Struggling with reading

[Anonymous]

You might even try turning it into a word game, completely separate from visual letters. If you stretch out a word, can she tell you what word it is? “cccccaaaaatttttt” = cat. Can she pick a word, and stretch it out so that you can guess the word?

[Anonymous]

There was a recent episode on the daily about the failure of the Balanced Literacy reading curriculum, which is or was used in over half of schools in the US. In recent years, there has been an acknowledgement that children need to be taught phonics. So perhaps you need to start figuring out whether it is the curriculum itself or a difficulty particular to your child.

[Anonymous]

"Nonsense" words

Mab, pap, dap, ....remove the actual words and work on the sounds/phonics

[Anonymous]

I really liked this book. It is great because they are using multiple senses when working on sounds and words. It incorporates tracing, writing, cutting letters and pictures out and pasting them into correct places.

https://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Reading-Workbook-activity-reading/dp/1689552859/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3V0GYAZQPEOVZ&keywords=montessori+reading+workbook&qid=1686589050&sprefix=Montessori+reading%2Caps%2C157&sr=8-1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went through a similar thing with my child in kindergarten. Do you know what the curriculum is like at school? My son knew all the letters and letter sounds, but school was encouraging him to guess, memorize, look at pictures for clues, memorize sight words... so when it came to sounding out new words, he didn't have the patience.

I went back to basics at home and we worked through "The Reading Lessons (20 Easy Lessons)." This really worked for him! Half way through the book, he can read really well and I stopped the lessons because he is reading. We might finish the last half over the summer, but teacher reports he is now reading at a 1st grade level. When it finally clicked, the reading really took off for him.

This was our experience as well. The “reading“ instruction to just guess or look at pictures for clues is utterly ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

If you stretch the sounds out to show how they blend can she hear the word? I.e. if you go hhhhh- aaaa- tttt. Can she hear the blend and identify hat? They need to be able to do that before they can make the sounds themselves and hear the blend at the same time.

[Anonymous]

A subset of Dr Seuss books are phonetic. Hop on Pop is good. Cat in the Hat also. Try those maybe.

[Anonymous]

Not until 2nd Grade, is there any concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a recent episode on the daily about the failure of the Balanced Literacy reading curriculum, which is or was used in over half of schools in the US. In recent years, there has been an acknowledgement that children need to be taught phonics. So perhaps you need to start figuring out whether it is the curriculum itself or a difficulty particular to your child.

If current/any school is not using a Phonics-centered curriculum, then children who follow the instructions to "guess from the pictures" (as Balanced Literacy advocates) get led astray by the teacher and school.

You are doing the right thing. Find another set of Phonics materials you like, then start over from the basics. And use a different set of starter phonetic readers - but only after DC has the sounds and blends down pat.

Consider getting an evaluation for dyslexia. If that turns out to be the case, find an Orton-Gillingham tutor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you stretch the sounds out to show how they blend can she hear the word? I.e. if you go hhhhh- aaaa- tttt. Can she hear the blend and identify hat? They need to be able to do that before they can make the sounds themselves and hear the blend at the same time.

Not if I break up the sounds. But yes if I say the sounds slowly but blended together. I just started trying that today based on some of the recs on this chain!

[Anonymous]

I think you need to chill. She is behind. Just be patient and let K do its magic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to chill. She is behind. Just be patient and let K do its magic

Not behind!!

[Anonymous]

My kid just completed kindergarten and still can't read. I'm where you are. We have specialist, have done learn to read in 100 lessons and Bob books. I'm thinking of using hooked on phonics next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to chill. She is behind. Just be patient and let K do its magic

Not behind!!

+1. Ours made dramatic progress in kindergarten. I wouldn't even worry about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to chill. She is behind. Just be patient and let K do its magic

Not behind!!

+1. Ours made dramatic progress in kindergarten. I wouldn't even worry about this.

I am not worried that she's behind academically or in terms of milestones. But she is interested in reading and so I want to make the most of that while keeping it interesting and positive overall rather than any kind of negative association. So looking for ideas of things I can learn about and potentially try, and appreciate all th suggestions I've gotten.

And I guess I was surprised honestly that she wasn't picking up a few simple words here and there just from osmosis and being read aloud to so much. But that just may not be how it works for a lot of kids or for her specifically at this stage.

It's great to hear that a lot of PPs benefited from K and 1st and the exposure and phonics focus at their schools. We will be at MCPS and I have heard mixed things, so hoping that we get a good teacher and curriculum on this front, regardless of where we are at the end of summer.