Do you have tips for scaffolding a reluctant reader into a strong reader during middle school?

[HappyGrace]

Ds is a rising 6th grader who has never enjoyed reading, doesn't read for pleasure, etc. I haven't pushed it, but I am seeing gaps now that he's entering middle school that older older dd (strong reader) didn't have. He doesn't have the core knowledge base that an experienced reader would have built, plus he reads slowly and gets overwhelmed with more difficult books, long descriptive passages, etc. He is an engineer type-lol.

 

It is so hard for me to know what to do for this, as I was born with a book in my hand, and my only other student was too!

 

He has no problem with the mechanical part of reading-can physically read any word just fine .

 

But how do I scaffold him in all areas of reading (comprehension, fluidity, etc.) to get him able to read tougher books over these next couple years before high school?

 

Also, is there a curriculum or book that could maybe help with this?

 

I'm asking on this board too since I figure y'all have been there, done that already :)

 

 

 

 

xpost

[Lori D.]

(copy-pasting from my response on your x-post)  :laugh:

 

Honestly, we just read aloud together, every.single.day from first grade up through high school. DS#2 has mild LDs -- stealth dyslexia that more affected writing, spelling and math, but he was also a delayed reader and has ALWAYS had the tendency to guess rather than slow down and sound out longer words. He has always been very selective in what he reads for pleasure, and never did tons of reading for pleasure -- many other activities he would choose first before reading.

 

By reading aloud together, popcorn style ("You read a page, I read a page"), we were able to tackle books just a touch above his comfortable reading level to stretch him, and by alternating pages, he was able to keep enough of the sense of what was happening in the first chapters to get him over the hump of getting used to each new book's style, sentence structure, and vocabulary choices. We were also able to stop and discuss in the midst -- define vocabulary in context, clarify something that confused DS, do some literary analysis. What a time saver! And honestly, very enjoyable for me to share reading of good books (my personal passion) with him, in spite of him not being that fond of reading.

 

And, reading together was just more enjoyable for DS -- we were sharing a "chore" which lightened the perceived "burden" of reading to him. He got a lot more out of the books that way, too. He accepted it, knowing that was just our routine -- going a bit slower to read aloud and think about/discuss the books. And he would get MUCH more interested in the book by us doing it together, than if I had sent him off to read it on his own.

 

I know that's a time-consuming way to do middle school/high school Literature -- and esp. difficult if you are the mom of many -- but it was REALLY worth the time investment, to carve out 30-40 minutes a day, 4x/week to do the reading and literary analysis together. Another idea: is there a sibling fairly close in age that you could do it all 3 together? Doubling up means less work for you...

 

 

Another thing to "prime the pump" for those harder classics is to listen to books on tape or you read aloud for a family read aloud of older works with more Victorian style of writing. You may find other ideas in these past threads:

- Where do you start with a high school boy who has never read classic lit?

- Great Books question (how does your family read the books)

- Which 20 books help prepare for the Great Books?

 

BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

[3 Only Children]

You could try audio books and maybe he could follow along with the book.  

 

If there is a book that my son is not sure that he may like, I say let me just read you the first couple of chapters. 

More often than not he will get interested and we will finish the book. 

 

Another idea is read the book first before you watch the movie of the same name.  The movie is the reward. 

[HappyGrace]

Thanks, Lori, for the awesome idea-as usual! And I will read those great links too, thank you!

 

He does ok with listening to the books on audio, but the problem is more the reading it himself-he would rather play Legos :) No interest at all, and because he hasn't read a lot, it's a chore for him. I want him to get more like a "skim reader" like good readers are, where they can assimilate the information, both fiction AND non-fiction, more quickly and efficiently. I'm not sure how to get him to that point.

 

I think the popcorn reading is a great idea, and then I almost feel like he needs something "more" also to get him to the point I listed in the previous paragraph. He gets really bogged down in non-fiction too, which is scary with starting into textbook reading!

[HappyGrace]

Thanks, 3Only. Like the post I just added explains, it's not so much *getting* him to read, but how do I get him more proficient at comprehending quickly, fluency at understanding non-fiction, etc. Like you would expect to see with a good reader.

[Lori D.]

He does ok with listening to the books on audio, but the problem is more the reading it himself-he would rather play Legos :)

 

He's young, he's "busy". That's very typical. :) Some of this is just comes with patience (you) and maturity (him).

 

 

Thanks, Lori, for the awesome idea-as usual! And I will read those great links too, thank you!

 

He does ok with listening to the books on audio, but the problem is more the reading it himself-he would rather play Legos  :) No interest at all, and because he hasn't read a lot, it's a chore for him. I want him to get more like a "skim reader" like good readers are, where they can assimilate the information, both fiction AND non-fiction, more quickly and efficiently. I'm not sure how to get him to that point.

 

I think the popcorn reading is a great idea, and then I almost feel like he needs something "more" also to get him to the point I listed in the previous paragraph. He gets really bogged down in non-fiction too, which is scary with starting into textbook reading!

 

 

A lot of students are just solidifying reading and assimilating skills in 6th grade, so you are not behind by any means. You can try some of those study skills like "skim reading" maybe in 7th/8th grade -- not sure I would try it any sooner, because you don't want to skip over helping him reading slowly, thoughtfully, carefully, and jumping straight to skimming.

 

Does DS do any narration? That requires good reading skills, attention, and absorbing information, plus processing the information to decide what are the key elements to focus on. That could be a good skill to start with in the NON fiction reading of your science or history text -- maybe once a week, one passage.

 

 

He does ok with listening to the books on audio, but the problem is more the reading it himself-he would rather play Legos  :) No interest at all, and because he hasn't read a lot, it's a chore for him. I want him to get more like a "skim reader" like good readers are, where they can assimilate the information, both fiction AND non-fiction, more quickly and efficiently. I'm not sure how to get him to that point.

 

Hmmm… I have to say, just me, but I would be careful about developing this technique. I am a "natural reader", and read faster than average, and yes, I do that "skim" reading when it's light/fluff reading. BUT, to be able to get much of anything out of good Literature actually requires focused intentionality -- a slower, close, deep reading to allow for the savoring of language and images, and for the dwelling on a passage to find all the hidden depths.

 

I personally think with young students, especially in our culture that already has zero attention span, that skimming is more likely to encourage superficial shallow exposure, rather than training for deep thinking and analysis and real long-term absorption of material. But I am likely misunderstanding what you mean there. :)

 

 

...I almost feel like he needs something "more" also to get him to the point I listed in the previous paragraph.

 

Sounds like this might be a good time to slowly introduce a little critical thinking through some occasional discussion questions. That requires tracking, focus, and remembering what has come before. And that leads to being able to try predicting what may happen later, compare/contrast, see beyond just plot line into character motivations and choices & consequences, and themes.

 

You might start a little literary analysis:

- a literature guide with good questions and some teaching text every once in awhile

- SWB's list of Logic stage questions (also SWB's audio lecture on literary analysis)

- list of specific literary analysis questions

- Socratic Questions for Kids (more specifically, maybe Teaching the Classics to help YOU learn how to lead DS into deeper reading/discussion)

 

Try developing that thinking process by discussing movies and TV shows that you are watching together -- digging into motivations, comparisons, etc. Seeing that there is something deeper in movies -- and books -- can help students start looking for what else is in the work besides the basic "what happens" of the plot… Ask questions that encourage the student to:

*ask "why"

* understand sequence of events

* see/describe similarities/differences

* make connections

* look for cause and effect

* predict/guess what WILL happen, based on what has already happened

 

 

Just a few more ramblings… ;) Warmest regards, Lori D.

[idnib]

Check out Ruth's post on developing reading skills. Her students are accelerated but the tips still apply.

 

PM her too if you can't find her info about how she makes books progressively harder. She has some pattern in which she gets more difficult books and then an easier one, but not as easy as the easiest one on the last loop. Sort of a few steps up and couple of steps back approach.

 

Also find our his current Lexile score and keep finding books with higher scores so you have an idea things are progressing. 

[Gwen in VA]

1) Read aloud a LOT.

2) Have a 30-minute mandatory reading time each day -- which includes mom sitting and reading too!

3) Let him choose the books.

 

in my experience (2 boys, 2 girls), girls like fiction and stories ("novels"); boys may prefer non-fiction -- like biographies of mountain men or books about sharks or how to build a rocket. Let your boy read what he wants to (within reason) -- novels are nice, but if a kid prefers reading about installing marine electronics, encourage it!