How behind is my son??

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

My son will be 8 in September and we just started 2nd grade today.  At this point my daughter was reading chapter books.  My son is not. His best buddy (8 months younger) is reading chapter books.  Today we started reading "The Beginner's Bible".  He can read it but I still point to words as he reads and help him with words like "separated" (although he got it the second time he saw it a couple of pages later).  He sounds like a robot.  He can read Mr. Putter and Tabby (he likes to alternate pages because he gets worn out).  Same with the young Cam Jansen books. 

 

I'm frustrated but we read daily, I encourage him, and he SEEMS to be making progress.  Girls, it is just so hard not to compare!  

 

What are your thoughts??

[wendyroo]

Not at all?

 

Both Mr. Putter and Tabby and the young Cam Jansen books are guided reading level J and Lexile level 350ish.  That is a pretty solid end-of-first-grade, beginning-of-second-grade level.

 

Wendy

[EKS]

Keep having him read aloud, increasing the difficulty level very gradually.  He'll get there!

 

And if he seems to stall, post about it on the Special Needs board--the folks on that board are the reason my 21yo dyslexic son is able to read (and read well!).

Edited August 1, 2017 by EKS

[HomeAgain]

I was just looking up standards for our state.  The breakdown also includes sample titles by grade for both reading and comprehension.  1st grade included Little Bear, Hi! Fly Guy!, and Frog And Toad Together.  (Comprehension in the form of a read aloud was Mr. Popper's Penguins.)  2nd included Sarah, Plain And Tall and Tops And Bottoms, a really cute picture book.

 

I don't think your son is behind at all.  But....you can tackle the wooden voice by going back to something totally easy for him (like Fly Guy) and focusing on inflection/tone since he doesn't have to work at decoding.

[Xahm]

I think the Elephant and Piggie books are great for practicing intonation because they have short sentences with clues like text size, italics, and placement to let the young reader know how to read the sentence. Plus they are funny.

[Tanaqui]

This is exactly why you shouldn't compare. Your son isn't behind - your daughter was a little ahead!

[mamaraby]

Dd1 started 2nd grade reading similar to your ds and is now in 4th reading Harry Potter (the 4th book). Dd2 just started 2nd grade and can read most of the level 1 easy readers at the library with support from the readers here at the house. My oldest, on the other hand read Harry Potter by the beginning of 2nd grade.

 

So, no, ime your ds is not behind and definitely don't compare kids. They do develop these skills in their own time excepting certain situations. I'm not saying that it's not something to have a general eye on, but it's certainly nothing to panic or fret over.

[8filltheheart]

I also go with not behind.  Even my non-dyslexic kids have been all over the map as to when they were reading chpt books on their own.  And to give you encouragement, my worst dyslexic was reading Frog and Toad books at the end of 2nd with difficulty.  He is a 4.0 physics and math double major college sr who aced the physics GRE.  No one, I mean no one but me, would ever have a clue that he struggled learning how to read.....and he didn't read chpt books on his own until 5th. 

[nixpix5]

I also go with not behind. Even my non-dyslexic kids have been all over the map as to when they were reading chpt books on their own. And to give you encouragement, my worst dyslexic was reading Frog and Toad books at the end of 2nd with difficulty. He is a 4.0 physics and math double major college sr who aced the physics GRE. No one, I mean no one but me, would ever have a clue that he struggled learning how to read.....and he didn't read chpt books on his own until 5th.

I love your posts so much! Your experiences are always so encouraging to hear.

[Ellie]

My son will be 8 in September and we just started 2nd grade today.  At this point my daughter was reading chapter books.  My son is not. His best buddy (8 months younger) is reading chapter books.  Today we started reading "The Beginner's Bible".  He can read it but I still point to words as he reads and help him with words like "separated" (although he got it the second time he saw it a couple of pages later).  He sounds like a robot.  He can read Mr. Putter and Tabby (he likes to alternate pages because he gets worn out).  Same with the young Cam Jansen books. 

 

I'm frustrated but we read daily, I encourage him, and he SEEMS to be making progress.  Girls, it is just so hard not to compare!  

 

What are your thoughts??

 

What are you using to teach him to read?

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Just a suggestion for pointing to words:  You can give him an index card to slide under the line he is reading to help him wean off of using your finger as a guide.  

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

What are you using to teach him to read?

 

We used ABEKA phonics for K and 1.  My daughter flourished.  He has done fine, but it started to get overwhelming for him.  This year we are doing Sonlight for the first time  I enjoy their gentle LA approach (for him) and we are using Explode the Code with it.  In addition, I have let him choose a book to read every day this summer.  Now he is doing Sonlight's 2nd grade readers which will have him progress, which is nice.  

[meganrussell]

I would say he is not behind at all. My son was 7 in June. He still has a "robot" voice and is nowhere near chapter books. He reads early and easy readers. I do not consider him behind at all. Some kids are really great readers. It comes naturally to some and not so naturally to others. My older three were natural readers, reading books way above grade level. This one is not above grade level, but steady progress and hard work make me happy.

[Miss Tick]

Just a suggestion for pointing to words: You can give him an index card to slide under the line he is reading to help him wean off of using your finger as a guide.

I like Monica's suggestion, but I found better success with the card (usually a bookmark) moving above the line rather than below. Seems backward, but worked for us.

[MerryAtHope]

I like Monica's suggestion, but I found better success with the card (usually a bookmark) moving above the line rather than below. Seems backward, but worked for us.

 

 

One advantage of using a card or bookmark above the line is that it doesn't interfere with eye-tracking--the eye can smoothly track to the following line without having to be interrupted as you move the card.

[ExcitedMama]

How often do you have him read aloud? Is his current fluency a new milestone for him? I know with DS it was brutal to listen to him read aloud as he was learning to read and reaching new levels of learning. He might have known the phonograms that made up the words but he wasn't fluent when he read. He was also intimidated the idea of reading when it was so new to him. It really helped to read together everyday. At first it was buddy reading together alternating pages for a chapter until his stamina improved.

 

Does he need more practice with rules or phonograms? AAS might help cement those rules.

 

I don't think you should worry about him being behind at all! I doubt he is and more importantly just help him here he is.

[Ellie]

We used ABEKA phonics for K and 1.  My daughter flourished.  He has done fine, but it started to get overwhelming for him.  This year we are doing Sonlight for the first time  I enjoy their gentle LA approach (for him) and we are using Explode the Code with it.  In addition, I have let him choose a book to read every day this summer.  Now he is doing Sonlight's 2nd grade readers which will have him progress, which is nice.  

 

So, you're being more relaxed, and you like what you're doing. But your son is not reading where his sibling and a friend are, so you're worried. Do you see the illogic? :001_smile:

[Farrar]

Another vote that he's not behind and to put a card above the line.

 

While kids are always going to have a range of abilities, it's even more varied with reading at this age than with other subjects at other ages. As long as you see progress, you can stop comparing.

[Lecka]

This is a rising 2nd grader? Not behind at all.

 

If his birthday is such that he is a rising 1st grader, I would say he is doing very well.

 

There always seems to be a group of 5 kids in a class who are more like your daughter, and that is nice, too :)

 

Edit: and see how arbitrary I am with whether he is a 1st or 2nd grader? Bc in school it would matter the age of the other kids, and how much instruction they had all gotten. It makes a difference. But it is also totally arbitrary which grade kids are in who have birthdays near a cut-off. And either way it sounds fine to me.

 

You can brag to grandparents but probably not to other parents ;) And your friend's child I would feel free to say "wow he's doing awesome." I think you can express happiness about his progress but maybe not brag ;)

Edited August 1, 2017 by Lecka

[ElizabethB]

My son was behind that, and my daughter was ahead for her age. My son now reads at a 12th grade level and faster and smoother than average for his age.

 

Keep working on his phonics more than the reading, some children, especially boys, need a lot of phonics review to become fluent readers. My Syllables Spell Success program now has the first video on YouTube and is on track to release one video per week until complete. I will add the link to the videos and the program, you need to print some of the linked documents to use it.

 

 

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

Edited August 1, 2017 by ElizabethB

[Julie of KY]

Some kids read earlier, but I wouldn't call your son behind at all. Just keep moving along.

[fralala]

This is exactly why you shouldn't compare. Your son isn't behind - your daughter was a little ahead!

 

And his friend, likewise, is also ahead of most kids his age...

 

I don't know if this is something that bothers you, but in our family, the boys tend to be relatively advanced in terms of reading and language abilities, and when their friends do lag behind, I get the sense that sometimes this makes their friends' parents a little insecure in a way that seeing their boys behind girls-- who are SUPPOSED to be a little ahead-- doesn't. I could be wrong. Some boys do lag behind. Some don't (like, it seems, your son). Some are also ahead (like, it seems, your son's friend). As long as a child is progressing when given quality instruction and exposure to reading, which it sounds like your son is, I don't think you (or others) need to worry about being on a different level than similar-age peers.

[luuknam]

This is a rising 2nd grader? Not behind at all.

 

If his birthday is such that he is a rising 1st grader, I would say he is doing very well.

 

There always seems to be a group of 5 kids in a class who are more like your daughter, and that is nice, too :)

 

Edit: and see how arbitrary I am with whether he is a 1st or 2nd grader? 

 

 

OP's son is about to turn 8, so he's either a rising 2nd grader or a rising 3rd grader (rising 3rd grader in most places). For a rising 2nd grader he's pretty much on-target, for a rising 3rd grader a bit behind, but not terribly so, and it's not real predictive of where he'll be a few years down the road. 

 

ETA: as a rising 2nd grader he's old-for-grade, as a rising 3rd grader he's on the young end for grade. So, by age you'd expect him to be about halfway through 2nd grade... but, since he's been taught as being the lower grade, it's perfectly normal to be at the level of a rising 2nd grader. 

Edited August 1, 2017 by luuknam

[sweetpea3829]

And yet another vote for...

 

"Not behind at all."  

 

My kiddo just turned 8 in May and he sounds very much like your son.  Maybe a bit more advanced in that he's finally turned the fluency corner and can read longer chapter books.  But a word like "separated" would still probably trip him up.  He'll be doing another year of phonics practice with ETC to smooth out the rough edges.  

 

Listen, it can be difficult to not compare.  My oldest son is reading numerous grade levels ahead and his trajectory was far different than my next two boys.  Each on is different though and we really have to focus on the individual.  

 

<3  

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

OP's son is about to turn 8, so he's either a rising 2nd grader or a rising 3rd grader (rising 3rd grader in most places). For a rising 2nd grader he's pretty much on-target, for a rising 3rd grader a bit behind, but not terribly so, and it's not real predictive of where he'll be a few years down the road. 

 

ETA: as a rising 2nd grader he's old-for-grade, as a rising 3rd grader he's on the young end for grade. So, by age you'd expect him to be about halfway through 2nd grade... but, since he's been taught as being the lower grade, it's perfectly normal to be at the level of a rising 2nd grader. 

 

Yea, he will be 8 in September, but is 2nd grade.  We did NOT rush to start him and he didn't start any phonics/reading until his Kinder year (when he was almost 6).  He has read daily since then.  First grade seemed to be a bit of a plateau.  This summer has been much better.

 

You all have helped.  I know comparison is dangerous and is the thief of joy.  We played phonics games today and he read words quickly with no context that I figured he would have struggled with.  He did his reading with his reader and sounded fantastic and....get this....didn't complain and wanted to keep going!!  This mama needs to RELAX and enjoy HIM and where he is at.  

[newhsmom]

I don't expect my 2nd graders to be reading true chapter books until the 2nd semester.  I don't think your child is behind at all.  I find that when kids start reading chapter books that they usually take off pretty quickly.  Stay the course!

 

 I have also read that regardless of when children start reading that most kids are at the same reading level by 4th grade.  I think we spend too much time stressing over things that are developmental and every child develops at their own pace and that is just fine.  

[displace]

If you ever want objective data, you can do a DORA test online for about $20 through an online testing company, like seton. It will test phonics skills, reading, comprehension, etc, and give you a grade level score.

 

I agree based on the description he doesn't sound behind, but a short description makes it difficult to truly give a good opinion :)

[ReadingMama1214]

I like Monica's suggestion, but I found better success with the card (usually a bookmark) moving above the line rather than below. Seems backward, but worked for us.

This is how my daughter reads as well. She puts her finger or a bookmark above the line she's on rather than below