Another reading thread

[Wandaaa]

DD has just gone into to year 1, she is halfway through Ginn 360 level 3 and from her book report seems to be reading well at school. However at home she gets very frustrated if she doesn't know a word and starts to shout, cry and stamp her feet. Once we've worked out the word and finished the page I'll ask her if she wants to stop reading, but she wants to carrying on and it will start again with the next word she doesn't know, but she always insists on reading the complete book (they're getting quite long now). Most of the time she does know the word. I let her choose her own books from the library (she likes ORT, I point out others, but we always come home with ORT, they've just got a new batch in) but she wont read these as she says they are for me to read to her and the odd book that she will read it's the usual frustration with unfamiliar words. She is very independent with everything and I don't think she likes having to depend on me for help with her reading.

I keep thinking she is going to start hating books and reading and any suggsetions of help will be gratefully received.

Don't ask her if she wants to carry on, if you think she's getting wound up then you set the pace and say "well done, great reading, I like the way you sounded out/used the pictures to help you/guessed that last word, let's finish this book tomorrow."

Where do you think this behaviour is coming from? I'd ask her teacher to be honest because if she's responding like that at home she probably is at school. I'd want to know what she does at school when she gets stuck on a word.

Could you have 2 reading books? One that she reads, one that you read to her? That way hopefully she'll enjoy one of them.

Why not speak to the teacher to check that her reading is progressing.

If it's fine, you could have a break from reading books at home. (although keep the teacher informed).

It could be that she is tired from a day at school and just wants to play. Keep on enjoying bedtime stories and this will help her reading.

Perhaps you could enjoy a reading book as a bedtime story.

Our dd is always given hard reading books so we often read them to her and then - a few days later - ask her to read them.

Our reading gives her the confidence that she knows the story and that the length. Anyway, whatever you do, you need to have fun as a family and remember that all children learn to read and some have very little input at home.

percentage wise how many words is she struggling with? She may be on too high a level if it is more than 30%
It might be worth dropping her back a level to lose the negative pattern she has carved out?
Or if she is tired and uncooperative rather than unable could you read the words which she may fight and let her just do the ones she knows easily?

Also is her eyesight ok? Worth checking that she can see text ok and it is stable, this can lead to frustration.
HTH x

That sounds familiar... my DD was quite like that all through infants till reading suddenly clicked at the start of yr 3. A form of torture while it lasted though!

My DD did - and still does - like me reading to her but we choose books that are more advanced than what she'd read for herself. Its really quite distinct from helping her to read, its about appreciating books. Perhaps you could try getting some 'proper' chapter books from the library for you to read to her not just the ORT?

Thanks for the messages. I don't think it is the level that is the problem, DD has a very good memory and whizzed through her flash cards in reception and once learnt she generally can remember the word, but trying to help her to blend an unfamiliar word or quite often a familiar word is nigh on impossible.

She has only ever read Ginn 360 although she did read level 1 and 2 of the upstarts series which had a lot more unfamiliar words but with good pictures as clues and she managed these pretty well.

I do need to speak to her teacher as I think she does need more varied books and knowing DD there is a much greater chance of her reading them if they come from school.

The frustration is definitely due to her independence, which I don't normally complain about, but she really doesn't like help with anything. I think her first words were 'I can do it myself.'

It sounds like your dd is learnign to read through work recognition rather than sounding out words.

This is how my dd has learned and I have to say that if she doesn't know a word I don't ask her to sound it out...I just tell her it.

This is partly to enable the story to continue fluently and partly because I can never remember the phonic sounds. (Phonics all seems rather hard work when in the end most people read by work recognition).

So, at home you could follow this approach too...(it sounds like she is too bright for phonics and just wants to read!)and let the phonics all take place at school.

Or am I too cavalier?

I think Builde's got a point. Just say the word for her and cut out the anxt. But I disagree a bit Builde - some kids click with phonics and some don't, but either way it can be a useful tool. I don't think you can say a child is 'too bright' for it. It's a different way of working it out, but I don't think intelligence comes into it, does it?