ACT preparation- dyslexic

[busymama7]

I have another thread going but it was wordy and I decided to start a new fresh one.

 

Quick background: 16, junior, dyslexic but not diagnosed. Functions fine at grade level (or so I thought) but we started ACT prep and I need help knowing where to go next.

 

Specifically reading section.

 

1st test was timed. He got a 14 (reading only)

Today I had him do one completely untimed. Told him to take his time. It was probably about an hour but I actually didn't watch.

He got a 23.

 

Better but we still need to improve this more. His issues have always been processing speed as well as just plain reading comprehension.

 

I have him doing 2-3 sections of the McCall-Crabbs standard test lessons in reading as I had it from our SWR days. If anyone familiar with this program please let me know if I'm on the right track. He's in the 8th grade level section to start and his scores range from 7.1-8. We haven't tried harder ones.

 

What else do I do to help him improve this score and obviously his actual comprehension. He is college bound, music major most likely.

Edited February 2, 2017 by busymama7

[EKS]

When my dyslexic son stopped reading the passages and instead looked at the questions first and then went back and found the answers, his ACT reading scores went from being in the low 20s to the low 30s.  This was with 150% extended time though.  

 

I would also have him try the SAT.  The timing is more generous and the whole test is much more like the ACT now.

[busymama7]

When my dyslexic son stopped reading the passages and instead looked at the questions first and then went back and found the answers, his ACT reading scores went from being in the low 20s to the low 30s. This was with 150% extended time though.

 

I would also have him try the SAT. The timing is more generous and the whole test is much more like the ACT now.

Thank you. He did say he did some of that. This was with unlimited time though so this is deeper than test taking skills. He actually needs remediation for reading comp.

[MerryAtHope]

Does he read the passage just once and then answer the questions from memory? One of mine didn't trust memory and kept trying to re-read to find the answer--and there's just not time for that unless you're a fast reader. We were able to bump up the reading score by sticking to "read it once, and answer questions from memory." 

 

Any chance you can get a diagnosis before testing time comes around? Extended time isn't that hard to get with ACT if you have a diagnosis, and it can really help.

[ElizabethB]

He may need reading comprehension help, or may just need to improve reading accuracy and speed.  I have found nonsense words and syllables helpful for that.  Do the entire program here, 3 to 7 hours to complete, and 50 timed nonsense words per day, goal is 100% accuracy and 100 WPM orally.  Accuracy first, speed will come with time and practice.  I have reading comprehension ideas next, work thorough this first and see what happens.  

 

Do all the tests before and after, I will be interested to see if silent reading speed improves afterwards, and if it is correlated to MWIA slowdown and oral reading speed of nonsense words or not.  It may also take a few months of nonsense words to help and see results.  You can reuse the words after you complete the 10 pages, and I am working on another one with more words.  (The optional nonsense words #6 from the teacher folder.)

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

Edited February 11, 2017 by ElizabethB