<p>Our young son (age 9) is really having reading difficulty this year. It’s always been an issue, but this year is getting off to a really rough start. He has an IEP that involves him having some dedicated help at school, but it doesn’t seem to be working. We work on it at home, but he gets very frustrated. So now of course he starting to hate going to school, etc. We really need to get ahead of this, and could use any ideas. Does anybody have any suggestions, or experience with some of the supplemental learning centers (Sylvan, Kumon, Huntington, etc.?)</p>
<p>We really don’t know what to do. We have always been a heavy-reading family, and read to him all the time. But something is not clicking. </p>
<p>You might take him to Sylvan or another center that can do a test on him for the tracking of his eyes. My son had passed every eye test at school and at the optomotrist, but when tested at Sylvan, it was found that the right and left eye did not track properly. It had caused almost a borderline dyslexia. The treatment for it was “vision therapy” which is used sometimes for airline pilots who have to look at very intricate instruments on a cockpit panel.</p>
<p>The way that it was explained is that when the eyes do not track properly, the information comes in but is then somewhat scrambled, hence making it very difficult to comprehend what is read.</p>
<p>My S is now 19 years old and still does not sit down and read books like his brother, but he reads well enough to comprehend. He attends a CC for a certificate program as it is more about practical application than a lot of reading and writing essays.</p>
<p>Good luck. I know how frustrating it can be. Depending on the severity of the problem, you might have to ask for “books on tape” for him or the “books on computer” as he gets older. There is great technology these days for all kinds of learning issues.</p>
<p>Just remember, if it is indeed an eye tracking problem, an optomotrist will not detect it, but an opthomologist should.</p>
<p>Britbrat is correct about having your son evaluated for visual tracking. As far as reading programs there are many. I have a friend (special education teacher) who a is certified as a reading recovery teacher. You might want to look that program up. I saw there is a website. I know nothing about it, to tell you the truth. I know that she has gotten jobs because she is certified in this. For students with reading problems and learning disabilities there are several different reading programs out there. I don’t know how well they work.</p>
<p>First off, give your son a big hug! It is really tough being a kid - and tougher still in this situation. Reassure him that together you will get to the bottom of this problem and correct it.</p>
<p>Our S did not read until third grade, despite being read to daily since he was in the womb! I was ready to cry whenever other parents bragged about their children’s accomplishments. He was tested by the school at our request and placed in special needs starting in second grade. It helped very little. He referred to himself one day as “dumb.”</p>
<p>There is no one solution for every child. We believe today that he was simply not ready to be pushed at the speed that our society demands, but he was seriously behind the rest of the students by the time he was ready to start. We then discovered Kumon. What time and money that was well spent! Not only did Kumon help him catch up and go around his peers, he learned disciplined study skills by doing the daily work that is required that help him still today. Kumon gave him confidence - he was definitely not dumb.</p>
<p>Today S is a senior in high school and he just brought home straight As on his midterm. Your son can succeed, too. It will be tough, but you must discover the source of the problem and help him conquer it.</p>
<p>My D had a similar problem in early elementary school, but a very thorough ed evaluation picked up the reasons. She had a form of what they labeled dyslexia that prevented her from seeing (actually processing) a whole word. She would process pieces of the word but could not put them together in order to read. She also could not process on a regular basis the sounds that went with letters. She had other issues (ADHD) as well and she too had an IEP and accommodations in school, but that was not enough. We found a wonderful educational therapist (there was no Sylvan or similar services available 15 years ago in our area) who helped her…a lot. Her frustration with not being able to read (finally “got it” late in 2nd, early 3rd grade) caused many social and academic issues that took years to rectify, so I applaud you getting on it quickly. FWIW, once she learned to read she started inhaling everything she could and is a voracious reader. A lot of her early frustration did come from being in a family of readers and feeling that she was somehow not as “smart” as the rest of the family. But now, at 19, no such worries. She’s starting her second year of college, and has been very successful.
Good luck, and I would encourage you to explore the programs available until you find the one that works. Once the key fits the lock I’m sure he’ll flourish.</p>
<p>All of the above is really good advice. There is another thread here on this very subject, with lots of advice there as well. Non-dyslexia causes must of course be ruled out or dealt with. This includes eye/vision problems and ADD. When I was tutoring dyslexic kids, all of my students were on ADD meds. There is certainly a connection if not a cause or contribution between ADD and reading problems.</p>
<p>I cannot emphasize too much how important phonics is to reading. If the child is having difficulty with sound/letter correspondence reading will gradually become all but impossible. My dearest friend with dyslexia was taught to read eons ago by her mother using a book called “Why Johnny Can’t Read”. I have a copy I bought about 10 years ago. I assume it’s still in print, but I don’t know.</p>
<p>Kumon has had excellent results with math. I didn’t know they dealt with reading and comprehension as well. I would assume their method is phonics based, as their math methods tend to favor the traditional. It’s worth looking into, but it is costly. The impt thing is to not give up. My friend’s story turned out just like runnersmom, ie, she became a voracious reader as an adult. And her mom was her teacher! My friend was 9 years old when she learned to read, and I will add that the school system had given up on her when she was 8 and told the mom she was ■■■■■■■■. That was so far from the truth as to be ludicrous. Good luck to you and your son. He CAN learn to read!</p>
<p>Two of my 3 had reading problems. My son had and IEP and went to the reading specialist plus the resource teacher. He still could not read. In 4th grade we found a private tutor who specialized in the Lindamood Bell method. By the end of 4th he was reading. As a college soph he still does not enjoy reading and it is slow going but he can read. In 9th grade he was retested and started ADD meds as well. It was determined as he got older that the lack of concentration was also hindering his reading.
With my youngest we noticed right away that she did not pick up patterns such as any relationship between cat and hat. We started her with the same tutor the summer before 1st grade. She was the youngest student the tutor had ever worked with. By the end of 2nd grade she had worked her way out of the lowest reading group. By end of 3rd was in the highest group. She ended up loving reading. The tutor felt that she got lucky starting so young that she did not get so behind her peers in reading. My son was constantly trying to keep up. Interestingly my youngest is now experiencing the lack of concentration beginning to be a problem with reading and school as the material has gotten more complex. We are going to explore ADD in her also.</p>
<p>Here is a link to the International Dyslexia Associaton:</p>
<p>[The</a> International Dyslexia Association Promoting literacy through research, education and advocacy](<a href=“Interdys.org”>http://www.interdys.org/)</p>
<p>They used to be called the Orton Dyslexia Association and one of their methods, which is quite good, is the Orton Gillingham Method. From my research I recall that Lindamood Bell, which mom60 mentions, is also effective. I think both are phonics based. The IDA has loads of info. They also have conferences for both parents and educators across the country. There are state branches of the organization that might be able to help you as well.</p>
<p>I will also recommend a book by Sally Shaywitz called “Overcoming Dyslexia”. It’s very comprehensive and Dr. Shaywitz is, I believe at Yale Medical School, and a recognized authority in the neuroscience of reading ability. The book is out in paperback now, and I’m sure you could get a copy at the library too. Shaywitz goes into things like diagnosis, treatment, teaching methods and emotional support in her book. It’s a fairly easy read so don’t get intimidated by the whole neuroscience thing.</p>
<p>You might also consider getting a referral to a neuropsychologist for testing for learning disabilities and attention issues. We used the school testing for my son in elementary school but had him privately tested in 9th grade. I wish we had done the private testing earlier.
To jump way ahead it is also easier to get SAT accommodations if the disability was identified early on. Keep those IEP documents.</p>
<p>I 2nd the info that britbrat1961 gave you. My eyes don’t track properly and therefore (even though I love it) reading is and always has been a chore for me. I’m a very slow reader and often cannot recall what I just read because of it. For years as a kid I spent 2x a week at the ophthalmologist’s doing major eye exercises. </p>
<p>Today (at 50) I would probably be classified as having dyslexia, but way back in the days there was no such thing. But I do believe I am dyslexic.</p>
<p>I have found that increasing cross midline body movements ( like with swimming, rock climbing etc) helps with neurological development ( and learning)</p>
<p>My younger daughter had poor phonemic awareness and at 8 didnt know letter sounds. The school district does not use the term “dyslexic”, because there are specific models of treatment & they didn’t want to lock themself in. :rolleyes:
Still in high school she took AP classes including in Lit & by senior year she was reading Dickens* for fun* something I would have * never* expected.
I like this approach.
[Dyslexia</a> the Gift. Information and Resources for Dyslexia](<a href=“http://www.dyslexia.com/]Dyslexia”>http://www.dyslexia.com/)
I also found this to be very interesting
[The</a> Phonological Model of Dyslexia](<a href=“http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web3/Slaughter.html]The”>http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web3/Slaughter.html)
<p>My daughter had the tracking problem spoken of above. She read avidly but couldn’t copy material well (taking notes, for example). Exercises made a huge difference and her headaches abated as well.</p>
<p>(I was tested, had the same problem, but compensated well, so it was decided that I didn’t need to be treated.)</p>
<p>As a former public school teacher, I would suggest that you find private testing as suggested above. The school-mandated programs don’t kick in (under federal law) unless a child is performing TWO years below expected level–and that’s a very low standard.</p>
<p>Dyslexia is almost always a disorder of phonological processing, not at all related to visual tracking. Some kids have orthographic problems which are difficulties with naming words, but again this is not primarily a visual problem. Behavioural optometry is outside the sphere of interventions which have evidentiary support in terms of treating dyslexia. Virtually everyone I have ever seen tested is described as deficient.</p>
<p>A small, very small, percentage of 9 year olds who do not read have a vision problem as the primary cause…</p>
<p>Iderochi-
My daughter has comprehension problems too. Public school was not working for her - embarrassing for her to be ‘set apart’ and a nightmare at home to try to teach her after a long day at school. I started homeschooling her when she entered middle school (2 yrs. ago) and now do a modified homeschool program - she attends 2 days a week. (This school is not for learning disabled children though.)Her first day she said “Mom all the kids are so nice - no one is clicky” - Is it frustrating somedays - absolutely - do I think it is my primary responsibility to educate her - absolutely! A very insightful book on learning styles is “A Mind at a Time” by Dr. Mel Levine. If you google it you will also find there are lots of websites and newsletters that have been encouraging. She is now 13 and still struggles, but we are learning and teaching her that God has gifted us all differently and we focus on her strengths. God bless you -</p>
<p>I feel like the most important thing- is to avert the potential to begin to see himself as " not a learner".</p>
<p>I actually didn’t like Sylvan- very expensive, didn’t have impression they knew* anything* outside of their own program about education/learning.
Kumon which we used for math, was better, as our local Kumon was run by a certificated teacher & she was flexible enough to adapt the program for D, when the structure of Kumon wasn’t working.</p>
<p>Her entire time in SPED at this K-12 was a struggle- but things really started to turn around when her 6th grade teacher advocated for her to participate in the schools snow day program. ( for 8 winter Fridays, many students & teachers went to mountains to ski or snowboard)
She wasn’t physically talented, but was willing to take physical risks & she kept up on the snowboard, with kids who had been taking lessons for a few years. ( she took beginner lessons as well). It was fun for her, and the confidence she gained on the slopes, she brought back into the classroom, and she was more willing to ask questions and take risks.</p>
<p>I would encourage you to identify an area that your son really enjoys/is good at & make sure that he is able to at least spend as much time exploring that, as he is working on areas where he has trouble.
( don’t make it a reward system-)
Good luck-</p>
<p>My older D was diagnosed with perceptual impairment and ADD that kept her from reading at grade level. The resource teacher at our public school used phonics to teach her successfully. It helps that she doesn’t give up easily and is a hard worker. She eventually caught up. She really enjoys reading. Grammar and spelling can be a bit of a problem, but spellcheck on the computer helps! She graduated college in 4 years, and is doing well. </p>
<p>I remember when D was little, a good friend told me to be an advocate for my child!Best wishes.</p>
<p>So hard to keep up with this when I’m on a business trip. Kudos for Kansas City Airport for having FREE wi-fi and big cushy leather chairs with power ports. </p>
<p>EK, you have hit the nail on the head. We are very worried that he will start thinking of himself as not a learner. To be more blunt, he’s unhappy that in the afternoon he goes with the “rest of the stupid kids” to their focused learning classroom. We’ve got to nip that, and now is the time. The idea of letting him do things he really enjoys is good. Not a problem, we generally turn him loose and let him explore his mechanical side (which he really enjoys – I’ve never seen a kid who would rather go to Home Depot for a tool than Toys r Us for a toy).</p>
<p>The advocate part we understand. My Sister in law has an autistic son that she has fought tooth and nail for over the years, so we’re well versed in what it takes. </p>
<p>Thanks again for all the replies. I think the first step is a thorough private evaluation to get to some sort of baseline, then explore the great suggestions re eye tracking, dyslexia, ADD etc. Something I never mentioned but should have is that he is adopted from an eastern bloc country and it is almost certain there was fetal alcohol exposure, possibly drugs. We have become very well educated in that area starting before the adoption 7 years ago, so I didn’t feel the need to mention it. </p>
<p>Dr. Velkoff has been very instrumental for many years in using neuro-biofeedback for everything from ADD, ADHD to Autism and APD (Auditory Processing Disorder). There is very good information on the website. It is worth the read.</p>