Feeling pretty desperate about my ds's reading.

[supermum98]

I am struggling to get books for my ds at the right level. He is nearly 14 with a reading age of 11 ish so the Senco says. I struggle to believe this mind you as his 10 and 11 year old siblings are reading far more fluently. My problem is I wonder if this figure has been plucked out of the air, to justify not doing a proper intervention with him. I was told last June that he has a reading age of 11.5, when I questioned this this week, the Senco said he has a reading age of 11 ish. I think his reading age is more around 9-10. His statement says that he should be having a structured, multisensory literacy intervention, and it seems he is just reading to his TA. His reading age hasn't been assessed since last June. I have requested an Ed Psych. assessment and have been told that Ed Psych. thinks school is meeting is needs. School now has told me it has its own intervention, I've seen no evidence of this and frankly feel fobbed off, been told lots of kids have worse reading than his. They were looking into a government evidence based intervention, which suggests the school knows it is lacking this and I have been told they decided not to go with this. Have asked for a meeting to discuss his numeracy and literacy interventions, what do you think I should do if I don't feel satisfied that they are meeting his statement requirements?
He is very distressed about his reading level and I want to push for a proper intervention and monitoring and get the right levelled books for him to read and feel I am getting nowhere.

The most common intervention for secondary school kids is Read Write Inc: Fresh Start

That's the best intervention.

Otherwise Dancing Bears is designed to be done by parents at home. Book C might be the right level for him. Or Toe by Toe

Or Reading Plus looks brilliant. I'm going to start that with DD in a few weeks.

Barrington Stoke do good reading books for children who struggle with reading.

Reading ages always come up higher than they should. ie a reading age of 9 is really what a 7 year old is at :)

supermum98

The problem with rating of reading is that it is a very subjective process, and the statistical data the forms the basis reading ages is highly suspect.
The real problem goes back to poor teaching training standards in teacher training colleges, etc. since 1984. And the lack of use of and understanding of the international body of research regarding how we learn to read. Currently the whole system is based on old wives tales , teacher experiences, and which ever of the program providers has the most successful marketing program and lobby group. Scientific research is completely ignored.

As an example of two recent research papers this year alone.
Neural dissociation of phonological and visual attention span disorders in developmental dyslexia: FMRI evidence from two case reports
Individual differences in skilled adult readers reveal dissociable patterns of neural activity associated with component processes of reading
and more can be found in this Reading links list

The government have not got a clue about how we learn to read, nor about any of the issues which can cause reading disabilities, dyslexia. The government has no process to consult with the scientific researchers who have been investigating these issues for decades, and especially with the more recent rapid advances made in the lat decade. It is pure political ignorance, and listening to those lobbyist who make payments to party funds, and or provide a plausable policy to fill a political policy void.

Developmental Dyslexia is the symptom of one or more underlying cognitive disabilities, and the dyslexic symptom tends to be the least serious issue of these disabilities, so it might be worth while investigating some of these issues if they relate to your DS.

My DS1 who has Aspergers really struggled with reading and wasn't a free reader even though the majority of his classmates were. Then he discovered Beast Quest books and it was like a lightbulb went on. He literally became a free reader overnight. Looking back, he hadn't been inspired and all the things that I tried hadn't rocked his boat.

Hi
I have no experience of an older reluctant reader but have a 5 year old with ?dyslexia who was struggling with the approach used at school, we used 'Dandelion Launchers' at home with great success. School has since started using 'read write inc' with some pupils and this has been soooo much more useful than pesky jolly phonics and the Oxford Reading Tree.
They do 2 series for older readers 'Totem' and Talisman' which I haven't used but may be worth checking out, also I had some email conversations with Wendy Tweedie who has lots of family and work experience of late/ reluctant readers and was really helpful.
Talisman books
I hope you can find something he can relax into and enjoy, I expect it will lift his confidence all round.
I guess if you feel school aren't meeting his needs then it might be worth involving your county (SEN) parent partnership service, they should be able to offer impartial advice, especially since your ds has a statement, in our county you would have received their contact details alongside paperwork during the statement process.

Thanks for your help/links everyone, plenty of food for thought.

Can't help much with your current problems with the school, but just in case it helps.... When I was 17 (back in the '80s) I was told I had the reading age of an 11 year old. I am dyslexic, struggled like mad at school etc... I got help from a local dyslexic centre as the school had no support on offer. Luckily my parents could afford to pay. Slowly things got easier, but A'levels were a real challenge.

Anyway, after some resits and a year off I got myself into a decent Polytechnic. Finally things seemed to fall into place a bit, and after three years got a first and then a fully funded place at one of the UK's top ten universities. OK, it doesn't work out like this for everyone. But, some of us just mature a little slower then others and with the right support we can shine too!

So what am I trying to day. Keep pushing for help, if you can afford it pay for it, see if the Dyslexic Association or anyone else has anything locally.

Hi supermum You can pay for a private ep assessment - I did last sept. as school refused to assess my son too (summer born age 8 -Y4).

He was dx with severe dyslexia. (no shock to me) The EP report was crap to put it mildly...and stated that the school were doing all they could (!) and even though the report recommended 1-1 and specialist interventions he gets nothing.

I would recommend Dancing Bears by Sound foundation - its excellent (and I've tried em all I assure you!) If he is struggling with spelling and puncutation apples and pears is the best thing out there IMO 9also by sound foundation)...ds1 improved within 2 weeks! If you buy the books and ask they may get the TA to do them with him - its only 10 mins per day.

IME of 2 schools (and HE) now I really believe that;
a) schools do not have the money (sen annual budgets are tiny)
b) resources (they dont have any dyslexia interventions at my sons school)
c) staffing (SENcos are just teachers who have been on a course)
d) knowledge (very very little knowledge about dyslexia - or any sen for that matter)

You can help your son and - sadly - you will have to.

Good luck x

cjn27b you have given me hope thanx. Becarooo I am going to go for the Ed. Psych. assessment. I can't believe I have had to send another e-mail re. the existence of Hi-Lo books when my ds was given a book to read aimed at very young ie. 7-8, primary school kids (he is 14) with reading age 10-11. He came home feeling patronized and angry. We went through this at primary school, what is it with these people, do they not get any training whatsoever re. dyslexia? I assumed they would be more clued up at secondary. I am beginning to think inclusion is a joke. Bring back decent special schools, I am sick of being told that schools today know how to deal with complex needs. Most Senco's/teachers don't seem to have grasped the basics from what I can see let alone anything beyond basic, and resources are a joke you are right.

Just thought I'd add, i got dx of dyslexia in the 80's at 14 reading age of 10, comphension (8y). I think i probably have poor working memory or similar. But like cjn27b have a PhD at a good uni. Took over a year to write (usually takes 6months) but got there. Sadly no intervention, just chose subjects carefully.

Howeve, my written lang is appauling, and can never find the words to express what i mean, generally have to find texts that say what i want and then adapt - a slow process.

Don't know if you would find anything helpful here.

forgot the link!
www.dyslexiacentre.co.uk/