Help with Reading Comprehension

There is a movie called Letter Factory by Leap Frog. It teaches Phonics I know it is really basic but my sons teacher said that if they practice the basics then the rest will come much easier. I hope this helped. Good luck.

M.,
Here in Billings the schools have a program called Read 180. It is in the elementary schools and jr. highs.
My dd was in this program from 3-6 grades. She eventually tested out of it. Now she is in 8th grade and is doing faboulus with her reading. She now reads chapter books like there is no tomorrow!
Also, we didn't have cable tv for a summer between 4th and 5th grade!
Good luck!
S.

Give her books below grade level - things that she can read easily - to boost her confidence. Talk with her about what she read. Who are the characters? What problems did they have and how did they solve them? Where did the story take place, when was it? Ask more specifics that just 'what was the story about' (but don't ask too many about 1 story - don't hve her think that you're quizzing or suspicious).

It's important to practice comprehension with books that she can read easily so the mechanics of reading don't make it harder to follow the story. You can also read aloud to her, books closer to her grade level. Think aloud too, to show her what you're thinking as you read ("so Jane is the main character." "Oh, I see, this store takes place in Boston." etc)

You may also want to get her tested to rule out dyslexia (a processing error, not just visual) or other reading disorders. A delay or difficulty in one area doesn't mean that she's not smart, but it can undermine her confidence if she's doesn't get help. And it's true that struggling in reading can make it harder for her to keep up in other subjects. Be her advocate; get her help now. The transition between 3rd and 4th grade is especially challenging and you want her to have a great foundation before that comes.

Hello, your daughter may be a visual learner-does she have good comprehension when listening to stories? If yes, check out this web site to learn more www.gifteddevelopment.com. or request the book "upside down brilliance by Linda Silverman at the library ( it is out of print) These types of learners do need a "fun" way and do not do well with drill/skill, and memorization, but are highly creative, insightful, and curious-
Sincerely,
C. Punch

try www.interactivemetronome.com My mom works with it and it has done wonders for her students and our son. GL!

I was about your daughter's age when I need glasses. Once I got them, school work became much easier. Other ideas are get her into a book club/reading group. Find other kids about the same ability and throw them reading parties. Have snacks and crafts related to the books, games with questions and so on. It will take a bit of work but when the love and enjoyment of reading is there and kids are talking about what they are reading, comprehension will improve.

I would talk to the teacher and ask her if they offer assistance after school for reading. I know my daughters school does. If not ask if they have a referral for a reading help program or tutor. I know a lot of learning centers have techniques they give the kids to increase their ability to comprehend faster and read at a higher level. Maybe check on the internet about these centers. I know when my daugher reads outloud to me, like her reading the bedtime story it helps her and she will go back and correct her mistakes because she can hear herself say the wrong thing.

I think speed and accuracy kind of contradict each other. I know being able to read a lot faster goes up every grade level. Some kids cannot comprehend if reading fast and should slow down. My daughter is a key example of that one! She reads well but if tries to read fast ends up missing a bunch of things, especially directions in class on papers.
It is up to the school to help with literacy and find out from them what they suggest. That way you can stay on the same page they do with teaching.

Call your local library too, a lot of them run age based programs and make it fun as they do it in groups.

First, I would get her tested to see if she has a disablity.

I would talk to the teacher and find out what is going on.

What I did with my kids is to trade off reading pages and talk about the story as you read it.

Ella Enchanted, The Two Princess' of Barmarr, The Princess Tales by Gail Carson Lavine are some to start with. Also try Goose Girl, and the other books by Shannon Hale. Some of the Beverly Cleary books are great too and should be right at the level she should be at.

Also, help her read her homework as in science, and history. These subjects have a different comprehension then stories do. Make sure you talk about what you are reading so she understands what is being read. These should help to develope her love for reading. (My kids love the Beatrix Potter Books, too)

C. B

Everyone has given you great suggestions. I would skip Sylvan-everything they do you can do at home. It's a lot of worksheets. You need to first find what kind of learner she is. IS she struggling with comprehension when she is read to, or when she is reading? If it is when she is reading then books are too difficult. If it is when she is read to, then she is not an auditory learner. Have her choose books, open it to the middle and read it. If she misses five words than it is too hard. Ask her teacher what reading level she is at, then have her buy books at that level. Have her read the book in small increments and then play jeopardy or some type of game show format using the book to guide your questions. Talk it up and make it fun for her. If she gets so many answers right she can win a prize, as simple as letting her watch a special tv show. It is also a good idea to pick out some vocabulary words from the book before she reads it and go over the meaning, and make flash cards to practice. If you can buy or find a leap pad for her, they are fantastic! My son is 3 and is constantly using my daughters leap pad, and he is now reading and recognizing words.

When my daughter was younger, I just read the books that she was interested in and then talked to her about them. Really, it was that simple!
Now at 16, my daughter reads at a college level. I still read a lot of the books that she reads. Of course, we both enjoy reading the same types of books and that helps.

I hope you enjoy years of reading with your little girl as I have! B.

do lots of reading out loud to her. there's a fairy series by daisy meadows that's outstanding that she might be able to read herself for practice. also, the old trixie belden and boxcar children series are great stories that keep kids captivated, as well as Beverly Clearly, Roald Dahl, etc. Also, consider trying Slyvan. I've not used them but have heard incredible things about them. If money's tight, try the library for books on how to teach a kid to read. there's one by the creator of "between the lions" (the pbs show) that offers great advice. good luck! (and don't forget that you're mom - sometimes mom's job is to get the right help - not provide it - so that you're still a "safe refuge.")

I would recommend the Sylvan Learning center...In a few weeks you will see tremendous progress ;)

i read with my sister taking turns every paragraph to every page or two. it took a few years, but now she's a straight a student.

I would strongly advise you get her eyes checked by a dr who does vision therapy. There may be issues with her tracking and when you read really slow you forget what you read before therefore their comprehension is not very good. Vision therapy worked wonders for both my brothers so I strongly advise it!

you read allowed to her for a page or two and then she reads a page allowed to you... discuss it as you go. And read allowed to her LOTS so she hears how it should flow. (chapter books like "The Magic Tree House" and things)

I found that reading out loud really helped with my son on all of the areas that you mentioned. I would read to him for a little while and then have him read to me. As time went on his speed and accuracy improved and so did his comprehension. I enjoyed the time that we spent together and really getting into the storyline. Good luck.

Hi M.,

Okay, this may not be an ideal tip, I know there are tons of programs and books etc...you can try, but I know for a FACT this simple lil thing works....Closed Caption TV! (Okay so I have a hearing impaired daughter and CC tv is a must at our house, however because of it, she was self taught to read by the time she was 4 and by the time she was in 6th grade was reading AND comprehending high school level books,(she is now a senior and though she could graduate in Jan, she prefers to stay in school) so before any of you other moms out there brow beat me for suggesting television, I gotta say HEY it worked!) Its only a thought, good luck!

Hi M.,
My 12 year old son has the same problem and our home school teacher suggested a program called Reading Detective. You can buy it at your local book store or a store where specialty educational supplies are sold. It's a computer program that is like a game, you pick a story, read it then answer the questions and you get points for how many questions you get right, then you get to go to the arcade and turn in your points. There are different reading levels so you can find one that is right for your daughter, it costs about $16.00. I have seen a huge improvement with my son. It takes about 10 minutes a day and it's fun for them so they learn with out stress.
Hope this helps, Good luck

You already have advice on looking for a physical problem and for processing things like dyslexia and tracking, etc.

My daughter also is struggling and willing to keep at it.

There are a couple great websites that have been a wealth of info for me. They are:
colorincolorado.org
readingrockets.org
this one has very technical articles, with lots of activities.

Your school's literacy specialisits can also be great resources.
mush luck and success, A.

Make sure you set aside time to read to her every night. Reading to your kids will help with comprehension. You can also get your other kids involved by making it family reading time. Have your little ones pick a quick book to read to you. I do this with my 4 yr old, and she can tell some great stories by looking at the pictures. After she is done telling her story, my son will read the actual story. Computer games can be a great resource for reading. PBS has some great online reading games for the kids to play. Make sure you have a great selection of books at home for your kids. My grandmother sends Barnes and Noble gift cards every year for Christmas. The kids love this! We all go and the kids get to pick out new books, and it is almost a guarantee that Dad will find a new game for us all to play. Also, make sure her teacher is really working with her if she is in public school. Stay on top of her progress.

I can relate to your daughter. I always read above grade level and was an A student. When I was in Jr. High, I was a prolific reader. However, to this day I struggle with comprehension and speed. Now, at 45, I don't read much because it's such a struggle, and I can't remember anything I read anyway, unless I spend my life studying like I did in school. I took the Veterinary aptitude test (entrance test) my 3rd year in college and averaged 90 percentile in the 3 academic categories, but scored 15 percentile on reading skills and 5 percentile on reading comprehension. What I'm trying to say is your daughter can be very smart and do well in school, and even read a lot, but it may not improve her reading skills or comprehension. She needs help, or she could become a frustrated adult and spend inordinate amounts of time studying to get those good grades.

I don't recall reading with my mom. The suggestions of reading together and asking questions as you go along sounds like a great idea. I find that my comprehension lacks even in conversation - you have to be blunt with me, because I can't "read between the lines". So any discussions you can have with her about what you've heard or read and what it means would be good - whether it be something you read, watched on TV, or heard in conversation. I dread those exam questions "what is the main point of this passage", or "what would you title this story". When presented with multiple choices, I can't figure that out for anything!

I was also told in college that learning speed reading would help comprehension. They taught me some good skills, but honestly, I didn't stick with it long enough to see improvement. From what I know of it, I can see how it would help and should probably give it another try.

Sorry I can't be more help, but I want to encourage you to persist at finding help or working with your daughter yourself. I wish my parents (and I) had understood my problem sooner, and I eagerly read through your responses to find help for myself!

I'm not sure where you live, but there is a program for kids and acults called "Learning Technics" They have a website you can get information on, they actully retrain the brain to work differently. It is worth checking it out. Usually kids can progress 2 years in about 6 months of hard work. She is probably frustrated with life right now. Which makes you and all her teacheres at school frustrated as well.

I loved to read when I was growing up, but not if it was an assignment. Most of the books I read were just for fun - "brain candy." But now I love to read and have great comprehension. I would make sure she is reading stuff other than just homework. Don't worry about the books being classics or Newberys or anything. Just get her reading.

Have her pick a book or magazine and have her read it to you. This worked with my son when he was 2 grade levels behind in 4th grade. It made it fun for him because he got to go to the book store and pick out the book he wanted to read instead of the school or I picking it. Now he is almost a grade level ahead in 6th grade.

Do you remember those books that would come with a tape that read the book to you? You'd know when it was time to turn the page when the chimes rang?

Using free software, I made a Scooby Doo one for my daughter from one of her favorite books. At first I wanted it to be a surprise, but she had tons of fun helping me make it. Some of the sound effects I got from the internet - like chimes and running water. Other sounds my family made - like saying "Zoinks!" like Shaggy and people laughing.

My daughter loved following along in the book while my recorded voice (and sometimes her own recorded voice) read the story to her. You follow along with the words as it's being read to you.

Here's a link to the free software I used if you wanna try it: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
and here's some free sound effects:
http://simplythebest.net/sounds/WAV/sound_effects_WAV/ind...

Lots of studies show that reading to a pet has had fantastic results. With one group of kids that were all reading at least 2 grades below level, after one year of once a week reading to a therapy dog, ALL students improved at least 2 grade levels and some of them increased as much as 4! Pet therapy reduces stress levels and makes reading more enjoyable and thereby increases how well the child can learn. This will work with a dog or a cat or a rabbit best, I think, because these are furry pets you can hold. If you don't have a pet yourself, try visiting a friend or family member who does at least once a week and have the child read to the animal. Don't make them try and sound out the words or anything while they're reading to the animal. Just simply provide the word and let them continue.

By the way, I'm a librarian, I've done research on this topic and presented at a conference.

M.,

When I was your daughter's age I had alot of trouble with reading comprehension and speed and accuracy.

I had a teacher that would sit me it the hall during class, and let me read out loud to myself.

It really helped me so much.

Or my mother would read it to me and put some animation in it and explanations so I could understand it.

That is the method I used the rest of my life.

I am 59 years old and have gone back to school to get a psychology degree and I still use the method of reading out loud to myself.

Good luck,'M.

You have so much good advise already and I don't know if what I have to say will help but it's worth a try. I had a lot of trouble reading all through school even into College. I went to an intro. to speed reading class, they basically give you tips and you can decide weather or not to go ahead with the class. I went just to the intro meeting tried out the tips and it helped me SO much. It was all little things that could have helped me a long time ago that I wished someone would have told me. I think some things come natural to some and progress without help and others need to be taught. I needed to be taught how to read and progress. For instance learning to read/recognize a word or three words at a time. At 20 years old I was reading every letter of every word, that takes a very long time. Then it was expailed to me that you take a picture of each word or three words and read each picture made sence to me. You can look at the word surprise of instance and know the word without rehearsing every letter to get to the word like s-u-r-p-r-i-s-e. When I was able to put this to use it was amazing the difference. I know your daughter is only 8 but she maybe over analyzing reading too, see if she can get the concept of comprehending the word as one intity, and then two words, ect.. This is how I learned that people when reading allowed are reading ahead of what they are saying, you can move so much more quickly if you can see more at a time, does that make sence? I guess what I am saying is to get her help and teach her tricks. Some people like me need to be taught the progression in reading and then we can do great! Good luck!

I'd like to suggest reading, "A Mind at a Time" by Dr. M. Levine. It's a book that will help you figure out some of the specifics of how your daughter's brain is wired and then teach to her strengths and build up where she's weak. Levine is a pediatrician that specializes in learning. He has a web site, too, but I don't know what it it. Oprah had him on her show. His book is really fabulous.

Good luck!

I would get her into Sylvan immediately, before she falls further behind. I child who doesn't read well will struggle across the board, forever.

The good news is that Sylvan can do a fantastic job, permanently improving your daughter's skills, with measurable results within months!

Sacrifice family vacations and Christmas presents if you have to -- her reading is more important than manicures and presents and wine and Disneyworld.

My daughter who is 10, had the same problem. Something that has helped her a great deal is reading along with the books on CD. We go to the library and she looks through the CD's, then we find the book to go along. Our library has a lot of CD's for her age group. I used to put the CD in the computer and she would follow along. Now she a little MP3 player that she listens to it on. It has really helped her improve her speed. She didn't have a problem with accuracy or comprehension, it just took her forever to read a book. Does your school have AR testing? This is something my kids have been doing since kindergarten, and I think it really helps with them understanding and remembering a book. Good luck, I hope this helps.