Part III
Debra Bell
Wit and Wisdom
Help For Non-Readers: Part II
What do you do to help the struggling reader in your home? Here are a few
insights I've gleaned from working with my own kids as well as observing
what finally bred success in other children learning at home.
The groundwork
I've talked about cultivating a carefree environment for learning for young
children over the past few weeks. And I want to make sure that remains the
backdrop against which we approach teaching a child to read. But that
laid-back, leisurely approach to learning doesn't go on indefinitely. As
our children grow, we incrementally add more structured and formal
learning to the schedule.
The first skill kids need to acquire is independent reading. And as I stated
last week, the purpose of learning to read is to open up more vistas of
learning for them. Then the laid-back, carefree days of
childhood are not only facilitated in their backyards, but also
in their minds.
When I'm teaching one of my children to read that is the
primary goal I have. It's the key structured and deliberate
part of our morning. With skills such as reading or math or
handwriting, we must be intentional. Kids do not acquire
these through osmosis; they acquire them through consistent
use and practice. While there is still plenty of leisure in our
schedule, I realize endless leisure doesn't produce skills,
diligence or an appreciation for hard work.
What I'm advocating here is plenty of free time for
self-directed exploration and a consistent and intentional
approach to practicing reading skills.
Mornings work best
There are exceptions to this rule, but from my experience
the best time to tackle a difficult task is first thing in the
morning, right after a protein-rich breakfast. This seems to
be especially true with young children who are typically early
risers. (Teens, on the other hand, seem to be nocturnal
animals.) At least in our house, my kids had a longer
attention span and more drive in struggling through difficult
reading passages when we tackled that task first. If I waited
until the afternoon, their eyes were tired and focusing
seemed more of a struggle. Plus, all the activities of the day
had drained them of energy and desire.
If you practice family devotions as a morning priority that
can easily become a part of the reading practice for the day.
Use a phonics-based program
I don't expect a lot of disagreement from readers on this
point. Though we might have an active discussion over which
program is best. While English is one of the most difficult and
irregular languages to master, we still have a majority of
words that adhere to the phonics code. I also believe we
should teach kids to analyze material at every juncture (i.e.,
Break the whole into its parts and recognize the relationship
between those parts.). Decoding according to phonics rules
requires the analysis of words. With a phonics-based
approach, kids are not only learning to read, they are
learning to think analytically; and that is a crucial skill for
later learning.
At our house we used Sing, Spell, Read and Write. It was the
program for homeschoolers when I started twelve years ago.
Others of comparable merit are now available, but I didn't
see any need to switch with later children when my original
kit was still in usable condition. However, Sing, Spell, Read
and Write is short on practice sets. For the child who gets the
phonics rule the first time around, this program is sufficient.
But for the struggling reader who needs repeated practice to
master a sound, blend, diphthong or rule, you will need a lot
more practice sessions.
In our case, we found Explode the Code from EPS Publishing
a perfect fit. These are inexpensive workbooks that
correlated well with the sequence of sounds used in Sing,
Spell, Read and Write. Practice, practice, practice. That will
be the key for most struggling readers.
My father is a retired school psychologist who worked
extensively during his long tenure with struggling learners.
Here's the best advice he ever gave me:
"Time on task, Deb," he's repeatedly said. "That's the only
consist result research has found to be critical in kids
mastering a skill."
Translation: If you want readers, your kids need to practice
reading. If you want writers, your kids need to practice
writing. Plug whatever skill you desire to see mastered into
that equation and know that you don't need to find the right
product. You don't need to find that elusive right method.
You don't need to spend mega-bucks on a special experience
or expensive tutor. You just need to make sure there is
plenty of time on your daily schedule for your child to
practice that skill.
Next week: More tips. And there is room for your comments,
so let me know what strategies have worked well in your
home.
In His Sovereign Grace,
Debra
Debra Bell
Wit and Wisdom
Help for Non-readers (Part 3)
Here is a continuation of my tips for helping your emerging reader master
that skill ...
Keeping Your Place
Many kids who struggle to read have to develop the habit of scanning the
lines from left to right without losing their place. Kids who read early seem
to have the eye coordination naturally in place to do this.
I am left-handed. And I've always credited this distinction as the source
of my creativity. But on the other hand, I've been directionally
challenged most of my life. I still rely on my wedding ring to remind me
which way to turn left. I can remember reading and spelling words
backwards as late as fourth grade. Our youngest daughter not only had a
difficult time decoding left to right; but also, in jumping down from line to line
without losing her place. While not left-handed, she is still our most
creative child. Running her finger under the words as she read was a practice that helped her. Or if she were reading aloud to me, I would run my finger under the words for her.
If she mispronounced a word, I would keep my finger in place as a gentle prompt to try decoding the word again. Her finger provided a clearer target for her eye to follow than the
flat print on the page. As her eye coordination matured, she did not need this help. But even now, as she jumps to higher levels of reading with finer print on the page, I encourage her
to use her hand to once again keep her place.
Use Real Books
Finally, kids give time to what they feel successful at, and they avoid giving time to areas they perceive as failure-prone. Read that line again because that's some of the
best insight you're likely to receive into how kids learn best. You need an environment primed for success in place.
That's the only reason my sons dropped out of soccer after one season, but have devoted countless hours to wrestling. We have an entire bookshelf stocked with trophies because
their physical build and abilities positioned them for a measure of success right away in the elementary grades. Now as seniors, their hard work given to an area of repeated
success has them ranked among the top wrestlers in our area.
It's the same with learning to read. Kids who feel successful
reading will spend time reading more - and naturally improve. You can create success at every level by using real books, not just practice sheets and drills. Start with the
"Bright and Early" books by Dr. Seuss and "Step Into Reading" series. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
and Hop On Pop by Dr. Seuss were the first books for all my
kids. And yes, they memorized the lines. But I quickly stifled any comments from others that they weren't really reading. Yes, they were. And I made a big deal about their success.
Then we headed off to the library where we loaded up on lots of other picture books with a limited vocabulary. The main point was these looked liked the real books that real readers
read for pleasure, not "fake" books created just for kids struggling to read. At least my kids never felt their primers were legitimate. The books for readers were at the library
and that's where we would spend a leisurely afternoon, sometimes more than once a week.
Once your child defines himself as a reader, there will be no
stopping his progress.
In His Sovereign Grace,
Debra
Recommended Resources: Five In A Row