How Can I Help My 7 Year Old with His Reading?

Hi, S.
Really good program is Kumon, they specialize in reading and math. Here is a link to the closest location for you.

http://www.kumon.com/findacenter/ResultMaps.asp?address=&...

Good luck!
Sincerely,
V..

First, What is your son interested in...Cars, Baseball,noises etc. Try to find a book about those things. I think that you can get him to read what already interests him and not have to fight the battle.
Just a suggestion. C.

1. Get him books that are a little below his ability: things that he's really enthusiastic about, but aren't hard for him to read to himself. Comic books are good for this, too. What this does, is give him practice at recognizing common words (the, of, and, Me, you, run, see, think, all sorts of little words that repeat constantly) so that they become easily recognized and read as units rather than having to be sounded out each time. Then once he starts looking at them, ask him to tell you what it's about...

2 Also get books that are a little beyond his ability, and start reading them to him. Something that engages his imagination, and yours: you have to enjoy this too. Eventually, you'll have to "skip, today, but you could read it to me while I fix dinner...."

3 Car games: Look for the letters of the alphabet in signs and such , in order... Ask them to help you follow directions, look for the road sign that says"xxx"

4. Ask him to help grocery shopping: go find the package (as you watch down the aisle, of course) that says"XXX"

5. A daily game: today's special word is 'whatever'... how many times can you find it? Put a sign on the fridge, with the word printed on it...nothing formal like flash cards, just a fun extra.

My daughter doesn't want to learn. But by not pressuring her, I think she's starting to become interested. She gave me a blank peice of paper with alot of lines that she drew and told me to fill in the balnks. Then she asked me what I wrote. So, sooner or later, she'll be interested enough. Every child learns at their own pace. Just make sure you can be there when it happens to be the right time.

As a former 1st grade teacher the best advise I can give you is to set aside time each day for reading. Read him a story and then let me read it to you. Make it fun time for both of you. When he sees that reading is fun and being able to read by himself is more fun he will catch on.Take him tot he library and have him choose a few books that interest him on his grade level. Once kids see they can read it's so exciting for them!

ask at his school for a conference w/ his teacher as well as the guidance counselor. if there's a reading coach, ask for her to be included, too. they should help you with ideas and strategies.

these sites are really very helpful;

www.starfall.com

www.riverdeep.com

www.readingrockets.org

Have you had his vision and/or learning style tested? My older son was reading before was 4, but my younger son (5 and a half) has been reluctant and is struggling with reading. I had his binocular vision tested several specialists at Nova) as I noticed he wouldn't sit still to look at the words and when he did he would often make the ending sound instead of the beginning. I also had his learning style tested and he is a kinesthetic learner - He has to be using many of his senses to learn so we have adapted to these and with the help of Sing, Spell, Read & Write, he is making real progress and having fun!
Good luck!

S., first I would like to know where do you live now. I mean if you are at any state or in a latin country. The reason why I ask is because you said that English is your son's low point. I'm an Elementary English Teacher at Puerto Rico. So I teach English as a Second Language for Spanish speakers. The first thing you have to teach your son is the alphabet letter sounds, NOT the names of each letter, but how do they sound. After this teach him the short and long vowel sounds so he will be able to pronounce them correctly. For example: "cat" (the "a" is short and sounds as in Spanish) but in "cake" (the "a" is long and sounds as /ei/). Give him short words like these to practice with each vowel. Then get short stories for his level where he can find words like these. Some of them bring a lot of words with the same vowel sound. When you show him a picture, make sure to show him the word, too. For example, a picture of a glass, write the word "glass" so he can read it. This will increase his vocabulary. If you need any help do not hesitate in contacting me by e-mail. Please let me know you are from this site. ____@____.com
Good luck

The less you bug him and point out the deficiency the more likely it is that he will become a happy reader in his own sweet time. Read for pleasure in front of him, read to him, but don't bug him! My eldest was a very late reader and the school teachers kept torturing me to get her a tutor, get her tested, etc, etc. I insisted on patience because I sensed that she was just a late bloomer. She is now a college freshman getting As and Bs and loves to read!!! If the national average age for kids to be comfortable reading is 6, that means some kids don't till 8 and some kids do at 4. Which is exactly what happened with my 3 kids! And while it is true that the precocious reader still reads the most, all three of them, now in their teens, get the same comprehension scores, etc.

The best advice about reading that I have ever heard was from my daughter's 1st grade teacher. She was telling the kids to make sure they read over the weekend. She told them they could read anything, a book, the comics, or the back of a cereal box, just read for 20 minutes. The kids were so excited about the comics and the cereal box idea. My daughter started reading the summer before kindergarten. She is in 6th grade now and ALWAYS has a book in her hands. My son is now in 4th grade, a very good reader but would never voluntarily pick up a book. When the scholastic order forms would come home I would choose his reading level but books about dinosaurs, sharks, snakes, and now military stuff and football. Just find books about things he likes, even if it's Captain Underpants, or a joke book. There is also a book called "YOU READ TO ME AND I'LL READ TO YOU". Both of my kids loved it because I was sitting with them and reading out loud. Every other line is a different color so you take turns reading.

Dear S.,
I had the same situation with my son. Try to find subjects that interest him. Some boys don't like fiction, which is mostly what they read in first grade. My son loves buildings, so I found him some books about the Empire State Building, the Sears Tower, etc...At first, he couldn't read them by himself, so I read them to him. Gradually, as he began to recognize words, I let him take over with the reading (I would read a page, then he would read a page). It's really important that he sees reading as an enjoyable activity, and that he has plenty of opportunities to practice. When your driving around, let him sound out the street signs. Let him see you read. Also, my son loves the Sports Illustrated magazine for kids. Your school's media specialist should be able to help you out with finding books that he'll enjoy.
Good Luck!
L.

As a retired teacher of English, I would urge you to find books or magazines that are on topics your child absolutely loves. I would also be sure to FIND THE TIME to model to your child how much you love to read. Children do what their parents do. If you smoke, they may smoke. If you fight with your husband, they may fight with their friends. If you find the time to read, and show how much you enjoy this, he may also want to do that.
Also, there are many computer programs that can interact with your child in reading. However, the simple joy of holding a book and reading, may be diminished.
Reading is an acquired taste. Never make it something he must do unless it's a homework asssignment. Try and find things to read together, such as how to do things in games instructions commenting how terrific that you can read this or you wouldn't know how to understand the game as well! Get out a recipe book. Ask him to read to you how to bake a cake and then do it toegther!
Last of all, provide a fun place where he can read. Does he have a bean bag chair where he can sit and relax while he reads? Is there a special place in his room that is removed from other distractions? Have you invited him to read while you read? While he reads, do you compliment him on how well he's reading? If he makes a mistake, tell him it's OK and that you make mistakes too but that it's so much fun to hear him reading to you. You can read a page then he can read to you! Make reading fun.
Finally, have you tested him for dyslexia or ADD???? If he's challenged by this, there are specific techniques that can help him if you seek out a specialist in the school.
The more he sees that reading can be a fun experience, the more he will want to read.