sweetsouthern Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 i just cant seem to get my 4th grade dd up to her reading level no matter what i try. she reads on a 2nd/ early 3rd grade level fine. she doesnt have very much speed with reading paragraphs and gets stuck still on harder words like ceiling or auditorium. any ideas of what to try? unless its just something that will come with majority with her (she is very immature for her age). just to note, shes ADHD... easily frustrated, if she doesnt like it.. she wont do it and she doesnt like a challenge LOL! throw me some ideas please! :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 (edited) My suggestion is to keep having her read on a second grade level for her fun reading and have her reading on a 3rd grade level for instructional reading -- assist her as needed. The words ceiling and auditorium are difficult words to decode unless you know the rules. Focus on a strong phonics review if you aren't working on that currently. My experience is if you try and push the reading level before she's ready you'll end up with a frustrated reader. Edited December 31, 2009 by Mandamom typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetsouthern Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 we havent done phonics in a long time. we did use abeka. what would you recommend for review now? and any ideas on 3rd gr level books that are silly or humourous to hold her interest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 we havent done phonics in a long time. we did use abeka. what would you recommend for review now? and any ideas on 3rd gr level books that are silly or humourous to hold her interest? For review you could use The Phonics Page a free program by ElizabethB on this board. If you want more info on it search this board. Otherwise, you can use the Explode the Code books (maybe books 4 -8) for review. For 3rd grade books here is a start The Littles to the Rescue, The Littles Go to school, (some of the other books books are higher or lower than 3rd grade) Judy Moody and Stink (my kids liked them but I don't think all parents will let their kids read them so pre-read) Magic Treehouse (the later books are at a 3rd to 4th grade level) Step 3 books Hank the Cowdog Charlottes Web I'm using the Lexile http://lexile.com/findabook/ and using Lexile score of 500-700 for 3rd grade to confirm reading levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Yes, I like my phonics lessons, too!:) If her attention span is short, you can pause the longer movies halfway through and have her continue after a break. Also, the linked files from my how to tutor page are what I use with my classes of elementary aged remedial students: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/howtotutor.html For an older student, I also like "We All Can Read" by James Williams and "Rx for Reading: Teach them Phonics" by Ernest Christman. (Sometimes listed as Prescription for Reading in some bookstores and book sites.) Webster's Speller is also great for older students, but will be easier for you to do after you've worked through either my lessons or the materials on my how to tutor page. Good luck, and if you have any more specific questions, let me know--I've been tutoring since 1994 and tutored many different remedial students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetsouthern Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 keep the ideas coming please :) i did some reading tests with her and it wasnt great results at all :( we really need to go back i think. i even have the book Hank the Cowdog (3rd) and she kept getting words wrong and got frustrated, so we went back to the books we had. i'd love to get her onto megwords, but shes so not ready for that yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 keep the ideas coming please :) i did some reading tests with her and it wasnt great results at all :( we really need to go back i think. i even have the book Hank the Cowdog (3rd) and she kept getting words wrong and got frustrated, so we went back to the books we had. i'd love to get her onto megwords, but shes so not ready for that yet. Sounds like you do need to at least stop where you are, if not back up some. I like Explode the Code maybe start with book 3 or 4 for and teach the rules as she goes through the book -- don't just have her fill it out without thinking about it. find another phonics program or maybe something like All About Spelling which teaches spelling and the rules. Of course, the Phonics page might be all that you need if you like how it is set up. Which Hank the cowdog book was she struggling with? If it is the first one that is at a 4th grade level. Some of those books are at a 3rd and others are just about at a 5th. Once you figure out which level she is struggling with you'll want to read with her at just a little bit below that level and gradually work you way up as she becomes more proficient. Work on fluency -- reading the same passage repeatedly and have her practice reading it easily. Have her talk about the passage to make sure that she maintains comprehension. Regarding Megawords you'll want her at least at a 4th grade reading level before you start that. Have patience, she'll get there. If you want to PM me feel free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 keep the ideas coming please :) i did some reading tests with her and it wasnt great results at all :( we really need to go back i think. i even have the book Hank the Cowdog (3rd) and she kept getting words wrong and got frustrated, so we went back to the books we had. i'd love to get her onto megwords, but shes so not ready for that yet. You might want to take a look at All About Spelling. It has some similarities to Megawords but starts at a simpler level. Just like MW, there is an emphasis on learning the syllable rules and how they affect spelling (and I find the syllable work has also helped my kids' reading improve). It takes kids through all of the phonograms (you might be amazed at the gaps you find in just understanding the phonetic code--I have been as I've taken my kids through it). My kids improved 2 grade levels in reading in one year after starting AAS. I blogged more about our experiences here. I hope you find what will help your dd! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 I would work through Phonics for Reading levels 2 and 3. They are pretty inexpensive. Each level costs about $25 for the student and teacher books combined. These books are made for remedial use, so they won't look too young. In addition to working through those books, I'd also do timed readings using the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency passages. You have to register to use the materials, but registration is free. I would start with the 1st grade passages. When my dd was reading at 2nd grade level, the tutor I was working with recommended that I start my dd with the 1st grade DIBELS passages. My dd had three chances each day to do the passage. The first time she read the entire story while I timed her. I circled incorrect words as she read (on my own copy, not hers). After she finished, I took the number of words read correctly and divided that by the time in minutes. If she made the goal speed of 100 correct words/minute, she was done reading for the day and would start a new passage the next day. If she didn't manage the goal speed, then she would re-read the passage for just one minute. If she read at least 100 words correctly in that time, she was done for the day. Otherwise she got one more chance. At first, it took her at least 2 days for every story (and 3 days for some). But by the time she was halfway through the 2nd grade passages, she actually managed to hit her goal speed on the first try occasionally. She was reading at 40-60wpm when she started doing this and was consistently reading new material at 80-100wpm by the time she finished the 3rd grade passages. These two things combined ought to help. I don't think either would be enough by itself, but they'll help a lot if done together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 :grouphug: Just wanted to give you a hug. Stay positive. It takes a different amount of time for every child. You are doing a great job looking for new ideas and resources to try with her. She is lucky to have a mama who loves her so much. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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