Reading pace in rising 4th grader

[cintinative]

My ds9 has become an extremely pokey reader (silent reading). Extremely pokey.  Today he read eight pages in 30 minutes. The book is the second in the Ga'Holle series so I really don't think it's the vocabulary, phrasing or content. He supposedly likes the book.  I think he is just very very distracted lately and I'm starting to really worry about how school is going to go when we start.  He has had distracted times before but this is the worst I have ever seen it.  

 

In case you are wondering, he did get in two hours of play at the park today before the reading. 

 

Some thoughts: last week and the week prior we were up past bedtime almost every night due to vacation and a camp thing.  Could this be residual from lack of sleep?  

 

Also, wondering:

 

1) What would be a reasonable amount of pages to assign him to finish since the time limitation is not working?  I know I would have to adjust it based on the difficulty of the book. This particular book is right on his level for both grade and Lexile.  OR

 

2) Is it possible that this will pass on its own?  I really need him to build his endurance for attention but could this be temporary?  Would it help if we tandem read (I read one page aloud and he reads one)?

 

 

Other info: He did great on the IOWA in May. His combined language score was over 95%. I feel like his focus is much worse now.

 

TIA!

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2016 by cintinative

[OneStepAtATime]

How well can he read that book when reading out loud?

 

Have you asked him why he is reading more slowly than normal? Without sounding frustrated or worried, just like you are genuinely interested in understanding.

 

Is this book an assigned reading? Or free reading?

Edited July 27, 2016 by OneStepAtATime

[cintinative]

How well can he read that book when reading out loud?

 

Have you asked him why he is reading more slowly than normal? Without sounding frustrated or worried, just like you are genuinely interested in understanding.

 

Is this book an assigned reading? Or free reading?

 

He doesn't really read aside of the assigned 30 minutes a day so I guess it was assigned reading, but he picked the book.

 

I did ask, but I did sound worried now that you mention it. I need to work on that. 

 

I will have him read aloud to me today. Yesterday after I posted we tandem read six pages. I read one page aloud and we both read one page silently, etc. His silent reading pace was fine then which makes me think this is all attention issues. 

[lmrich]

That is typical. Just stay the course and keep looking for books that spark his interest so he is excited about the plot or characters. Buddy reading is another great idea!

 

[momtofive]

When my boys were that age, I scheduled subjects that required the most attention to be done early in the day. For them, it was math and reading right after breakfast. ;)

 

If it was much later in the day, and definitely after playtime, they'd lose their focus. Maybe bumping it up in the day when he's the most fresh might help.

 

Blessings! :)

[OneStepAtATime]

I agree, maybe having him read early in the day?  How does he read when he reads out loud?  Is his reading fluent?

 

Buddy reading can also be a great help.  Some kids need the interaction and the help to stay focused and may be very social and do better when doing something they aren't naturally drawn to if they can do it with someone else.

 

Also, to get him more exposure to stories and vocabulary and grammar, etc. since he doesn't really like reading on his own you might consider audio books with headsets (my kids tend to do better listening to audio books if they use noise canceling headsets, not earbuds or listening without headsets).  The Kindle, if you get a book and the audio component, has the ability to highlight the words on the text screen as the audio book reads the words.  He would be getting reinforcement for the look of the words while he listens and he might find he enjoys books more than he realized.  It has inspired my son to pick up print books more.

[cintinative]

I agree, maybe having him read early in the day?  How does he read when he reads out loud?  Is his reading fluent?

 

Buddy reading can also be a great help.  Some kids need the interaction and the help to stay focused and may be very social and do better when doing something they aren't naturally drawn to if they can do it with someone else.

 

Also, to get him more exposure to stories and vocabulary and grammar, etc. since he doesn't really like reading on his own you might consider audio books with headsets (my kids tend to do better listening to audio books if they use noise canceling headsets, not earbuds or listening without headsets).  The Kindle, if you get a book and the audio component, has the ability to highlight the words on the text screen as the audio book reads the words.  He would be getting reinforcement for the look of the words while he listens and he might find he enjoys books more than he realized.  It has inspired my son to pick up print books more.

 

Buddy reading really did seem to help the pace.  I think the audio books thing might be a good idea.  We don't have a kindle but he does have an iPad. Does anyone know if we can do that on the iPad?  

 

I am so not a techie but I am discovering that the audio book thing really needs to be something I need to learn how to use. I am so oriented to print books I am way behind in figuring out the digital book options and audio book stuff.  

 

Is the Kindle book plus audio the whispernet thing? Or what is that called??

[OneStepAtATime]

Yes whispersync.  I don't think I-Pad has that feature but I am not certain.  I'm pretty sure  you can get audio books on the I-Pad, though...