for college and may be willing to tutor your son for free. My daughter is a sophmore and is tutoring a neighbors child for service hours. The little girl loves coming here and works very hard when she's here. Good Luck.

Hello,
My son had similar problems throughout grade school.(short version) We had his eyes checked, and checked again. When my son told the opthamologist that he had problems with book and board work and that doctor said "That's not possible, you don't have astigmatism." We knew we needed another solution. We found Drs. Leder & Margolis in Arlington Hts. through a friend who's son had similar problems. They were wonderful and sympathetic to my son's needs. My son had several problems controlling his eyes that prevented him from tracking the words he was reading on a page. Eye therapy, working the eye muscles with specific monitored activities was able to correct this.
Here are 2 links.
One has information and checklists for you to learn more about this and see if it applies to your son:
http://www.children-special-needs.org/parent.html
This one is there website:
http://www.ledererandmargolis.com/success_stories.html
You may use my name if you call, they are open on Saturday mornings.
Good luck,
A. Mehrman
(my son is David)

See if the teacher has any materials that you can use at home to help. Reread his stories he is focusing on at school together several times, and check for comprehension after every page. You can switch off reading as he follows along or get the story for him to listen to on tape or cd first. You need to expose your child to lots of literature daily. Get him literature that interests him. He can read comics, magazines, cereal boxes, joke books, billboards, and signs when you are driving, anything that will expose him to words. There is also a good website I have used with struggling readers for reinforcement. It is called www.starfall.com. There are also a lot of learning games on Yahooligans for kids that might help. You can purchase reading games from the teacher store. You can create your own games such as matching sight word and vocab. games created with index cards. If you are still in need and live close to Woodridge, I am currently a SAHM who tutors part-time. I have over 11 years of experience teaching students in grades K-5 with a BA in elementary ed and an MS in special ed.

Good luck.
A.

Since you're home all day, you could consider homeschooling.
Things can be tailored to his needs, without pressure, it's amazing how kids can flourish. It doesn't take half the amount
of time as a school day either.

I know this suggestion can be a way out of the box thought for most. But, we have found it's a definite way to help our children continue to love to learn and learn at their own pace.

The school should have services your son can utilize such as a reading specialist, tutor, etc. Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have him tested for a learning disability. It is no cost to you, the school will test him. By law, if a parent requests that her child be tested the school must abide.

Have the school test your son for dyslexia. He sounds like he has the classic signs. And if he does have it, the school should be able to help him free of charge. Good luck.

Reading is a life skill. Since he is not learning it at school. I would pull him home for a semester or two to homeschool. Get a good phonics program. If he doesn't catch on soon it could be detrimental. Don't let the idea of homeschool overwhelm you. It is not sitting with him 7 hours a day. At his age probably about 2 hours a day would do. I am sure you spend this much time helping him with his homework. My brother who is now 21, never learned to read well. He struggles to figure out what he wants to do with his life, and his ambitions are low. I think its because he lacks the confidence you mentioned you see in your son.

Google Carole Joy Seid....She is an advocate of homeschooling and has some startling statistics about boys in conventional public school. You could order her seminar cd, if one is not coming near you soon.

Hi,
My daughter and my granddaughter have had struggles with reading. Don't put it off... adn don't be afraid to ask the teacher and the school for help. They should be able to figure out if there is a problem like dyslexia, which my daughter had, or if the problem is mostly a lack of confidence/motivation, which I think is my granddaughhter's trouble. I asked for help from one school and didn't get too much but got lucky where we are now, because there is a lot of help available. Whatever you do yourself may not work. I don't know why, but sometimes it just needs to be someone else.

N.- from experience, request through his teacher to have him tested for reading difficulties. It is not a big deal and he will not know what is going on, at first. They should be able to know if he has situations such as dyslexia or as simple as needing glasses. Might sounds strange but that can happen.
There are great web sites out there to encourage him to read and respond and it will be fun for him.
If you would like to contact me off site regarding the above information, please do so. I am a mother of a struggling student and love to work with schools.

N., So sorry to hear of your struggle. Have you heard of/ tried hooked on phonics? It can be a pretty pricey but you might be able to find it on ebay or craiglist, maybe even your local library. Its a great game that helps kids with reading skills, really non-threatening but confidence building. With prayers, JR

First of all, continue reading with your son. If you can get books that have some repetitive lines, try reading to him the parts that are not repetitive and have him read the repetitive parts to build his confidence. Also, when you get new books that he has not read before, go through them and pick out some of the vocabulary words that may be a little more difficult and make memory cards with them. Then play memory with your son using the words. As he turns over the words, whether they match or not, have him read the words. When it is your turn, you read the words, but make sure he sees them. Then when he reads the book, he will already be familiar with some of the words and will likely feel less frustrated. You can also create bingo games with vocabulary words from books to make it a little more fun to try to read.

As a former kindergarten teacher and mother of 3 boys, I would have to say you're already doing the most important thing - encouraging and praising your son when he is reading. I would start by being proactive with your son's teacher - ask her how he is reading in class? what types of strategies is she using in the classroom to improve his reading skills? Do they have reading support teachers at your school? If so - has he been recommended for that type of service? As you know, reading is so important across other subject areas and if he is struggling to read with fluency, he will have trouble understanding the content and then have trouble with tests, homework, etc...At home, I would start by reading books with content that might interest him. Stories about playing sports or other hobbies might motivate him to try to understand more of what he's reading. It is a process, and I feel like the teacher and you should be a team - then your son will feel like you're all trying to do work towards the same goal.