4th Grade Reading Comprehension

December 12, 2014 by

4-Year-Old Understands More Than His 4th-Grade Brother

A concerned parent wants Dr. Linda’s help for her 4th grade son’s reading comprehension.

low reading comprehension in 4th gradeDear Dr. Linda,

My son is in fourth grade and he loves to read. He even reads the newspaper. But he has no idea what he’s reading! He reads stories to his younger brother who’s four. My four year old can tell me about the story, but his fourth grade brother can’t. I’m concerned there’s something wrong with him.

Janet

Dear Janet,

What’s happening is that he’s learned to read as if he’s reading a word list. He is not visualizing an image in his head nor is he thinking about the story. He also may not be focusing. He’s just reading words. [Read more…]

Filed Under: beginning readers, Reading comprehension Tagged With:

Improve Your Child’s Reading Comprehension

December 2, 2014 by

How to improve your child's reading comprehension

Teach Think, Explain, Ask, Clues, Handwrite

Just because kids love to read doesn’t mean they love to read what’s required in school. Dr. Linda Silbert offers a 5-step plan to improve your child’s reading and comprehension.

Dear Dr. Linda,
Charlie is in the 4th grade and loves to read. But when he reads his books from school or a handout that a teacher gives him, he gets nothing out of it. How can I help him?

Sandy

Dear Sandy,
Charlie isn’t getting anything out of reading textbooks and other school related reading material because he’s not interested in it. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Reading comprehension Tagged With: ,

Poor Reading Comprehension

November 11, 2014 by

Reading Comprehension skillsIs Reading Comprehension a Problem?

Sometimes kids think they can read. After all, they know all the words. But that doesn’t mean they understand what they read.

Disinterest, struggling with decoding individual words, text is too difficult for a child’s reading level, deficit in working memory which is common with kids with ADHD, visual processing disorder, and limited vocabulary cancause poor reading comprehension.

Poor Reading Comprehension Skills Lead to Poor Grades

When kids don’t understand what they read, it affects their ability to succeed in school.  All subjects, including science and math, require reading comprehension. Even Tests and exams require good reading comprehension which results in low grades and poor test scores if a student has poor reading comprehension.

 Signs of Poor Reading Comprehension [Read more…]

Filed Under: ADHD, beginning readers, boring worksheets, Case Study, Comprehension, disinterest, Dyslexia, Encouraging Reading, ESL, Events, Fluency, games for learning, Learning Disabilities, movement for learning, Multisensory Phonics reading Program, News, Parenting, Reading comprehension, Reading Fluency, Reading-intermediate level, Reading-middle school, Reading-primary level, Reluctant readers, Retention, Strugglilng Readers, Struggling Readers, Teaching Kids with Learning Disabilities, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: , ,

What is Dyslexia?

November 6, 2014 by

What is dyslexia?

How Phonics Help Children With Dyslexia Learn to Read

Dr. Linda advises a worried mom to have her child tested for dyslexia, and then explains what dyslexia is and why a phonics-based reading program helps.

Dear Dr. Linda,

Our daughter is in the third grade and was just diagnosed with dyslexia. She’s embarrassed to go to school, because she can’t read. My husband and I are willing to pay anyone who says that they’ll teach her to read.

One of my friends said that her son went for eye therapy and that helped him read. Another friend told me to try a program called “Fast Forward.”

Someone else mentioned trying one of the “movement-based learning” programs. Some are expensive and many involve hours of after school time.

She’s only eight, so we don’t want her to spend all day in school and after school doing schoolwork. We also don’t want to spend a lot of money unless it will help. If it will help, we’ll spend whatever we need to spend. What else is available that won’t be hours and hours a week? Claudia D.

Dear Claudia,

This is a common question. As you know, when a child is already in the third grade and still struggles with reading, many parents will [Read more…]

Filed Under: ADHD, beginning readers, boring worksheets, Case Study, Comprehension, disinterest, Dyslexia, Encouraging Reading, ESL, Events, Fluency, games for learning, Learning Disabilities, movement for learning, Multisensory Phonics reading Program, News, Parenting, Reading comprehension, Reading Fluency, Reading-intermediate level, Reading-middle school, Reading-primary level, Reluctant readers, Retention, Strugglilng Readers, Struggling Readers, Teaching Kids with Learning Disabilities, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,

Improve Reading Comprehension

November 4, 2014 by

How to improve reading comprehension

How Having Your Child Draw Pictures Helps Them Learn to Read

Mom of 5th grader gets advice from Dr. Linda about improving her son’s reading comprehension.

Dear Dr. Linda,
My 5th grader was diagnosed with a reading problem in first grade. He’s had extra reading help since then. They take him out of class for instruction. But he’s always complained that he’s missing things in school and doesn’t feel he needs the reading class. I’ve never seen a problem. He seems to read fine when he read to me, but his teachers tell me that his reading comprehension is poor. So I haven’t argued with his teachers. However, nothing has improved. In fact, after his last review, his reading comprehension scores were worse. What do I do? Do I leave him in the reading class? Jen

Dear Jen,
I can’t answer your question about whether to leave him in the reading class or not. I would discuss this with his teacher. However, I can give you [Read more…]

Filed Under: ADHD, beginning readers, boring worksheets, Case Study, Comprehension, disinterest, Dyslexia, Encouraging Reading, ESL, Events, Fluency, games for learning, Learning Disabilities, movement for learning, Multisensory Phonics reading Program, News, Parenting, Reading comprehension, Reading Fluency, Reading-intermediate level, Reading-middle school, Reading-primary level, Reluctant readers, Retention, Strugglilng Readers, Struggling Readers, Teaching Kids with Learning Disabilities, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,

Why Do Kids Hate School?

October 30, 2014 by

Child hates school

Does Your Child Hate School?

A 3rd grader hates school and mom asks Dr. Linda what to do. The answers include finding out if she has ADHD, or a physical problem first. Having more fun with learning and physical movement both also help.

Dear Dr. Linda:

My little girl Tammy is already whining about school starting. She’ll be in 3rd grade. I’m not really sure why she doesn’t like school. She liked her teacher last year and has lots of friends.

Her grades were o.k., but I know she could do better. She keeps telling me that school is boring and that her homework is boring. And she certainly didn’t get too much homework.

I think she makes mistakes on her arithmetic and reading worksheets because she just doesn’t pay attention. So now she’s really not reading up to her grade level. And she doesn’t know her arithmetic facts for her grade either.

Do you have any suggestions? Thanks. Perplexed Mom

Dear Perplexed Mom:

Tammy isn’t the only little girl who finds school boring. Parents sometimes ask me why do kids hate school? So many factors can cause a child to say that school is boring or that they hate it. Some kids have [Read more…]

Filed Under: ADHD, beginning readers, boring worksheets, Case Study, Comprehension, disinterest, Dyslexia, Encouraging Reading, ESL, Events, Fluency, games for learning, Learning Disabilities, movement for learning, Multisensory Phonics reading Program, News, Parenting, Reading comprehension, Reading Fluency, Reading-intermediate level, Reading-middle school, Reading-primary level, Reluctant readers, Retention, Strugglilng Readers, Struggling Readers, Teaching Kids with Learning Disabilities, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,

Reading Strategies for Dyslexia

October 27, 2014 by

reading strategies for dyslexiaTiger Tuesday helps dyslexic kids learn to read!

Dyslexia, a common reading disorder affecting as much as 17% of the population, can affect a child’s performance in every class, even math and science. Reading is a basic skill for school success from the primary grades on through college.

All of school can be a struggle for children who can’t read. However, dyslexic children canlearn to read and do well in school if they’re provided with appropriate reading strategies for dyslexia.

The Tiger Tuesday Multisensory Interactive Reading Program provides fun activities with the reading strategies for dyslexia that kids need.

What is Dyslexia?

Children struggle with reading for many reasons. Many of these children aren’t dyslexic. Dyslexia isn’t reading backwards. It’s not a visual problem. It’s not associated with a low IQ. Many people with dyslexia are highly intelligent. Dyslexic children aren’t stupid or lazy.

According the International Dyslexia Association, “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origi [Read more…]

Filed Under: ADHD, beginning readers, boring worksheets, Case Study, Comprehension, disinterest, Dyslexia, Encouraging Reading, ESL, Events, Fluency, games for learning, Learning Disabilities, movement for learning, Multisensory Phonics reading Program, News, Parenting, Reading comprehension, Reading Fluency, Reading-intermediate level, Reading-middle school, Reading-primary level, Reluctant readers, Retention, Strugglilng Readers, Struggling Readers, Teaching Kids with Learning Disabilities, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: , , ,

How to Teach Kids to Read Words

October 24, 2014 by

Teaching Children to Read Step by Step

Learning to read begins with vowelsSurprisingly, learning to read begins soon after birth,  when an infant hears spoken language. The more language young children hear, the more the language part of the brain develops. Hearing a variety of words and language patterns, through conversation or by listening to and looking at picture books, promotes development in the “reading centers” of the brain.

Reading Readiness. Next, between the ages of two and four, children are introduced to the alphabet. The English alphabet is made up of 26 letters. Five letters are called vowels, a, e, i, o, and u. (Eventually they learn that w and y sometimes act like vowels.) The other 21 letters are referred to as consonants.

As an aside, for those who are interested, vowels are sounds made with unrestricted air flow through the mouth. Consonants, on the other hand, are sounds made with restricted air flow, usually by the closed lips or by the tongue against the teeth or upper palate. Interestingly, in other languages, even more complex sounds are created than English speakers are accustomed to making.    

Preschool children usually enjoy learning the alphabet because it involves fun activities like singing the ABC song, pointing to or touching the letters on cards or in games and toys, writing the letters in activity books or playing electronic alphabet games. By doing these activities they learn to recognize and write the 26 letters in the alphabet, in both upper and lower case. [Read more…]

Filed Under: ADHD, beginning readers, boring worksheets, Case Study, Comprehension, disinterest, Dyslexia, Encouraging Reading, ESL, Events, Fluency, games for learning, Learning Disabilities, movement for learning, Multisensory Phonics reading Program, News, Parenting, Reading comprehension, Reading Fluency, Reading-intermediate level, Reading-middle school, Reading-primary level, Reluctant readers, Retention, Strugglilng Readers, Struggling Readers, Teaching Kids with Learning Disabilities, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: , , ,

Is Retention the Answer?

October 22, 2014 by

Retention not the answer for dylsexia

Holding Kids With Dyslexia Back a Grade is Not the Answer!

Dr Linda argues that retention is never the answer for slow readers. Instead get them the appropriate remedial help.

Dear Dr. Linda,
My mom, who lives in South Carolina, told me she read that her state is planning to improve their educational performance with a new plan to go into effect in 2017.

They’re proposing that any child who’s not reading at a third grade level by the end of third grade will be retained.

I almost choked when I read that.

My son who’s in 8th grade has severe dyslexia. He reads at a third grade level. By the way, he’s also is on the honor roll. If they kept him back because of his reading, he’d still be in third grade!

How can I, and other parents of children who have dyslexia and other learning issues, get through to the people who make these laws? Any advice will help.

Thanks, Alison.

Dear Alison,
Since I haven’t read the article, nor do I know about the new law in South Carolina, it’s difficult to comment on this. However, if that’s mandated by 2017, I hope there’s more to it because [Read more…]

Filed Under: ADHD, beginning readers, boring worksheets, Case Study, Comprehension, disinterest, Dyslexia, Encouraging Reading, ESL, Events, Fluency, games for learning, Learning Disabilities, movement for learning, Multisensory Phonics reading Program, News, Parenting, Reading comprehension, Reading Fluency, Reading-intermediate level, Reading-middle school, Reading-primary level, Reluctant readers, Retention, Strugglilng Readers, Struggling Readers, Teaching Kids with Learning Disabilities, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: , ,

What do Beginner Readers Need?

October 20, 2014 by

What do beginner readers need?What do preschoolers, kindergartners and 1st graders love?

Beginning readers play, run around, skip, sing, and imagine. They love learning new things about their world. They’ve got questions, energy, and enthusiasm.

Most, especially if they’re been read to or introduced to books, look forward to reading themselves.

What they don’t have [Read more…]

Filed Under: ADHD, beginning readers, boring worksheets, Case Study, Comprehension, disinterest, Dyslexia, Encouraging Reading, ESL, Events, Fluency, games for learning, Learning Disabilities, movement for learning, Multisensory Phonics reading Program, News, Parenting, Reading comprehension, Reading Fluency, Reading-intermediate level, Reading-middle school, Reading-primary level, Reluctant readers, Retention, Strugglilng Readers, Struggling Readers, Teaching Kids with Learning Disabilities, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With:


Phonics Centered — Consistent with Orton-Gillingham — Multisensory

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