1St Grader Reading

Have you had testing done for dyslexia? I've only had experience with it in my younger sister, who was diagnosed in first grade and had to repeat kindergarden, but identifying the problem helped her go on to great grades and scholarships in college.
N.

I had the same problem with my son, 2 years ago, I have worked in the school system for several years, and I came up with a supplement from what they learn in school. Start with the basics she learned in Kindergarten, practice the sounds the letters make and then show her to put them together, I hope this does't sound complicated because its very easy and she will even be able to sound out larger words. I did this my 9 and 8 year old and I 9 year old can read alomost any word in the dictionary by just sounding out the letters and putting them together and its great for spelling also.

Being a single mother myself, I completely understand your frusrtrations. I started teaching my son to read before going to kindergarten by using several techniques. The Leap Frog pad is very helpful, I went to a local educational supply store and picked up everything that I could afford to help him, and I also made flash cards and stuck them to everything in the house that they belonged to. (Eg: the fridge flashcard on the fridge and so on.) It didn't take to long for him to catch on and before long he was reading everything in sight without any help! Now he is in second grade and at the top of his class, he also -believe it or not- helps older kids read in his after school program. I hope that these ideas help! good luck with everything!!!
-B.

Hello,
I used to be an elementary school teacher in 2nd grade and also did some work with title 1 reading programs.
It is great that you even find the energy to read to your daughter with your busy schedule. I come from a long line of teachers and the best thing to do is have a reassuring attitude and let her know that she is reading. So many people tell kids, "you can't read" Then they get the message that "I can't read" and it becomes an issue. They get this message from a variety of places, even other kids. The best thing to do is help her confidence by showing her that even holding the book the right way and turning the pages is beginning reading. Every word she reads is a huge accomplishment. Also help build her confidence by making sure the reading level is corrent. Start with easier books that she can handle. Show her how great of a reader she is. Let her know that even grownups stumble over words sometimes. Also find books that she wants. Take a week day trip to the library and let her pick out her own books.
Rhyming games and books are great. Showing her that CAT, HAT, BAT...
this my be too easy.
Find out what she likes... does she like horses? Find books on horses...
You could also find a tutor. Some teachers or even older kids can help spend a little extra time helping her enjoy reading and would volunteer for free. Depending on where you live I would be willing to work with her a few times. Maybe 1 hour on a Saturday or something. I have always loved reading and my 2 yr. old twins already enjoy holding books and pretending to read because I tell them that they are "really" reading.
Hope this helps.
H.
____@____.com

Try the Leapfrog Learning videos. My kids (4 and 2) love them. The Letter Factory teaches the letters and the sounds they make. The Word Factory teaches putting simple words together. Code Word Caper teaches about the silent e. The Storybook factory teaches reading. The words are on the screen and light up as the narrator reads the story. They are available at Target, Wal-mart, and Toys R Us in the video section.

Hi C.,
I am a former kindergarten teacher. Is your daughter able to recognize the sounds the alphabets? Is she engaged in a lot of phonics activities. Expose her to a variety of techniques sounds, writing , sight words, memorization, flash cards, etc. If you have any futher questions, you can email me @____@____.com

Leap DVD Alphabet factory and word factory are excellent. These are phonics. Bob books (any book store) also good and are phonics. Take picture walks before reading each book. Start with the front cover. What do you think this book is about? Turn each page and ask what is happening. Encourage her to make guesses about what happens next. Then read the book. See if she recognizes and words. Make a word wall at home with index cards and a picture (like a mini picture dictionary) When she gets frustrated, ask if she would like to read another time. Sometimes anxiety can be a block to reading. It happens for kids at different times. Don't worry that other kids can read. Each child is different. Go to the library and check out books. Check out the New York City public library page with the 100 greatest picture books and start checking those out. Flash cards are boring. Have an evening message. Keep it the same for the most part, like
Evening Message
Good Evening!
Today is Thursday, August 24, 2006.
I went to work.
You had ballet.
For dinner we will eat spagetti.
I love you.
Let's have a great night.
You model it then have her help you. Point to the words. Have her circle workds she recognized. This is whole language. Don't sweat it, it will all click just like riding a bike. Good luck!

Hi C., I think one of the most important things right now is that your daughter continues to develop a love of books. If she is becoming fustrated, then make sure there is a reading time set aside each night where you are reading to her (children learn at lot about language through modeling), not as a reading lesson. Speak to her teacher if you have specific concerns about her decoding/comprehension skills & she may be able to give you word lists to work on at home. She may need extra help, but continue to make reading fun, or she will eventually become discouraged with books. Good luck!

Hi C.!

I am also a returning student trying to juggle my own homework and my child's. He is in secong grade, and has always been passionate about books. He would toss a book in my lap the moment I sat down before he could really talk, yet sometimes he gets frustrated reading too. He is a really good reader for his age, yet he wants instant recognition of the word! I show him some of the words in my science books, and tell him, "See, there are even words that Mommy has never seen before! Help me sound it out!" I think if you take your time (sometimes hard to do when life is as busy as ours!) and allow her to look at the word a moment, then put your finger over it in sections. The word picnic looks strange when you're learning to read, but pic is easy, then nic. When he was in first grade, I showed my son the word "nevertheless," and he was so amazed at how easy it was in sections! Believe me, if you remain patient and get lots of books that she enjoys (having fun with it is the key!) she'll get it, and she'll love the world that opens to her when she can read easily.

Another tip several moms and I share: if laying in bed and reading to her at night has always been your thing, don't change that. She still wants to be your little girl and know that mommy will still read her a bedtime story!

Find a favorite author and have fun!

-H.

Hi C....

I am a school counselor and hear about these kind of problems every day. I would suggest that you ask to meet with the school counselor and the SST (Student Study Team) at her school. They can do some informal evaluations to pinpoint any difficulties she might be having, and then tell you how they can address those needs. Reading takes the coordination of many skills, and it could be that she has several or even many of those skills already but is missing some pieces of the puzzle. Knowing exactly what you need to focus on will help you spend your time wisely with her. For example, she could be having a decoding issue, a work attack issue, a phonemic awareness issue, etc. I know that is probably all "Greek" to you but her school can and should be able to find out where the gaps are, if there are any, and give you specific ways to help her. That is part of their job in teaching her! Reading to her is one of the best ways to help her; she will see good modeling of reading as she observes and listens to you. Try reading to her and stopping when you get to a word she knows so that she can read that word. That will help build her confidence. Please e-mail me if you want more advice! Good luck!
Nancy
____@____.com

I used to tutor challenged readers, so hopefully I can help. One tip is to have her read a sentence, stopping along the way to discuss the words - does she know what a cat is? Has she ever seen a cat? etc. You would be surprised the words you would think she knows but doesn't. Once you have worked through the sentence, have her read it again fluidly. Once she understands every part of the sentence, she can put it together as one single thought.

Also, repitition is key. Reading the same book over and over will boost her confidence - each time she reads it, she will get better and faster. It is very discouraging to have to read something new every time and struggle all the while. So a reward for trying something new might be re-visiting a favorite book maybe.

I hope that helps!

Hi,
Many schools teach "sight" words. I taught my 9 year old how to read when she was in kindergarten. She was only memorizing sight words. If you gave her anything other than her sight words she would say that she couldn't read it. I began teaching her phonics. We would sing the ABC but with the sound of the letters. I also bought an alphabet banner which has the letter and a picture. (A - w/pic of apple). We would scream Apple - a, Ball - b, Cat - c. You know kids love to scream so it was fun for her. Once she knew and remembered the sounds of each letter she could decode and sound out almost any words. I then taught her blends (st, bl, tr, ect.)

I hope this is helpful!
D.

I personally had the same problems with reading when I was growing up. I didn't realize it was a comprehension problem until my 6th grade teacher pointed it out. Once I knew what it was I started to overcome it just by being aware that I was doing it. Just give it time, she will probably out grow it. Now I read novel's all the time. She will always have difficulty with reading comprehension if she is reading something that doesn't interest her.

My son is in the first grade also. I recommend that you write a note to the teacher and get recommended books. If your child's class participates in Scholastic book orders, there is a "green" and "orange" books series... that is great for beginners. There is words on the page, the words correspond with what is happening on the page. It helps them associate the words with the pictures. We have three "Leap Frog" videos, The Word Factory, The Letter Factory, and "Reading Factory" (Maybe even check at the library). They help us figure out how to "properly" say the letter sounds that also helps them understand how to put the letters together to make sounds, to make words. I recommend reading every night, have her try to read the simple books to you. Good luck. I look forward to seeing the responses that you get.

C.,

My daughter also got easily frustrated when learning to read at the same age. What really made a big difference in her enthusiasm was that I made a wall chart with 20-30 squares, each representing a book she successfully reads herself, and each night after she read 1 book she got to put a sticker in one of the squares. I told her that when she filled up the whole sheet, I would take her horseback riding. You could probably choose any other big reward that would appeal to your child, like going to a movie or Chuck E Cheese or something. I also purchased a set of easy phonics readers from her school's Scholastic catalog that were numbered, started easy and short and then got a little longer as she progressed, and those were the books she had to read for the chart. It sounds like such a little thing, but just getting to put a sticker on a chart and having a reward to work toward made a huge difference in her enthusiasm to actually try to read a book. Good luck!

- S.

Start with the two of you reading together, have a signal when she feels she wants to try reading by herself. If she misses a word or gets stuck, tell her the word and begin reading again with her til she gives you the signal. My daughter liked being in control of the situtation and would read more on her own just to prove she controled the reading. It might help.

I am a elementary school teacher and taught 1st grade last year. I am currently a 3rd grade teacher. Do not panic! What you are experiencing is normal. You probably need to go to more simplistic books that have lots of repetition. It is ok for her to memorize text, since that is the first step to actual reading. That will actually help build her confidence and vocabulary. Try to find books marked beginner reader, early reader, etc. at a school supply house or on line. (Scholastic is a great source).

C.,

1st grade seems to be a magic year for reading. Even though most kids come to 1st grade reading some, this seems to be the year when those who don't will get it. I have a friend who's daughter went from not reading at all in the first grade, to becoming one of the fastest readers I knew in 2nd grade. If you think your daughter needs help though there is a program called reading recovery that has been quite successful. Also, when you read to her, try to get her to predict what's going to happen next, let her finish the end of a rhyme, run your finger from left to right under the words as you read them. These all promote reading skill.

Good luck! I'm a single mom too so I know you have your hands full. It sounds like you are doing a great job!

S.

Hi
Don't give up!!! Keep reading to her - you might point to each word as you read - or have her point to the words. Let her read to you everyday for a short period. It will come in time.
Best Wishes, L.

i know a place its called kumon and its for math and reading it would help alot
www.kumon.com

C.,

I'm not sure if it will help, but try the website www.starfall.com. It was part of the recommendations from my son's kindergarten teacher. He actually reads on a January 2nd grade level for which I am grateful, but I still understand the frustration. My kid is a perfectionist and if he can't complete a task witin a few seconds, he's hell to deal with. Also, he definitely has his weak points, like writing. That is our most frustrating subject - well, along with anything to do with arts & crafts.... Hang in there. One day, to your amazement, she'll just start reading as if it's no big deal.