How to help upper elementary kids with reading
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
My child is an advanved learner in general, but his reading level stopped advancing at all (still 1.5 grade-level ahead). He is reading at the same level as a year before and I worry he will stay there for the foreseeable future.
I guess some kids are just not great with reading, regardless of the amount of time they spend (he spends at least one hour every day for reading-related workbooks/tutoring/book clubs). He excels in math, science, and writing. He also likes reading books, but no progress whatsoever in his reading level, reading test scores, etc. His teacher doesn't think he has learning disability. Do you have a kid like this? Is this a phase? |
Anonymous
| No, if he is 1.5 grade levels ahead, that is usually not a disability or a concern. |
Anonymous
| What grade? Very possibly the reading just got harder and he plateaued. Happens often around third grade, particularly in schools that don’t explicitly teach phonics. |
Anonymous
OP here. 3rd grade. |
Anonymous
But he is plateaued at the fifth grade level. Could it be phonics? |
Anonymous
| I wouldn’t worry. Let them read at the level they are at. Focus on building content knowledge in science, social studies, etc. Read aloud or play audio books. They might plateau for a bit, but then zoom ahead when they are ready. |
Anonymous
| Why are you so worried? I can't tell if you're for real. Your 3rd grader reads like a 5th grader, he's an advanced learner, he reads at least 1 hour every day. Yet you WORRY? Because he's reading is "not so great" according to your expectations. I hope you don't project that on your child. |
Anonymous
OP here. I’m curious why he showed zero progress during the last one year, even though he spent a lot of time on it. |
Anonymous
| How is his spelling and how does he do with unknown, longer, scientific-type words? Can he easily read lists of ingredients on things like shampoo? (Those are often polysyllabic, I frequently encountered words that require knowledge of syllable types, prefixes/ suffixes etc.) |
Anonymous
|
The reading tests don't necessarily test how well they actually read and comprehend--there's a slew of other factors into the grading like if they know what a text box is or what a picture label is called.
I wouldn't worry too much. Just let your kid keep reading for joy and pick out what he wants at the library. |
Anonymous
|
If you want to see if he has problems with phonics, give him nonsense words and see if he can sound them out. I agree that phonics is vitally important, but if he’s reading at a fifth grade level and enjoys reading, i doubt it’s the issue.
I think it more likely that you’re hitting a type of ceiling effect. The teacher may not be testing reading past 5th grade. Different leveling systems for reafing material generally correlate, but can vary amongst each other. (Which is harder, advanced vocabulary or sentence structure?) This article describes sone of the variation in analyzing reading levels. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reading-minds/201702/three-myths-about-reading-levels Keep in mind that we usually don’t read at our maximum level. I can read college textbooks, but if I’m reading a novel for entertainment, the reading level isn’t anywhere near that. Knowing if a 1st grader is reading at a K, 1st, or 2nd grade level can make a big difference. I think by the 5th grade level, the levels become much less meaningful. As long as he’s reading interesting material, I think his capabilities will continue to grow, even if that improvement isn’t easily assessed. I think a lot of what matters is exposure to vocabulary and general content knowledge. (Reading about space, American history, dinosaurs, etc., is a lot easier if you have pre-existing knowledge about the subject of the reading to provide context). I think rather than stressing over his reading level (assuming he has mastered phonics), the best thing you can do is provide him with a rich environment where he can explore his interests, provide him with plenty of reading material to enjoy (but don’t require daily reading), and read together. |
Anonymous
| Reading level at the younger grades is largely about a child’s ability to sound out words and understand the meaning of words, phrases, and simple sentences. As reading levels advance, it is more about being able to comprehend the meaning behind increasingly complex content. Even if a 3rd grader can read all the words, he cannot necessarily process the meaning and nuance in a complex middle school text. He just hasn’t reached the maturity level to do it yet. Lots of kids read several grade levels ahead at 3rd grade. Fewer do after that because the reading levels are less about reading mechanics and more about content comprehension. - a teacher |
Anonymous
| You don’t want to take away his joy of reading. You could sign him up for drama and reading outloud? |
Anonymous
|
Check out the research done by E.D. Hirsch. He posits that kids without a lot of content knowledge start to fall behind in reading in about 4th grade. Content knowledge is needed for context, etc. and kids who haven't had a wide exposure to history, science, classic stories, etc. can decode, but can't understand more difficult texts due to their constant references/allusions to other material.
This is the basis of the Core Knowledge curriculum. Don't worry so much about reading level, and focus on enriching your DS's education in other ways. You will find it synergistic. |
Anonymous
| At the parent of s fifth grader who was reading on third grade level this fall, i find your post very offensive. |