1st. Grader & Reading

[GJM]

My DS just started lst. grade, the teacher feels he is behind in reading and wants to send him to the reading teacher.

Does anyone have any suggestions or good books to get that I can pratice with at home. I have a couple of books that I have been reading to him and then I have him do some of the words, but he gets so frustrated when he doesn't know it.

 

[castleview]

I don't know it this will help, but I found this website called starfall.com It has several letters and sounds the word out if you click it.

 

[debster812]

First off, don't worry about it too much, most kids who are in the mid-line will eventually catch up, and it all evens out.

That being said, take the school up on the extra reading help!!! Seriously, extra help in any academic subject is never a bad thing.

We went through something similar with DS in Grade 1. He came into our public school system from a private Kindergarten, and the curricula were different. DS screened well below average on his intake screening, and was receiving Title 1 assistance. 6 weeks into the school year, we got a call from his teacher saying that on a whim, she tested him at grade level, and he aced it. She tested him 2 more times, same result both time, he did great. So she pulled him from Title 1. The past 2 years he has tested off the charts on the standardized reading tests our district gives.

Sorry to be so long winded, and if you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to try to answer.

Good Luck!!! And he will get, really he will.

 

[bananiem]

My minor was reading but it's been a long time since I've been in education so I don't know what the "in" thing is now.
I'd ask the reading teacher for info so that you are reinforcing what she's teaching, rather than doing something different that may confuse him.
I agree with the poster that said it'll all even out. In the majority of cases that's true. Given a little assistance they catch up.

 

[EthansMom]

If you're looking for some phonics books to read at home, I love the "Now I'm Reading" series by Nora Gaydos.

 

[CEDmom]

If the school is offering remedial helped I'd definitely take it. As far as working on reading at home keep it light and fun.

When my DD was learning sight words I made magnets and put each word on one and added extra words. It was easy to do, I used those foam sheets and magnet strips from Michael's. Anyway, we'd put all of them on the frig and then play games. We'd do stuff like find the words that have AT in it. We'd sometimes put words together to make easy sentences like FAT CAT. She had so much fun and it was so easy to do while making dinner.

Good luck and don't worry he'll learn to read and if everyone stays positive he'll learn to love it as well.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I think that the most important thing is to read to him and to have him read what he can. Also, try to avoid frustration associated with reading. All of my 4 kids have been very good readers, but none of my 3 boys really enjoyed reading when they were younger. My 16yo now enjoys it quiet a bit and is at a high level and I can finally see it paying off, but it's taken a lot of years. My 13yo has never really enjoyed it. My first grader is a good reader (one of the better ones in first grade), but he doesn't have a love of reading. I'd rather have him be a middle reader, but love it.

Having said that, I just checked out the first book in the Ricky Ricotta series by Dav Pilkey and he read it to me and he loved it. It's one of the first books that he read himself that he didn't want to put down. I read about it here on the DIS and I think I'm on to something. I also have some james Preller books to try--they look like they are about his level.

Last year he liked the Bob books. They were easy, but gave him the confidence to learn some words and it was something that he could read himself.

I would take all the help that the school has to offer.
Try asking at the library for some suggestions, too.

 

[buzzlady]

When DS was in first grade, he went for extra help in reading. They make it fun for the kids and they really do learn more with a small group.

I don't have any suggestions for specific books but make them VERY simple, easy, and short books (5-6 pages is what DS would bring home from his reading class). That will give DS the confidence and not get him frustrated.

I can remember DS bringing home books from his special reading class that he had no problem reading. It also helps with the fluency in their reading.

 

[GJM]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am trying to keep it fun, he will get frustrated if he doesn't know something.

My DH was reading with him, and I can hear the frustration from my DS, I told my DH it is suppose to be fun, don't make it something he will hate.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Here's what worked for us:

Our school stresses reading, reading, reading. Thirty minutes per night, minimally, contracted with parent/student/school, and entered in a log nightly. They are also expected to read all summer long. In 1st grade, it can be a combination of parent and child reading. Later on it can be just the child, with help. Over and over. Every night...

With my DS we had to find books that interested him in order to do this, as he found it a chore (we had many downright unpleasant struggles with him over this). I stocked up on every Early Reader baseball book I could find, LOL (K or Step 1 - some new, but many used); also some others he enjoyed like animals and American History, etc. Anything that he found interesting. I kept them all over the house, in the car, etc, so he could easily pick one up and read it. We even took a bag of books with us on our vacation to the lakes this summer and last.

He struggled a bit in 2nd grade. Testing put him in the Reading Specialist's group during school, and he attended a school-sponsored Reading Camp for 4 weeks this past summer on the advice of his teachers, which caused him to miss his beloved baseball camp with his friends. He wasn't too happy about that, but understood it how important it was - some of his friends were struggling as well and had to take more drastic measures, so wanting to avoid that was a motivator for him. He also has a twin sister who he sees reading like it's nobody's business so that was a healthy motivator for him as well.

Thankfully, all our efforts finally paid off. He just started 3rd grade, and I got a call last week from the specialist saying he was doing well, reading right where he should be, and that they'd keep an eye on him, but that he didn't have to be pulled out of class anymore. This was important for him, since he didn't like being pulled out. He sees the hard work paid off. He finally seems to really enjoy reading and learning about new subjects. I let him pick out a book when we're shopping, and I love seeing the choices of books he picks out at the school library. I can't believe my ears now when I hear him read. I'm proud of him, and I think he learned a nice lesson with all of it.

** This is not to say if there is a learning problem like processing difficulties or dyslexia that this method would work. With my son, he was a slow reader, and this is what helped him over the course of two years.

Good luck with your son. Keep at it. Keep it simple and pleasant (as best you can). Make it fun and interesting. Make reading part of your nightly routine, without fail. See how he does with the specialist, and whether they identify any learning problems. Hang in there.

 

[believe]

If he struggles with the fundamentals then I suggest the book "Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". The lessons are 20 minutes or less. I did one a night with my oldest and she was reading easy book in Kindergarten.

One thing that has encouraged my kids to read is that I leave the notes, at home and in their lunch box. This year I started writing the notes on the back of a comic. Make it interesting for him.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Oh yes, my son loved reading anything about WDW/DCL too - so I bought the WDW Yearbook (I think it's called, describes all the rides and attractions), and kept plenty of travel planners/books/brochures of any kind on hand in large quantities.

 

[Robinrs]

My son struggled with reading, also. I tried EVERYTHING, tutors, Kumon, cds, fun books, EVERYTHING. I blamed myself and wondered what happened because reading was MY life, I have a degree in English and knew how to read BEFORE kindergarten!!

One of his teachers told me something I'll never forget. She told me that all children go at their own pace. When their "lightbulb" finally goes off, it will blind you!

I took her advice...

Now Michael is an A student in the 7th grade. The struggle was part of the fact that I am so grateful for now! It took time but I honestly never saw him reading fluently until the 3rd grade. Now he writes books!

God bless...

Robinrs

 

[GJM]

Thanks again everyone - makes me feel better. I actually do blame myself that he isn't better at it.

When I was in 2nd. grade I use to have to stay after school for reading, I LOVE to read now.

I have always read to him, and he likes to copy the words out of a book. He loves baseball so that would be great to get books on that.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

One thing that helped my sports loving son (and his older brother, who also loves sports) was the desire to read the sports section of the newspaper. My first grader gets the sports section in the morning before anyone else and discusses strategy, teams, players, my DH's fantasy teams, etc. It's really helped with his reading. He knows the line-up of pretty much all the pro basketball teams and is pretty good with the baseball and football teams, too. And those words/names are a heck of a lot harder than the words in a first grade reading books.

Take something that your son loves and go with that. It gives a purpose to reading, too.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I blamed myself, too. One of my closest friends is a Reading Specialist and first grade teacher. She told me when he was in preschool and showed little interest in reading not to push him, so I didn't (of course, we still read to him, but didn't force him to read otherwise). I wondered later if that was the right thing, but I've come to see that it was. What's the point of pushing preschool children to read when they're not ready or willing? He was busy running around outside and there was benefit in that, too. DD, OTOH, loved to read, so we encouraged it.

Long and short of it, nothing to feel guilty about. We all do the best we can. But once they start school they do kind of have to keep up. So don't look back, look forward.

We have a great little used book store near us. But also Goodwill and other thrift stores have tons of books for little money, sometimes as little as a dime or 50 cents each. My son liked the Star Wars type books but early on I had to kind of steer him away from those, they are too difficult to read.

Another set of books I found helpful was the Dick and Jane series, the ones I had in school myself. I bought the set (at BJ's) for fun really, to show my kids the books I learned to read with. But believe it or not, those books were what made it finally click with my DS. Easy words and a little confidence go a long way.

 

[GJM]

Did you recently buy the Dick & Jane books at BJ's? I didn't even think they had those anymore.

When my DS has a math problem and they use a childs name in it, they are such strange names. I always say what happen with Dick - Jane. Nice simple names!

We were working with a Buzz & Woody book, that was easy to read, he does love Star Wars, but I want to stick with something he can grasp.

 

[Barb D]

First: I read along with my first grader. If it's a hard word, I sound it out along with her. If it's a REALLY hard word I just read it. I also alternate paragraphs or pages with her so that she doesn't "wear out."

Second: We had a thread at the beginning of the summer about FUN books to read. I was just thinking that I should find it anyway. This gives me good motivation. Here it is: Books that Make Your Kids Giggle

 

[sacall]

Just to let you know, when my oldest was in 1st Grade, she too struggled in reading. Her 1st grade teacher sent her to reading help. Use it! They will give you things to reinforce at home or give you information about what to do at home. She really liked her "extra" reading class, as she called it.

Over the summer, between 1st and 2nd grade, I sent her to a reading tutor. In fact, it was her teacher from her extra reading class. I think sometime in July, that light bulb went off and now, I can't get her to stop reading!! When she started 2nd grade, at her first teacher conference, her teacher told us she could not believe that Emma was in reading help last year. She was in the top reading group for 2nd grade. She is now is 5th grade, and reading and writing are her strongest subjects.

So, don't worry, it will click.

Stacy

 

[LBAK]

I also had a late bloomer. She was very easily frustrated so we broke up our sessions so they were no more then 10-15 minutes. I made sure I had some easy books like "Biscuit" for her to read. She felt she had accomplished something big when she finished it and couldn't wait to go on. Today she is a delightful 20 year old and being a late bloomer is certainly not something to stress over right now. It will come when he's ready!