Advice for 3rd Grade Reading Progress

[1shortmomto4]

I have had quite a challenge teaching my 9 year old ds who is in 3rd grade how to read. I've run the gamut in trying to find the right "fit" to help him learn to read. I did finally figure out late last year that he was an auditory learner and Hooked on Phonics really helped him get back into reading but I find now that we are at a stand-still. We finished up HOP and I've had him working through SL's Level 2 Regular readers and we are down to the last book. I've checked out a few of the next books from the 2Int. and he's not ready (these are the books used in the first months). There is just a big jump which he isn't ready to make just yet. We had been working through the ETC books (1-3) which were okay and he seemed to enjoy so I went ahead at bought the subscription online for him to continue working through the program (he does enjoy learning on the computer, too). There doesn't seem to be much progress and he gets stuck on concepts and can't move on. I just feel as though I've missed some kind of phonics/language instruction but not sure what. He does comprehend all that he reads and all that is read to him but he still can't make the connection between a long or short O for example in a word. Ever since he learned the long sounds for vowels that is all he's doing (for example). Ugh! I've also had him working through the Phonics Pathways Pyramids to build up some speed - we just work on this about 5 mins. a day. I tend to have a Charlotte Mason approach so lessons are short. I'm not sure what to do next. I've had the vision tested by a Pediatric opthamalogist but he's tracking fine, etc. I am using McRuffy for my youngest who is in K and I was looking at their 3rd grade program and realize, gee, my ds doesn't know any of that and I've been tempted to just order that and just begin working on through but feel like it is a "knee jerk" reaction. I need to find something to work with him - even it is 30 mins a day throughout the summer. Any ideas? Thoughts?

Heidi

[Wee Pip]

My 8yo has been quite the trickster to teach, too:) And she's also auditory (hmmm...)

Couple thoughts -

So far, I'm noticing that both my kids "forget" all the easy stuff when they are practicing a new concept. When they learned silent-e, everything is read as silent-e, and they can't read simple "hat, cat, sat" anymore, LOL. It just takes constant reminders to get past that hurdle before it all comes together.

 

When I'm trying to s-t-r-e-t-c-h my dd into the next level, I pick up a book and we work thru it together, tag-team style (which works well with her auditory, social aspect). So, when I wanted her to start reading easy chapter books (Frog & Toad), but it seemed to overwhelm her and turn her to mush, then she'd read a page, I'd read a page (or start even simpler, if need be - she reads a sentence, I read a sentence). I also comb the Inter-library loan system for every book in the world at or below my dd's reading level, in an effort to find something of interest. She's very picky in what she'll read, and it took us a long time to finally find something of interest. But when we find it, I run with it - she gets a pile of that series to read, and I just let her read in bed at bedtime, when she'd rather read than sleep;) We've gone for sheer twaddle: Garfield comics, Rainbow Magic Fairies, you name it.

 

I also worked with her on the concept of "how reading should sound". It should sound nice and smooth. Actually, I've dropped this habit lately, but need to pick it up again. I pick easy, repetitious predictable books for her to read aloud. This helps with fluency. Sure, its easy and she can guess half the words. But eventually she sees them and hears them enough that they sink in. This is where younger siblings can come in. "Here, read this picture book to your sister".

[Ottakee]

If he is not yet reading at a solid 3rd grade level, I would suggest looking at the I See Sam readers, also know as Beginning Reading Instruction.

http://www.teacherweb.com/CA/PomeloDriveElementary/Mrssakamoto/printap2.stm Here are the 1st 2 sets in PDF format. See if he can read these fluently. If not, start here.

 

http://www.sitespace.org.uk this is a website on the books which is a work in progress.

 

http://www.piperbooks.co.uk/index.htm Here is the UK website for the books that has samples of the higher level books.

 

There is also a yahoo group for people using the books. They have brought my girls from non readers to reading chapter books.

[ElizabethB]

Good programs for an older child:

 

my online phonics lessons! (linked below)

 

Prescription for Reading: Teach them Phonics by Ernest Christman (Sometimes listed as Rx for Reading. I order through Barnes and Noble with my educator discount, you can also find some used through Amazon from time to time.)

 

You can have your children play my phonics concentration game over the summer: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/concentrationgam.html

 

Blend Phonics would also be a good review, and it's free: http://www.donpotter.net/education_pages/blend_phonics.html

 

Webster's Speller really helped for my daughter, it's also good for an older student, the syllables transfer directly to 2 to 5 syllable words. After finishing up with the syllables, you could go back and forth between the early words and 2+ syllable words. It's linked below, and more about how to use it here: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70153