5 Questions you need to ask when extra reading help is offered at school

5 Questions you need to ask when extra reading help is offered at school


Many students require extra help in reading.  When evaluating remedial reading programs for your child, be aware that not all programs are effective and many can be a waste of time.  I made a list of 5 important questions to ask before enrolling your child in this extra reading help.

1.  Will the reading help my child receives be provided by a trained teacher, paraprofessional or a parent volunteer?

 

In many schools parents are trained to work as parent volunteers and aids to help the students who are struggling.  If your child has been diagnosed with a learning disability, or you suspect a more severe issue than the school is acknowledging, then you will probably want to decline any reading help that is not from a highly trained reading therapist or reading specialist.  A child with true learning difficulties will need instruction delivered by an experienced expert using an effective method for sufficient time for the child to catch up to grade level.

 

2.  What specific reading help will my child be receiving?

 

A child with a reading disability will need a multisensory, systematic, very structured and cumulative reading program with direct and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and followed by synthetic and analytic phonics with lots of repetition and practice.  It will need to integrate the teaching of listening, speaking, reading, spelling, vocabulary, fluency, handwriting, and written expression.  Also, remedial programs differ from “mainstream” programs in the extent to which phonology and language structure are explicitly taught.  For best results, avoid reading help that teaches your child the material in the same way he or she was taught the first time around.  That didn’t work.  Also avoid programs that allow too many kids in the group.  The idea is that your child needs more individualized attention.

 

3.  What kind of training in this reading help does the teacher delivering the instructions have?

 

Although the choice of reading program is important, the expertise and training of the teacher are even more critical.  Attendance at a 2 day workshop is probably enough to gain an overview of an approach, but to be truly competent at using this approach, a teacher or therapist should have completed at least 20 – 30 hours of training as well as plenty of experience teaching the program.

 

4.  What will my child miss in the classroom while he gets this reading help?

 

Being pulled out of class can be challenging for students, especially in the middle school years, since they might have to make up material that they miss in class and might receive lower grades in subjects in which they normally do well.

 

5.  Can I come and watch a session?

Check out the teacher, the program and the other students.  See if this is the right fit for your child and if the reading help is working and delivering results.

 

Learn more about the New PRIDE Reading Program

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Karina Richland, M.A. is the Founder and Director of PRIDE Learning Centers, located in Southern California.  Ms. Richland is a certified reading and learning disability specialist.   Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications.  You can visit the PRIDE Learning Center website at: www.pridelearningcenter.com

 

 

 

New Year’s Resolution for Kids: I will read more

New Year’s Resolution for Kids: I will read more

Happy New Year! New Year’s resolutions give a perfect opportunity for you and your child to discuss areas in which there’s room for improvement. The one resolution you should always try and make as a family is to spend more time reading. Why is it that some children seem to take to reading with no effort and no nagging, while other children would rather do almost anything than read? If you are a parent interested in ways to inspire those reluctant readers in your family, then this article will offer valuable information for you.

Reading is a skill that needs to be practiced regularly. Without practice, young readers will not develop the vocabulary, the skills, and the fluency necessary to become strong readers. But many children, even those with strong reading skills, do not get enough practice and as a result become disinterested in reading, and can quickly become discouraged. Here are some practical tips for encouraging reluctant readers:

• Find books with cartoons or humor — which only a child would find amusing

Books that make children laugh are more engaging for young readers. Not everything needs to be a learning lesson. Letting children read books such as Captain Underpants or Diary of a Wimpy Kid will keep them engaged and entertained. Although adults might find the language and humor distasteful, children find it very funny and are therefore more motivated to read.

• Zero in on your child’s passions and choose books and magazines focused on areas of interest

Find books on specific topics to keep your child’s interest, such as science, baseball, American Girl dolls, etc. Children who already have the background knowledge, language and vocabulary before beginning a book will have an easier time getting through the reading. Order a magazine subscription to Sports Illustrated for Kids or Nickelodeon. Children love receiving mail and reading ‘their’ magazines.

• Get your child an email account and, together, check it regularly

Using the computer to read and write is a huge advantage for most students. By letting young children write and send email, they practice reading, writing and spelling. Teach your child how to use spell check before sending off messages. Be sure to monitor your child’s ‘pen pals’ – who is your child writing to and receiving mail from? Let your child pick out a few family members, including grandparents and maybe two or three friends. You will find that by using email regularly, your child becomes very strong in keyboarding and using the computer.

• Find an author that your child likes and stick with it

If your child loves reading Hank Zipzer by Henry Winkler or Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, then you have found a writing style which stimulates your child’s interest. Go through the entire series. Don’t worry if the reading is below grade level: your child is reading for pleasure and for practice. Also remember, just because you loved a certain author or series when you were a kid, this doesn’t mean your child will love the same books you did. Browse the bookstore or library and find the newest, most modern series. Usually these books contain language and themes to motivate the most reluctant reader. Kids need to relate to what they are reading, and modern language usage helps.

• Let your child talk to you about the book they are reading.

When we adults read books we enjoy, we like to talk about them. After reading a book, we don’t necessarily want to write a summary, book report or make a project of it. We just want to discuss it with someone else. Look interested in what your child is reading (yes, even if it is Captain Underpants) and ask questions and have your child tell you about it. Laugh with your child about the funny parts (even at the bathroom jokes) and help your child feel good about reading.

• Limit media.

Television, phones, computer time, and video games can quickly take up all of your child’s free time. Limit the amount of media you allow your child and your family will have more time for reading.

Enjoy the New Year and keep reading!

 

Learn more about the New PRIDE Reading Program


Karina Richland, M.A., E.T. is the Director and Founder of Pride Learning Centers. A former teacher for Los Angeles Unified School District, Ms. Richland has devoted her life to the field of reading and learning disabilities, working as an educational therapist and director of PRIDE Learning Centers. Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications. You can visit her website at: https://www.pridelearningcenter.com

The Reading Process

The Reading Process

Reading is complicated.  There are 4 major stages that a child will need to go through in their lifetime to become a proficient and strong reader.  This process involves word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and most importantly… motivation.   The following outlines the key features of the reading process at each stage:

 

Stage 1 of the Reading Process: Decoding (Ages 6-7)

 

At this stage, beginning readers learn to decode by sounding out words.  They comprehend that letters and letter combinations represent sounds and use this information to blend together simple words such as hat or dog.  This is the phase where a child with dyslexia, auditory processing or a reading disability will have great difficulties.  Although these children will probably be able to comprehend that individual letters represent distinct sounds, they might find it tremendously difficult to put the sounds together to spell words, and almost impossible to decode words by breaking down the component sounds.

 

Stage 2 of the Reading Process: Fluency (Ages 7-8)

 

Once students have mastered the decoding skills of reading, they begin to develop fluency and other strategies to increase meaning from print.  These students are ready to read without sounding everything out.  They begin to recognize whole words by their visual image and orthographic knowledge.  They identify familiar patterns and achieve automaticity in word recognition and increase fluency as they practice reading recognizable texts.  A child with dyslexia, auditory processing or a reading disability will often begin to fall seriously behind in this phase.  These children will need to be explicitly taught and will require additional remedial instruction or tutoring in phonetic strategies.

 

Stage 3 or the Reading Process: Comprehension (Ages 8-14)

 

Students in this stage have mastered the reading process and are able to sound out unfamiliar words and read with fluency.  Now the student is ready to use reading as a tool to acquire new knowledge and understanding.  During this stage, vocabulary, prior knowledge, and strategic information become of utmost importance.  Children will need to have the ability to understand sentences, paragraphs, and chapters as they read through text.  Reading instruction during this phase includes the study of word morphology, roots, prefixes as well as a number of strategies to help reading comprehension and understanding.

 

Stage 4 or the Reading Process: Multiple Viewpoints (Ages 14-18)

 

Different from the previous stages of reading development, students are now exposed to numerous viewpoints about subjects and can analyze text as well as handle facts and concepts.  When a student reaches this phase in reading, where reading involves more complex thinking and analyzing, they are ready to share and manipulate ideas.  This is crucial to the last stage of reading – College level and beyond!

 

Learn more about the New PRIDE Reading Program

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Karina Richland is the Founder and Director of PRIDE Learning Centers, located in Los Angeles and Orange County.  Ms. Richland is a certified reading and learning disability specialist.   Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications.  You can reach her by email at karina@pridelearningcenter.com or visit the PRIDE Learning Center website at: www.pridelearningcenter.com

 

Building Reading Fluency in Children

Building Reading Fluency in Children


 

Once a child is able to decode and recognize words in print, it is crucial that they also gain an ability to read smoothly and at an efficient pace.  Stumbling and hesitating over words undermines reading comprehension given that by the time the child gets to the end of a sentence he or she will have completely forgotten what was at the beginning of the sentence!

 

How do you measure reading fluency in your child?

 

  1. Ask the child to read a grade level passage that they have never seen or read before.
  2. Using a timer have him or her read this text for one minute.
  3. While reading the passage, tally the errors the child makes while reading.
  4. Stop the child after one minute.  Count the number of words read in the minute and subtract any errors made by the child.  For example: if he or she read 120 words in a minute and made five errors then the child’s reading fluency rate is 115.
  5. Use the chart below to determine if your child’s reading rate is on target.

 

Mean Words Correct Per Minute “Targets” for Average Students in Grades One through Eight

 

GradeFall TargetWinter TargetSpring Target
    
1Not applicable2050
2507090
37090110
495110125
5110125140
6125140150
7125140150
8130140150

 

Johns, J. and Berglund, R. (2006). Fluency strategies and assessments. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishers.


How do you determine a child’s reading level to test for fluency?

 

Probably the easiest ways to determine if a book is at an appropriate reading level for your child is the Five Finger Rule.  Have the child begin reading a chapter, and put down one finger each time he struggles with a word. If he reaches the end of the page before you get to five fingers, the book is written at a comfortable level for independent reading.


What can you do to increase and improve your child’s reading fluency?

 

The very best way is through practice, both through oral and silent reading.

One approach to practicing reading fluency is for the child to repeatedly read the same passage or text either with a parent or tutor three to four times.  Rereading text gives the child multiple opportunities to read unfamiliar words.  After repeated reading, those words become familiar.  The child should practice rereading aloud texts that are reasonably easy for them and at their reading level and include words that the child already knows and can decode easily.  A text is considered at reading level if the child can read it with 95% accuracy.  This text should also be relatively short consisting of 50-200 words.  First, the parent or teacher reads the text aloud to the student.  Then the student reads the same passage to the adult or chorally with the adult.  Finally, the student rereads the passage again independently.

 

Reading frequently will also improve reading fluency since reading is a skill that improves with practice.  Children can improve their reading fluency by reading independently each day for at least 20 minutes.  Again it is important that the child read a book or text that is at their grade level or slightly below their grade level.  Children should be encouraged and allowed to read a book of their choice – even if this doesn’t involve classic novels for their independent reading.  For gaining fluency, quantity is more important than quality.  Whenever possible, use their interests to guide their reading choices and give them some power in making decisions about what to read.

 

Memorizing Dolch sight words is another method to improve reading fluency in children.  By memorizing common words like “the”, “said”, “what”, “you”, the child will read texts and stories more fluently.  Many of these words are in almost anything they read.  Readers will have more experiences of success if they know these words.  Dolch words are service words; they give meaning and direction, which are necessary for understanding sentences.

 

Model good reading for your children.  Share what you read with them or read what they are reading.  Have discussions and talk to them about the things you find important in what you read and why.  Parents and teachers need to read themselves and read in front of their children and students.  Children will imitate you and will be more likely to read and read well in a house and classroom filled with all kinds of interesting books, magazines and texts.

 

Learn more about the New PRIDE Reading Program

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Karina Richland is the Founder and Director of PRIDE Learning Centers, located in Los Angeles and Orange County.  Ms. Richland is a certified reading and learning disability specialist.   Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications.  You can reach her by email at karina@pridelearningcenter.com or visit the PRIDE Learning Center website at: www.pridelearningcenter.com

 

 

Building Reading Fluency in Children

Building Reading Fluency in Children

Once a child is able to decode and recognize words in print, it is crucial that they also gain an ability to read smoothly and fluently.  Stumbling and hesitating over words will undermine reading comprehension because by the time the child gets to the end of a sentence he or she will have completely forgotten what was at the beginning of the sentence!

How do you measure reading fluency in your child?

  1. Ask the child to read a grade level passage that they have never seen or read before.
  2. Using a timer have him or her read this text for one minute.
  3. While reading the passage, tally the errors the child makes while reading.
  4. Stop the child after one minute.  Count the number of words read in the minute and subtract any errors made by the child.  For example: if he or she read 120 words in a minute and made five errors then the child’s reading fluency rate is 115.
  5. Use the chart below to determine if your child’s reading rate is on target.

Mean Words Correct Per Minute “Targets” for Average Students in Grades One through Eight

 

GradeFall TargetWinter TargetSpring Target
1Not applicable2050
2507090
37090110
495110125
5110125140
6125140150
7125140150
8130140150

 

Johns, J. and Berglund, R. (2006). Fluency strategies and assessments. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishers.

 

How do you determine a child’s reading level to test for fluency?

Probably the easiest ways to determine if a book is at an appropriate reading level for your child is the Five Finger Rule.  Have the child begin reading a chapter, and put down one finger each time he struggles with a word. If he reaches the end of the page before you get to five fingers, the book is written at a comfortable level for independent reading.

 

What can you do to increase and improve your child’s reading fluency?

The very best way is through practice, both through oral and silent reading.

One approach to practicing reading fluency is for the child to repeatedly read the same passage or text either with a parent or teacher three to four times.  Rereading text gives the child multiple opportunities to read unfamiliar words.  After repeated reading, those words become familiar.  The child should practice rereading aloud texts that are reasonably easy for them and at their reading level and include words that the child already knows and can decode easily.  A text is considered at reading level if the child can read it with 95% accuracy.  This text should also be relatively short consisting of 50-200 words.  First, the parent or teacher reads the text aloud to the student.  Then the student reads the same passage to the adult or chorally with the adult.  Finally, the student rereads the passage again independently.

Reading frequently will also improve reading fluency since reading is a skill that improves with practice.  Children can improve their reading fluency by reading independently each day for at least 20 minutes.  Again it is important that the child read a book or text that is at their grade level or slightly below their grade level.  Children should be encouraged and allowed to read a book of their choice – even if this doesn’t involve classic novels for their independent reading.  For gaining fluency, quantity is more important than quality.  Whenever possible, use their interests to guide their reading choices and give them some power in making decisions about what to read.

Memorizing Dolch sight words is another method to improve reading fluency in children.  By memorizing common words like “the”, “said”, “what”, “you”, the child will read texts and stories more fluently.  Many of these words are in almost anything they read.  Readers will have more experiences of success if they know these words.  Dolch words are service words; they give meaning and direction, which are necessary for understanding sentences.

Model good reading for your children.  Share what you read with them or read what they are reading.  Have discussions and talk to them about the things you find important in what you read and why.  Parents and teachers need to read themselves and read in front of their children and students.  Children will imitate you and will be more likely to read and read well in a house and classroom filled with all kinds of interesting books, magazines and texts.

 

Learn more about the New PRIDE Reading Program

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Karina Richland is the Founder of Pride Learning Centers, located in Los Angeles and Orange County.  Ms. Richland is a certified reading and learning disability specialist.   Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications.  You can reach her by email at karina@pridelearningcenter.com or visit the Pride Learning Center website at: www.pridelearningcenter.com

 

 

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