This blog entry is mainly for parents and is meant to be used at home. I know that a lot of teachers would really disagree with me, and I don’t blame them. I probably would disagree with me too if I didn’t use these exact same methods as a special education substitute teacher and mother with great results-and no training. I just focused on the needs of the kid in front of me. As a substitute teacher, I used my experience as a mental health specialist to help get kids reading on grade level using some pretty unconventional methods. Basically, I zeroed in on the habits that was holding them back from reading on grade level and I proceeded to eliminate them. Later, I became a special education resource teacher. But the work we did in the class that I was only substitute teaching in, with no set rules or expectations, was the game changer. So, that being said, let’s change the game.
Whenever I come across a child who is reading below their grade level I feel a little knot in my stomach. I want to do something about it. It seems so unnecessary to me. Worst of all, it is becoming way too commonplace. It’s almost like kids are expected to struggle in reading, spelling and writing. Only a few kids per class are supposed to be good readers. This kind of acceptance has provoked a kind of normalcy of mass illiteracy.
As I mentioned before, most of our children’s school day involves reading. They literally cannot function well in school without knowing how to read the text that is put in front of them every day. Too many of our children go through their school day illiterate. And the lessons keep coming whether they have mastered the previous one or not. The next text to read is on their desks, in their homework folders and on the board. What if you are the group of kids in the class who struggled with the last 10 assignments that required you to read? The newest assignment does not feel like a challenge, an opportunity to stretch their capabilities, or to get better. The newest assignment feels like another way to fail, a mockery, yet another thing that they cannot do. There are a couple of things I noticed that we adults do that may hurt more than help.
READ THE WORD FOR THEM
I understand that when there is a classroom of kids waiting to move on, slowing down for one kid may seem like an arduous task, but it is so necessary. This may be the reason why the practice of reading aloud has decreased dramatically in classrooms. It is also difficult for the kid because he has to hear the chorus of grunts and moans from his classmates as they wait impatiently for him to sound out a word. This can also lead to the rest of the class becoming restless, which is a recipe for behavior problems. For the child who is asked to read aloud, it is very embarrassing. But again, reading the word for him is very detrimental to him for a couple of reasons.
a. He will expect help and therefore not even try to sound out the word.
b. He will accept that he is not able to read and therefore again never even try.
c. If given the option, he will remain at his current reading level only reading words he is comfortable with.
d. He will never become an independent reader.
What your child needs is an opportunity to remove the audience and the consequential pressure that comes with reading in class. You as a parent cannot control what goes on in the classroom, but you can provide a safe environment for your child to practice reading at home. At home you should NEVER read a word for him. Get your child into the habit of practicing sounds by having him sound out the word and then you confirm the correct pronunciation. If he still cannot do it, but he did try, you can read the word and immediately have him practice it on his own.
READING LEVEL APPROPRIATE TEXT
I really disagree with this. I have seen children reach for the easy safe book plenty of times. I believe that when it comes to reading aloud, kids should be reading books on their grade level-not their reading level. Save those books for their leisure time. But, intense focus should be on the books that they are struggling with-the books that they will do anything to avoid reading aloud in class. Again, your child has settled with the belief that she cannot do better and will waste too much time with the easy stuff. Have your child read age appropriate books aloud to you. If she can only read 1 sentence with help today, that’s fine-and it should be celebrated. Tomorrow she will read that same sentence with gusto and without help. Pretty soon she will be able to read a whole paragraph, chapter and so on and so forth.
NAVIGATE THEIR SURROUNDINGS FOR THEM
By this I mean the stuff on the wall, directions for assignments, classroom rules, signs, directions for homework etc. etc. Your child should be reading EVERYTHING. Again, if she needs help in the beginning by sounding out the words then having you confirm the pronunciation that is fine. Pretty soon, she won’t need your help. Pretty soon she’ll be trying to read EVERYTHING, and you’ll have to keep up with her. Why? Because she will start to feel successful and proud of her-self for being able to sound out words and remember words that were once too difficult to pronounce. This will carry over into the classroom.
CONSTANTLY CHANGING THE LESSON WITHOUT MASTERY
Again, you cannot control what goes on in the classroom and as a teacher, we differentiate learning while we are sticking to the curriculum. However, depending on the class size and various other factors, your child still may not be ready to move on despite his teacher’s best efforts. If your child has not mastered something at school, he gets to work on it until he masters it at home. So, if he is having trouble with his vowel sounds in school, that is the focus at home until he masters it.
LACK OF FOCUS
Focus is very important to me. I believe that anything can be done with focus. Anything. How long do we have to focus? I’ll enlist the help of Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad to answer this question. He explained the meaning of focus in an acronym…
• FOLLOW
• ONE
• COURSE
• UNTIL
• SUCCESSFUL
While reading, highlight every word that has the short-a vowel sound and practice sounding it out. Until when? To quote my daughter Jazzy, “Do it till it’s done”. When she is reading these words on her own in your current reading and other forms of reading, we then move onto the long-a sound. Then the short-e sound etc., etc. This can all be done while studying spelling words containing the short-a sound. Check out one of my favorite websites, superteacherworksheets.com for spelling lists by grade level.
LACK OF SUCCESS
This sheds light on what your child may be experiencing every day. When children go through their days not experiencing success, they have a hard time thinking or believing for that matter, that they will ever be good readers. You can create a situation where they are constantly being reminded of previous successes while moving onto bigger challenges. Then they will start to think that they can conquer a new challenge because they’ve been successful before. If they did it before, they can do it again. Examples include….
a. A reading success word wall
b. A word bucket of words they learned
c. A special place for all the books they were able to read on their own
LOW EXPECTATIONS
This one falls on us. When the adults in your child’s life don’t believe that they can read better we’re basically giving the child permission to give up. Also, it hurts the child’s feelings when adults don’t think they are smart or capable enough. They may act like they are fine with our low expectations because it makes things easier for them. But really, they feel horrible. They are scared to try but they also feel horrible about being a failure. Don’t expect them to say so. Kids don’t usually talk about their feelings of failure unless prompted in a real conversation with someone they feel connected to. But they may act out or withdraw- masking their true feelings. It is OUR responsibility to encourage them, expect great things from them and support them. But it is also our responsibility to provide tools for learning that will help them create their own success. WE GOT THIS PARENTS! Let’s change the game.
