Fed. the. heck. up

[delaney]

Read the first 2 chapters of Sign of the Beaver......

can she answer even 1 question I ask? No.

Not where the rest of the family was, not how long the father thought he would be gone, not why the father asked him to mark the passage of time.

I am DONE. I know she is not the brightest kid(maybe a bit ADD and has always struggled with academics) and for sure will not go far into higher education that requires in depth math and science. I am not expecting the world but I am expecting the basics of effort. What in the world do I do with this kid?

She tells me that she doesn't like the book. I told her this wasn't a democracy and sometimes she would have to read a book that wasn't her first choice because I want her to.

[Embassy]

I've been there. Do you know if she has the ability to visualize the story in her head as she reads?

[delaney]

I've been there. Do you know if she has the ability to visualize the story in her head as she reads?

Hmmm...not sure. She remembered that he was hunting and that it took place in the country. I really have trouble trusting her since she has lied in the past about completing stuff.

[Ravin]

So have her read it again, this time with the questions she needs to learn the answers to in mind (sitting next to her for her to write the answers as she finds them, if necessary).

 

Deep breath, patience.

 

Pray for some more patience.

 

Now, all you need is more patience.

 

Mine is only 9. By the time she's done with me I'll have the patience of a saint or I'll be completely insane. Possibly both.

[Murphy101]

Sounds like she either needs tips on how to focus or on how to outline or both.

 

When mine claim they can't remember what they just read, I make them reread it and write a summary.

[*Michelle*]

Do you mind if she writes in the book? If you don't, hand her a highlighter and tell her to start over. Each time she reads something that she thinks will be important, she needs to highlight. Have her do one chapter, then give it back to you. I think you need to determine whether she's unable to pick out important parts or whether she's forgetting what she read.

[Homemama2]

Mine have been in this crazy fog all week. I think mine are just on summer break a few weeks early. :huh: We've had to take a few deep breaths around here as well....

[PachiSusan]

Are you sure you believe her when she says she doesn't remember? My daughter will all of the sudden remember quite a lot when I ask her to re-read and then write out the important parts... :glare:

[Joker]

Did she read it herself or was it read out loud? Does she have any vision problems or ever been checked for them? I was getting discouraged with youngest when she would read alone for the same reasons. Turns out she had vision issues. When reading aloud, she could remember everything.

[delaney]

Did she read it herself or was it read out loud? Does she have any vision problems or ever been checked for them? I was getting discouraged with youngest when she would read alone for the same reasons. Turns out she had vision issues. When reading aloud, she could remember everything.

We had her vision checked but I think she is an auditory learner. Unfortunately not everything in life can be found on audio or read to her

[Crimson Wife]

I have a tendency to daydream while reading when I am bored with the text and if it's something I want/need to actually comprehend, I have to force myself to re-read. That self-discipline comes with maturity, however, and I don't recall how good about it when I was at 12 (probably not so hot).

 

My DD is a voracious reader so my rule is that she has to read the first 100 pages and if she still hasn't gotten into the book, she can stop. That is the rule I have for myself when it's a book I'm reading for pleasure. There hasn't been any book that I've assigned up to this point that I feel is a "must read". When she gets to high school, there are some classics that are so important I will require her to finish them regardless of interest. But she's not there yet.

[Guest Michellecooke]

I typically fead the first chapter or two aloud with my kids when we start a new book. That gets them curious enough to willingly (more or less) read what comes next. Just a thought.

[dmmm]

I know she is not the brightest kid(maybe a bit ADD and has always struggled with academics) and for sure will not go far into higher education that requires in depth math and science. I am not expecting the world but I am expecting the basics of effort. What in the world do I do with this kid?

 

I know you are fed up and frustrated, but I am going to be the devil's advocate.

 

If you are thinking that she might have ADD, then instead of putting her intelligence down, maybe understand that she has huge obstacles in her way when it comes to learning. She very well could be a genius, but the way you are expecting her to learn is not the way she can learn. You yourself said she was an auditory learner...no, not everything in life can be read to her, but with students in public school, there are accommodations made for kids who have issues like her. Maybe it is time you do the same for her and figure out how you can help her learn instead of expecting her to learn how you are teaching.

 

For instance, you could read the questions to her first so she knows what the "important" parts of the story are. You could give her a different Math program with more hands on. Just because you have tried something before and it worked, it doesn't mean that it will work with this child.

 

Just my $0.02.

[mom31257]

How does she do when you ask her questions over shorter amounts of material, 1-2 pages versus whole chapters?

[delaney]

I know you are fed up and frustrated, but I am going to be the devil's advocate.

 

If you are thinking that she might have ADD, then instead of putting her intelligence down, maybe understand that she has huge obstacles in her way when it comes to learning. She very well could be a genius, but the way you are expecting her to learn is not the way she can learn. You yourself said she was an auditory learner...no, not everything in life can be read to her, but with students in public school, there are accommodations made for kids who have issues like her. Maybe it is time you do the same for her and figure out how you can help her learn instead of expecting her to learn how you are teaching.

 

For instance, you could read the questions to her first so she knows what the "important" parts of the story are. You could give her a different Math program with more hands on. Just because you have tried something before and it worked, it doesn't mean that it will work with this child.

 

Just my $0.02.

 

Thank you for that. I guess I should put less stock in reading and more in the academics. She seems to do well with TT for her math so I guess that works. I tried MUS and that threw her for a loop. She also does well with writing assignments because she goes to a class and there is lecture. I will stick to reading WITH her and discussion.

[In the Rain]

If you think your dd has learning problems, then the following may not apply. I have certainly seen this behavior in my kids though.

 

Are you sure you believe her when she says she doesn't remember? My daughter will all of the sudden remember quite a lot when I ask her to re-read and then write out the important parts... :glare:

 

Yes, nothing like facing more work to help jog the memory. :laugh:

[yvonne]

Maybe she just needs help learning to read for meaning? I think it does take more effort to focus on what you're reading than it does to listen to an audio book. Can you print out the questions and hand them to her to read first? Then have her read the chapter with the questions in mind, almost reading to find the answers to those questions. It might help her start focusing as she reads something. I'd also have her actually at least jot down the answers to the questions as she goes along.

 

If you suspect learning problems, though, I'd get those evaluated first. Then you'll know what you're realistically looking at.... effort? learning difficulty? just needs help learning to read for meaning?

[Paige]

My son was doing similar things. He'd read and then have no idea what was going on. I think he was looking at words more than actually reading. Some things that helped were to have him read a few pages at a time and then come to me and I would ask questions immediately. If he didn't know the answer, I'd hand the book back and have him read the selection with the answer right then, and then give me the answer. If he still couldn't answer, it was usually a problem with vocabulary or he wasn't following the story or was misinterpreting stuff and I helped him out. I also got him Reading Detective which is basically a reading comprehension practice book. It had small selections to read and then maybe 8 comprehension questions. He improved a lot after becoming more familiar with the types of questions.

[EmilyK]

When you say you had her vision checked, was it with a developmental optometrist? We found things there with my younger son that we never had gotten with regular vision exam. He has serious tracking problems but does not require glasses. With vision therapy, he is able to sit still longer and read. He appeared more borderline ADD before.

 

Can you ask her similar questions about audiobooks and she knows the answer? That helped me ascertain that my son knew how to follow the narrative.

 

Sometimes when you are reading something about grade level, it takes all your effort to decode words and it is hard to keep track of the thread. Is she more able to narrate or answer questions when it is an easier book?

[SharonUF]

 

We had her vision checked but I think she is an auditory learner. Unfortunately not everything in life can be found on audio or read to her

 

 

If you think she is an auditory learner, have her go off by herself, but within earshot of you, znd have her read it aloud to herself. You will at least be able to hear her mumering and then can retest her comprehension. My hubby is an auditory learner and this helps him. It's worth a try.

[Professormom]

Are you sure you believe her when she says she doesn't remember? My daughter will all of the sudden remember quite a lot when I ask her to re-read and then write out the important parts... :glare:

 

 

This worked for us as well:-)

[fourisenough]

Has she had any experience with narration? I think it is such a foundational skill, one that is the bedrock of reading comprehension and, later, composition.

 

I would recommend backing her up to something like WWE 3. Have her read the passages and then ask her the discussion questions and give her the narration prompts. She may need more help learning these valuable skills, so that she can eventually read a book on her own and be able to understand it and answer questions about it.

[PeterPan]

Sign of the Beaver wasn't exactly a hip book for a girl. It's no wonder she's not attending (paying attention) or retaining. I'd put it on on audio while she's doing something she likes to do with her hands and get it over with. Telling a kid to attend to something they hate when they have an attention issue is the hard way of getting there. You get another book, and it won't be a problem. If I want to work on attention or working memory or other medical problems, I don't do it with school work. That's just a way to teach the kid to hate the school work. Get a better read aloud and work on attention other ways. Neurofeedback is a tier one intervention and supposed to be as effective as meds.

 

Btw, since she's doing well with TT for math, look at the VP self-paced online for history. Might solve your prob. It was gold in our house.

[PachiSusan]

I just went and looked up the book. Is THAT book very important to your curriculum or what you are trying to teach at the time? I know if I gave that book to my 10 year old, there would be no way she would sit for that book. Is there another book that has whatever this book has that she might like better?

 

Let me explain: It looks like this book is about a clash of cultures and survival, and a coming of age sort of story for a boy. My daughter doesn't like boy protagonists at all right now. Are there other books that might be more interesting to her that would still teach those lessons or expose her to those? I was thinking "The Island of the Blue Dolphins" if she hasn't already read it. It's the same basic themes, but with a girl and girls her age seem to ADORE this book! I did and that was in the dark ages of the 70's and my friend's daughter a few years ago when NUTSO over the book.

 

Just a thought. I know that sometimes pushing something so distasteful can back fire on us, and I don't want this to create a power struggle between you and your daughter. I have your daughter. Sometimes things like this just aren't hills to die on.

 

JMO - and your mileage may vary! :)

[*Michelle*]

Aw, I loved Sign of the Beaver. My mom had to persuade me not to cut gobs of pine sap off the trees in the backyard for homemade gum, though. I didn't quite get that spruce sap was a little different.

[BrettW]

Yes, that is SO frustrating. Just have one suggestion. I recently signed my 11 and 9 year olds up for ReadEggsPress (the version of Reading Eggs for older kids). There are hundreds of books to choose from at all different topics/levels and there are comprehension questions for the kids to answer at the end of each book. If they "pass" the questions, they win "points" and other Reading EggsPress rewards. It's cute and fun - even for "older" kids. Just an idea.