Need tutoring for your Struggling Reader (maybe dyslexic) and/or Mathematicians

Recently a teacher I have worked with as an online teacher for the past 5 years began her own tutoring services online using the essential requirements for struggling readers. She has extensive knowledge as a teacher of special education students specifically working with students with learning disabilities including dyslexic, dysgraphia and autism. I am most excited about her expertise with Barton Reading and Spelling (specialized program for dyslexic children).

Her tutoring services are offered online in an interactive, engaging environment that your child can participate in completely from their own home. Now, you may say, how can she help virtually? This is our expertise as online teachers. I do not get anything for recommending her to you, I am sharing because there are so many struggling students out there that just don’t have access to a specialized tutor. In the online environment, the students move tiles around, use a webcam, talk over the internet in the classroom and even write on the board themselves.  Check out Kids of the King Tutoring services and prices (which are completely economical). Check out these pictures of setups in her room.

On this board, students can grab items off of the shelf, place them in their basket to buy and give the correct amount of money to the cashier.  They can also practice  making change by grabbing the money and giving it to the customer.

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On this board, students can practice reading a clock  by moving the hands to the correct times given.

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On this board, students can move tiles around and practice phonetic skills.  This is a one of the early levels of reading skills development.

Reading Fluency, Taking that next step

In this stage, words will become harder, it will take longer to learn new words and you will need to continue the use of index cards.

When you get past the first level of readers, and moveto the second level of readers from the library, there will be a need for a change in approach.

 

• Check the book to see if your child will be able to read approximately 9 out of every 10 words .  If so this is an appropriate book. If you are unsure, let them read a sentence or two for you to check.
• If the book passes the test, take the words they are unable to read and create flash cards with these words.  Practice these words.  
• Do not begin the book until they recognize these words with automaticity. 

 

Continue daily reading practice with last book until these words are learned.  Don’t be discouraged, they begin to take longer to learn the words as the number of words in their vocabulary grows.

 

Procedure at this stage:

1.  They read.
2.  They talk about what they read, encourage them to use their words, not the books.
3. You read.
4. They read again.

 Continue using the index card to keep their place.

 

In this stage, you will want to continue

 to begin each day with a review of

• any recently added sight words.

• Using short vowel sounds to create 3 letter words

• The lesson should still not take more than 30 min a day and do not read more than 2-3 pagesa day at this level.

Reading Fluency from the beginning

 

Sometimes patience is key in the first step of making sure they are ready.  Make sure they are definitely ready. Now that you have gotten the basic skills needed to begin working on fluency with reading.  Let’s get started.     

  

The first Book

 

First,  Make sure they are taught all of the sight word vocabulary for that book.  (if they don’t know, place on flash cards to learn)

Start with a book that does not have more than 2-3 lines on each page and 1 line to start is just fine.  Check with your local librarian for help in chosing books.  There are many different series that are leveled, they can direct you to them.

   If working with older student, collect a variety of books from the library, you will want to find a high interest area.   Once you have found the right books you will want to begin.

 

 Let them work to read the book, as they have already practiced all the words until they know them automatically with flash cards.  This should be doable. Here is the process:

 

1.   Learn the words with flashcards to the entire book.
2.    Look through the pages of the book, discuss the pictures.
3.   Begin reading. 
4.  They read page 1 once.
5.  You read page 1 slowly once with excitement and meaning.
6.  Then they read it attempting to mock reading it with meaning like you, they should point to each word as they read.
7.  Discuss what they have read, checking for comprehension. 

 The books will begin to have more than 3 lines. When they do, do the following:

 

1. Use a blank index card to cover all the lines below the first line that are not being read.  Student should see one line at a time.
2. If they are unable to recall a word, count in your head slowly, 1,2,3 and then say the word for them.  Do not allow them to guess. Interrupt and give the word if they are attempting to sound out a sight word.  They are not meant to be sounded out.

Once they have read the page and you have moved the index card down the page, now have them slide the index card down as you read slowly with meaning as before.

 

1. Have them read it aloud  with meaning and expression. Remember to give them words that they are unable to recall, not allowing them to guess.
2. Discuss what happened on the page, checking for comprehension
3. If there are words that are repeatedly missed, remember to practice these with flashcards daily prior to reading until they are learned. 
4. You should not spend more than ½ an hour on this each day but at least 15 minutes. 
5. You should read at least 2-3 pages at the preprimer level in each setting.
6. Don’t forget to give lots of praise and recognition for accomplishments.

My son can’t read his spelling words, is this ok? (submitted by L Mison)

If your child can not read their spelling words then it doesn’t make since to expect them to learn to spell them.  It is really sad that in many of our schools teachers have their spelling curriculum that for struggling readers is just too high.  If your child has an IEP and is struggling in reading, I would highly recommend you asking your special education teacher to consider writing in your child receiving an alternative spelling list.

Spelling is an important skill.  It should not be dismissed.  Spelling helps reading skills and there is so much more to spelling then just memorization.  Research shows that children who learn how the spelling system works in English with its patterns, sounds, and definitions through spelling skills, increase their reading fluency, comprehension and writing skills.   If a student is given spelling words that they struggle to read, the spelling lists become more about memorization instead of the skills that go with spelling.  We want to teach the phonetic patterns and how the system works through spelling, making the process the most important, not the level of spelling.

Scientifically, it has been found that students learn spelling best when their spelling words come from the words they are misspelling in their writing.  This means that those words are being used on a regular basis by the student and they are not spelling them correctly.  They can immediately begin to use the word and should be expected to spell it correctly from then on. 

For teachers that are not willing to create an alternative list for students that can read the spelling list, “You are just plain lazy.”  It isn’t that hard.  Just find words they can read.