momma aimee Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 i have a new 2nd grader who i feel is behind in reading; i know at that age there is a lot of "difference" in reading levels but he doesn't seem to be "running away with it" he seems to pick up the rules ok, but he can't recall them when we are reading, there is no fire starting and he is not taking off on his own in reading (I didn't start really trying with him till 1st I will be starting a lot harder with his younger brother in Kindy). When i was in 2nd i was reading my mom's Stephen King books. i am wondering if i should be thinking about getting him some extra support. a reading group or reading class or i don't know -- i really don't know what i am looking for i am just worried he is behind in reading and i am failing him. i mean he kinda can read but he is not taking off and reading on his own. should i get him a tutor? should i look for something for him? should i just keep on keeping on and trust he will "catch fire" and "take off" in his own time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadenCalebMom Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 Continue reading with him and to him. Write sentences on paper with words that he should know. Let him look it over and highlight the ones that he automatically knows. Then go back and decode others that he should know. After decoding, if he can recognize it, let him highlight them, too. Then sit down and let him read highlighted words while you read nonhighlighted words. If you can find some Saxon/Abeka/whoever little readers, get some and do this with him, too. It will increase his fluency and confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 It takes a little longer for reading to click with some children. You just have to continue having him read aloud every single day. I also think it's helpful for a child to write daily, even if it's only a sentence. It could be as simple as buying one of those journals with space for a picture at the top of the page and lines at the bottom (or even a regular composition book). Have him draw a picture and then write a sentence about it. You might have to sit beside him at first to help him sound out each word, but most children need experience encoding in addition to decoding. In your place, I would also be continuing to use a good phonics program that includes phonemic awareness activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 If he has only had one year of reading instruction then I wouldn't expect fluency or independent reading - he needs more time. I would just keep going - you said he can read - he needs more practice and work on fluency by the sound of things - you also may need to get him to quite a high level of phonetic understanding to get him to read independently. And you also need to find books that are at a good level for him that are really exciting for him. I have read somewhere that it is usually at a 2nd to 3rd grade reading level that children start reading independently (on average) - so if your child is just starting 2nd grade then he may not yet be at a level that he can do that. Get him to read aloud to you daily (7 days a week is preferable even if its just short pieces). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I have twins. One boy was semi-reading on his own at five and by six -- actually was reading. My other son, at seven, wasn't reading at all. Totally freaked me out. In fact, I read dyslexia books and convinced myself that my son had dyslexia. Anyway, something got me to buy the I See Sam books (which I highly recommend) and he would read to me each night from these books. He loved the characters and loved that he was "reading." It was slow going, but fun. By eight he was fully reading. At nine he was devouring books and now at ten, I can't seem to keep him in books. I don't mean that as a brag, I just mean that various kids read on their own time table. (Which is one of the beauties of homeschooling.) Now all that said, if you strongly start to be concerned about a learning issue. . . then I would consult an expert in dyslexia or whatever you think would address the underlying issue. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beishan Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I have similar issue. After almost finishing AAR2 and reading eggs, my son is ok with phonics and rules. Sometimes he still gets confused with rules but generally he gets it. I was worried because his reading assessment was below the target for 1st grade in our district. I hired a tutor this summer. She tested him and his phonic skills indeed are right on the level but oral fluency is not. Now tutor is working on fluency with him once a week and I have him pick one story from frog and toad/fox at school/mouse soup/mouse tale and read to me daily. I think I will continue AAR3 when it comes out in fall and hopefully his reading can really catch up in second grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 Most kids aren't reading Stephen King at second grade level. My reasonably advanced 6 year old is reading magic tree house etc - he is not going to jump to Stephen King in a year (he is unlikely to ever enjoy horror stuff tbh). Do you have readers in the library. After a years instruction in school here he would be at about level 12-14 on the PM books (another thread mentioned they are used over there in schools). They aren't phonics based so don't get him to read them but you will see they are not that difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 When i was in 2nd i was reading my mom's Stephen King books. Stephen King books are no where near 2nd grade level. ;) Most kids probably don't take off and become advanced readers as you did. Don't expect that of your child. He may take off at some point, but it may be later than you expect. It's not at all unusual for reading to take off around age 8+. Second grade reading level is still pretty simple. Have you looked at 2nd grade reading lists on Scholastic Book Wizard and such? Have you read a Magic Tree House book (they tend to run mid-2nd grade level, IIRC)? Also, haven't you posted about his reading multiple times before? He's clearly progressed, because I remember you posting before that he wasn't reading at all, and now he obviously is reading, so that's great! Celebrate the PROGRESS you have made, and don't try to compare to what you think he should be. If he is continuing to improve, that's good. Keep working at it. For some kids, fluency can take a while. Also, I wouldn't push the younger kid if he's not ready. DO teach reading in K, but don't expect independent reading in 6 months or anything like that. Of my 3 kids, 2 were early readers (4.5, and 3), and one is slower to progress. I started teaching the slower one at age 4, when he was wanting to learn and he was capable of blending (c-a-t = cat). Two long years later, he was still at sounding out CVC word stage. 6 months later, we're finally remembering words sounded out earlier in the same line (though not every time), and he's able to work very hard to get through a 1st grade level Dr. Seuss book with help on some words. He has certainly not taken off like his big brother (who went from not able to blend to reading at a 2nd grade level in 6 months), but THAT'S OK. They're different kids. In high school, I'm sure it won't matter one whit which one read earlier. :tongue_smilie: I can see huge progress between where we were and where we are now, and that is what matters. Are you seeing a neuropsych or someone for the other issues/delays (all the diagnoses in your sig)? If so, what do they say about the reading? Have you actually tested his reading to see where he is? Try the DORA, which is often on sale via HSBC. That would tell you what reading level he's at. If it's end of 1st grade/beginning of 2nd grade or higher, you can set worries aside. If it's below that, you could look into things more, but again, if he is making steady progress, you're probably fine. Fluency can take a while in some kids. Give him plenty of library books BELOW his current reading level, and read them over and over and over again. And if you didn't start teaching him to read until 1st grade, I wouldn't at all expect fluency yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 i have a new 2nd grader who i feel is behind in reading; i know at that age there is a lot of "difference" in reading levels but he doesn't seem to be "running away with it" he seems to pick up the rules ok, but he can't recall them when we are reading, there is no fire starting and he is not taking off on his own in reading (I didn't start really trying with him till 1st I will be starting a lot harder with his younger brother in Kindy). When i was in 2nd i was reading my mom's Stephen King books. i am wondering if i should be thinking about getting him some extra support. a reading group or reading class or i don't know -- i really don't know what i am looking for i am just worried he is behind in reading and i am failing him. i mean he kinda can read but he is not taking off and reading on his own. should i get him a tutor? should i look for something for him? should i just keep on keeping on and trust he will "catch fire" and "take off" in his own time? It would be helpful if we knew what you were using to teach him how to read. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetted4 Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I've never read it, but I have heard that "Better Late Than Early" is a good book to read if you are concerned about the amt of progress your child has/hasn't made. I think it's supposed to help you determine when it's ok that your child hasn't picked something up yet. What I've heard about it is that if the readiness isn't there, then it's actually better to wait for their readiness to mature before trying to push for them to develop a skill. (http://www.amazon.com/Better-Late-Than-Early-Education/dp/0883490498/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374021425&sr=8-1&keywords=better+late+than+early) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 The speech issues make phonics more difficult. I have found charts and diacritical markings helpful for my remedial students with underlying speech difficulties. I like these charts, I use the small vowel and consonant charts, the vowel charts get the most use: https://www.phonovisual.com/products.php?c=1 The book is free online and has good ideas, very cute pictures of 1950s kids at blackboards using the phonovisual method. http://archive.org/stream/phonovisualmetho00scho#page/n0/mode/2up Even regular boys take longer than girls on average, but it will take even more repetition with an underlying speech problem. My son is taking a lot more repetition than my daughter did. But, he needs less repetition in math than she did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Do you know if he's actually behind, or whether he's just not where you were (totally understandable!) Since he's 2e and has nonverbal LD, are you using something specifically designed to help with kids who have learning disorders? Have you talked with your practitioner who diagnosed him? That might be a place to start to know if you even need to have concerns right now. Hang in there! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msk Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 If it's mostly the "taking off" part you are worried about rather than the level, maybe he just needs more time and low-stress practice? My rising 2nd-grader was at grade level (whatever that means, according to her public school) last year, but I felt like we had that same "just not taking off" problem. I started leaving a box of "series" books I knew were really easy for her (like Fly Guy) in the backseat of the car on our daily commute for her to read "just for fun" (without me listening unless she asked for help). As she started going through them faster and choosing to read for longer stretches, I gradually replaced them with higher-level books without saying anything about it. This was kept totally separate from "reading with me" time and very informal, but it gave her enough practice and confidence that she did take off after a while. Maybe something like this would help? I like the Scholastic book wizard for figuring out relative levels of vocabulary difficulty, but it's not great for the words-to-pictures ratio that sometimes makes a big difference to kids. For example, my daughter found Ivy and Bean much "easier" than Magic Treehouse despite the Scholastic level, because Ivy and Bean has a picture on every page. Finding things at the right level can be a pain at first, but there are a lot of book list threads on the board that can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NASDAQ Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 If he's picking up the phonics, and he's progressing, and you only started teaching him in first, _and_ it looks like he's got some language delays (or had some), I wouldn't panic right now. If I didn't see some serious movement by February or so, I'd look at an evaluation. I'd do reading every day, including Sunday, if you're not already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 thanks everyone. we continue to practice reading everyday I need to worry less his non-verbal LD is not officially dx yet since he is not 8 (this is what PhD told us) ... I DO need to find a professional to hold my hand and advise us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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