Ideas for helping reading please !!

[Wirlies]

DS1 is 6.5yrs old and since day he could hold one, has loved books. Assumed that when he started school, the ability to read would just click.

2nd year into school (in Scotland) and it still hasn't clicked, and I feel like it only the very basic of words that he can confidently read.

He's frustrated, discouraged and its getting hard to do the reading homework (he doesn't want to),although still gravitates to books in general (when on own)

So - any ideas of a way I can help reiterate some of the basics without him having to sit and read the book to me ? eg any good websites we could look at together that will take a slightly different approach ?

I'm confident that he'll get there, and the teacher hasn't expressed concern, but I'd love to be able to help him. (have two other little ones so finding time 1 to 1 isn't easy)


TIA

[daffyd]

Maybe you could get him to read some of the books he likes rather than the set texts? boys somtimes like factual books and texts rather than fiction? Take him to bookshop to choose reading books or to the library and he then feels involved

[Wirlies]

bump - any tips welcome !

[maizieD]

What is the phonics teaching like at his school?

Is he given 'decodable' books to read, or books with words way in advance of his phonic knowledge?

Many children struggle with reading because they haven't been thoroughly and explicitly taught the letter/sound correspondences and how to apply their knowledge in sounding out and blending words.

Also, some reading schemes contain words which are way in advance of the child's phonic knowledge which means they are totally at a loss as to how to work out what the words say. Reading isn't a skill which is picked up by osmosis, but some children are given the impression that it is, and they get very worried and disheartened when they find it difficult.

I would suggest that you have a look at this site //www.dyslexic.org.uk for an explanation of how children learn to read, and this site www.phonicsinternational.com/ for resources and help.

[dott]

we did easyread there is a website, when we did it it was about forty pounds for the year and it turned reading around for my son it was fantastic, but I think they have massively increased the subscription, but if you can afford it I thought it was brilliant, my son has gone from being a year behind to being a year ahead but we put in a lot of time. It helped him to click.

[dott]

here is a link

[tiggyhop]

I just wanted to say that this sounds exactly like me last year - ds 1 at 6.5 was barely reading at all - I worked out eventually that the phonics system which he had been following (at his own pace) at Montessori school meant that he just didn't have a bank of sight words to draw on. That coupled with a huge lack of confidence meant that every word was read afresh (even though he had read it the page before), which is a trial for everyone....I worked out that he just didn't have a visual memory so the sight words weren't sticking. I did loads of flash cards with him which he liked because we hadn't done them before.

Basically, compared to his brother who taught himself to read in a weekend aged 4, DS1 needs to see a word about 50 times more frequently to remember it. It is just that he has a different type of memory.

Within a month he was reading, now he is well above average for a 7 year old. HTH

[Wirlies]

Thanks, these are really helpful. Its hard to see his confidence dipping so quickly. Agree about him not having a bank of words to draw from, Tiggy. Will check out the links too, thanks Dott and Maizie

[Jux]

I would read to him, though I'm sure you do that. TBH, regardless of what the school says, or government policy, I wouldn't bother frustrating him further by making him read to me, I'd just read to him. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots. Particularly as his confidence is dipping.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this. I have a hard hat!

[forehead]

I would advise you to look at the posts of a poster called catflap. She used to give some excellent advice on reading, which i used to teach my own children .