Ok I am getting a bit paranoid about dd1's reading, can you tell me what sort of books your 8 year old (yr 3) is reading (g&t need not apply!!)?

[TheHonEnid]

She cannot really sound out words although after having a tutor for a while she did improve. She is off the reading scheme at school and onto library books - she is not confident so is daunted by long pages of text but manages Usborne illustrated books like Puss In Boots very well. She is definitely the 'worst' (horrible word) girl reader in her class which I can live with but not sure whether I should be doing anything more than reading with her every day which I do - school listens to her read every other day or so and has mentioned difficulty in sounding out and tendency to guess but not really suggesting any way of improving...so I guess its down to me...

Hi Enid

my 7 year old is not good reader, esp not at sounding out words; she couldn't even begin to sit down and read a rainbow fairy book, it is so far from happening

we have taken a 'love of books' approach so that she enjoys books without pressure - MamaG recommended the I Wonder Why books like this one (there are loads)- I was actually surprised but it seems she is more interested in reading facts than story books at the moment, and we also bought her this for me to read with her because it is beautiful (also a mner suggestion)

another avenue we are going to go down in a week or two (didn't want to buy her loads of books at once in manner of Christmas come all over again) is poetry, because you can read just one page and get something fun

we decided that the best thing to do was just encourage a love of books and reading out of the pressure of school reading/ home reading books

ooh i am almost temtped

www.allaboutvision.com/whatsnew/img_frames/rem-barbie-converse-2006.htm

god she hates fairies

am currently reading Erik the viking which she loves (but couldnt read herself)

she likes myths, nature stories, animal stories, non-fiction

she has just read a 360 something (some sort of scheme) from the school library about a barn owl - very simple nature story - she really enjoyed that.

i THOUGHT She did.
shit. ok back to drawing board

theres a set of usbourne ones of fables ds1 had,

Enid yes go get eyes tested

dd went for months unable to blardy see the text

school were photocopying books bigger for her ffs but no-one said go get her eyes tested

even the optician said it wouldn't make any difference but we said let's give it a go like pushy parents

it made MASSES of difference

and there are lovely frames out there (even tho dd picked a horrid pink pair despite dh's attempts to nudge her towards the ones like cod linked to)

in facta lot fo usbourne stuff is good -t he type is nice

If you do get her eyes checked - find an optician who is able to look at 'tracking'. Not all opticians do this, and is sometimes an issue in children who are dyslexic or dyspraxic or have some kind of SEN.

NOT suggesting that she does - but might be worth looking into. Sometimes the words swim and or the letters jump about.

AGAIN not saying she is, but if you contacted the Dyslexia Insititue - simply for strategies re sounding out etc - you find that they go right back to the beginning and approach the phonetics and sounding out stuff all over again.

I am all up for these strategies. I don't think your daughter needs to be dyslexic to do them.

Also agree with Capp about 'love of reading' - and ensuring success as being key to building confidence. Like reading to dd3.

Also I keep recommending the Gaskitt books. As they are easy to read, but are more grown-up and dead funny.

oh YES I forgot htose( gaskitt)
ds2 has just had them ( he is 7 too)

100x you are dead right that not all opticians do not look at tracking

if you find me one let me know and I will get in the car

we had to present dd1 as a 'training opportunity' at a hospital in order to get anyone to take a look at her

www.amazon.co.uk/Cat-Who-Got-Carried-Away/dp/1844280985

My dd reads all kinds of books but I like to vary her level from say an easy-reader to give her confidence at whipping through a book to something slightly harder (she struggled a bit pronoucning princess/pirate spirulina last night - mind so would i have struggled at 7). I had to give up on one football-themed book I'd chosen for her since it was too old for her. my dd is quite fond of the 'girls rock' stories and it helps cut down the sickly princess/fairy/animal ark stories too.

hmm she says the letters move about when she is tired

although seems to read v well from adistance (crap mother self testing)

she had a tutor for a while who said it was possible there was a level of dyslexia/dyspraxia but she improved so much we thought not a problem

I do know one, recommended by Ed Psychs and all sorts.

He is down here in the west though - Cheltenham I think, or Chippenham. Can't remember.

Do you really want to know? I don't know where you live, but if you do, I shall send you his number once I've found it.

does she find sans serif texts more challenging than serif ones?

that's also a change when you get out of reading schemes into Real World

Lancashire

the books that really put her off were the footbally ones with loads of slang in them- paul whatever his name is, there were loads of them and they were awful - the Magic trainers etc etc

I would second reading out poetry - there are quite a few children's anthologies which are aimed at specific school key stages. my dd was reading a poem by spike milligan last night and even I was laughing by the end of it. mostly as we kept tangling the words up. ningle nargle nongle something.

i always thought he was a bit of an old duffer and past it, not really funny etc. Had to revise that opinion now.

Hi.. Enid did you take take your dd of the reading scheme?
Is it ORT? What sort of level do you think she could confidently read?
IMO start with easy books that'll build up her confidence.
My kids (yr2 & yr3) always like the banana scheme maybe try a blue banana and see how she gets on.
this sort of thing
Also my yr 2 loves the I am Reading range of books that come with a cd they can follow...
he loves this one
I really wouldn't worry too much, it sounds like you are doing all right things and if it helps, the kids in my sons yr 3 class range from ORT Stage 5 to free readers.

oh blimey, 50 million posts since I started typing. God I'm slow!

If she likes simple chapter books with short chapters and an animal theme here are some my 7yo dd1 (animal loving fairy hating) has enjoyed:

The battle of bubble and squeak
Olga da polga
Haffertee the hamster
Dick King smith - lots of animal stories including Sophie's Tom, Sophie's Snail.
101 dalmations
Paddington
Dilly the dinosaur series.

Have you tried (it sounds obvious but it was really helpful for mine when they were reading-but-not-really-chapter-book-level) going to the library and letting her browse the non-fiction shelves? There tend to be a lot of books about animals and nature. My dds like those.

but enid she is the dreamy one isnt she?
i wonder if that all link in
DN is 9 and he is dreamy and imaginative

he is VERY dyslexic.

( ob not asayign hat ALL kids are htis way so dont all jump on me)

Ingles knows things because she has a cocker spaniel. All owners of cocker spaniels are marvellous.

Now. Call me hysterical BUT I am all for early intervention in these matters, otherwise things drift and confidence is lost.

If I were you I would contact the Dyslexia Institute. I know lots of children who have gone, and have gone back over the phonetics and re-trod old ground and it has helped very much - even without being capital D dyslexic. I'd ignore the term almost.

Perhaps I am hysterical. I don't know. I'm not alarmist, but I do think catching things when young is the best way forward.

Also children with some difficulty start to find ways to compensate, which is good, but can build up some problems for later too.

And also all that disorganised business is part of it, all that short term sequencing and poor short term working memory.